Collection context
Summary
- Creators:
- Adams, Marie, 1891-1976
- Abstract:
- The collection includes materials relating to Santo Tomás Internment Camp and the Japanese occupation of the Philippines during World War II, in the form of correspondence, propaganda leaflets, printed matter, and memorabilia.
- Extent:
- 5 manuscript boxes, 2 oversize boxes (3.8 Linear Feet)
- Language:
- English
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of item], Marie Adams papers, [Box no., Folder no. or title], Hoover Institution Library & Archives.
Background
- Scope and content:
-
Having been sent to the Philippines by the American Red Cross in 1941 to work as Field Director for Hospital Services in Manila, Marie Adams found herself among the thousands of American and Allied civilians to be held as prisoners of war at Santo Tomás Internment Camp (STIC). As one of the head nurses at STIC, Adams witnessed first-hand the physical and psychological toll of internment, with circumstances worsening in 1944 after the Japanese military assumed control of operations. The collection is primarily comprised of materials from Adams' time as a prisoner of war and immediately following her release.
Of particular note in the Philippines file is a set of meal tickets and a log of daily meals served at STIC from 1944 to 1945. These materials supplement newsletters and announcements distributed at STIC around this period, providing insight into daily life at the camp. In addition, the series includes printed matter about the Philippine front of World War II, in the form of newspapers, clippings, reports, and studies on the destruction of Manila and the liberation of prisoners of war.
In her time at STIC, Adams wrote a number of poems reflecting on life in the camp, hunger, sickness, and the hope of liberation. These poems were self-published under the title Life Without Lipstick and distributed to friends and family as Christmas presents in 1945. Letters written in response to this book are included in the Letters received series along with letters received by Adams at STIC and congratulatory letters received upon her return home, written by family, close friends, and colleagues from different chapters of the American Red Cross.
- Biographical / historical:
-
Date Event 1891 Born, Aberdeen, Washington1936-1941 Executive Secretary of Milwaukee-Downer College, Milwaukee, Wisconsin1941 Arrives in Manila, Philippines, to work as Field Director of Hospital Services for the American Red Cross1942-1945 Interned, Santo Tomás Internment Camp (STIC), Philippines1945 Author, Life Without LipstickJune 1945 Submits report to the U.S. Office of the Surgeon General on living conditions at STIC following the takeover by the Japanese military authority in 1944circa 1945 Awarded Bronze Star Medal for service with sick and wounded while interned at STIC1976 Died - Acquisition information:
- Acquired by the Hoover Institution Library Archives in 1978.
- Arrangement:
-
The collection is organized into 3 series: Philippines file, Letters received, and Memorabilia
- Physical location:
- Hoover Institution Library & Archives
- Rules or conventions:
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Access and use
- Restrictions:
-
Boxes 6 and 7 may not be used without permission of the Archivist. The remainder of the collection is open for research; materials must be requested in advance via our reservation system. If there are audiovisual or digital media material in the collection, they must be reformatted before providing access.
- Terms of access:
-
For copyright status, please contact the Hoover Institution Library & Archives.
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of item], Marie Adams papers, [Box no., Folder no. or title], Hoover Institution Library & Archives.
- Location of this collection:
-
Hoover Institution Library & Archives, Stanford UniversityStanford, CA 94305-6003, US
- Contact:
- (650) 723-3563