Happy 1 Month Birthday to the 1940 US Census!

One month ago today the 1940 US Census went live.  Wow, what a wild ride it has been!  What an amazing job everyone is doing with the 1940 US Census Community Project as well!

I hope many of you have been enjoying the images, indexing, arbitrating, learning, researching, and are hungry for more.  Just as a reminder, the 1940 US Census Project is still going strong.  New indexers are still signing up and there is a lot to do.  The more the merrier!  If you have been indexing, remember there is a critical need for arbitrators.  The indexes won’t be out until they are all arbitrated. 

Not sure what indexing and arbitrating are?  Not a problem.  Check out a few of the links below to help get you started, or to brush up on those skills.  I would go first to the Resources Page at the community project website.  Not sure what to look at?  Here are a few of my favorite ones:

Latest News on the Project

Census Tracking for Beginners

Indexing Tutorial

Arbitration Tutorial

Handwriting Tutorials

Intro to Indexing - Webinar

Training Webinars from the Census Project- There is one today!!!

Video Training on Indexing

Are you all jazzed up and ready to go strong?  Great!  Now don't forget that there are weekly prizes over at the community site. 

Image from the Library of Congress:  It's your America! Help the ten-year roll call--1940 census, U.S.A.

Disclosure:  as part of "the1940census.com" ambassador program this blog post enters me into a drawing for a $100 Amazon Gift Card.

1940s: Greatest Generation



Paul Combs, center arms crossed,
Round House, Washington, Indiana

“The Greatest Generation” was a term coined by journalist Tom Brokaw for his book by the same name.  It was fitting to give this name to that generation of people.  They grew up during the depression, came of age in the midst of a savage World War, and advanced this country to a level few thought was possible.  The struggles, triumphs, and defeats they would experience during the 1940’s shaped the world we live in today.

Those that have read my blog from the beginning know that I am extremely proud of my grandparents and their sacrifices during this time period.  I have talked extensively about my Grandfather Arvin, who was a POW, and his wife who worked during the war at a Bendix plant.  I don’t know if I will find him on the 1940 US Census or not.  By 1941 he was already in the Philippians, but I am anxious to see if he had already left or was still working as a filling station attendant in Wayne, Michigan.

My Grandfather Combs did not fight in the war, even though he did volunteer.  He was in an essential industry and worked as a track foreman for the B&O railroad.  The recruiter said they would take him, but he would get the same job, for less pay, and it would be more beneficial for him and his country to stay home.  His wife volunteered around their community and raised their young children.

Sometimes I hear people say we have it hard now, but it really is not any different than what my grandparents faced.  Our fears are generally the same; we just have different labels on them.  How many people do you know are growing gardens?  How many people do you know are collecting coupons and rationing out expensive goods to their house?  How many people do you know have been affected by the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan?  How many... 

We could take a page out of that generation’s notebook, and learn a lot about ourselves while we are at it.  How similar do you think we are to that Greatest Generation, and how will our children and grandchild see us?

 

The 1940 US Census Community Project needs you! Consider volunteering to index and spread the word.  Records will be released in 11 days!

*Image from the Library of Congress: Grow it yourself Plan a farm garden now.

1940: Feeling Lucky... then I have a contest for you

Can you believe that in a fortnight the 1940 US Census will be released?  I am giddy with the anticipation of being able to see where my family was in 1940, but where they were in 1935 too.  Can you say "two birds, one stone?"  Oh, and this will be the first census that my father will be  in.  Cannot wait to call him on the phone and tell him what I see!

This week at the 1940 US Census Project there is a contest for everyone to participate in to get you excited and ramped up for indexing!  Yes, I said indexing; it is not scary and remember if we all help it will be a boon to the entire genealogy community. 

Here is what you have to do:

1.  Download the FamilySearch Indexing software
2.  Complete a practice simulation to get your feet wet indexing

That is all!  Easy right?  So go out to the blog page to learn all about it.

After you do those two easy steps you will be entered to win a Visa gift card.  One person will be picked at random to win a $100 Visa gift card and two more people will be selected to win $50 Visa gift cards.  How many genealogy gadgets could you buy with that?

So what are you waiting for?  Spread the word!  Get on out there and help!

*As a 1940 US Census Ambassador this post has entered me in a drawing to win an Amazon Kindle Fire.

Image Library of Congress: Telephone and directory. Dubuque, Iowa

1940s: The decade of education advancements

Great strides were made during WWII and the years following in science and technology.  More importantly this flowed over into the realm of education.  We as a nation understood during this decade that we needed to be educated and give our soldiers and younger citizens chances to succeed.  Below is a timeline that highlights many of the advances that today we take for granted.

1944 –

GI Bill (Servicemen's Readjustment Act) provides educational financial aid for veterans

President Franklin D. Roosevelt writes Vannevar Bush, Director of the Office of Scientific Research and Development, asking how the successful application of scientific knowledge to wartime problems could be carried over into peacetime. (President Roosevelt's Letter)


1945 –

Founding member of  United Nations Education, Science and Cultural Organization

Vannevar Bush delivers his report, entitled Science - The Endless Frontier, to President Harry S. Truman. His report proposes the establishment of a "National Research Foundation."

Senator Warren Magnuson of Washington introduces a bill to implement Bush's plan, the first of a number of bills offered in response to Bush's suggestions. In later bills, the proposed organization is called the "National Science Foundation," a title first suggested by Senator Harley M. Kilgore of West Virginia.

1946 –

Fulbright Program “the flagship international education program” for international exchange and mutual understanding, is established

The George Barden Act expands vocational education subsidies


1947 --

The National Art Education Association was founded with the merger of the Western, Pacific, Southeastern, and Eastern Region Art Associations, plus the art department of the National Education Association (NEA). The NAEA consists of educators in all fifty states plus the District of Columbia, U.S. Possessions, most Canadian Provinces, U.S. military bases around the world, and twenty-five foreign countries. This organization was founded to promote art education through Professional Development, Service, Advancement of Knowledge, and Leadership. NAEA is a non-profit, educational organization which has the potential to collaborate with federal education agencies and other national professional groups.

Congress passes a bill establishing a National Science Foundation, but President Harry S. Truman vetoes it because it did not give the president authority to name the director of the agency.

1948 –

U.S. Information and Educational Exchange Act (Smith–Mundt Act) prevents the US from disseminating information domestically that has been designed to deliberately influence foreign audiences

1949--

The Office of Education reestablished a position of "Specialist in Education for the Fine Arts."

The 1940 US Census Community Project needs you! Consider volunteering to index and spread the word. Records will be released in 18 days!

Sources:
Timeline of US Federal Cultural Policy Milestones 1787-2006
The History of Art Education Timeline 1940-1949
The National Science Foundation


Images Library of Congress:
Jobs - get the facts about occupations - free classes for young men and women 16 to 25 yrs.--National Youth Administration of Illinois
Get ahead! Adult education classes : For adults at no charge.

1940s: Inventions

I am a stay at home mom and l have an appliance I would die without.  Can you guess what it is?  Give you a hint:  it is a box, it whirs, and it makes stuff into food.  Yep, that would be a microwave oven!  The number one most used appliance in my house, savior of dinner, and king of the leftovers.  Hard to believe that it was invented in 1946 isn’t it.

crosscut image of a magnatron

As with all great scientific invention, the microwave oven was created by accident.  While working on research for radar technology Dr. Percy Spencer noticed that the candy bar in his pocket melted when he stood close to a new vacuum tube  (the magnatron) he was testing.  The curious scientist then decided to see what would happen he placed popcorn next to it.  To his surprise, it popped!  After a bit more experimentation with foods, and the code name “speedy weenie project,” he designed a metal box to hold the tube, and the rest is history. 

Dr. Spencer worked for the Raytheon Company and in 1947 they introduced the first microwave oven called the "Radarange." It was the size of a refrigerator and you could purchase one for about $5,000.  70 years later and we can by tiny ones for less than $100!

The 1940 US Census will be released in less than 20 days!   Check out all the amazing information, webinars, and blog posts at the 1940 US Census Community Project.  Even better, help us all and sign up to become an indexer!

Disclosure: as a member of the 1940 US Census Ambassador Program, this post has entered me into the weekly contest for a $50 Amazon gift card.

*Image: Magnetron cross-cut

1940's News Headlines

When I was 13 my mother was stationed at White Sands MissileRange (WSMR), New Mexico.  In the months leading up to our move, I was teased horribly about how I would glow in the dark by the time I left.  If that statement leaves you scratching your head, let me explain.  WSMR is a proving ground for missiles, and just a few short miles down the road is the Trinity Site. 

On 16 July, 1945 the United States tested its first atomic bomb at the Trinity Site.  We all know from history what happened a month later, and the struggles that we as a nation and the world have today due to nuclear armament.  So… I think we can all agree that I don’t need to go into that.

My time at WSMR was short but great, and no I don’t glow in the dark (slight twitch, but no glowing).  This led me to think that a lot of people really don’t know how beautiful, and remote, this place is.  WSMR, and White Sands National Monument, is located in the Tularosa Basin which lies between the Sacramento and San Andres Mountain ranges.  Simply put, it is a large white beach, with no water, and gorgeous views of mountains on all sides.  Bring your sled so you can go sliding down the dunes!  

My dad, me and our dog Sam
Organ Mts overlooking WSMR

Spending my 8^th grade year on a closed post, at a post school, is an experience I will never forget.  I kick myself now for not getting out more to learn about, and see, the area.  However, at 13, I firmly was in the realm of boys, music, boys, driving my parents crazy, boys, soccer practice, and oh… did I mention… boys.  The post is no longer a closed post, and you can get passes in to see the missile park and museum.  If you are ever in the area, you should go and check it all out.  Alamogordo has a fantastic Space Museum too, go figure!

Alamogordo Army Airfield, WSMR, and the Trinity Site were not in existence in 1940.  I am curious to see who was in the area.  Who will you look up in the 1940 US Census?

 __

 The 1940 US Census Community Project needs you!  Consider volunteering to index and spread the word.  Records will be released in 28 days!

*Image from wikimedia: "TRINITY PHOTOGRAPH - Alamogordo, NM - Trinity test, July 16, 1945 - "JUMBO," a 120-ton steel vessel, was designed to contain the explosion of the bomb's high explosive and permit recovery of the active material in case on nuclear failure." (was not used for this purpose during test)

1940s Famous People

For those of you who missed it, the Oscar's were last Sunday. The once a year chance for those in Hollywood to be recognized for their work in the film industry and for the rest of us to see those amazing dresses walking down the red carpet. My cousin holds an annual Oscar party where you have to dress to the nines to attend. Her pictures from the evening were fantastic!

All the buzz had me thinking about the Oscar winners from the 1940s. Who won, what were the films about, where there any repeats?  My curiosity was bubbling over.  I went in search of three categories for each year: best film, best actor, and best actress. (See a full list of awards at Classic Movies)

1940
Picture            Rebecca
Actor              James Stewart – The Philadelphia Story
Actress           Ginger Rogers – Kitty Foyle

1941

Picture            How Green was my Valley
Actor              Gary Cooper – Sergeant York
Actress           Joan Fontaine – Suspicion

1942

Picture            Mrs. Miniver
Actor              James Cagney – Yankee Doodle Dandy
Actress           Greer Garson – Mrs. Miniver

1943

Picture            Casablanca
Actor              Paul Lukas – Watch on the Rhine
Actress           Jennifer Jones – The Song of Bernadette

1944

Picture            Going my Way
Actor              Bing Crosby –Going my Way
Actress           Ingrid Bergman – Gaslight

1945

Picture            The Lost Weekend
Actor              Ray Milland -  The Lost Weekend
Actress           Joan Crawford – Mildred Pierce

1946

Picture            The Best Years of Our Lives
Actor              Fredric March – The Best Years of Our Lives
Actress           Olivia de Havilland – To Each His Own

1947

Picture            Gentleman’sAgreement
Actor              Ronald Colman – A Double Life
Actress           Loretta Young – The Farmer’s Daughter

1948

Picture            Hamlet
Actor              Laurence Olivier – Hamlet
Actress           Jane Wyman – Johnny Belinda

1949

Picture            All the King’s Men
Actor              Broderick Crawford – All the King’s Men
Actress           Olivia de Havilland– The Heiress


Only one repeat winner in 10 years!  Olivia de Havilland started the decade on the 1939 hit Gone with the Wind and left with 2 Oscars for best actress.  Wow!

Many of these movies I have not seen, but there is one on the list that was a favorite of mine as a child, Yankee Doodle Dandy.  I watched this movie over, and over again.  I knew every line, and every song, and I am pretty sure I wore the tape out.  Until this evening I did not know that James Cagney had won the Oscar for it, and I am sure it was not only for his tap dancing down the steps of the White House in the end of the film. 

Seeing as everyone is in the 1940 US Census, who will you look up?  I think I may look up a few of the actors listed above to see what they were doing before they won their golden statuette. 

*Images from wikimedia:  Academy award vinto da maximilian schell come miglior attore protagonista, 1961

Actors Gary Cooper and Joan de Havilland holding their Oscars at Academy Awards after party, 1942

screenshot of James Cagney from the trailer for the film Yankee Doodle Dandy

1940 Culture

Growing up I always had a romantic and dreamy fascination with the hairstyles of the 1940s.  There were the curls, the flips, the victory rolls, the peekaboo bangs, and the other perfect coifs of that by-gone era.  I dreamed about having my hair like that, but alas, whenever I tried it would never cooperate quite right.  Sounds pretty funny coming from a girl who was born in the 70s huh?

Having straight as a poke baby fine hair never helped with these styling dilemma. I always wanted to have that long sexy wavy hair with the peekaboo bangs, a-la Veronica Lake.  Yeah, I know, she was a movie star and they have professionals doing their hair!  A girl can dream though.

My grandmothers were pro’s at the pin curl styles though.  On more than one occasion I sat dutifully while they rolled, twisted, and pinned my hair into place so that I would have those perfect curls.  Unfortunately, 10 minutes after they were unwound all the curls fell out and my hair was flat, but at least the picture was taken before that happened!

In honor of the 1940 US Census, I think I will be trying a few of these out.  I will post the best ones... as long as I don't break the camera that is.  If you, or someone you know, would like to be nostalgic with me, here are some how to websites to get you started.

Hot 1940s Hairstyles
1940s.org
wikiHow: How to Create an American 1940's Hairstyle


*Images:  Studio portrait photo of Veronica Lake taken for promotional use, circa 1952 (original upload date: 1 September 2010(2010-09-01)) wikimedia
Cropped screenshot of Rita Hayworth from the trailer for the film Blood and Sand, 1941 wikimedia