Tag Archives: Littell Project

Notes from the Littell Project: A 1949 Sojourn in Soviet-occupied Germany

History News, , , ,

As a result of his growing knowledge of the harsh realities of the Holocaust and World War II, following the war, Franklin Littell went to work in the Religious Affairs branch of the Office of Military Government in U.S. occupied Germany. He served as a religious advisor to the U.S. Government, specializing in Germany’s protestant churches, and he was also a leader in the growing Christian lay movement there (more on those activities later). As a result of his work and position, from time to time he was afforded the opportunity to travel into Soviet-occupied Germany. The following are portions of a letter written home about his experience the first time he made this journey in 1949.

 

 

—

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Courtney Smerz, Project Archivist

Franklin H. Littell was Temple faculty member and scholar of religious history, whose focus lay in the history of sects and of Christian/Jewish relations.  He also brought world-wide attention to the importance of studying the Holocaust and its causes, and a large percentage of the more than 400 linear feet of papers (think the equivalent of 50 four-drawer filing cabinets) document that work.  This is one of the occasional posts about what we’re finding as we preserve and organize the collection for research use.

 

Notes from the Littell Project: Adventures of a CO during WWII

History News, , ,

Read a transcription of this letter.

Neither Franklin Littell nor his brother, Wallace, fought in World War II (though both would later participate in the rebuilding of Germany, during the American Occupation). Instead, Franklin completed his education at Yale, and Wallace registered as a conscientious objector.
As a CO, Wallace—“Pickle,” for short—considered many options for service. While awaiting acceptance into the Civilian Public Service, he explored working abroad with the American Friends Service Committee as well as programs at Haverford and Swarthmore Colleges. He spent time in Philadelphia working at the Friends Neighborhood Guild, while also looking for work as an ambulance driver. Leaving Philadelphia, he hitchhiked across the US, making many stops, including several National Parks and to work as a farm hand in Montana. He eventually made his way to a Civilian Public Service camp in South Dakota. Moving between CPS camps out west, he worked as a “smoke jumper,” parachuting out of airplanes to extinguish forest fires.
There are many letters from Wallace in the collection, chronicling his experiences as a CO as well as his later work in the Foreign Service. The letter pictured here was written in April 1943, before he was accepted to the Civilian Public Service. In it, he discusses some of his options for government sanctioned alternative service work during the war.

–Courtney Smerz, Project Archivist

 

Notes from the Littell Project: Christmas Greetings

When they first met in the 1930s (and indeed, throughout their lives), Franklin Littell and his first wife, Harriet Lewis Littell, were social activists and ardent pacifists. In fact, it was through their shared work with the National Council of Methodist Youth, which publicly petitioned against American involvement in World War II, that they met. At the time, Franklin was a student at Columbia’s Union Theological Seminary in New York City and Harriet was a student at the University of Colorado in Boulder.
They were married in June 1939, and the letter pictured here, it is believed by the project archivist, was sent that year as their Christmas greeting. While Franklin and Harriet wrote each other frequently during their long-distance courtship, revealing much about their shared work, beliefs and love, these three short paragraphs perfectly evidence exactly who they were and what they stood for in their youth.

 

Now is the plumbline set against the wall!
Nations are rending each other  Peoples are
fleeing for refuge from the invader.  Those who
have taken the sword are perishing by it.

 

In our own country, millions are unemployed. “Eligible”
candidates for public office are created by slashed
budgets, flour and dried apples for thousands
who face starvation. Justice and righteousness are
made mockery.

 

If ever human beings needed Jesus Christ, it is today!
Our community should be found in bringing the Gospel
of Peace among men. Let him be the center of our lives:
the example and the living foundation of our faith.

 

Franklin and Harriet Littell

 

Apartment 615
99 Claremont Avenue
New York City