Guide to the Harry A. Greenblatt Papers, 1942-1946
- Repository
- Heinz History Center
- Title
- Harry A. Greenblatt Papers,
- Creator
- Greenblatt, Harry A.
- Collection Number
- MSS#483
- Extent
- 1 linear feet (1 box)
- Date
- 1942-1946
- Abstract
- Harry A. Greenblatt (1914-1996) was a native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania who served in the Air Force during World War II, spending time in Manila, Luzon, New Guinea, and Japan. The collection consists primarily of letters sent by Greenblatt to his wife, Edna Bess Rosenberg Greenblatt, detailing his time spent in the military. The collection also includes correspondence from friends and family, news clippings, and military documents.
- Language
- The material in this collection is in English.
- Publisher
- Heinz History Center
- Address
- 1212 Smallman St.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15222
library@heinzhistorycenter.org
URL: https://www.heinzhistorycenter.org
History
HG was born in Pittsburgh's North Side on June 12, 1914, the son of Morris and Gertrude Greenblatt. He graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a degree in business. After graduation, HG worked for the Bureau of Unemployment Compensation as a field accountant. During World War II, HG was drafted into the Army Air Force [Corps] and began military service in May, 1942, at Fort George G. Meade in Maryland. He then served at the Savannah Army Air Base in Georgia prior to transfer to the Pacific Theater, where he spent time in the Philippines, New Guinea, and Japan. HG performed non-combatant clerical and office duties while in the military.
EG (c1918-2010) studied nursing at Margaret Morrison Carnegie School at the Carnegie Institute of Technology (now Carnegie Mellon University) and worked at St. Francis Hospital (Pittsburgh, Pa.), Suburban General Hospital (Bellevue, Pa.), and at the Emma Kaufmann Camp (Harmony, Pa.). Additionally, EG taught nursing at West Penn Hospital in Pittsburgh, Pa. EG and HG met through a Carnegie Tech classmate and were dating at the time HG was inducted into the Army. The couple was married at the courthouse in Atlanta, Georgia, on August 3, 1943. Later, the couple was married in Macon by a rabbi.
Following the war, HG settled in New Brighton, Pennsylvania, where he established an accounting practice. The couple had one son, Mark, who studied City Planning at Michigan State and the University of Pennsylvania, and he eventually received a Law Degree at Capital University in Columbus, Ohio. HG passed away on July 5, 1996.
Scope and Content Notes
The Harry A. Greenblatt Papers are housed in one archival box and arranged in three series. Series I contains the correspondence of HG and EG. Series II encompasses photographs of HG's service in World War II, and Series III has been designated as topical folders.
Series I: Correspondence contains letters sent or received by the couple between 1942 and 1945 and includes congratulatory letters on their marriage. Most of the series encompasses HG's correspondence to EG (arranged chronologically by month), which was written during his military service. In the letters, HG spoke of his duties, friends and co-workers, his anger at delayed promotion of rank, his frustration at not being accepted into Officer's Candidate School, and his love for Edna. Also, he expressed dissatisfaction with his Army responsibilities, saying the work was boring and did not make the best use of his education. In many letters, HG spoke about the complicated application process to Officer Candidate School and his anger that, despite his qualifications, he continually encountered obstacles that delayed his acceptance. Officer Candidate School options ended when HG's outfit was put on alert for overseas duty. HG's letters offer detailed accounts of his day-to-day activities during the war and illustrate the racism and religious intolerance he faced during this time period.
Series II: Photographs. This series is arranged alphabetically by topic. Mainly, it contains photographs from HG's military service in the Philippines, including Baguio, Manila, the Pangasinan Province, and Luzon. Eight additional photographs highlight his time spent in New Guinea and in Macon, Ga. Finally, there are two portraits of HG and EG from the early 1990s.
Series III: Topical Folders is separated into two sections: papers pertaining to EG and HG. The subdivisions are arranged alphabetically by topic. This series contains war related newspaper clippings and cartoons, show bills from a Macon, Georgia, concert featuring Ella Fitzgerald and the Ink Spots, a program pertaining to the military play "Fanshaw Impromptu," and other memorabilia. Military forms include HG's transfer orders sending him to California in preparation for overseas duty. Additionally, this series contains a biographical sketch of HG written by his widow, EG.
Conditions Governing Access
No Restrictions.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
These materials were received in two accessions: Gift of Edna Bess Greenblatt2008.
Gift of the Estate of Edna Bess Greenblatt2010.
Preferred Citation
Harry A. Greenblatt Papers, 1942-1946, MSS#483, Rauh Jewish Archives, Library and Archives, Senator John Heinz History Center
Processing Information
Original inventory completed by Rick Erisman, Library and Archives volunteer, in 2008.
The papers were arranged and described by Kathy Richter, an intern from the University of Pittsburgh's School of Information Sciences, during May 2008.
The additional accession was inventoried, arranged, and described by Megan Rentschler in 2010, and the finding aid was revised. 2010.
Conditions Governing Use
Property rights reside with the Senator John Heinz History Center. Literary rights are retained by the creators of the records and their heirs. For permission to reproduce or publish, please contact the Library and Archives of the Senator John Heinz History Center.
Separated Materials
None
Subjects
- United States--Army Air Force
- Greenblatt, Harry A.
- Greenblatt, Edna (Rosenberg).
- World War, 1939-1945--Pacific Area