Sabr ina R i ley, M ILSUn ion Co l lege L ib ra r y D i rec to r and A rc h i v i s t

& Ke l t i D i c ke r s o n , H i s to r y m a j o rU n i o n C o l l e g eHer i tage Room A s s i s t a n t

CONSCIENTIOUS COOPERATORS:

THE UNION COLLEGE MEDICAL CADET CORPS AND THE SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST

DENOMINATION'S UNIQUE RESPONSE TOCONSCRIPTION 1934-1971

Conscientious Objection : Two philosophies:

Pacifism: All forms of violence or resistance are immoral, including legitimate warfare and refuse to serve in military. Church of the Brethren, Religious Society of Friends, Mennonites,

Jehovah’s Witnesses, Christadelphians

Noncombatant roles: Acknowledge that armed resistance is sometimes necessary but choose not to take life, accepting service roles in support of the community and/or military. Seventh-day Adventists, Community of Christ

ADVENTISTM’S UNIQUE RESPONSE

Civil War (1863 draft law) – Newly formed Adventist church claimed noncombatancy status

World War I – Affirmed noncombatancy principals citing Civil War precendant

DENOMINATIONAL BACKGROUND

Earthly governments ordained of God to secure order, justice, and tranquility

In exercise of legitimate functions, governments should receive loyal support of citizens (Romans 13)

Citizens should render tribute, custom, and honor to earthly governments (Matthew 22:21)

But in keeping with Adventist doctrine, members seek to Avoid secular labor on Sabbath (Fourth Commandment) Avoid taking life (Sixth Commandment) Engage in work of necessity and mercy, to relieve suffering (Matthew

12:11)

DECLARATION OF PRINCIPLES

The war to end all wars

Isolationism was the prevalent attitude

Economy still struggling to recover from the Great Depression

Isolationism was particularly popular in the Middle West among rural and small-town populations, Republicans, and German-Americans.

SOCIAL CLIMATE 1930S

Fi rst meet ing Januar y 8 , 1934

UNION COLLEGE MEDICAL CORPS

47 th General Hospi ta l , Army Reser ve - 1936

COLLEGE OF MEDICAL EVANGELISTS

Ar t i f ic ia l resusc i tat ion

1940 CENTRAL UNION SUMMER MCC

Evere t t D ic k

Orason Br inke r Wa l te r C rawfo rd Joseph ine S tone

1940 CENTRAL UNION SUMMER MCC CAMP STAFF

October 1940

LAKE UNION CAMP

1942

GAS MASK DRILL

Dressed up for an MCC banquet in 1941 .

BONITA COZAD AND GLENNDAVENPORT

Grand march through Nevada, Iowa to end at the publ ic school ’s footbal l f ie ld .

OAK PARK ACADEMY 1941

In 1941 Iowa governor, George A . Wi lson rev iewed cadets f rom camp held on the Oak Park Academy campus.

OAK PARK ACADEMY, NEVADA, IOWA

February 1-21, 1942

MAPLEWOOD ACADEMY

Consensus was the prevailing attitude

Booming and optimistic Economy

Population

Sense of American superiority

Underlying weaknesses Communist threat

Civil rights

Seventh-day Adventists seek to correct misconceptions

SOCIAL CLIMATE 1950S

Beulah, Colorado

CAMP CARLYLE B. HAYNES

March 20 or 22, 1951

MADISON COLLEGE

Apr i l 1955

SOUTH-WESTERN JUNIOR COLLEGE

Col . Wergeland, Car ly le Haynes, and Everett Dick wi th Desmond Doss

CAMP DESMOND T. DOSS

Headquar ters meet ing June 1951

CAMP DOSS STAFF

Grand Ledge, Michigan - Ju ly 1954

GRAND MARCH

Camp Almansask , Canada –Washroom tent

AROUND THE WORLD

Anatomy lesson under a t ree –August 1951

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

Everett Dick Inspects Hawai ian Cadets at Camp Erdman –Januar y 1953

HAWAIIAN MISSION

Everett Dick Inst ructs Phi l ippine Cadets – May 1953

PHILIPPINE UNION COLLEGE

1955 in S ingapore

SOUTHEAST ASIA MEDICAL CADET CORPS

JAPAN MISSIONARY COLLEGEFEBRUARY 1953

Apr i l 11 , 1957

LINCOLN CITY CIVIL DEFENSE DRILL

Desmond Doss and Everett Dick at a Lake Union b ivouac.

WAININGDAYS

LAKE UNION BIVOUAC

Last Camp Doss – 1970

Union College – 1969-1970 last bulletin to list MCC courses

Changing social climate: Civil rights

War protests

The end of the draft

The Seventh-day Adventist denomination continues to advise that its members take noncombatant roles in the military, but leaves the decision up to the conscience of the individual.

THE END OF AN ERA

To view these photographs and more, visit the Union College Heritage Collections at

http://cdm15913.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/

Exhibit in the Library: “Conscientious Cooperators”

Research is ongoingOrganizing the archives left by Everett Dick

Preparing a storyboard for documentary film (production uncertain)

Digitization of photographs and 16mm film

UNION COLLEGE HERITAGE COLLECTIONS

Berg, Thomas. The Seventh-day Adventist Medical Cadet Corps, 1934-1945: Reconciling War, Conscience, and Noncombatancy. Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska, 1990. [M.A. thesis].

Brock, Peter. Pacifism in the United States, from the colonial era to the First World War . Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1968.

General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. Office of Archives, Statistics, and Research. http://www.adventistarchives.org/

Medical Cadet Corps Collection (000016). Ella Johnson Crandall Memorial Library Heritage Room, Union College, Lincoln, NE.

Schwarz, R. W. Light Bearers to the Remnant . Boise: Pacific Press, 1979.

Wilcox, Francis McLellan. Seventh-day Adventists in Time of War. Washington, DC: Review & Herald, 1936.

SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY