As April 2017 marks the centennial anniversary of the American entrance into World War I, this exhibit at the Pritzker Legal Research Center seeks to honor the legacy of all those from Northwestern Pritzker School of Law who contributed to the victory of the Allies. In sorting through the archival materials at the Pritzker Legal Research Center and the Northwestern University Archives, it has become clear that the faculty, students, and alumni of Northwestern Law were a strong and multi-faceted source of support: from their leader, Dean John Henry Wigmore, who enlisted with the Judge Advocate General’s Corps before the United States officially entered the war; to the students, who sought commissions as soldiers, the determination and sacrifice of these men and women was striking.
While this exhibit presents a strong glimpse into the efforts and impact of the Northwestern Law community at this time, it is by no means comprehensive. Items have been selected from the Pritzker Legal Research Center and borrowed from the Northwestern University Archives that tell the story of our involvement through image and narrative. It should be noted that, if anyone is interested in pursuing further research into the work of John Henry Wigmore and the Law School during that time, the Northwestern University Archives has additional administrative records and personal papers.
Finally, we have sought to present these materials in the most engaging manner possible, and they can be viewed in two ways: here, in our online exhibit, as well as in person at our Chicago location. Both iterations tell the same story, but as some items lend themselves better to one format or the other, each has some exclusive content. In our scans and transcriptions, we have sought to preserve the structure and relevant information from the materials, but anyone wishing to see the originals is encouraged to make an appointment to see them on campus. Information to do so can be found here.
We’ll See Them Through will be available for viewing from April 20 through June 20, 2017.
Brittany Adams
Special Collections, Digitization, and Archival Services Librarian
Spring 2017