The William Sloane House was named after William Sloane (1873-1922), chair of the Army and Navy International Committee throughout WWI and of the National War Work Council of the YMCA. Founded in 1930 to provide inexpensive lodging and hospitality to members of the armed services, reflecting the war work of William Sloane, the branch on West 34th Street operated the largest YMCA residential program in the city of New York. During World War II, the branch provided services to soldiers and sailors, working with partner organization such as the USO to provide a place for servicemen on leave or passing through New York.
The size of the building became a problem for the William Sloane House YMCA in later years, and it closed in 1991 with only a few of its rooms having been occupied for some time. A reduction in the number of servicemen visiting New York had forced the YMCA to utilize the space to provide long-stay accommodations to welfare recipients, college students and neighborhood residents. By closing Sloane House, the YMCA of Greater New York was following the national pattern of reducing residential programs in favor of community outreach.
(Information taken from historical notes in the William Sloane House YMCA records and from web sites)
Collected photographic images from the William Sloane House branch of the YMCA of Greater New York, located on West 34th Street in Manhattan. The images include a number of interior shots of rooms before the building opened in 1930. It also includes WWII-era pictures of servicemen on leave in New York, YMCA staff portraits from the 1960s and 1970s, sports events, and programs such as Christmas gift-wrapping events for soldiers and sailors.
These documents are organized into the following sections:
This collection is protected by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U.S. Code). It is the user's responsibility to verify copyright, ownership, and to obtain all the necessary permissions prior to the reproduction, publication, or other use of any portion of these materials.
Processed by: Louise Merriam, September, 2007.
Catalog Record ID number: 5004538
The following section contains a detailed list of the materials in the collection. To request materials, please note the corresponding box number.
Includes images of handball, badminton, ping pong, basketball, volleyball, and calisthenics.
Images of awards presented to sailors.
Laying of cornerstone, announcement of Sloane House opening.
Images of bicycle parked in front, looking over elevated tracks from 33rd St., awning with "Sloane House YMCA International Center", YMCA stone logo, plaque in memory of William Sloane, night shots, sign at corner of W. 33rd St., men in hats and spats entering the William Sloane House.
Men with suitcases arriving at Sloane House.
Images include sailors eating, dancing in gym, YMCA Fleet Day, woman volunteer distributing gifts to sailors, soldiers and dates, war radio broadcast by "Bulldog" Drummond, Bible breakfast, Halloween party, tour of Chinatown, enlisted men and dates at formal party, baking demonstration, arts and crafts exhibit, Miss YMCA, Rocky Marciano, Carnegie Tech Kiltie Band, foreign visitors, Sloane House Pageant, crowning the dance queen, barber shop, portrait of William Sloane, main lobby, employment counseling service, chapel, coffee shop, lecture, checking in, first man to register at the Sloane House, ladies reception room, newsstand, residence rooms, Sloane House employees, men's political meeting, U.S.O. cafeteria, reading in bed, empty public rooms before opening day, J.C. Penny, girl in dorm room,
Four group portraits of staff, administration and Board of Managers. People named include Donald Dome, Ardith Davis, Marjorie Painting, Jeanne Cornet, Evelyn Suzor, David Kennedy, Frank Mullen, Frank Wagoun, Nick Liepins, John Nehse, Edward Soares, Alex Howard, Ronald Graham, Rolando Burgos, Raymon Gonzalez, Ralph Gray, John-Jay Morales, Charles Davis, Bruce Beaver, Robert Taylor, Stuart Smyth, Adrian VanderWissel, Robert Sansoucie, Norman L. Peck, Lucius Wilmerding, Peabody C. Mohun, William W. McCormick, Maxwell L. Scot, Agnes "Midge" Turk, Donald M. Finn, William H. Dowse, Wilburt Tatum, John W. Ackley, Jr., John Lowry, Jr., Frank A. Mullen, Arthur M. Crocker, Edwin P. Stevens, David R. McGregor, Pat Zaczek, Ruby Gibson, Milford Betts, Frank Thomas, John Paterson, Dave Doely. .
Handball game, exterior with sign, contact sheet and negatives of staff , including "Meet the People" dinner. Names include Raymon Gonzalez, personnel director, John Nehse, Ruby Gibson, and Richard May.
Includes 21 interior photos of Sloane House rooms, three exterior shots, checking in, handball, wrestling, basketball, sailors, getting shoes shined, lobby with people.
Carnegie Tech Kiltie Band, exterior, washroom facilities, Manhattan Community College YMCA Program, women in dormitory room, YMCA Pied Piper registration sign, copy of ad: "Rooms $1.00 a day".
Color and black and white snapshots of Sloane House interiors, 50th Anniversary celebration, international students, camping, School of Visual Arts students and juggling class.
Christmas gift wrapping service, bagpipe band, tatooeed navy man smoking a pipe, boarding the train at Weehawken, servicemen and dates, checking in, Bible breakfast, Columbus Day outing to Camp Greenkill.
Eating ice cream, in front of candy store on bicycle outing, City Hall Park, sightseeing, Camp Greenkill, boarding the Weehawken ferry, eating in the cafeteria, touring the Aquarium, daily program board, sampling baklava in a Syrian restaurant.
See also records of the William Sloane House, separately cataloged at
the Kautz Family YMCA Archives.
Additional information on YMCA work with the armed services can be found in the YMCA of the USA's Armed Services Department Records, separately cataloged at the Kautz Family YMCA Archives.
This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the University of Minnesota Libraries. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons or places should search the catalog using these headings.