Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Nora B. Cummins papers, 1936-1945
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Cummins, Nora B.
- Title
- Nora B. Cummins papers
- Dates
- 1936-1945 (inclusive)19361945
- Quantity
- .25 linear feet
- Collection Number
- XOE_CPNWS0064cummins (collection)
- Summary
- The collection contains the papers of Nora B. Cummins and document her service on two committees during World War II. Cummins served on a sub-committee for the Whatcom County Advisory Committee and she was the chairman of the Consumer Interest Committee in Bellingham. Cummins is a former professor of Western Washington University.
- Repository
-
Western Washington University, Center for Pacific Northwest Studies
Goltz-Murray Archives Building
808 25th St.
Bellingham, WA
98225
Telephone: (360) 650-7534
cpnws@wwu.edu - Access Restrictions
-
The collection is open to the public.
- Languages
- English.
Biographical NoteReturn to Top
Nora B. Cummins was born July 18, 1882. She attended the University of Minnesota where she received her B.A. She then attended Columbia University where she earned her M.A. Cummins also received special training at the South Dakota Normal and Industrial School. Cummins began her career at the Washington State Normal School at Bellingham (which would later become Western Washington University) in the fall of 1915 as a supervisor of student teachers. She chaired the Social Studies department on several occasions, acted as dean in 1938, and during World War II was Acting Registrar. When she retired in 1951, she was a Professor of Political Science. The records in the collection are from her work on two committees spanning from 1936 to 1946. One was the Whatcom County Advisory Committee on Social Security. This committee was created in response to the passage of the Social Security Act on August 14, 1935 and it played an advisory role concerning public relief. Cummins served on one of the sub-committees. Cummins also served as chairman on the Consumer Interest Committee. It was organized on January 26, 1942 as the Bellingham Consumer Representative's Council and worked with the Office of Price Administration (OPA) in Washington D.C. The Council became the Consumer Interest Committee in May of 1943 and functioned under the Civilian Defense Council. It worked to educate local consumers on price fixing and rationing during WWII. Nora Cummins died in Santa Rosa, California May 15 1974.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
The Nora B. Cummins papers, spanning the years 1936 to 1946, document her participation in two committees in Bellingham, Washington. Her records from the Whatcom County Advisory Committee on Social Security document the committee's role in studying public assistance and the recommendations it made to the Council Commissioners in matters regarding public relief. The records of this committee contain correspondence and administrative material such as reports and minutes from meetings. The collection also contains newspaper clippings that Cummins compiled regarding the committee's work and Social Security laws. The records from the Consumer Interest Committee documents Cummins' role in assisting consumers in understanding the price fixing system and rationing. The records also show how the committee worked to educate consumers on how to be economical buyers during WWII in order to conserve products and control inflation. The collection contains correspondence, administrative records, directives from the OPA, pamphlets, and newspaper clippings related to the activities of the Council as well as information related to the OPA.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Preferred Citation
Nora B. Cummins papers, Center for Pacific Northwest Studies, Western Libraries Archives & Special Collections, Western Washington University, Bellingham WA 98225-9123.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Arrangement
The Nora B. Cummins papers are organized in accordance with the following series arrangement:
- Series I: Whatcom County Advisory Committee on Social Security, 1936-1940
- Series II: Consumer Interest Committee, 1941-1946
Acquisition Information
Donated by the Whatcom Museum of History and Art
Processing Note
About Harmful Language and ContentTo learn more about problematic content in our collections, collection description and teaching tools (including how to provide feedback or request dialogue on this topic), see the following Statement About Potentially Harmful Language and Content
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.
Series I: Whatcom County Advisory Committee on Social Security , 1936-1940Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
1/1 | Administrative Records and
Correspondence |
June 1936-June 1938 |
1/2 | Administrative Records and
Correspondence |
July 1938-May 1939 |
1/3 | Clippings |
1938-1940; undated |
Series II: Consumer Interest Committee, 1941-1946Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
1/4 | Administrative Records and
Correspondence |
1942-1946; undated |
1/5 | Chairman’s Correspondence and
Volunteer Timesheets, |
1941-1946; undated |
1/6 | Office of Price Administration
(OPA) Directives |
1942-1943; undated |
1/7 | Pamphlets and Publications,
|
1941-1946; undated |
1/8 | Clippings |
1942-1946; undated |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Consumer education -- Washington (State) -- Bellingham -- History -- Sources.
- Price regulation -- Washington (State) -- Bellingham -- History -- Sources.
- Rationing -- Washington (State) -- Bellingham -- History -- Sources.
- Social Security -- Washington (State) -- Whatcom County -- History -- Sources.
- World War, 1939-1945 -- Economic aspects -- Washington (State) -- Whatcom County -- History -- Sources.
Personal Names
- Cummins, Nora B., -- 1882-1974 -- Archives. (creator)
Corporate Names
- Whatcom County Advisory Committee.
- Consumer Interest Committee (Bellingham, Wash.)
- United States. -- Office of Price Administration.
- United States. -- Social Security Act.