Donald A. and Helen O. Lowrie Papers, 1911, 1916-29, 1939-44, 1946-65 | University of Illinois Archives

Description: Papers of Donald Alexander Lowrie (1889-1974), YMCA secretary from Ohio who served in Russian and Eastern Europe (1916-32), and Helen Ogden Lowrie (1887-  ), YWCA secretary (1917-24), including correspondence (1911, 1916-25, 1927, 1929), diaries (1916-17, 1921-22), manuscripts, photographs and clippings related to International YMCA work with Austro-Hungarian prisoners of war at Tomsk (1916-17), service to Russian soldiers at Odessa (1917-18) YMCA and YWCA work in Moscow (1918), service with the American military at Archangel (1918-19), prisoners of war exchange at Narva (1921), American Relief and Nansenholfe relief missions to Moscow (1921-22) and work with Russian students in Czechoslovakia (1922-25). Letters and diaries contain comments on living conditions in Russia, YMCA and YWCA programs, World War I, the Russian Orthodox Church, prisoners of war, Russian Revolution, Bolsheviks, YWCA work with Russian in Constantinople (1921), famine relief and individuals such as John R. Mott, Rasputin and Bela Kun.  The series contains copies of Lowrie letters from Marseilles and Geneva relating to refugees, YMCA relief work, detention camps, German conscription of labor in France, deportation of Jews and aid for prisoners of war (1941-44).  The series includes family photographs (1953-62) of Russia and Europe (1957) and New York State (1957-62).