The War Manpower Commission was a

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

agency of the

United States Government The federal government of the United States (U.S. federal government or U.S. government) is the national government of the United States, a federal republic located primarily in North America, composed of 50 states, a city within a feder ...

charged with planning to balance the labor needs of agriculture, industry and the armed forces.

History

The Commission was created by

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...

Franklin D. Roosevelt in Executive Order 9139 of April 18, 1942. Its chairman was Paul V. McNutt, head of the

Federal Security Agency The Federal Security Agency (FSA) was an Independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the United States government established in 1939 pursuant to the Reorganization Act of 1939. For a time, the agency oversaw food a ...

. In this Executive Order, the War Manpower Commission was headed by the Federal Security Administrator as Chairman, and consisted of representatives from the

Department of War War Department may refer to: * War Department (United Kingdom) * United States Department of War (1789–1947) See also * War Office, a former department of the British Government * Ministry of defence * Ministry of War * Ministry of Defence {{u ...

, the Department of the Navy, the

Department of Agriculture An agriculture ministry (also called an) agriculture department, agriculture board, agriculture council, or agriculture agency, or ministry of rural development) is a ministry charged with agriculture. The ministry is often headed by a minister ...

, the Department of Labor, the

War Production Board The War Production Board (WPB) was an agency of the United States government that supervised war production during World War II. President Franklin D. Roosevelt established it in January 1942, with Executive Order 9024. The WPB replaced the Su ...

, the Labor Production Division of the War Production Board, the Selective Service System, and the

United States Civil Service Commission The United States Civil Service Commission was a government agency of the federal government of the United States and was created to select employees of federal government on merit rather than relationships. In 1979, it was dissolved as part of t ...

to ensure effective mobilization of manpower in the post-war era. Executive Order 9279, dated December 5, 1942, transferred the

Selective Service System The Selective Service System (SSS) is an independent agency of the United States government that maintains information on U.S. citizens and other U.S. residents potentially subject to military conscription (i.e., the draft) and carries out cont ...

to the War Manpower Commission. However, a year later it was made a separate agency directly responsible to the President. McNutt appointed all men to his labor advisory committee, despite the pleas of Women's Bureau director, Mary Anderson, to have women represented. Instead, he created a Women's Advisory Committee appointing thirteen prominent women professionals, business executives, journalists, educators and organizational presidents. However, he did not provide a budget and its members were not paid.

Gallery

File:Paul V McNutt Oct 1941.jpg, Paul V. McNutt, head of the War Manpower Commission File:"Your President Says" - NARA - 516277.jpg,

President Truman Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884December 26, 1972) was the 33rd president of the United States, serving from 1945 to 1953. A leader of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the 34th vice president from January to April 1945 under Frankli ...

calling on workers to stay on the job File:Cassel Campbell Goss (Case 9-BR-122), Complaint - NARA - 292367.tif, War Manpower Commission and employment discrimination complaint against aircraft engine manufacturer

Pratt & Whitney Pratt & Whitney is an American aerospace manufacturer with global service operations. It is a subsidiary of Raytheon Technologies. Pratt & Whitney's aircraft engines are widely used in both civil aviation (especially airlines) and military av ...

File:Women Want to "Get It Over".gif, Page from Women Want to "Get It Over"

References

External links

National Archives: Records of the War Manpower Commission
* ttp://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/ATO/USGM/EWA.html 1945 U.S. Government Manual: Directory of Emergency War Agencies {{authority control Government agencies established in 1942 Conscription in the United States Defunct agencies of the United States government Agencies of the United States government during World War II 1942 establishments in the United States