YMCA Spanish American War Camp, 1898

This photograph depicts 12 men and one child as part of the YMCA Army Workers who provided assistance during the Spanish American War of 1898. A big tent is seen on the background. A few alumni of the International YMCA Training School, now Springfield College, are pictured in this picture including: (on left, wearing a white shirt) a bearded Charles A. Boardman (class of 1899), next to him wearing a hat and a black shirt stands Frederick J. Hutchins ( class of 1900), and John F. Simons sitting (class of 1900). One of the goals of the YMCA war work was to provide the “location of large tents with the different brigades with experienced secretaries in charge, the tents to be so equipped as to offer the soldiers a reading-room, with daily newspapers, magazines and other reading matter; games of skill and recreative sports; facilities for correspondence, entertainments, music and meetings, the aim being to make these places homelike and attractive to the and to surround the with wholesome and uplifting influences” (Young Men's Christian Association Yearbook, 1899, p. XXVI).A caption on the back of the photograph reads "from Tom Bolger", Class of 1900. Mr. Bolger is listed as one of the Spanish American War workers but there is not known photograph of him in the collection, so it is believed that he might be the creator of the picture