Portrait of Captain Harry Whiteman, 1913

A portrait photograph of Captain Harry Whiteman, with a blurb detailing his work in France during the first world war.In 1913, Harry Whiteman graduated from the International YMCA College, now known as Springfield College. Whiteman was born in 1882 in Cape Town, South Africa. Before college, he spent twelve years as a businessman. Whiteman also volunteered with the International YMCA Boys’ Club, taught Sunday School, and coached basketball for the Sunday School League. After graduating from Springfield College, he worked as a secretary at the Quebec YMCA. However, at the start of World War I, he volunteered to travel overseas with the First Canadian Contingent. On April 1, 1916, he died of overwork in Flanders, France. Whiteman was the first of many of Springfield College alumni beyond military age who served during the war.Due to the multinational composition of Springfield’s student body, many alumni enlisted in 1914 at the outbreak of World War One. These young men fought in northern France, particularly in the Battle of the Somme which lasted between July 1 and November 18, 1916.Aside from those in the trenches, the College’s ties with the YMCA resulted in many alumni, students and faculty going overseas to work as YMCA camp secretaries. The United States entered the World War One on April 6, 1917 and in response Springfield College offered war work courses for YMCA secretaries beginning on June 5, 1917.The training of war work secretaries and physical education directors were important contributions to the war effort by the college