Guide to the Forrest E. LaViolette Slides and Photographs
Apr. 1 to Oct. 1, 1943

Biographical Note

Forrest Emmanuel LaViolette received a graduate degree in sociology from the University of Chicago in 1936. He was a faculty member in the sociology department at the University of Washington from 1936 to 1940, where he conducted research on Japanese Americans. During World War II, he joined the staff at Heart Mountain Relocation Center, a Japanese American internment camp in Wyoming. After the war he published a book, entitled The Cambodian Japanese in World War II. After leaving the University of Washington, Dr. LaViolette was a professor at McGill University and later served as chairman of sociology at Tulane University.

Scope and Content

The collection consists chiefly of color slides documenting the Japanese American internment experience during World War II. Specifically, the collection shows grounds, buildings, schools, residents, and activities of the Heart Mountain Relocation Center in Wyoming. All of the images were taken by Dr. Forrest E. LaViolette when he was a member of the center staff from April 1, 1943, to October 1, 1943. There are five additional photographs taken in British Columbia, Canada.

Arrangement

The organization and identification of the photographs come from a typescript by LaViolette.

Restrictions on Access

Collection is open to the public.

Historical Background

After the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, residents along the Pacific Coast of the United States feared additional bombing of their cities, homes, and businesses. The public demanded that residents of Japanese ancestry be evacuated from their homes and relocated to inland locations. This outcry resulted in Executive Order 9066, which was signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on February 19, 1942. Executive Order 9066 led to the evacuation, relocation, and internment of 120,000 American citizens and permanent resident aliens of Japanese ancestry. Roosevelt established the War Relocation Authority in March, 1942, to oversee the construction of relocation centers on federally owned land in remote locations in six western states and Arkansas. The Heart Mountain Relocation Center was located in Wyoming and at its peak accommodated more than 10,000 Japanese Americans. At the time it was the third largest community in Wyoming.

Acquisition Info

Donor: Forrest E. LaViolette, April 1987.

Processing Info

Processed by Rebekah Dalby, 2002.

Inventory

Folder	Item															Date
			Heart Mountain Relocation Center, Wyoming													1943
1	1			Heart Mountain railroad station
	2			Looking west
	3			Sunrise from the Heart Mountain railroad station
	4			Looking west, Cody, Wyoming
	5			Rear view of the center
	6			Heart Mountain
	7			Center from Main Street
	8			Power center
	9			Guard tower to housing and administration area
	10			Fire station
	11			Bell tower
	12			Gardening area
	13			View across hot beds to administration area
	14			Mess hall crew's garden
	15			Excavating for pipeline
	16			Pipeline for water to the center
	17			Residences
	18			Cemetery for deceased residents
	19			Schoolchildren on playground
	20			Swimming hole
	21			High school
	22			High school with Heart Mountain in background
	23			High school art teacher
	24			Grade school registration
	25			Resident barracks
	26			Mess hall entrance décor
	27			WRA staff barracks
						Journalist Hosokawa?
	28			Children's camp area
	29			USO for soldiers visiting resident family
	30			Mess hall staff garden
	31-33			Residents leaving for Japan
	34			Crew bringing portable buildings from Yellowstone Park
	35			High school registration
	36			Music stage for Japanese dance performance
	37			First baby born in the center with parents
	38			Artist "Bob" and family
	39			General gathering
	40			Loading truck for trip to railroad station
	41			Truckloads of personal luggage headed for railroad station
	42			Passengers boarding train
	43			Buddhist priest with his father and his son
	44			Reception committee waiting to greet new arrivals
	45			Two "most distinguished relocatees" of the WRA staff
	46			Sawmill on way to Yellowstone Park
	47			Children
	48			A view from Main Street
Folder	Item
			British Columbia, Canada
1	49			Harris farm, New Denver, B.C.
	50			Logging at Kaslo, B.C.
	51			Bay farm, B.C.
	52-53			Fisherman's home, Stevenson, B.C.
Subject Terms
	Personal Names:
		La Violette, Forrest Emmanuel, 1904-
	Organizations:
		Heart Mountain Relocation Center (Wyo.)--Photographs.
	Subjects:
		Concentration camp inmates--Wyoming--Photographs.
		Concentration camps--Wyoming--Photographs.
		Japanese Americans--Evacuation and relocation, 1942-1945--Photographs.
		Japanese Americans--Wyoming--Photographs.
		World War, 1939-1945--Concentration camps--Wyoming--Photographs.
		World War, 1939-1945--Japanese Americans--Photographs.
	Geographic Names:
		British Columbia--Photographs.
	Genre Headings:
		Slides (Photography)