Ernest P. Bicknell papers, 1914-1959, bulk
1914-1929
A Guide to his Papers at the Indiana University Archives
Finding aid prepared by Allison Haack
Summary Information
Repository
Indiana University Archives
1320 East Tenth Street
Herman B Wells Library E460
Bloomington, IN 47405-7000
Phone: 812-855-1127
Email: archives@indiana.edu
http://www.libraries.iub.edu/archives
Creator
Bicknell, Ernest P. (Ernest Percy),
1862-1935
TitleErnest P. Bicknell papers, 1914-1959, bulk
1914-1929
Collection No.
C520
Extent
1.2 cubic foot (3 boxes)
Language
Materials are in English
Abstract
A graduate of Indiana University, Ernest
P. Bicknell is best known for his work with the American Red Cross, most notably
during the First World War. His humanitarian service earned him great respect and
numerous awards from European governments. The collection contains material related
to his Red Cross service in Europe, including scrapbooks, newspaper clippings,
photographs, and two awards.
Access Restrictions
Collection is open for research. Advance notice required.
Biographical Note
Ernest Percy Bicknell was born in Vincennes, Indiana, on February 23, 1862. He
attended Indiana University, graduating in 1887 with an A.B. Bicknell married Cora
Scott in December of 1886. Together they had one son, Clarence Scott Bicknell. Cora
died in January of 1888, and Bicknell was remarried to Grace Vawter in 1891. Ernest
and Grace had four daughters.
Upon his graduation from IU, he worked for six years at an Indianapolis newspaper and
then for five years as secretary to the Indiana Board of Charities. Bicknell then
worked as the General Superintendent of the Chicago Bureau of Charities. During that
time, he was chosen as the representative for Chicago and Illinois in charge of
distributing Red Cross funds to San Francisco in the wake of the 1906 earthquake. In
1908, he was named the National Director of the American Red Cross, a position
created specifically for him. He then served as the Director-general of civilian
relief for the Red Cross in Washington. Additionally, he served as the president of
the National Conference of Charities and Correction from 1908-1909, and as the
director of the National Association for the Study and Prevention of
Tuberculosis.
When World War I broke out in Europe, Bicknell was named Deputy Commissioner to
France. He also served as a member of several international relief organizations. He
served as Commissioner to Belgium from 1917-1918, during which time he was given the
military title Lieutenant Colonel. He later served as the Special Commissioner to
the Balkan States. After the war ended, he was named Red Cross Deputy Commissioner
to Europe, and later Acting Commissioner to Europe, and finally Commissioner to
Europe. He also served as the Director of the Rockefeller Foundation War Relief
Committee, which sought to aid non-combatants who had suffered due to the war. In
April of 1923, he became the Vice Chairman for Insular and Foreign Operations.
His humanitarian work earned him the honor of "Commander of the Crown" by
King Albert of Belgium, the Legion of Honor from the French government, the Order of
the Crown of Italy, Order of the Red Cross and Order of Prince Danilo of Montenegro,
the Order of the Red Cross of Serbia, Order of Saint Anne of Russia, Order of St.
Savior of Greece, and Order of Poland Restituta of Poland. Bicknell was additionally
awarded the gold medal from the National Institute of Social Science for his work
abroad. His wife, Grace, was awarded the Order of Elizabeth by the Queen of
Belgium.
Bicknell's book
Pioneering with the Red Cross,
published in 1935, records his life and humanitarian service. Bicknell was awarded
an LL.D. from Indiana University for "representing American charity to all the
world." Ernest Bicknell passed away in 1935.
Arrangement
Due to the small amount of materials and the focused nature of the collection, the
Bicknell papers are organized into one series of Biographical materials.
Scope and Content Note
The collection only contains one series of Biographical materials 1914-1959. This
series consists almost entirely of materials related to Ernest Bicknell's
humanitarian work with the American Red Cross. There are four scrapbooks in the
collection. Two awards are present in the collection, as well as two books about the
history of the Red Cross.
The Assorted Items folder consists of a small number of letters to Bicknell from
doctors and Red Cross colleagues, pamphlets concerning his recognition of service, a
small amount of biographical information, and newspaper clippings concerning his Red
Cross service.
The collection includes several scrapbooks. The 1914-1938 Red Cross scrapbook largely
contains correspondence sent by Bicknell's Red Cross colleagues, with several
letters sent by members of the French Red Cross. A smaller number of the letters
were sent by other acquaintances of Bicknell.
The scrapbook of tributes contains obituaries and letters and telegrams of condolence
written on the occasion of Bicknell's death and funeral. The condolences were
written by a variety of people and organizations, including the International Red
Cross and the American Red Cross. This scrapbook also contains biographical
information.
The Family Photograph and Red Cross Scrapbook contains a few photos of
Bicknell's ancestors, dating back to the 1860s; numerous photos of Bicknell,
many of them portraits, and photos of a trip to Hawaii. The last portion of the
scrapbook documents Bicknell's time serving in the Red Cross and includes
pictures of him and fellow Red Cross volunteers overseas in France and China. Very
few dates are given for any of the photos.
The undated Red Cross scrapbook contains pictures solely from Bicknell's time
serving the Red Cross. The photos document Bicknell's Red Cross colleagues,
members of the military, those receiving aid, and the destruction in Europe.
Locations depicted include Ypres, Paris, Verdun, Soissons Brussels, Venice, and
Constantinople. Bicknell provided captions for the photos. The photos at the very
end of the scrapbook are of Bicknell's wife and children.
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Indexing Terms
-
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in
IUCAT, the IU Libraries'
online catalog. Materials about related topics, persons or places can be found by
searching the catalog using these terms.
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Related Material
Related photographs may be available in the
University Archives
Photographs Database
Additional Bicknell papers are held at Indiana University's Lilly Library.
Contact the Lilly for further information.
Administrative Information
Acquisition Information
2004/071, 2004/099
Usage RestrictionsThe donor(s) of this collection have transferred their copyrights for the materials to the Trustees of Indiana University
through a Deed of Gift. For more information, please contact the Indiana University Archives staff.
The Indiana University Archives respects the intellectual property rights of others and does not claim any copyrights for
non-university records, materials in the public domain, or materials for which we do not hold a Deed of Gift. Responsibility
for the determination of the copyright status of these materials rests with those persons wishing to reuse the materials.
Researchers are responsible for securing permission from copyright owners and any other rights holders for any reuse of these
materials that extends beyond fair use or other statutory limitations.
Digital reproductions of archival materials from the Indiana University Archives are made available for noncommercial educational
and research purposes only. If you are the copyright holder for any of the digitized materials and have questions about its
inclusion on our site, please contact the Indiana University Archivist.
Preferred Citation
[Item], Ernest P. Bicknell papers, Collection C520, Indiana University Archives, Bloomington.
Provenance
Transferred from Charlotte W. Osgood, Bicknell's granddaughter, to the
University Archives, August 2004.
Processing InformationProcessed by Allison Haack.
Completed in 2014
Folder List
Series:
Biographical materials,1914-1959,
undated
Box 1
Assorted Items re: Ernest Bicknell, 1908-1935
The Compact History of the American Red
Cross
by Charles Hurd, 1959
Medal that reads "Galla Victrix,"
undated
Military Order of the Legion Loyal of the United States Award,
1923
The Report of the American Red Cross Commission
to China,
1929
Scrapbooks - Correspondence,
Red Cross, 1914-1938
Box 2
Tributes to Colonel Ernest P. Bicknell, undated
Box 3
Scrapbooks – Photographs, undated
Family pictures, and Bicknell Red Cross photographs,
undated
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