Maude H. Boen is the daughter of William Robert and Mattie Morgan Hairston of Conway where she was born in 1906. (Hairston Street in Conway is named for her father.) Raised in Conway, Mrs. Boen became a teacher and taught a total of 60 years.
A. G. Thompson, Supervisor of Education in the State Department of Education was asked by the War Relocation Authority to appoint a teacher for the Japanese Relocation Center at Jerome, Arkansas. Jerome was one of two Japanese Relocation Centers in Arkansas, and was about 11 miles from Dermott. Mrs. Boen was chosen for the position.
At the time of her appointment, Mrs. Boen was the widow of Harry Steele. While teaching in the relocation camp, she married C. C. Boen and they lived in the Center barracks. In 1987, Mrs. Boen, now widowed for the second time, lives at the Heritage Center, a retirement facility in Conway.
The papers consist of a small amount of correspondence, school programs, memorabilia and photographs of the Relocation Center at Jerome, and two booklets describing the educational program of the Relocation Center at Topaz, Uath. They are arranged in one box.
NOTE: When requesting materials, please specify collection number [M87‑6] and file number.
Tracings: Cities and Towns ‑ Jerome, Japanese Relocation Centers, Racism, World War II
Photograph Tracings: Boen, Maude H., Japanese Relocation Centers, World War II
Box 1
File 1 – Correspondence, Programs, and Memorabilia (undated)
File 2 – Photographs
Envelope 1 – Buildings – Jerome Relocation Center, Fire Department, Sewage Plant, Barracks, etc.
Envelope 2 – Guard Tower at the Jerome Relocation Center
Envelope 3 – Barrack apartment for appointive staff Jerome Relocation Center (Block 24 Jerome)
Envelope 4 – Maude Boen (1943), Jerome Relocation Camp
Envelope 5 – Faculty, Elementary & Pre-School at the Jerome Relocation Center
Envelope 6 – Kindergarten Group at the Jerome Relocation Center
Envelope 7 – Pre-School Group at the Jerome Relocation Center (1944)
Envelope 8 – Japanese Relocation Camp Scenes – negatives
Envelope 9 – Students at the Jerome Relocation Center
Envelope 10- Topaz, Utah Relocation Camp (c. 1944-1945)
Envelope 11- The Barracks at the Jerome Relocation Center
Envelope 12- A Pageant given by a group of 4th and 5th grade students, Jerome Relocation Center (c. 1944)
Envelope 13- Evacuee Teachers and Mr. Thompson at farewell party for Thompson, who was leaving to accept a position with Arkansas Education Association (c. 1944)
Envelope 14- Mr. B.S. Thompson, Terry Chono – Director Baton Group in the Elementary School at Jerome Relocation Center in Arkansas (c. 1944)
File 3 – Newspaper Clippings
File 4 – Brochures, Education Central Utah Project, War Relocation Authority (1945)
File 5 – Brochures, Summary Curriculum Report of Topaz City Education Program (1942-1945)
File 6 – Biography of a Jerome, Arkansas Japanese Relocation Camp Internee (2003)
End of Box 1
End of Collection