The Evening Public Ledger’s post from Nov. 19, 1917 illustrates Bok’s hard work raising Y.M.C.A. war funds. The article, at the right edge of the page, is titled “Y.M.C.A. Fund Still Short of Big Goal” and talks about the drive ending that night.
In September, 1917, word was received from John R. Mott that Bok had been appointed State chairman for the Y. M. C. A. War Work Council for Pennsylvania; that a country-wide campaign for twenty-five million dollars would be launched six weeks hence, and that Pennsylvania’s quota was three millions of dollars. He was to set up an organization throughout the state, conduct the drive from Philadelphia, speak at various public meetings in Pennsylvania, and secure the allocated quota.
Bok knew little or nothing about the work of the Y. M. C. A.; he accordingly went to New York headquarters and familiarized himself with the work being done and proposed; and then began to set up his State machinery. The drive came off as scheduled, Pennsylvania doubled its quota, subscribing six instead of three millions of dollars, and of this was collected five million eight hundred and twenty-nine thousand dollars—almost one hundred per cent.
Article curated and written by Samuel Russell, Library & Archival Collections Manager, Bok Tower Gardens.