Papers of Lieutenant Colonel Edward Dugger
name: label: Donor
content: Vargus, Ione
label: Names
content: Dugger, Edward
label: Names
content: Gilbert, Howard C.
label: Names
content: Gourdin, Edward O.
label: Names
content: Hewitt, Larkland F.
label: Names
content: Tupes, Herschel
place: label: Place
content: United States -- History -- 1865-1921 -- World War, 1914-1918
topic: label: Topic
content: Associations and Institutions -- Military
label: Topic
content: Education
label: Topic
content: United States Army
label: Topic
content: Communities
label: Topic
content: Photography
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: Acquired from Dr. Ione Vargus in memory of her father, Lt. Col. Edward Dugger, in 2011.
creator: label: Donor
content: Vargus, Ione
setName: label: See more items in
content: Papers of Lieutenant Colonel Edward Dugger
abstract: label: Summary
content: Edward Dugger (1894-1939) served as a first lieutenant and commanding officer in the African American unit, 372nd Infantry, during the 1920s and 1930s. The 372nd Infantry Regiment was a troop that was part of the 93rd Infantry Division (Colored) which served with the French Army during World War I. He retired in 1936 with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel with the Massachusetts National Guard and passed away in 1939.
bioghist: label: Biographical / Historical
content: Edward Dugger was born June 6, 1894 in Finchley, Virginia. His father, William Henry Dugger was born a slave in 1845 in Mecklenburg County, Virginia but lived as a free man by 1870. His mother, Mary Jane Hepburn, was born in 1855.  As the last of 8 children, Edward's family moved to Natick, Massachusetts, and again to Boston, MA, where he attended Boston English High School. After graduating in 1914, he enlisted in the United States Army which was resistant to welcoming African American soldiers.  However, when President Woodrow Wilson declared war against Germany in April 1917, he created two all black units, the 92nd and 93rd Division (Colored), and sent the newly enlisted African American solder's to training camp. Dugger was invited to the first officer's training camp and graduated with the rank of first lieutenant by the fall of 1917. Before his first deployment, he married Madeline Mabray Kountze in June 1918. Kountze was a teacher who later studied law, became recognized for fighting against job discrimination, her extensive volunteer work, and her role as the former vice president of the local chapter of the NAACP. 

Dugger saw action in St. Dié-des-Vosges, Marbache Sector, and Meuse-Argonne in the closing months of the war and won distinction for bravery before returning home in March 1919.  After returning from the war, he became Captain of Company K of the 372nd Infantry. By 1930, he became the Commanding Officer of Company L of the 6th Massachusetts Infantry. In 1936, he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and retired from the military. 

He served on the Boston Police Force for 4 years and then joined the United States Postal Service in 1923, working until his retirement in 1938. Aside from his military and work experience, Dugger served as President of the Men's Community Club, which established the first Community Center, chaired the Citizen's Committee that brought the Boy Scout Troup #11 to West Medford in 1938, and became the first black member of the City Planning Board. Unfortunately, he had been sick for many years with polycystic kidney disease in addition to the mustard gas exposure from the war. On March 5th, 1939 at age 44 in the United States Naval Hospital in Chelsea, MA. He was survived by his wife and 6 children: Edward Jr. (1919). Barbara Anne (1921), Madeleine (1922), Portia Alma (1924), Cortland Otis (1926), and Ione (1931). Due to his contributions and dedication to the military and his community, on September 10th, 1939, the city of Medford honored him by naming a public park "Duggar Park". His daughter, Dr. Ione Vargus, gifted this collection to the Smithsonian Institute in memory of her father.

Timeline

June 6, 1894 -- Edward Dugger born

1916 -- Enlisted in Army

April 1917 -- President Wilson declared war against Germany

October 12, 1917 -- Officer's Training Camp and First deployment as 1st Lieutenant

June 1918 -- Married and shipped overseas 

March 1919 -- Honorably Discharged and Returned home

1919- 1923 -- Boston Police Department

1919 -- Joined National Guard as Captain

1923- 1938 -- Joined the United States Postal Service

December 1930 -- Promoted to Commanding Officer of Company K of the 6th Massachusetts Infantry

1936 -- Military Retirement

1936 -- Appointed the first black member of the Medford City Planning Board

March 5, 1939 -- Died at U.S. Naval Hospital

September 10, 1939 -- Dugger Field Dedication
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 8 Linear feet
unitdate: label: Date
content: 1910-2006
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture
identifier: label: Identifier
content: NMAAHC.A2014.39
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
label: Type
content: Correspondence
label: Type
content: Financial records
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: The materials in this collection have been kept at the folder level and separated into six series. The order of the materials have been organized based on the content. Series I has been broken down into smaller subseries for specific research interests. Series 6: Oversize Materials acts as an extension of the first five series, with materials that could not be housed with their corresponding materials due to size constraints. Within each series and subseries, the folders are organized chronologically by date; materials that are undated have been alphabetized at the end of the container list. The collection has been organized based on the following: 

Series 1: Military Papers- 
Subseries 1: Military Records,  
Subseries 2: Memorandums and Orders,  
Subseries 3: Correspondence, 
Subseries 4: Financial Records 

Series 2: Photographs 

Series 3: Research Materials

Series 4: Ephemera 

Series 5: Miscellany

Series 6: Oversize Materials
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: Collection processed, arranged, and described by Laurainne Ojo- Ohikuare in 2017.
genre_format: label: Genre/Form
content: Correspondence
label: Genre/Form
content: Financial records
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: The Papers of Lieutenant Colonel Edward Dugger is comprised of military and personal records, photographs, postcards, correspondence, financial records, military orders and memorandums, promotional certificates, personal notes, academic notebooks, invitations and programs of military events, newspaper clippings, and African American military service research materials and books collected during and after his time in the Massachusetts National Guard.