World War II Holiday Humor: Office of War Information “Santa” Memo

Someone in the Office of War Information (OWI) News Bureau was having a jolly old time writing this memorandum on Christmas Eve 1942. It concerns rumors flying around (by way of a reindeer-led sled) about a “man in whiskers who…will come down many chimneys bringing gifts to hundreds of American homes.” This tongue-in-cheek report from the OWI News Bureau was composed by staff to poke fun at their own bureaucracy. However, even the report’s light-hearted analysis of the “facts” about Santa Claus reveals serious concerns faced by the United States during World War II.

In commemoration, the “Santa” Memo was is display in the “Featured Documents” exhibit in the East Rotunda Gallery of the National Archives in Washington, DC from November 30, 2017 – January 10, 2018

Past Featured Records

Snapshots of Service: The 250th Anniversary of the U.S. Navy
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Constitution Day: The Full U.S. Constitution
Now Extended! On display 9/16/25 – 10/9/25 For the first time in history, the entire United States Constitution is on display, celebrating 250 years of American Freedom. In celebration of 250 years of American Freedom, the entire U.S. Constitution and the original Bill of Rights is surrounded by 17 Constitutional amendments, filling the Rotunda at the National Archives in ...
80 Years Since the End of World War II
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To the Polls: 60 Years of the Voting Rights Act
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