Franklin Delano Roosevelt was inaugurated as the 32nd U.S. President on March 4, 1933. A bill known as the Emergency Work Progress Bill was introduced in Congress on March 21, 1933, enacted into law March 31, 1933. This bill spawned numerous federal agencies, such as the PWA, WPA and the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). There were approximately 5,000 camps of 200 enrollees set up in all states, plus the American Territories. The enrollees enlisted for periods of six months at a time and were paid $1.00 per day, of which $25.00 per month was sent directly to their families. The CCC was made up of approximately 3.5 million men, 225,000 World War I veterans, the balance young American boys, unmarried, between the ages of 17 and 28 years. The CCC existed for over nine years until June 30, 1942, at which time it was absorbed into America's Armed Forces.
General George Catlin
Marshall testified before
Congress at the end of World War
II that the early training given
to the men of the CCC was a
major factor in America's
winning of that war.
- Roy Lemons, CCC Participant and NNDPA Board Member, now deceased.