I'm looking for the names, hometowns of the WWI "Hello Girls"

Hello Mr. Malcolm,

Thank-you for your inquiry regarding the Signal Corps Female Telephone Operators Unit. It is doubtful that the National Archives would have a single list of names and home counties. Even if there is a compiled list of the women who served as “Hello Girls” the locale information--likely their place of enlistment not their place of origin--would be elsewhere in the archives.

There are several books about the Hello Girls and, if you haven’t already, we suggest you begin your search there. You could then further your research at the National Archives with names in hand to narrow down your search or gather more information.

One such tack would be to consult Record Group 111, Records of the Office of the Chief Signal Officer, the office under which the Hello Girls served. The Signal Corps were inveterate photographers and the National Archives’ Still Pictures Branch indexed them very well.

Additionally, be sure to check out this detailed History Hub response to a similar question.

We hope you find what you’re looking for!

Hello Jim:

Thanks for your inquiry to the History Hub.

Here's a link with a few names to get you started.   http://loucraft.blogspot.com/2017/03/the-hello-girls-switchboard-soldiers.html

Mikey

Hello Again Jim:

The footnote at this source gives some pretty good info on where to find more of this info at NARAs National Personnel Records Center, Civilian Personnel Records.

https://www.jstor.org/stable/25144374?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents

Dear Mr. Malcom,

In 2017 Elizabeth Cobbs wrote a great book called The Hello Girls. In this book she details the service of most, if not all, the "Hello Girls" using their Official Personnel Folders (OPFs) from the National Archives at St. Louis as well as other resources. Here is a link to more information about her writing; http://elizabethcobbs.com/the-hello-girls/

Additionally, here is a great related History Hub post; https://historyhub.history.gov/message/4166?et=notification.mention#4166

While there is no specific record series dedicated to a roster or master list of all Hello Girls as Alex indicated, it is common for other individuals to be listed in OPFs and they may be great place to start your research in addition to Ms. Cobbs book. Feel free to write to the National Archives at St. Louis to request their personnel records at stl.archives@nara.gov.

Best,

Cara Moore Lebonick

National Archives at St. Louis

Jim,

Please follow the link and copy and paste in your browser.

http://soldiers.dodlive.mil/2014/03/world-war-is-hello-girls-paving-the-way-for-women-in-the-u-s-army/

Thanks,

Elliot Schneider