Four- Minute Men in World War I

Congress declared war on Germany on April 2, 1917. To gain public support, President Woodrow Wilson created the Committee on Public Information. Through this propaganda office, David M. Ryerson formed a group called the Four-Minute Men in Chicago later that year. He served as the first national director, then was followed by William McCormack Blair and William H. Ingersoll. This group was made up entirely of volunteers who were appointed by the President. The name of the organization came about because the speakers were to speak for four minutes on patriotism, Americanism, and encouraging the public to support stateside defense in the war effort. The organization were separated into three "departments," the first being that volunteers worked unceasingly, originally speaking in movie theaters on patriotic subjects to "rouse the audiences to the necessity of making sacrifices for their country." They were so successful in this endeavor that they spread out to speak to churches and civic organizations to engage the populace further to support the war through buying Liberty War Bonds. The second was the speaker's bureau that furnished the talking points the volunteers would give during their presentations. The last department was responsible for producing music and singers that promoted patriotism and appealed to the public's emotions to inspire them to support the war effort. By war's end, 75,000 individuals were involved in the organization nationwide.

The State of Missouri supplied around 3,000 men and women speakers from every county and the city of St. Louis. The Missouri Council of Defense provided the necessary funding for the group. The organization was headquartered in the Rialto Building in St. Louis with E.M. Grosssman serving as the first state director. Later, L.L. Leonard took the helm and held it until the disbanding. The state director's role was to appoint each county chairman and local chairmen. Around 350 volunteers served as speakers in Southeast Missouri. Each county had volunteers as follows:

Bollinger County: 16

Butler County: 37

Cape Girardeau: 43

Dunklin: 22

Mississippi: 2

New Madrid: 20

Pemiscot County: 38

Perry County: 102

Scott County: 8

Stoddard County: 61

Wayne County: 2

In Cape Girardeau County, Russell L. Dearmont served as county chairman, overseeing 42 volunteers, including: R.S. Douglass, the Rev. John Greene, Julian Friant, Wash Miller, Robert B. Oliver Jr., William H. Stubblefield and W.H. Wagner.

The Missouri Organization ceased operations on Christmas Eve in 1918. In a letter to all members, on Jan. 14, 1919, state director Leonard said that he felt pride "in the loyalty and patriotism, in the unselfishness and willingness to make every sacrifice called for, that has been the constant characteristic of the Four-Minute Men in this state."