Viola Brown Sanders Collection
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- Anne Ducey and admiral at groundbreaking ceremony
- WAVES Commanding Officer Anne Ducey and the base Commanding Officer hold a shovel at the groundbreaking ceremony for a new women's barracks at Naval Training Center, Bainbridge, Maryland, in the summer of 1965. Ducey wears the WAVES officer's dress white summer service uniform, officer's service cap with white cover, and white gloves.
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- Four WAVES officers at 18th anniversary party
- WAVES (left to right) Viola Brown Sanders, Claire Brou, Mary Burnside, and Ida Moore have a discussion while attending a celebration of the 18th anniversary of the WAVES held in Washington, D.C., in July 1960. All of the women wear the officer's service dress white summer uniform; Sander's uniform has lieutenant commander stripes.
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- Members appointed to DACOWITS
- The newly-appointed members of DACOWITS (Defense Advisory Committee On Women In The Services) pose together in civilian clothing in Washington, D.C., in October of 1966. Pictured from left to right are: Grace E. Sloan, Mary A. Carey, Dr. Jeanette Lowry, Margaret Rose Sanford, Barbara J. Pendleton, Margaret Blizard, Irene W. Harvey, Ernestine D. Evans, Carmel Waggenspack, Dr. Geraldine P. Woods, Dr. M. Mitchell-Bateman, Helen W. Berthelot, Mary Nell Garrison, and Bernice W. MacKenzie.
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- Oral history interview with Viola Sanders
- Primarily documents Viola Brown Sander's career in the U.S. Navy WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service) from 1943 to 1966. Sanders discusses the death of her father and her mother's work to provide for the family. She talks about her admiration for her grandfather and older brother. She goes into detail about her education at Sunflower Junior College (now Mississippi Delta Community College) and Delta State Teachers College (now Delta State University). Topics from her time teaching in Glen Allan, Mississippi, include: living with other teachers; her salary; demands of the job; and paying off her student loans. She recalls the attack on Pearl Harbor and volunteer work to support the troops. " Sanders recalls her brother, a navy serviceman, urging her to enlist in the WAVES, and swearing her into the service. Of her basic training at Smith College, she discusses intensive studies and becoming company commander. She describes being assigned to the communication branch and being sent to Naval Air Station, New Orleans, where she freed her brother for overseas duty. Topics from her time in New Orleans include: her work week; attractive sailors; serving as communication watch officer, officer of ship stores, and personnel officer; social activities; inviting Harry James to perform for the sailors. Sanders discusses her transfer to recruitment and recalls studying so she could teach ships and airplanes. Other recruitment duty discussion revolves around the move from Naval Station Great Lakes to Naval Training Center, Bainbridge, Maryland. Topics from her time stationed in Japan from 1953 to 1955 include: rooming with a northern girl; being unable to discuss the intelligence work she performed; traveling in the country, and climbing Mount Fuji. Sanders also describes setting up the Washington, D.C., office of Admiral Richard E. Byrd and meeting many famous people while working for him. " Topics from Sanders' tenure as deputy to Winifred Quick include: a plane crash; speaking at the first NATO Conference for Women; and visiting Paris. She briefly notes her time stationed at Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia, mentioning Admirals Row and golf. She goes on to discuss her promotion to Director of Women in the Navy and her efforts to remove restrictions on women's promotions in the navy. Other service topics include: her reasons for choosing a military career; men's reactions to servicewomen; Lucille Ball doing publicity for the WAVES; memories of presidents; and an embarrassing moment.
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- Portrait of Viola Brown Sanders
- Portrait of Captain Viola Brown Sanders in 1966.
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- Retirement ceremony for Viola Brown Sanders
- Viola Brown Sanders listens as Vice Admiral Benedict J. Semmes, Chief of Naval Personnel, reads the citation accompanying her Legion of Merit award at her retirement ceremony at Navy Yard, Washington, D.C., on 31 August 1966. Behind her sits Captain Rita Lenihan, who replaced her as the Director of Women in the Navy (Assistant Chief of Naval Personnel for Women). Sanders and Lenihan wear the white summer service dress uniform, officer's service cap with white cover, and white gloves.
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- U.S. and foreign servicewomen at museum in Copenhagen, Denmark
- Viola Brown Sanders (sixth from the right, with handbag) stands among a group of U.S. and foreign servicewomen admiring the artwork in a large room in Copenhagen, Denmark, where they were attending the Atlantic Treaty Association's Danish Atlantic Association conference on "The Importance of Women in the NATO Defense" in June of 1961. The women are probably at Fredriksborg Palace, which now serves as a museum. Sanders, wearing the WAVES service dress blue uniform with commander's stripes and officer's service cap, attended the conference as the deputy to the Assistant Chief of Naval Personnel for Women.
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- U.S. and foreign servicewomen in Copenhagen, Denmark
- U.S. and foreign servicewomen walk past what appears to be Fredriksborg Palace outside Copenhagen, Denmark, where they were attending the Atlantic Treaty Association's Danish Atlantic Association conference on "The Importance of Women in the NATO Defense" in June of 1961. Viola Brown Sanders (center, looking at the camera) attended the conference as the deputy to the Assistant Chief of Naval Personnel for Women. In the foreground, two armed soldiers stand guard.
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- U.S. female military directors
- The directors of women for the four U.S. military branches pose together at a meeting of the Defense Advisory Committee On Women In The Service (DACOWITS) in Washington, D.C., in October 1966. Pictured (from left to right) are: Colonel Emily C. Gorman, Director of the WAC; Viola Brown Sanders, Director of Women in the Navy, Colonel Barbara J. Bishop, Director of the Women Marines; and Colonel Jeanne Holm, Director of Women in the Air Force. Sanders wears the WAVES dark blue officer's evening dress uniform and tiara.
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- Viola Brown Sanders and Anne Ducey at groundbreaking
- Captain Viola Brown Sanders (right) shovels dirt while at a groundbreaking ceremony for a new women's barracks at Naval Training Center, Bainbridge, Maryland, with WAVES Commander Anne Ducey in the summer of 1965. Both women wear the WAVES officer's service dress white uniform, officer's cap with white cover, and white gloves.
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- Viola Brown Sanders and Lucille Ball
- Viola Brown Sanders poses with Lucille Ball at the New York Plaza Hotel in 1963. Ball, who holds a small item that reads, "WAVES 20th Anniversary," had called Sanders asking if she could do anything for the WAVES. Sanders wears the officer's service dress blue uniform with captain's stripes and officer's service cap with white cover.
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- Viola Brown Sanders arrives at her retirement
- Rear Admiral Daniel F. Smith Jr., Commandant of the Naval District of Washington, shakes hands with Viola Sanders upon her arrival at Navy Yard, Washington, D.C., on 31 August 1966 for her subsequent retirement ceremonies. To the right of Sanders stands Rita Lenihan, who replaced her as Director of Women in the Navy (Assistant Chief of Naval Personnel for Women), and several other high ranking naval officers. Both Sanders and Lenihan wear the white summer service dress uniform, officer's cap with white cover, and white gloves.
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- Viola Brown Sanders at a Navy Day celebration
- Viola Brown Sanders speaks with two navy admirals and a civilian at a Navy Day celebration in Philadelphia in October 1962. The admiral to Sander's left was the head of the U.S. Naval Reserve Command. Sanders wears the service dress blue uniform with captain's stripes and officer's service cap with white cover.
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- Viola Brown Sanders at a groundbreaking ceremony
- Captain Viola Brown Sanders (left, holding shovel) poses with the base Commanding Officer and WAVES Commander Anne Ducey at the groundbreaking ceremony for a new women's barracks at Naval Training Center, Bainbridge, Maryland, in the summer of 1965. Both women wear the WAVES officer's service dress white uniform, officer's cap with white cover, and white gloves.
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- Viola Brown Sanders at officer's reception
- Viola Brown Sanders (right) speaks with Admiral U.S.G. Sharp, Commander in Chief Pacific (left), and Lieutenant Commander Fran Hamilton at an officer's reception in Honolulu in October of 1963. Both women wear the WAVES service dress white uniform and are from Leflore County, Mississippi.
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- Viola Brown Sanders in the office of Captain Stultz
- Viola Brown Sanders (center) sits with Lieutenant Commander Wintersteen and Captain Stultz in Stultz's office at U.S. Naval Air Station, Lakehurst, New Jersey, on 7 November 1962. Sanders and Wintersteen wear the WAVES officer's service dress blue uniform and officer's service cap with white cover.
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- Viola Brown Sanders inspects WAVES
- Viola Brown Sanders inspects a line of WAVES at U.S. Naval Security Station, Washington, D.C., in July of 1964. The women wear the WAVES blue and white striped summer service dress uniform, service cap with white cover, and gloves.
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- Viola Brown Sanders presents award
- Viola Brown Sanders hands an unidentified WAVES 2nd class seaman the award for "Outstanding WAVE of the Month" at Naval Training Center, Bainbridge, Maryland, in 1963. The woman to Sanders' left is Commander Anne Ducey, officer-in-charge of recruit training command for women. The women wear the WAVES service dress white uniform and service cap with white cover.
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- Viola Brown Sanders reviewing sailors
- Viola Brown Sanders and a fellow WAVE follow a group of sailors as they exit a building at the Washington D.C. Naval Barracks for Males in August of 1963. Brown, in the WAVES blue and white striped summer service uniform and service cap with white cover, was there to review the sailors.
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- Viola Brown Sanders salutes
- Viola Brown Sanders, in WAVES service dress white summer uniform with commander's stripes and officer's service hat, serves as the reviewing officer during a parade at the Recruit Training Command for Women at U.S. Naval Training Center Bainbridge, Maryland, circa 1963. While Sanders salutes, WAVES to her right watch from bleachers.
