Lieutenant, US Women’s Army Corps, Helen Forrest Lauderer

Born: August 7, 1897, Portland, Oregon

Died: November 14, 1992, Santa Fe, New Mexico

Lieutenant Helen Forrest Lauterer joined the US Army’s Women’s Army Corps in August of 1943.^1,2 She graduated from the 46^th officer training class at Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia before being commissioned as a second lieutenant and was assigned to the 6^th Army Service Forces for Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin with their headquarters in Chicago, Illinois.³ Army Service Forces were there to supply everything the army needed and this included people. Her first assignment for the 6^th was in the Grand Rapids, Michigan recruiting office.⁴ There, she expanded the reach of the Grand Rapids office.⁵ Forrest Lauterer was moved to the 6^th headquarters in Chicago after only a year in Grand Rapids but didn’t stay there long as she was reassigned to Rock Island, Illinois on May 1, 1944.⁶

At Rock Island, she recruited for the Army Specialized Training Reserves (ASTR) for men as well as for the WAC.^7,8 It was at Rock Island that she was promoted to first lieutenant in June of 1945.⁹ First Lieutenant Lauterer was moved again in August of 1945, this time to headquarters in Chicago as the public relations officer for Illinois.¹⁰ This appears to be where she served out her term until her honorable discharge in December 1945.¹¹

Helen Forrest was born in Portland, Oregon to William and Elizabeth (Lizzie) Forrest on August 7, 1897.¹² By 1900 the family had moved to Seattle Washington where Forrest Lauterer would grow up as an only child.^13,14

She attended college, possibly at the Carnegie Art Institute or at the Chicago Art Institute between 1915 and 1919.¹⁵ In 1919, she attended classes in physical therapy and applied to the US Army Medical Corps to help men coming home from overseas.¹⁶ She was chosen and sent to work at Camp Pike in Arkansas and Fort Sam Houston in Texas.¹⁷

In the 1920s she was teaching at Northwestern and the Western Reserve University while working as the costumer for the Goodman Theater in Cleveland, Ohio.^18,19 She took the first of many trips to Europe in 1928.²⁰

While working at the Goodman and teaching at the Western Reserve in Cleveland, she met Arch Lauterer. They were married in February of 1929.²¹ In 1933, the couple moved to Vermont and worked at the newly opened Bennington College.²² In 1934, they spent time in Vera Cruz, Mexico, returning to Europe again in 1936.^23,24

But the marriage was not working out, and the couple divorced in 1939, with Forrest Lauterer living in New York with her mother, but spending summers teaching drama at the University of Iowa and speech at the State University of Iowa.^25,26,27,28

By 1942, she was hired to work at the University of Oklahoma.²⁹ Forrest Lauterer resigned from this position to serve in the WAC, but came back as soon as she was discharged in 1945.³⁰ She continued to travel to Europe, most notably on the Queen Elizabeth II and was active in taking students to study art and theater in Europe, just as she had done.^31,32,33,34

In 1964, Forrest Lauterer lost her mother who had lived to be 100.³⁵ Having taught acting, theater history, and all aspects of costume design, not to mention textile design, especially weaving, at numerous colleges and universities, she retired from the University of Oklahoma around this time.³⁶ For her service to the drama department of the University of Oklahoma, they created the Helen Forrest Lauterer Award for Costume Design.³⁷

Two things had guided Forrest Lauterer; travel and teaching. Now that she was done with teaching, she could travel, visiting over 110 countries in the course of her life. One of those countries was Japan where she met a young artist studying English, and from a casual conversation, encouraged him to study in the US and arranged for a scholarship for him.³⁸

Forrest Lauterer moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico in 1974, a mecca for those interested not only in textiles, but folk art and crafts.³⁹ It was there that Helen Forrest Lauterer passed away on November 14, 1992.

Images & Documents

Notes:

1. “Lauterer, Helen F.” US, WWII Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946. The National Archives. Last Updated: 11 Oct 2013.
2. “Women in the Service.” Iowa City Press-Citizen. Iowa City, Iowa. 7 September 1943. p. 7. Her paperwork says August 3, but this article is likely from when she was accepted and resigned from her teaching position.
3. “Humphrey Speaks to Officer Class.” Chattanooga Daily Times. Chattanooga, Tennessee. 12 December 1943. p. 11. The Army Service Forces were in charge of military supply, including personnel.
4. “Reveal Promotion for WAC Recruiter.” Rock Island Argus. Rock Island, Illinois. 27 June 1945. p. 5.
5. “WAC Recruiting Office to Open in Hastings.” Battle Creek Enquirer. Battle Creek, Michigan. 10 March 1944. p. 11.
6. Please see note 4.
7. “Classes in Japanese Opened to Enrollees in ASTR Program.” Daily Times. Davenport, Iowa. 19 July 1945. p. 18.
8. “Joins Army Reserve Program.” Rock Island Argus. Rock Island, Illinois. 31 May 1945. p. 13.
9. See note 4.
10. “Lieutenant Burns Will Recruit WACS.” Rock Island Argus. Rock Island, Illinois. 11 August 1945. p. 5.
11. “Lauterer, Helen F.” US, Veterans’ Gravesites, ca. 1775-2019. US Department of Veterans Affairs. Last Updated 13 Jul 2022.
12. “Helen Forrest.” Oregon State Archives; Salem, Oregon; Oregon, Birth Records, 1842-1902, 1917.
13. “Forrest.” Year: 1900; Census Place: Seattle Ward 6, King, Washington; Roll: 1745; Page: 17; Enumeration District: 0105.
14. “Forrest.” Year: 1910; Census Place: Seattle Ward 14, King, Washington; Roll: T624_1661; Page: 3a; Enumeration District: 0224; FHL microfilm: 1375674.
15. “Woman Marks 99^th Birthday.” Norman Transcript. Norman, Oklahoma. 10 February 1963. p. 12. Her mother was a supporter of educational opportunities for women, so attending some college seems probable if not conclusive. These are schools she is listed as studying at, but I cannot find any dates so I have put them here.
16. “Graduated as Reconstruction Aides.” Oregon Daily Journal. Portland, Oregon. 30 March 1919. p. 12.
17. “Women in the Service.” Iowa City Press-Citizen. Iowa City, Iowa. 7 September 1943. p. 7.
18. “Bennington College Closes First Year.” Rutland Daily Herald. Rutland, Vermont. 29 June 1933. p. 6.
19. “Drama Assistant Named.” Tulsa Daily World. Tulsa, Oklahoma. 5 September 1942. p. 16. Her experience as detailed in these two hiring notices is all I can find about her career, so I’ve simply lumped it all together here.
20. “Forrest, Helen.” The National Archives and Records Administration; Washington, D.C.; New York, U.S., Arriving Passenger and Crew Lists (including Castle Garden and Ellis Island), 1820-1957.
21. “Lauterer/Forrest.” Marriage Records. Ohio Marriages. Various Ohio County Courthouses. Year Range: 1928 – 1972.
22. “Bennington College Closes First Year.” Rutland Daily Herald. Rutland, Vermont. 29 June 1933. p. 6.
23. “Lauterer, Helen.” The National Archives and Records Administration; Washington, D.C.; New York, U.S., Arriving Passenger and Crew Lists (including Castle Garden and Ellis Island), 1820-1957. Arriving from Vera Cruz Mexico with husband Feb 1934.
24. “College Ends 300 Students Scatter.” Bennington Evening Banner. Bennington, Vermont. 25 June 1936. p. 1.
25. “Vital Statistics.” Nevada State Journal. Reno, Nevada. 12 February 1939. p. 8.
26. “Lauterer.” Year: 1940; Census Place: New York, New York, New York; Roll: m-t0627-02644; Page: 72A; Enumeration District: 31-877.
27. “Drama Experts Added to Summer Staff at University of Iowa.” Globe Gazette. Mason City, Iowa. 15 January 1940. p. 4.
28. “Speech Lecturers Named for S.U.I..” Des Moines Tribune. Des Moines, Iowa. 20 April 1942. p. 11.
29. “Drama Assistant Named.” Tulsa Daily World. Tulsa, Oklahoma. 5 September 1942. p. 16.
30. “Mrs. Lauterer to Return.” The Oklahoma Daily. Norman, Oklahoma. 13 September 1945. p. 5.
31. “Lauterer, Helen.” The National Archives and Records Administration; Washington, D.C.; Passenger and Crew Lists of Vessels Arriving at and Departing from Ogdensburg, New York, 5/27/1948 – 11/28/1972; Microfilm Serial or NAID: T715, 1897-1957. Arriving from LaHavre 1947 teaching at Univ OK.
32. “Lauterer, Helen.” The National Archives in Washington, DC; London, England, UK; Board of Trade: Commercial and Statistical Department and Successors: Inwards Passenger Lists; Class: Bt26; Piece: 1454; Item: 98. 1960 Entering Southampton UK for 1 week on way to Cherbourg.
33. “Lauterer, Helen.” The National Archives at Washington, D.C.; Washington, D.C.; NAI Number: 2990227; Record Group Title: Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, 1787 – 2004; Record Group Number: 85; Series Number: A4115; NARA Roll Number: 612. Still on QEII now from Cherbourg to US 1960.
34. “Magnum Girl Joins Foreign Study Group.” Wichita Daily Times. Wichita Falls, Texas. 5 June 1955. p. 4D.
35. “Mrs. Elizabeth Forrest.” The Oklahoma Daily. Norman, Oklahoma. 30 March 1964. p. 22.
36. “Lauterer, Helen (Holly) Forrest.” Santa Fe New Mexican: Obituary. Santa Fe, New Mexico. 17 November 1992. p. 7.
37. “Lyric Theater Post Filled.” Daily Oklahoman. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. 8 June 1969. p. 13. For a more recent winner, please see Michael Carl Buchwald: https://obituaries.normantranscript.com/obituary/michael-buchwald-1083431593
38. “Chat Leads to OU Grant.” Daily Oklahoman. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. 4 October 1966. p. S1.
39. See note 36.

Compiled by: A. D. McLean, MA, MLIS. Central New Mexico Community College, retired 2022.

Featured Image:

“Helen Forrest Lauterer.” Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/3872809/helen-lauterer: accessed 11 September 2023), memorial page for Helen Forrest Lauterer (7 Aug 1897–14 Nov 1992), Find a Grave Memorial ID 3872809, citing Santa Fe National Cemetery, Santa Fe, Santa Fe County, New Mexico, USA; Maintained by Sidney (contributor 48067839).