Virginia Military Institute Archives.
Preston Library
Descriptive Summary
Virginia Military Institute Archives, Preston
Library.
Samuel D. Rockenbach Papers
1889-1945
MS 0001
The collection
consists of approximately 1000 items filed in 6
boxes.
English
Papers (1889-1945) of United States
Army officer Samuel Dickerson Rockenbach, notable for his role
in the establishment of the U.S. Army Tank Corps during World
War I and his postwar work in the development of tank
warfare.
Administrative Information
Access
There are no restrictions.
Use Restrictions
There are no restrictions.
Preferred Citation
Samuel D. Rockenbach Papers, MS 0001, Virginia
Military Institute Archives, Lexington, VA.
Acquisition Information
The collection was received from the estate of Samuel D.
Rockenbach in 1953.
Biographical/Historical Information
Samuel Dickerson Rockenbach, United States Army officer,
was born on January 27, 1869 in Lynchburg, Virginia. He was
graduated from the Virginia Military Institute in 1889 and in
1891 was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant. He married Emma
Baldwin on October 19, 1898. Prior to World War I he saw tours
of duty in Cuba, the Philippines, various U.S. posts, and
served as a military observer in Germany in 1914. He arrived
in France in June 1917 with the American Expeditionary Force
and from 1917-1919 served as Chief of the newly formed Tank
Corps, A.E.F. He was notable for his role in the establishment
of the Tank Corps and for his work in the development of tank
warfare.
At the end of the war, Rockenbach continued his work with
tanks, serving as the Army's Chief of the Tank Corps and as
Commander of the Tank School at Camp Meade, Maryland. He
retired to Brownsville, Texas in 1933 and died in 1952 at the
Walter Reed Army Hospital in Washington, DC.
Scope and Content Information
The collection consists of papers (1,000 items) documenting
Rockenbach's career in the United States Army. Topics include
his duties as Engineer officer in Cuba (1898-1902), the
Philippines (1903- 1910), in France as Chief of the Tank
Corps, American Expeditionary Forces, 1917-1919, and his
postwar work with the Tank Corps until his retirement in 1933.
The collection contains correspondence and memoranda (1889-
1945), military orders (1891-1933), photographs, and
miscellaneous personal documents (certificates, travel
souvenirs, etc.). Tank Corps material includes operations
reports (1918), numerous photographs of early tank designs and
tank maneuvers, drawings of tank designs, and reports and
minutes of the Inter-Allied Tank Committee. Also included are
letters and photographs documenting the early army career of
George S. Patton, Jr., who served under Rockenbach during
World War I (ca. 15 items). Other notable correspondents are
John J. Pershing, Leonard Wood, Douglas MacArthur, James G.
Harbord, and Charles P. Summerall.
Organization
The collection is divided into 8 series:
1. Correspondence and memoranda, 1889-1945
2. Military Orders, 1891-1933
3. Subject Files
4. Articles by Rockenbach
5. Speeches and Lectures
6. Personal File
7. Bound volumes and Printed Material
8. Photographs
Container List
Correspondence and Memoranda
1889-1945
Chronological
1889-1896
1:1
1898
1:2
1899-1902
1:3
1903-1904
1:4
1905-1909
1:5
1910-1912
1:6
1913-1916
1:7
1917
1:8
1918, January-June
1:9
1918, July-September
1:10
1918, October-December
1:11
1919, January-February
1:12
1919, March-April
1:13
1919 May-December
1:14
1920
1:15
1921
1:16
1922, January-June
1:17
1922, July-December
1:18
1923, January-June
1:19
1923, July-December
1:20
1924
1:21
1925
1:22
1926
1:23
1927-1928
1:24
1929
1:25
1930-1945
1:26
Undated correspondence and
memoranda
1:27
Military Orders
1891-1933
Chronological
1891-1899
2:1
1900-1903
2:2
1904-1909
2:3
1910-1912
2:4
1913-1916
2:5
1917
2:6
1918
2:7
1919
2:8
1920-1933
2:9
Index to World War I Orders
2:10
Subject Files
Alphabetical
Baltic Society
3:1
French Tank Service and School
3:2
Germany- Military Observation Trip
1914-1915
3:3
Instructions, Reports, and miscellany
Inter-Allied Tank Committee
1918, May
6-7
3:4
Minutes of the 1st session
Inter-Allied Tank Committee
1918, May
6-7
3:5
Reports and Resolutions from the 1st session
Inter-Allied Tank Committee
1918 June 5
3:6
Minutes of the 2nd session
Inter-Allied Tank Committee
1918 July 8
3:7
Agenda and Minutes from the 3rd session
Inter-Allied Tank Committee
1918 October 10
3:8
Minutes of the 4th session
Inter-Allied Tank Committee
1918 May
3:9
Reports, including a report by Lt. Col. George S.
Patton, Jr.
Inter-Allied Tank Committee
3:10
Misc. related documents
Patton, George S., Jr.
3:10A
St. Nazaire Association
3:11
Tank Corps, World War I
3:12
Operations Report, 1918 September-November
Tank Corps, World War I
3:13
Operations Report, Appendix 1
Comparative Plan of
Renault and Mark VIII Tank
Tank Corps, World War I
3:14
Operations Report, Appendix 2
Organization Tank Corps
AEF
Tank Corps, World War I
3:15
Operations Report, Appendix 3
Organization Tank Corps
1st Army
Tank Corps, World War I
3:16
Operations Report, Appendix 4
Operations Report 304th
Tank Brigade, St. Mihiel Salient
Tank Corps, World War I
3:17
Operations Report, Appendix 5
Report of Commander of
1st French Brigade, St. Mihiel operation
Tank Corps, World War I
3:18
Operations Report, Appendix 6
Operations Report, 304th
Tank Brigade, Meuse-Argonne offensive
Tank Corps, World War I
3:19
Operations Report, Appendix 7
Report of Commander, 1st
French Tank Brigade, Meuse-Argonne
Tank Corps, World War I
3:20
Operations Report, Appendix 8
Report of Operations, 2nd
Tank Brigade, 301st Battalion
Tank Corps, World War I
3:21
Operations Report, Appendix 9
Commendations on Work of
Tank Corps
Tank Corps, World War I
3:22
Operations Report, Appendix 10
Position and duties of
Chief of Tank Corps, AEF
Tank Corps, World War I
3:23
Service Record, 301st Tank Battalion.
Tank Corps, World War I
3:24
Casualties List
Tank Corps, World War I
3:25
Personal Notes
Tank Corps, World War I
3:26
Notes on tank
economics
Tank Corps, Postwar
3:27
Organization proposal, 1921
Tank School, Camp Meade
3:28
Report on organization and objectives
Tanks
3:29
Diagrams and Blueprints
Virginia Military Institute
3:30
Notes on the Class of 1889, letter of
recommendation, order
Articles by
Rockenbach
The Tank School at
Camp Meade
1922
4:1
American Tanks
1923
4:2
Weight and Dimensions
of Tanks
1923
4:3
General Pershing's
Influence in Connection with my work in the
AEF
1934
4:4
American Tanks Since
the World War
4:5
The Tank Corps of the
AEF
4:6
Articles-Miscellaneous
4:7
Speeches and
Lectures
The Tank Corps- What
the General and General Staff officers Should
Know
1919
4:8
The Tank Corps- A Talk
to the General Staff
1919
4:9
Remarks at Conference
of Department and Division Commanders
1920
4:10
Tanks in the World
War
1922
4:11
Tanks
1923
4:12
Tanks: Functions in
Relation to Design
undated
4:13
Personal File
Certificates of Award, War
Service
4:14
Certificates, Miscellaneous
4:15
Service Records and Efficiency
Report
4:16
Postcards, Europe, Souvenir
1914-1915
4:17
Mementos from Paris Trip
1926
4:18
Invitations
4:19
Christmas Cards
4:20
Clippings about Rockenbach
4:21
Miscellaneous
4:22
Bound Volumes and Printed
Material
Reports and orders, 1888 to
1920
The Final Report of General
John J. Pershing
Pamphlets and Misc.
publications
Photographs
Alphabetical
Baltic Club
6:1
Coolidge, Calvin (with Rockenbach,
Pershing and others)
6:2
Cotesworth, E. Robert
6:3
Cuba--San Juan Hill
6:3A
Gleaves, Albert (Admiral)
6:4
Harbord, James G.
6:5
Lindbergh, Charles
6:5A
Parades
6:6
Patton, George S., Jr.
6:6A
Pershing, John J. (General)
6:7
Philippines
6:8
Rockenbach, Emma
6:8A
Rockenbach, Samuel D.
6:9
Rockenbach, Samuel D. and Emma
6:10
Spanish American War-Artillery
6:11
Spanish American War-War
Memorials
6:12
Tank Corps, soldiers and
officers
6:13
Tanks Corps, basketball and football
teams
6:14
Tank Corps, manuevers
6:15
Tank Corps, 16th Tank
Battalion
6:16
Tank School, Camp Meade
6:17
Tanks
6:18
Tanks
6:19
Tanks
6:20
World War I- American Expeditionary Force
arrives in Paris, July 1917
6:21
World War I- AEF officers
6:22
World War I- Cemetery, St. Nazaire,
France
6:23
World War I- War Memorial, Lynchburg,
VA
6:24
World War I- French farmers,
countryside
6:25
World War I- Troop ships
6:26
Miscellaneous and unidentified
6:27