🪖 The First WWI Draft Lottery (July 20, 1917): America’s Call to Arms
📌 Discover the historic first WWI draft lottery on July 20, 1917, which determined the fate of millions of American men. Explore the Selective Service Act, draft process, exemptions, and military mobilization. A must-read for historians, genealogists, educators, and students.
🎖️ The First WWI Draft Lottery – July 20, 1917: A Nation Called to Arms
📜 A Historic Event in U.S. Military Mobilization
The first draft lottery of World War I, held on July 20, 1917, was a monumental event in U.S. history, determining the order in which millions of young American men would be called to serve. Conducted in room 226 of the Senate office building, this event set the precedent for modern conscription in America.
The draft ensured that 687,000 soldiers would be selected from 1.37 million examined men—with over 10 million registered for future service. The first number drawn was 258, by Secretary of War Newton D. Baker, marking the beginning of America’s large-scale military mobilization for the Great War.
For historians, genealogists, teachers, and students, this article provides a rare look into the bureaucratic, social, and emotional aspects of the draft—a process that shaped families, communities, and military history for generations.
On 20 July 1917, Secretary of War Baker Draws the First Number, 258, in the Draft for Conscription in the Great War. Photograph © 1917 Committee on Public Information. GGA Image ID # 1821efa665
The draft lottery selects 1,374,000 men for examination to provide 687,000 of the first increment troops; others of 10,000,000 are definitely listed for future service; Baker draws the first number.
Gen. Crowder, Gen. Bliss, Senator Chamberlain, and Representatives Dent and Kahn also select capsules from the 10,500 in the great glass bowl in the Senate office building room, where drawing continues until morning.
Newspapermen present drafted—society women in night throngs—scenes and incidents that thrill.
Selective conscription was implemented yesterday with a national lottery to fix the order of military liability for the 10,000,000 young Americans registered for service. To accomplish the result, 10,500 numbers had to be drawn one at a time, a task that began at 10 a.m. and continued far into this morning.
When the 10,004th capsule was drawn at 1:30 a.m., it was found to be blank, the first blank in the drawing. Gen. Crowder ordered a space to be left blank and the next number to be drawn.
The 10,500 numbers are more than enough to cover the men needed or listed, so the effect of this blank will be negligible. The last number was drawn at 2:18 a.m. No. 2 was drawn at precisely 2 a.m. and was the 10,312th to be drawn.
The lottery was held in the Senate office building's public hearing room. War Department officials were in charge of the actual drawing, and members of the Senate and House military committees were witnesses.
Force Ordered to the Colors
As a result of the drawing, every registered man is given a definite place in the liability for service list. Already, 687,000 have been ordered to the colors to strengthen the regular army and national guard and constitute the first increment of the national army.
To secure that 1,374,000 men will be called for examination within a few weeks, estimating that two registrants must be called for every soldier accepted. These 1,374,000 will be taken from the head of the liability list, with every local district furnishing a. fixed quota.
The drawing yesterday was conducted with ceremonies that were as democratic as the ideal called for by citizenship.
Scene as in Theater
The stage was carefully set in room 226 of the Senate office building. It might have been a scene in a theater, but there was nothing theatrical about It, although there was drama—the drama of lives and fortunes in the balance.
Along one side of the big room were rows of chairs for the witnesses. At the end was a tremendous blackboard blocked often for 500 numbers. In front of the blackboard was a double-length table and, in front of that, a smaller table, on which reposed a great glass jar.
The jar's top was covered with thick manila paper hound, which was surrounded by five rounds of tough twine, with a seal on the twine. At the bottom, thousands of grayish-black capsules were visible.
There were 10,500 of them, and they piled up for more than four inches inside the bowl, a thick mass. Stuck among them was a huge wooden spoon with red, white, and blue bunting tied to the handle.
Cameras Set for Pictures
Along the other side of the room was a long table with more than 100 chairs. That was for the press. Scattered in every available bit of vacant space between the tables were the carbon lights of moving picture operators, with a "movie" camera beside each light.
Other cameras were placed here and there.
That was the scene that greeted the early arrivals. The draft's opening had been set for 9:30. Gen. Crowder was there at 9. He had been to his office for an hour before and arrived in a big motor car bearing the capsules at the Senate office building.
The bowl and its contents "were under the personal charge of Maj. Gen. C. A. Duvol, assigned by Secretary Baker to the task. Accompanying the two generals were members of Gen. Crowder's staff: Maj. Hugh Johnson, executive officer and father of the draft plan, Maj. Allen H. Gullion, publicity director of the draft, and others.
The bowl was brought in and placed on the table. At 9:20, Secretary of War Baker arrived. He wore a Palm Beach suit, which stood out in broad contrast to the dull khaki of the officers.
Congress Members Arrive
Wearing every type of male apparel from the congressional "Jimswinger" to pongee summer suits, the House and Senate military affairs committees took their seats. They were solemn of visage and grave of men. High military chiefs arrived in an automobile shortly after Secretary Baker.
Maj. Gen. Tasker H. Bliss and Adj. Gen. Henry P. McCain, with staff officers, were among them. The minute hand of the clock neared 9:30. The tally clerks seated themselves at the long table in the rear of the room. Gen. Duvol took up his position before the bowl.
The announcers stood next to him. Seated behind a small desk "which had been placed near the end of the tally clerk's table, Secretary Baker was chatting with Gen. Bliss and Gen. McCain when the hand reached 9:30. - Not a second was lost. He rapped sharply for order, and all sound ceased. Everyone seemed to stop talking simultaneously.
Secretary Baker's Words
Secretary Baker lost no time in preliminaries. Gentlemen, he said, this is a solemn and historic moment. We come here to determine which of 10,000,000 of our young men who have registered for national service will be selected to answer the President's call for an army of 687,100 and what the position of the others will be for service in the future.
This is the first time in our history that we are to have a demonstration of selecting men from the nation for service. These men have all registered and are waiting. For them, I bespeak about the honor of the country.
They are not conscripts. They are men chosen from among their fellows in a nationwide selection. They are on an equal footing with any other man in the army or navy.
It has been necessary to draw 10,500 numbers to determine the order in which these men shall serve. Before we proceed with drawing the machinery, Provost Marshal Gen. Crowder will explain it.
Gen. Crowder Speaks
Gen. Crowder spoke for less than five minutes. He explained how the drawing would be made, how the 10,500 gelatin capsules—just like five-grain quinine capsules—were inside the glass jar, and how a number was written on a little slip of paper in red ink inside each capsule.
On one side, the paper was white, and the red ink stood out like a drop of blood. On the other, the paper was black, so it would be opaque through the transparent capsule, and the number could not be seen.
Baker Draws First Number
"Let us proceed," said Secretary Baker when Gen. Crowder had concluded. His last suggestion was that the Secretary should draw the first number.
"I shall draw the first number," said Secretary Baker, "and I ask that the chairmen of the Senate and House military committees, official witnesses at this historic occasion, draw the second and third, respectively.
"And Gen. Crowder shall draw the fourth."
"No," broke in Gen. Crowder, "Gen. Bliss as chief of staff shall draw the fourth."
Gen. Duval broke the seal on the cord around the bowl and stuck his fist through the paper covering. He ripped away the paper and, reaching down, stirred the capsules with the great spoon.
Drawing the First Number
After being blindfolded, Mr. Baker, Secretary of War, plunged his hand into the large glass jar containing the 10,500 numbers in capsules. He drew one forth, passed it to a clerk who opened it, and announced the number "258." Thus, the drawing began. The date was July 20, 1917.
Secretary Baker Blindfolded
Secretary Baker removed his eyeglasses, and one of Gen. Crowder's assistants tied a white handkerchief around his head, blindfolding him. The Secretary was led to a position behind the bowl and faced those as he stirred the capsules with the spoon. Dropping the spoon, he stuck his hand among the pellets and brought it up again.
"258" Is First Drawn.
"I have drawn the first number," said Mr. Baker in the tone of a man who had done an epochal thing. He held the tiny capsule aloft. An announcer took it from him and broke the capsule, taking out the paper slip.
"The number is 258," he cried.
"Two hundred and fifty-eight," echoed the voice of the tally chief. Another attendant posted the numeral "258" on the blackboard in the rear.
There was a flutter of copy paper from the table where the newspaper workers sat. Messenger boys bearing slips of paper darted through the crowded aisle and the packed mass of men and women at the door in the rear.
They were carrying the news, flashed in a moment from Maine to California and from Oregon to Florida, to telegraph wires set up in an adjoining corridor, that all men with cards numbered 258 would be first called to serve.
Ablaze for "Movie" Cameramen
The drawing had been made in a glare of calcium lights, set ablaze by the movie cameramen the moment the Secretary reached toward the bowl. Burning carbon filled the air while the camera battery clicked at high speed.
A picture was being filmed like never before. It was a picture not only for this generation but for those to come. It epitomized America fighting the battle of democracy against the crumbling old order—America's efficiency.
Senator Chamberlain, chairman of the Senate military affairs committee, then was blindfolded and stepped up to draw a number. He was nervous and could not locate the pellets in the bottom of the bowl.
Finally, one of the announcers took his arm and pressed his hand down toward them. The Senator withdrew a capsule, which was opened.
The Draft Registration Lineup In Honolulu Hawaii, 1917. GGA Image ID # 1821d8185e
Drawn by Congress Members
"Two thousand, five hundred and fifty-two," cried the announcer. In turn, Representative Dent, House committee chairman, and Senator Warren, ranking Republican on the Senate committee, drew numbers. They were, respectively, 9,613 and 4,532.
Then came Representative Kahn, a Republican on the House committee and the man who took command of the draft bill in the House and smashed it through to passage.
The blindfolding handkerchief hardly reached around his massive head. Curly white hair tumbled over the band. He reached down and took out a pellet. The number, as announced, was 10,218. Only one district with 10,218 was in it, so only one man drafted the number.
Crowd Cheers Gen. Crowder
General Bliss then stepped up, straight and poised in his tailored khaki. Until then, the crowd had been silent to a point where the silence was oppressive.
The men in mufti had impressed but not stirred it. But the service khaki hit the spectators between the eyes, and they clapped madly. Gen. Bliss drew No 458.
Then came General Crowder, and the crowd broke into cheers. It was almost a minute before quiet was restored, and the number was announced as 3,403.
General McCain advanced amid more applause and drew 10,016
"The moving-picture men will now take their apparatus outside," Secretary Baker announced, "and the drawing will continue with the officials selected in charge."
There was a clatter as cameras and Calcium lights were picked up and a tramp of feet as the "camera squad," in most cases coatless and collarless, marched out with their apparatus.
Settle for Long Siege
The crowd settled for a long siege. Coats were shed at the press table, and "Jim" Preston ordered all doors closed.
Before noon, there was ample evidence that the draft was not proceeding as quickly as Gen Crowder and other officials had anticipated. Suggestions were made that as many numbers as possible be drawn by 6 o'clock, with the others left over for a second drawing today. But Gen. Crowder refused to listen.
He declared that the work must be finished if it lasted until after dawn. He doubled the relief but refused any further let-up.
From the quiet assemblage of grave officials who witnessed the drawing of the first number, the crowd in the great room also changed and shifted as the hours went on.
Woman Clerks Look On
First, other senators and representatives came, taking the place of those who had gone outside to breathe.
Then came employees from their offices. For a time, the room was filled with women clerks and stenographers gathered from the House and Senate office buildings, seeking to satisfy their curiosity. They came in with open eyes and went out with grave faces.
Draft Regisitration in China Town, New York City, 1917. GGA Image ID # 1821ef1799
Drafts One of Writers
Many subjects to the draft were grouped around the press table among the hundred or more men sending the numbers broadcast over the country as fast as they were drawn.
When the tile government first reached down to the press table and selected a man, less than 500 numbers had been called. At the time, he was working at high speed, recording numbers and sending them to a telegraph in the corridor outside by double shifts of messengers.
A dark, youthful-looking lad, he had just chatted across the table with a couple of his fellow partners during a moment's intermission about how the draft affected the ones around.
Goes On With the Work
"Got any of you people yet?" he inquired.
"No," was the answer. "How about you?"
"They haven't called mine," he said back, just as the calling of numbers resumed. He was working ahead at high pressure when a low number was called—750 or something like that. His lips barely moved as he wrote down the number, but faintly across the table came the words, "That's me." He didn't change expression; it might have been quite impersonal, so far as his attitude was concerned.
But when his relief came, he spoke about it. "I'm inside the first 500," he said. "I ought to be the second man in our company, anyway."
Outside, operating a wire over which numbers were being telegraphed to all parts of the country was another eligible. He hadn't more than read down 75 numbers when he came across his own.
Hopes for Signal Corps
"Well, I guess I'll try for the signal corps," he remarked, ticking the number off on the key. "I'll be of the utmost use there."
Two brothers were filing numbers for a Chicago newspaper. They have been "in the game" together for years, working side by side, each a well-known newspaperman.
One was alone at luncheon when a group of friends joined him. "They drew my brother just before I came out," he said. "How far along are they now?'"
One of the men drawing numbers—one of the blindfolded youths engaged in Gen. Crowder's work—drew his own ticket for the front. He heard the announcer call it, but he didn't even hesitate. The following number was waiting for the second announcer when he raised his hand.
Free From Demonstrations
And it was like that throughout the day. The drawing was remarkably free from personal demonstrations or emotion. There were no tear-stained mothers pleading for their boys, no mock heroics, and no trembling of cowardice.
These scenes took place at the registration headquarters, where the city numbers were being received.
Gen. Crowder was the heart and nerves of the draft machine throughout all the weary hours of the day.
Drawing Cool
In his khaki uniform in the hottest hours of the day, calm when all was excitement around him, he guided by advice and directed the men carrying on the work with crisp words.
On several occasions, he initiated changes designed to speed up the work and make it less difficult for the men. One of these was calling numbers by numerals, such as 4-6-7-9, instead of the longer method of "four thousand six hundred and seventy-nine."
Food and cooling drinks were provided in abundance, and toward evening, Gen. Crowder mobilized a fleet of automobiles by telephone so that the wearied tellers and announcers might take short pauses between "tricks" to freshen themselves with clean air.
Men Who Did the Work
The men who played a crucial role in the work were either officers of Gen. Crowder's staff, civilian employees of his office, or college men who were specifically chosen for the duty.
The latter was headed by James L. Phillips of Princeton, secretary of the intercollegiate intelligence bureau, which is associated with the Council of National Defense and has furnished more than 4,000 men to the government's war service; G. W. Thompson, of Denver, of the organization's staff; and Dean Ferson, of George Washington University.
Over 25 college students were part of the team involved in the drawing. Gen. Crowder's experts meticulously maintained the tally sheets, ensuring that the numbers drawn from the large bowl were carefully preserved.
"We are keeping them as a backcheck in case of any questions about certain numbers," said Gen. Crowder. "They will be carefully and safely put away."
By 3 o'clock, the floor was covered with broken capsules, and the workers were fagged and uncomfortable in their sticky clothes, but the drive continued with unwavering determination. At that hour, the team had already drawn more than 2,000 numbers, a testament to their efficiency and productivity.
By 4:30, the first quota was practically completed.
First Quota Is Drawn
Officials estimated that it was furnished by the first 8,000 numbers. Some of these were very high, drawing only a few men, while the majority of the districts averaged around 3,000, so there was a little doubt, but not much.
It was generally conceded that there had been enough numbers below 3,000 in the first 3,000 drawn to fill the quota of 1,374,000 ordered up for examination so that 687,000 men might be selected from them.
The opinion prevailed that a greater number may have to be ordered for examination, as the figure now set only allows a 50 percent loss for physical disability and all other exemptions. If this proves true, the next men in line will be called for examination.
Little Possibility of Hitch
The work proceeded so smoothly up to late into the night that there appeared to be no possibility of a hitch.
Gen. Crowder, however, refused to leave for an instant. He is worried despite the draft's absolute accuracy up to this time. "Should anything go wrong, it would throw the entire country into turmoil," he said. "I can conceive of nothing which would invalidate this draft." Such "a thing: is incomprehensible
Should any last-minute mistake occur or fault appear, I will carry the case to Secretary of War Baker for presentation to the President.
"I do not expect any such misfortune, but It is just as well to be prepared as we are all human."
Appearance of Unlucky "13."
As the hours dragged on, the drawing became slower and slower. Wearied officials were driving themselves to each new move. Clicking outside the draft room were several telegraph instruments that, for hours, had been sending number after number to a waiting nation.
The numbers were thoroughly mixed. No numbers consecutive to each other were drawn throughout the day. Number 13 was the 7890th to be drawn.
This means that the men holding it may not be ordered up for more than a year. The day was Friday.
Not One Error Found
This morning, there had not been an error of any kind up to an early hour. Every one of the four tally sheets on which the numbers were recorded as drawn agreed, and proofs of the earlier tally sheets had already been received from the government printing office.
The room was filled at night. Capital society, especially the congressional set, made the drawing a social function. Brilliantly gowned women occupied many of the seats. Family parties and after-dinner groups witnessed the drawing.
Examination to Come Next
The numbers drawn yesterday ranged from No. 1 to No. 10,500. The order in which they were drawn determined the order in which men having corresponding numbers on their registration cards would be liable for service.
All that remains after the draft is the question of examination and exemption.
Yesterday's event is the last the national government will have to do with raising an army by universal selection. The States are now responsible.
They must ensure that the men called are examined and if chosen, report for service. Only after they join the colors will the Federal government resume responsibility.
Registrants will receive no official word of their order of liability until their local boards summon them for examination after official records of the drawing have been transmitted to them by mail. Preparations of those records will begin today.
"The First Draft Lottery, 20 July 1917," in The Washington Post, Saturday, July 21, 1917, Pages 1-2.
📌 Key Themes & Historical Significance
⚖️ The Selective Service Act & The Necessity of the Draft
✔ Passed on May 18, 1917, the Selective Service Act authorized the U.S. government to draft men into military service.
✔ The draft age range was initially 21-31 but later expanded to 18-45 in 1918 to meet military needs.
✔ Unlike during the Civil War, men could not hire substitutes or pay to avoid service—ensuring a fair, national selection.
✔ By the war’s end, 2.8 million men were drafted, with an additional 2 million volunteering.
🔹 This article captures the first steps in what became one of the largest military mobilizations in U.S. history.
🎲 The Draft Lottery: A Public Spectacle of Democracy & Military Duty
✔ The lottery system ensured fairness, with numbers drawn randomly from a massive glass jar containing 10,500 capsules.
✔ The first number drawn—258—was immediately broadcast across the country, signaling which registrants would be called first.
✔ The event was filled with ceremony and symbolism, emphasizing national unity and duty.
✔ A mix of high-ranking military officials, politicians, and members of the public witnessed the draw, underscoring its transparency and democratic nature.
🔹 For educators and students, this event serves as a vivid example of how a nation transitioned into wartime mobilization while maintaining public trust.
📢 The Media Frenzy & Public Reaction
✔ Newspaper reporters, photographers, and even early movie cameras documented the event.
✔ Flashing lights and movie reels captured Secretary Baker drawing the first number, ensuring a permanent record of this historic moment.
✔ Socialite women, politicians, and citizens filled the Senate building, treating the draft lottery as both a solemn duty and a national event.
✔ Thousands of telegraph operators relayed the results, ensuring that young men across America knew their draft order within hours.
🔹 For genealogists and family historians, these reports provide insight into how families learned their fate and reacted to the call to service.
📝 The Aftermath: Examinations, Exemptions & Military Induction
✔ Once selected, drafted men underwent physical and legal examinations to determine fitness for service.
✔ Exemptions were granted for:
- Medical conditions (e.g., chronic illnesses, disabilities).
- Economic hardship (if service would devastate a dependent family).
- Religious beliefs (for conscientious objectors).
✔ Those deemed fit for duty were sent to training camps, marking the beginning of their journey into the U.S. Army.
✔ The draft process became a model for future conscription efforts in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam.
🔹 This article provides an excellent resource for understanding the draft’s immediate impact on American families and local communities.
📷 Noteworthy Images & Their Historical Value
📸 Drawing the First Number – July 20, 1917
🔹 Secretary of War Newton D. Baker draws the first number—258—beginning the draft selection process. A powerful image symbolizing the nation’s call to arms.
📸 Draft Registration in Honolulu, Hawaii (1917)
🔹 Illustrates the nationwide scope of the draft, including territories like Hawaii, showcasing America’s diversity in military mobilization.
📸 Draft Registration in Chinatown, New York City (1917)
🔹 Captures the participation of immigrant communities in the war effort, highlighting the intersection of immigration and military service.
📚 Why This Article Matters for Historians, Genealogists & Educators
📖 For Military & Social Historians
✔ Offers a detailed account of the first-ever U.S. draft lottery.
✔ Provides insights into the bureaucratic process behind conscription.
✔ Explains how selective service became a defining aspect of modern American warfare.
🕵️ For Genealogists & Family Researchers
✔ Confirms draft status and eligibility of ancestors who served in WWI.
✔ Provides context for personal letters, draft cards, and service records.
✔ Helps track immigrant ancestors who registered and served in the U.S. military.
📚 For Teachers & Students
✔ Encourages primary source analysis using government documents and newspaper reports.
✔ Illustrates how the draft shaped American society and the war effort.
✔ Explains the role of media in shaping public perception of military service.
🔍 Final Thoughts: Why This Article is a Historical Gem
The first WWI draft lottery was more than a bureaucratic process—it was a national event that shaped America’s war effort and military history.
🔹 For military historians, it illustrates the logistics and democratic principles behind conscription.
🔹 For genealogists, it provides a starting point for tracing an ancestor’s military journey.
🔹 For educators and students, it offers a fascinating case study on how the U.S. transitioned from neutrality to active participation in WWI.
This article is a powerful record of how the U.S. government, the military, and millions of ordinary citizens came together in one of the most significant moments in American history. 🇺🇸📜
