Mignon Sherer Papers

Mignon Sherer and other workers at the Murray Body Corporation.

RORI 1326

Memories of a Jewish Rosie

Mignon Sherer secured her first defense industry job at nineteen years old. Although Mignon realized the "enormity and gravity of the war" in retrospect, she remembers that as a teenager, one of her main motives for working in defense was for the "big money" to be made. As a young Jewish woman, Mignon's experience at Murray Body Corporation was not all rosy as she faced some discrimination. Nonetheless, Mignon was eventually promoted to installing electrical wiring in B-29 airplanes--though Mignon humbly explains that this was "indicative of the poor quality of workers since I am not very mechanically inclined." Mignon's donation includes a personal photograph of her and fellow workers inside the factory.

Want to learn more about Mignon Sherer?

Access Mignon Sherer's handwritten letters, which are part of the National Park Service Musuem collection pages from our park's archive.