The Doughnut's Journey to Becoming a Symbol of Volunteerism in World War I

Have you ever enjoyed a free doughnut on the first Friday of June? You’ve participated in National Doughnut Day, a celebration honoring the volunteers of the Salvation Army, known as Doughnut Lassies, who served fried treats to soldiers during World War I. Some of these women even risked their lives to provide a brief moment of comfort. In 'The War Romance Of The Salvation Army' (written by Evangeline Booth, daughter of the Salvation Army's founders), there is a moving account of a volunteer delivering doughnuts and cocoa to soldiers under fire. When the regiment’s colonel instructed her to turn back, she replied, “Colonel, we can die with the men, but we cannot leave them.”

Cooking on the Battlefront

The choice to serve doughnuts on the battlefield was partly born out of necessity. When the U.S. entered World War I in 1917, the Salvation Army, a Christian charity organization, dispatched approximately 250 volunteers (mostly women) to France, where American soldiers were stationed. Their goal was to deliver comforting treats and supplies as close to the front lines as possible. However, the closer they got to the action, the fewer resources they had access to.

Lora Vogt, curator of education at the National WWI Museum and Memorial in Kansas City, Missouri, shared with Mytour in 2020, “It was challenging to make pies, cakes, and the other baked goods they had hoped to prepare. Instead, they realized that doughnuts were a far more practical use of both time and ingredients. They could easily produce thousands of doughnuts a day to feed all the men serving.”

Ensign Margaret Sheldon and Adjutant Helen Purviance are credited with introducing doughnuts to the Western Front. With just a few ingredients at their disposal, such as flour, sugar, lard, baking powder, and canned milk, they created doughnuts, one of the few treats that could be prepared without an oven. Once they had a fire hot enough to heat the oil, they could fry the doughnuts quickly. To make do with limited resources, grape juice bottles and even shell casings became makeshift rolling pins; a baking powder can served as a doughnut cutter; and a loose tube from a coffeemaker was used to punch the doughnut holes.

Sheldon and Purviance's pan could hold seven doughnuts at a time. On their first day, they managed to make just 150 doughnuts for an outfit of 800 men. Those lucky enough to get a taste were delighted, with one soldier exclaiming, “Gee! If this is war, let it continue!” as recorded in The War Romance Of The Salvation Army. As they perfected their technique, they eventually made 5,000 doughnuts a day. The soldiers, smitten with the snacks, dubbed the volunteers 'Doughnut Lassies,' while the soldiers they served became known as 'Doughboys.'

The Doughnut, a quintessential American treat

The Doughnut Lassies' legacy extended far beyond World War I. Before the war, the doughnut was not fully embraced by Americans. Although Dutch immigrants had been enjoying doughnuts for years, it had yet to become a staple in American cuisine. It wasn’t until U.S. soldiers encountered the doughnut overseas that it gained immense popularity. “You have millions who are serving on the front lines who then have a really lovely association with the doughnut who may not have had one before,” Vogt remarked.

World War I also indirectly fueled the doughnut's rise in popularity. The dessert appealed to U.S. bakers during the war for the same reasons it captivated the Salvation Army: its versatility and use of easily available ingredients. “Crisco was publishing recipes for wartime doughnuts, suggesting Crisco as a substitute for lard, as lard was to be conserved,” Vogt noted. “This dual effort, both at the front lines and at home, helped all Americans discover how delicious doughnuts could be.”

The Emergence of National Doughnut Day

In 1938, the Salvation Army capitalized on its symbolic association with doughnuts and created National Doughnut Day to raise awareness for its charitable efforts. While brands like Dunkin and Krispy Kreme now use the holiday for marketing purposes, Vogt emphasizes that the day is intended to honor the service of the Doughnut Lassies, not just the treat they served. “National Doughnut Day is actually not about the doughnut. It is all about the Salvation Army volunteerism,” she explained. “The concept of service, sharing, and community building is at the heart of what Doughnut Day is all about.”

National Doughnut Day is not the only occasion to celebrate this beloved pastry in the U.S. Another National Doughnut Day is observed on November 5, although its origins remain unclear. If you're eager to indulge in some fried dough and pay tribute to a lesser-known chapter of World War I, the first Friday of June—June 3 in 2022—marks the day to commemorate.

A version of this article was first published in 2020; it has been updated for 2022.