Howard W. Robbins was a first lieutenant in the 104th Infantry Regiment of the U.S. army. The Howard W. Robbins diary is a manuscript notebook from World War I (1917-1918), which includes 88 pages of handwritten material. The text is illustrated with graphs, formulas, and diagrams.

The Selective Service Act of 1917 was enacted on 18 May 1917, shortly after America's entry into World War I. The Act authorized the United States government to establish a national army through conscription. The Selective Service Registration broadside is a government notice alerting men of their registration requirements.