The Cocoanut Grove Fire

The tragedy at Boston’s Cocoanut Grove in 1942 is still the deadliest nightclub fire in history. The cause of the fire is still unknown; in its wake, advancements were made in fire safety and medical treatments for burn victims.

Research:

• Boston Public Library. “Great Fires of Boston: November 28, 1942.” 12/20/2021. https://guides.bpl.org/bostonfires/cocoanutgrove
• National Fire Protection Association. “The Cocoanut Grove Fire.” https://www.nfpa.org/Public-Education/Staying-safe/Safety-in-living-and-entertainment-spaces/Nightclubs-assembly-occupancies/The-Cocoanut-Grove-fire
• LeBlanc, Steve and Bob Salsberg. “Worst US nightclub fire influences safety codes, burn care.” 11/28/2017. https://apnews.com/article/cd1e3a85b05e4d65bbd85fdf130f142e
• Illinois Library. “Major American Fires: Cocoanut Grove Fire.” 8/19/2022. https://guides.library.illinois.edu/c.php?g=348303&p=2346975
• Boston Fire Historical Society. “The Story of the Cocoanut Grove Fire.” https://bostonfirehistory.org/the-story-of-the-cocoanut-grove-fire/
• New England Historical Society. “The Kid Wrongly Blamed for the Cocoanut Grove Fire.” https://www.newenglandhistoricalsociety.com/cocoanut-grove-fire-the-kid-wrongly-blamed/
• Fleming, Daniel J. “The Cocoanut Grove Revisited.” Prologue. Vol. 49, No. 3. Fall 2017. https://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/2017/fall/cocoanut-grove
• Sweeney, Emily. “77 years later, the mystery of the Cocoanut Grove fire remains unsolved.” Boston Globe. 11/27/2019. https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2019/11/27/the-unsolved-mystery-cocoanut-grove-fire/24YsmjPE5ruEpiaT5bev8O/story.html
• Cullen, Kevin. “Cocoanut Grove plaque shoved down the street.” Boston Globe. 7/9/2016. https://www.bostonglobe.com/news/nation/2016/07/09/cocoanut-grove-tragedy-pushed-aside-name-privacy/DEKsnSwRUDK3fF5YvPWHJK/story.html
• Rosenfeld, Eva K. “The Fire That Changed The Way We Think About Grief.” The Crimson. 11/29/2018. https://www.thecrimson.com/article/2018/11/29/erich-lindemann-cocoanut-grove-fire-grief/
• National Fire Protection Association. “The Lingering Mystery of the Cocoanut Grove Nightclub Fire.” 11/15/2019. Via YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYNUedVD6G8
• Grant, Casey. “Legacy of the Cocoanut Grove Nightclub Fire.” WGBH Forum Network. Via YouTube. 8/21/2012. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UZ1_Nk-4Wk
• Reilly, William Arthur. “Report Concerning the Cocoanut Grove Fire, November 28, 1942.” 1944. https://bostonfirehistory.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/51/2016/11/reportconcerningcocoanutgrovefire.pdf
• Saffle, Jeffrey R. “The 1942 Fire at Boston’s Cocoanut Grove Nightclub.” Edgar J. Poth Memorial Lecture. American Journal of Surgery. Vol. 166. 12/1993.
• Stewart, Camille L. “The Fire at Cocoanut Grove.” Journal of Burn Care & Research. Volume 36, Number 1. January/February 2015.
• Veltfort, Helene Rank and George E. Lee. “The Cocoanut Grove Fire: A Study in Scapegoating.” Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, Vol. 38, 1943.
• Grant, Casey C. “Last Dance at Cocoanut Grove.” NFPA Journal. November/December 2007

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