Yale University -Divinity School Library

Yale University -Divinity School Library

409 Prospect Street
New Haven, CT 06511, USA

Our Collections

John R. Mott Papers, 1813-1982

The papers document the multitude of activities and involvements pursued by John R. Mott in over seventy years of working life. General correspondence, 1886-1955, comprises nearly half the bulk of Mott's papers, and includes letters to and from prominent American governmental leaders, philanthropists, international political, social, and religious leaders. Family papers and correspondence provide valuable biographical and genealogical information as well as revealing another dimension of Mott's life, his role as a devoted son, brother, husband, and father. John R. Mott was born on May 25, 1865 in Sullivan County, New York. His higher education was pursued at Upper Iowa University, Fayette, Iowa (1881-1885) and at Cornell University, Ithaca, New York (Ph.B., 1888: Phi Beta Kappa). He received honorary degrees from Yale, Edinburgh, Princeton, Brown, Toronto, and other universities. He served as administrator and leader of various organizations including the Young Men's Christian Association, Student Volunteer Movement for Foreign Missions, World Student Christian Federation, Foreign Missions Conference of North America, International Missionary Council, Interchurch World Movement, Institute of Social and Religious Research, and the World Council of Churches. In 1916, Mott was a member of the commission assigned to negotiate a settlement with Mexico. In 1917, he participated in a special diplomatic mission to Russia headed by Senator Elihu Root. Mott was co-recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1946. During his career, he was officially honored by the governments of the United States, France, Italy, Japan, Poland, Greece, Jerusalem, Siam, Sweden, China, Czechoslovakia, Norway, Hungary, Estonia, Portugal, and Finland. Mott died in Orlando, Florida on January 31, 1955.
Collection ID: RG 45

National Council on Religion and Public Education Records, 1971-1994

These archives present the best collection of materials in the United States on the subject of Religion and Public Education. Not only do they contain the records of the National Council on Religion and Public Education, 1971-1994, but of other parallel organizations in the field, such as the National Council of Churches, the National Conference of Christians and Jews, and the Public Education Religion Studies Center of Wright State University. Included in the archives are the papers of the Rev. Richard U. Smith, an Episcopal priest, who was a pioneer in the field of weekday religious education and the first director of the NCRPE. The Religious Education Association took the leadership in organizing the NCRPE in 1971, but it was incorporated as a separate non-profit organization in 1973 under the laws of the state of New York.
Collection ID: RG 262

Albert Dewey Papers, 1898-1958

Detailed correspondence, writings, collected material, diaries, and photographs document the life and work of Albert Dewey and his family in Turkey. Albert Dewey was an American medical missionary serving under the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions in Gaziantep (Aintab), Turkey from 1919 to 1959.
Collection ID: RG 161

International Association for Mission Studies Records, 1955-2014

These materials represent the official archives of the International Association for Mission Studies from its formation through 2012. IAMS is an international, inter-confessional, and interdisciplinary professional society for the scholarly study of Christian witness and its impact in the world. The association was inaugurated in 1972 at Driebergen, the Netherlands. From 1972 to 2012, IAMS held thirteen international conferences on five continents.
Collection ID: RG 199

Shanghai American School Records: the Phoebe White Wentworth Collection of Shanghai American School History and Memorabilia, 1911-2016

During the WWII years 1941-1945, however, various spin-offs of SAS were organized by former teachers that kept the school going (under different names), including a school established in a Japanese internment camp. A final spin-off, the Private America School, continued the basic SAS curriculum until 1950 when the Communist government forced the school's closure. The Shanghai American School (SAS) was founded in 1912 for the purpose of educating the children of American missionaries, businessmen, and professionals. It was the culmination of years of work by the American community to create a school in Shanghai that would prepare its children to enter American colleges and universities. The school maintained operations until 1941 when most members of the American community were evacuated due to political tensions between Japan and the United States prior to Pearl Harbor. In 1946, after World War II, SAS was reorganized and maintained operations through commencement 1949 when the Chinese Communist army occupied Shanghai. A period of volatile political and economic conditions ensued, causing the school to close once again.
Collection ID: RG 132

Kirkridge Retreat and Study Center records, 1942-2007

These are the official archives of Kirkridge Retreat and Study Center in Bangor, PA. Kirkridge is an ecumenical Christian center founded by John Oliver Nelson, who was influenced by George MacLeod's work with the Iona Community. Nelson was a professor of Christian vocation and director of field work at Yale Divinity School from 1950 to 1964.
Collection ID: RG 261

Eleazar Thompson Fitch Papers, 1817-1852

The papers consist of manuscript sermons by Fitch. Eleazar T. Fitch (1791-1871) was Livingston Professor of Divinity at Yale from 1817 to 1852, in which his main duty was the supply of the College pulpit. He was Lecturer on Homiletics at the Yale Divinity School from1824 to 1861.
Collection ID: RG 93

Student Christian Movement in New England Records, 1926-1974

The papers include correspondence, reports and minutes, study papers, printed material, and financial material. They constitute the official archive of the Student Christian Movement in New England (SCMNE) from its formation in 1934 to its dissolution in 1967. The papers contain information about the local Christian ministries programs of various colleges and universities in New England. These papers form part of a group of documentation at the Yale Divinity School Library of student work in New England, including the Archives of the YMCA-Student Division and the Archives of New England Commission for United Ministries in Higher Education. The Student Christian Movement was formed in 1934 by the YMCA, YWCA, and various Protestant denominations to promote cooperative religious work among college and university students in New England. In 1967, a reevaluation of the aims and future of the SCMNE resulted in a decision to change its name to University Christian Movement in New England (UCMNE) and all member groups were to change their affiliation to the UCMNE.
Collection ID: RG 57

Randolph Crump Miller Papers, 1932-1997

Writings, notes, and collected material document Miller's work. Randolph Crump Miller was a professor of Christian Education at the Yale Divinity School.
Collection ID: RG 173

Morgan Phelps Noyes Papers, 1913-1972

Sermons, writings, and memorabilia document the life and work of prominent Presbyterian minister Morgan Phelps Noyes. Noyes was a 1914 graduate of Yale University, received an honorary D.D. from Yale in 1938, and was a member of the Yale University Corporation from 1945 to 1959. He served served churches in New York and New Jersey from 1920 to 1957 and was Associate Professor of Practical Theology at Union Theological Seminary in New York from 1945 to 1951.
Collection ID: RG 198

Benjamin Severance Winchester Papers, 1903-1938

The collection chronicles the life and work of Benjamin Severance Winchester, who began serving as a Congregationalist minister and religious educator in 1897 and was active into the 1930s. During his career Winchester lived and worked in Washington, Illinois, Massachusetts, New York, and Connecticut. Most of the collection details religious education curriculum in various fields, including sexual education, race relations education, Prohibition education, and peace education. Correspondence, curriculum, meeting minutes, and reports stem from Winchester's work with multiple organizations, including the Federal Council of Churches of Christ in America and the International Council of Religious Education.
Collection ID: RG 252

Elsie Clark Krug Papers, 1909-1985

Detailed correspondence, diaries, photographs, and collected material document the life and work of a young, single woman missionary in China. Elsie Clark Krug was an American Methodist missionary in Fuzhou (Foochow) from 1912 to 1918. She taught at Hwa Nan College, then in its preliminary stages a mission-supported college for women.
Collection ID: RG 142

Horace Waller Papers, 1858-1896

The papers supplement and provide supporting detail for the major collection of Waller papers located at Rhodes House Library in Oxford, England. These papers document the Zambezi expedition of David Livingstone (1813-1873) and the early history of the Universities' Mission to Central Africa. Waller's friendship with Livingstone is apparent in their correspondence. Waller's deep interest in Africa and the problem of slavery continued throughout his life and is reflected in the diaries dated 1875-1876 during his rectorate at Twywell. Horace Waller was born in London in 1833. He went to Africa in 1861 as Lay Superintendent of the Universities' Mission to Central Africa. He resigned from the Mission in 1863 following a disagreement related to liberated slaves under the care of the Mission. In 1864, Waller returned to England. He became a member of the committee of the Anti-Slavery Society. He edited David Livingstone's journals for publication. He served as rector of Twywell, Thrapston, Northamptonshire from 1874 to 1895. Horace Waller died at East Liss, Hampshire in 1896.
Collection ID: RG 72

Miscellaneous Personal Papers Collection, 1692-2013

The Miscellaneous Personal Papers record group is an open collection consisting of the correspondence, diaries, writings and/or other papers and memorabilia of various individuals. This collection contains papers of individuals who were Yale faculty members, alumni/ae, clergy, ecumenical workers, or missionaries in areas other than China.
Collection ID: RG 30

Noah C. Saxton Papers, 1816-1834

Correspondence, diaries, and sermons document Saxton's evangelistic work. Noah C. Saxton (1798-ca. 1834) was an evangelist in Connecticut, New Jersey, and New York.
Collection ID: RG 123

Catholic Apostolic Church Records, 1825-1973

The papers consist primarily of printed pamphlets and sermons. The Catholic Apostolic Church was an eschatologically oriented group which split from the Church of England in the early 19th century.
Collection ID: RG 55

United Student Christian Council records, 1938-1960

These records document the administrative history and program activities of the United Student Christian Council. The USCC was a national, federated group that sought to support and coordinate the student Christian work of various Protestant denominations, the YMCA, YWCA, Student Volunteer Movement for Foreign Missions, and the Interseminary Movement. The two main functions of USCC were to be the North American link to the World Student Christian Federation, and to work as a clearing house for meetings, consultations, and conferences. These records include correspondence between student Christian movement agencies and the USCC, correspondence between the USCC and WSCF, reports of committees, conference materials, and various publications from the USCC as well as constituent members.
Collection ID: RG 239

John Curtis and Mary Snell Smith Papers, 1837-1873, bulk 1853-1869

John Curtis Smith and Mary Snell Steele Smith were Congregational missionaries from New England who served in Sri Lanka (Ceylon), which was then part of the India Mission of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions (ABCFM). This collection provides intensive documentation for the lives of missionary families, especially "missionary children" and their extended families in the 1850s through the early 1870s. Of particular value in this collection is the large number of letters written by the Smith children themselves. The six children in the Smith family were all born in Sri Lanka (Ceylon) and spent at least half of their childhoods there before being sent or taken to live in the United States, where they resided with relatives and friends in New England.
Collection ID: RG 207

Congregational Church Records, 1709-1983

The Congregational Church Records of Record Group 56 are an open collection of primarily printed material dating from approximately 1709-1983. Records of various official bodies are encompassed by the record group as it documents churches of Congregational polity individually and in cooperation on local, state, national and international levels.
Collection ID: RG 56

Esther Tappert Mortensen Papers, 1903-1972

The papers provide documentation of a missionary who served in varied roles in China during the turbulent period of 1929 to 1953. The later letters from Shanghai provide information about the situation in the city after the Communist takeover. Esther Tappert taught English at Ginling College, a mission-sponsored women's college in Nanking, China from 1929 to 1931 and 1933 to1937. From 1937 to 1939 she taught English at Chungking University, a Chinese government university. She returned to the U.S. in 1940 and completed her doctorate at Yale. In 1945 she returned to China, married Ralph Mortensen and lived in Shanghai until January, 1953.
Collection ID: RG 21

North American Coalition for Christianity and Ecology records, 1986-2007

These archives document the work of the North American Coalition for Christianity and Ecology, an ecumenical group that was formed in 1986 to highlight environmental dimensions of the Christian tradition, help Christian individuals and churches become more ecologically responsible, and work with people of other traditions in the common effort to create a more sustainable global society.
Collection ID: RG 225

American Theological Library Association Records, 1945-1997

This record group includes organizational and administrative records, board and committee records, materials from annual conferences, and ATLA publications. The American Theological Library Association was founded in 1947 to strengthen ties among theological libraries, to support theological and religious librarianship, to improve theological libraries, and to interpret the role of libraries in theological education.
Collection ID: RG 163

Association for Case Teaching records, 1972-2014

The Association for Case Teaching was established in 1978 to promote the use of case studies for improving the quality of theological teaching. The "case method" is a means of participatory and dialogical teaching and learning by group discussion of actual events. ACT was a professional association of college and seminary faculty members, pastors, denominational and ecumenical staff persons, lay leaders, church professionals and other interested persons who utilized the methodology of "case teaching" in their educational and training roles. Its membership included individuals and institutions from throughout the U.S., Canada, Europe, Africa and Asia.
Collection ID: RG 245

Religious Education Association Records, 1902-1982

These are the official archives of the Religious Education Association (REA). The Religious Education Association was founded in 1903 at a convention in Chicago, which had been convened by the Council of Seventy of the American Institute of Sacred Literature. Its goal has been to promote religious and moral education. The REA has produced many publications and has sponsored conventions and round tables on religion and higher education, as well as a major program of research on religious development. The REA was responsible for forming the National Council on Religion and Public Education.
Collection ID: RG 74

Henry Burt Wright Papers, 1728-1928

The papers detail Wright's personal life and professional work. They are particularly useful for their documentation of his involvement in religious activity at Yale from 1894-1923 and in YMCA work during the first World War. Henry Burt Wright was born in New Haven, Connecticut on January 29, 1877. He received the B.A. (1898) and Ph.D. (1903) degrees from Yale University. He was a professor at Yale from 1903-1923. He was active in Christian work among university students and in the work of the YMCA during World War I. He died in Oakham, Massachusetts on December 27, 1923.
Collection ID: RG 40

Hartwell Family Papers, 1846-1975

Dating from 1849-1972, these papers span three generations of Baptist mission involvement and pioneer activity. Jesse Boardman Hartwell, 1795-1859, was the patriarch of the Hartwell family of Baptist missionaries, although not a missionary himself. He served as pastor of various Baptist churches across the United States, professor at Howard College, Marion, Alabama in 1844, and president and professor of theology at Mt. Lebanon University in 1857. His son, Jesse Boardman Hartwell, Jr., 1835-1912, graduated from Furman University, Greenville, S.C. in 1855. He served as professor of mathematics at Mt. Lebanon University and became a China missionary in 1858. He organized the first Protestant church in China north of Shanghai and was active in helping refugees during the Tai Ping rebellion, 1851-1864. Four of J.B. Hartwell, Jr.'s children were active in China missions, including daughters Nellie, Anna (Guangzhou (Canton), Penglai (Tengchow) and Longkou (Hwanghsien)) and Lottie (Shaoxing (Shaohing) and Hangzhou (Hangchow), Zhejiang (Cheking) Province). Son Charles Norris Hartwell was educated at the China Inland Mission Schools in Chefoo and the State University of Missouri. He was appointed to the Southern Baptist Convention's North China Mission in 1909. He served as principal of the Boys' High School in Longkou (Hwanghsien) and, at the time of his death in 1927, was Dean of North China Baptist College.
Collection ID: RG 4

Albert and Celia Steward Papers, 1908-1979

The papers document the Steward's missionary work and personal lives, detailing their daily activities and political and social conditions in China. Albert Newton Steward (1897-1959) and Celia Belle Speak Steward (1897-1992) were stationed in Nanking, China as educational missionaries under the Methodist Board of Missions. Albert taught botany at the University of Nanking. During World War II, Albert was interned at Chapei Camp, Shanghai from 1943-1945. In 1951, Albert became curator of the Herbarium and professor at Oregon State College.
Collection ID: RG 20

Marvin H. Pope Papers, 1916-1998

The Marvin H. Pope Papers document the life and work of a prominent professor at Yale. Correspondence, notes, writings, course-related materials, collected materials, and audiovisual materials shed light on his academic work and his interactions with colleagues and students. Marvin H. Pope taught at Yale in the Department of Religious Studies and Divinity School from 1949 to 1986 and was one of the world's leading authorities on Ugarit. Pope made many contributions to biblical studies, which included helping to prepare the Revised Standard Version of the Bible and advising the National Council of Churches on the New Revised Standard Version. His scholarly output was prodigious, and he helped to bring the public's attention to the importance of Ugaritic texts in the study of the Bible. During his lifetime he published numerous scholarly articles and three major books, "El in the Ugaritic Texts" and two commentaries for the Anchor Bible Series: "Job" (1965) and "Songs of Songs" (1977). Pope is remembered for his wit, which made him a popular professor during his years at Yale. .
Collection ID: RG 135

Heman Lincoln papers, 1838-1887

The Heman Lincoln Papers primarily document the professional work of Lincoln as a Baptist minister and professor at Newton Theological Institution.
Collection ID: RG 290

Arthur Judson Brown Papers, 1864-1969

The bulk of the papers relate to Brown's activities in the Presbyterian Church, the Presbyterian Board of Foreign Missions, and with the ecumenical and world missionary movements. Of special interest are Brown's travel diaries of tours of China and the Far East, 1901-1902 and 1909. Arthur Judson Brown was a Presbyterian clergyman, author and pioneer in the ecumenical and world missionary movements of the 20th century. The positions he held included administrative secretary of the Presbyterian Board of Foreign Missions (1895-1929), charter trustee of the Church Peace Union (1914), organizer of several World War I relief committees, editor of Missionary Review of the World (1930), vice-president of the International World Alliance of Presbyterian and Reformed Churches (1933-1937).
Collection ID: RG 2

Henry Winters Luce Family Papers, 1877-1951, bulk 1910-1941

Correspondence, journals, diaries, writings, and printed material document the life and work of Henry Winters Luce, who served as a missionary in China, as well as the lives of his wife, children, and other family members.
Collection ID: RG 203

Sewanee Controversy Papers, 1867-1988

The Sewanee Controversy Papers include the official documents surrounding the event, as well as personal correspondence and collected material. From 1952 to 1954 there was great controversy over the admission policies of the School of Theology at the University of the South at Sewanee, an Episcopal Seminary. On June 6, 1952, the Board of Trustees rejected a request by the Synod of the Fourth Province to "open the existing seminaries in the South to students of all races." The Board of Trustees concluded that "the admission of Negroes, or men of any other race...is inadvisable." This resolution sparked a flurry of responses, most notably the resignation of eight faculty members in protest. In June 1953, the Board of Trustees voted to change its policy.
Collection ID: RG 186

National Association of College and University Chaplains and Directors of Religious Life Records, 1947-2016

Administrative records, publications, and conference records document the work of the National Association of College and University Chaplains. The National Association of College and University Chaplains and Directors of Religious Life (NACUC) is the interfaith professional community of chaplains, rabbis, deans of chapel, and other personnel appointed by academic institutions to be responsible for the religious program of the academic community. It was founded in a national conference convened by Clarence Shedd which met at Yale University in 1948. Since then, NACUC has met annually throughout the country.
Collection ID: RG 167

George Leon Walker and Williston Walker Papers, 1722-1979

Correspondence, diaries, notes and writings of George Leon and Williston Walker form the core of the collection and provide extensive biographical information. They detail the activities of a typical New England clergyman during the second half of the 19th century and provide information on national news, political events, the Civil War, slavery, financial news on currency and taxes, and daily weather conditions. Also included are records of sermons preached and pastoral records. George Leon Walker (1830-1900) was a Congregational clergyman in Portland, Maine (1858-1867), New Haven, Connecticut (1868-1873), and Hartford, Connecticut (1879-1892). He was a corporate member of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions and served on the commission to prepare the Congregational creed. His son, Williston Walker (1860-1922) was professor of history/church history at Bryn Mawr College (1888-1889), Hartford Theological Seminary (1889-1901) and Yale University (1901-1922). He also served as a trustee of Amherst College (1896-1922), acting dean of Yale Graduate School (1916-1917) and provost of Yale University (1919-1922).
Collection ID: RG 51

Emery and Elvera Carlson Papers, 1928-1980, bulk 1940-1949

Correspondence, writings, and collected material document the work of Emery W. Carlson and Elvera Teed Carlson, Lutheran missionaries serving in China from 1940 to 1949. Emery Carlson was a medical doctor who worked at the Lutheran Hospital in Xuchang, Henan (Hsuchang, Honan) province from 1941 to 1944. He was active in famine relief work 1942-1944 and in 1945 became an intelligence officer working for the Office of Strategic Services behind Japanese lines in Henan. After the war Carlson returned to the mission hospital but the family was forced to leave China in 1949 due to the Communist takeover.
Collection ID: RG 246

Raymond Philip Morris Papers, 1923-1994

The papers document Morris's long professional career as head librarian of the Yale Divinity School Library and prominent leader in the field of theological librarianship. Raymond Philip Morris (1904-1990) was head librarian of the Yale Divinity School Library from 1932 to 1972.
Collection ID: RG 80

Frank Knight Sanders Papers, 1815-1953

The papers include letters from Sanders' parents describing missionary work in Sri Lanka (Ceylon), correspondence and personal diaries of Sanders, writings, genealogical material, and photographs. There is also documentation related to Sanders' uncle, Henry Martyn Knight, who was the founder of the Connecticut School for Imbeciles. The son of ABCFM missionaries to Sri Lanka (Ceylon), Frank Knight Sanders (1861-1933) taught at Jaffna College, Sri Lanka (Ceylon) from 1882 to 1886. He was on the faculty of the Yale Divinity School from 1891 to 1907, serving as Dean from 1901 to 1905. He was President of Washburn College in Topeka, Kansas from 1908 to 1914 and Director of Missionary Preparation for the Foreign Missions Conference of North America from 1914 to 1927.
Collection ID: RG 122

Otis Olney Wright Papers, 1868-1918

Sermons, scrapbooks, notes, and writings document the work of Otis Olney Wright, an Episcopal clergyman in New England during the last part of the 19th century and the first two decades of the 20th century. Wright served St. John's Church in Sandy Hook, CT from 1891 to circa 1917.
Collection ID: RG 69

Robert E. and Gladys Wilson Bundy Papers, 1890-1983

Letters, writings, and printed material document the missionary work of the Bundys as well as social and political events in China from 1923 to 1927. The 1926 siege of Wuchang is particularly well documented. Robert and Gladys Bundy were American Episcopal missionaries at Boone University, Wuchang, China from 1923 to 1927, and at St. Paul's University, Tokyo, Japan from 1927 to 1929.
Collection ID: RG 141

Himalayan Collection Pamphlets and Reports, 1960-2000

This record group includes pamphlets, reports, and ephemera that were part of the library of the Himalayan Archives Association, a group was formed to coordinate care for the archives of four organizations that had been deposited at the University of Edinburgh in the early 1990s.The Himalayan Mission Archive Collection at the Yale Divinity School Library was formed in 2008 when the archives of the four organizations and their umbrella association were transferred to Yale from the Centre for the Study of World Christianity at the University of Edinburgh.
Collection ID: RG 211

Frontier Internship in Mission records, 1961-2008

Records of the Frontier Internship in Mission program, including correspondence, intern files and reports, photographs, and administrative and historical documents.
Collection ID: RG 317

Lingnan Foundation records, 1951-2017, bulk 1980-2009

This collection is the official archives of the Lingnan Foundation, formerly known as the Trustees of Lingnan University, which is a grant-making independent organization that seeks to contribute to the advancement of higher education in South China. These records are a continuation of documentation found in Yale Divinity School Record Group No. 14, Archives of the Trustees of Lingnan University.
Collection ID: RG 14A

University Christian Movement in New England Records, 1918-1990

The papers include correspondence, reports and minutes, printed material, and financial material. They constitute the official archive of the organization from its formation in 1967. The papers contain information about the local Christian ministries' programs of various colleges and universities in New England and document issues that were of concern to college students during the turbulent late 1960s and 1970s. These papers fit into a line of documentation at YDSL of religious work among college and university students, including the archives of the YMCA-Student Division, Student Christian Movement in New England, New England Commission for United Ministries in Higher Education, National Campus Ministry Association, and United Ministries in Higher Education. The University Christian Movement in New England is a non-denominational campus ministry organization formed in 1967 to continue the work of the Student Christian Movement in New England. The Student Christian Movement was formed in 1934 by the YMCA, YWCA, and various Protestant denominations to promote cooperative religious work among college and university students.
Collection ID: RG 88

Laurence and Virginia Judd Papers, 1943-2001

This collection consists primarily of correspondence with family members, missionary colleagues, and supporting churches, which provides documentation of the life and work of Laurence and Virginia Judd. The Judds were Presbyterian missionaries and fraternal workers in Thailand from 1948 to 1970. Laurence was associate director of the Rural Life Department of the Church of Christ in Thailand from 1961 to 1970. Virginia was involved in educational work and the Church of Christ in Thailand Music Committee.
Collection ID: RG 188

Campus Ministry Women records, 1969-1996

The collection traces the operations of the Campus Ministry Women organization from its founding in 1974 until its disbanding in 1996.
Collection ID: RG 68

Campus Ministry Advancement Records, 1967-2009

This collection documents the history and operations of Campus Ministry Advancement, an organization incorporated in Ohio in 1967 to support Christian ministries in higher education. Legal documents, minutes, correspondence, financial records, and tax records are included.
Collection ID: RG 259

Smith Family Papers, 1894-1972

The papers, dating from 1894-1971, primarily document the activities of Edward Huntington Smith and his daughter, Helen Huntington Smith in the United States and China. The Smiths were a family of Congregational missionaries in China, 1901-1950, primarily in Ing Tai and Fuzhou (Foochow). Educated at Amherst College and Hartford Theological Seminary, Edward Huntington Smith devoted nearly 50 years of his life to running an orphanage, raising funds, and promoting Christian education in Ing Tai, Fujian (Fukien), China. His wife, Grace W. Thomas Smith, educated at Tabor Academy and Wheelock College, both in Massachusetts, served as a kindergarten teacher in the United States and China. Their daughter, Helen Huntington Smith, earned degrees from Mount Holyoke College, Union Theological Seminary, and Columbia University. Appointed to China by the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, she taught, participated in relief work for orphans and destitute students, and worked in cooperatives and in counselling. She served as Director of Women's Work of the Ohio Conference of the United Church of Christ and Research Consultant for the China Records Project at the Yale Divinity School Library. Another daughter, Eunice Elizabeth Smith Bishop, served at various kindergarten training schools in China, and at the China Nutritional Aid Council studying the soy bean.
Collection ID: RG 5

Church of the Redeemer (New Haven, Conn.) Records, 1838-2000

Extensive reports, minutes, publications, photographs, scrapbooks, etc. document the history of The Church of the Redeemer, United Church of Christ (New Haven, Conn).
Collection ID: RG 266

World Student Christian Federation Europe Region records, 1953-2013

The archives of the World Student Christian Federation Europe Region include administrative records, minutes, financial records, and documentation of conferences, workshops, and projects such as the Theological Project, Women's Project, Refugee Project, and East European Language and Leadership Training Project (Lingua Franca).
Collection ID: RG 46E

Eva Asher Papers, 1917-1983

Substantive correspondence with Fukien Christian University students and administrators and extensive diary entries document the operations of a Christian university and the way of life of a single woman missionary in China. Eva Asher worked as treasurer and administrative assistant at Fukien Christian University, a Protestant mission-supported university in China, from 1923 to 1950.
Collection ID: RG 139

Kenneth E. Bailey papers, 1950-2016

This collection documents the life and work of Kenneth E. Bailey, a renowned Presbyterian missionary in the Middle East, innovator in New Testament contextual studies, seminary professor, author, and international lecturer.
Collection ID: RG 274

Backus Historical Society Records, 1853-1961

The Backus Historical Society Records, 1853-1961, are primarily records of administration and documentation of library accessions. In addition, there is a group of material identified as Collected Papers, although there is no record to verify provenance of these manuscripts.
Collection ID: RG 306

John Sung Papers, 1919-1944

John Sung (1901-1944) was a prominent Chinese Christian evangelist. This collection consists of of a complete collection of his diaries spanning from 1919 to 1944, correspondence and postcards (primarily to his parents), and his writings and notes (such as sermons, Bible stories, reflections on his illness, prayer lists, etc.)
Collection ID: RG 263

William James Mutch Papers, 1834-1947

Correspondence, writings, sermons, notes, and biographical material document the career of William James Mutch as a professor and author of religious education material. William James Mutch (1858-1947) was a Yale-trained Congregational clergyman and Professor of Philosophy and Education at Ripon College, Wisconsin from 1907 to 1925. He was the author of Christian religious education materials, including the well known Graded Bible Stories.
Collection ID: RG 118

William Henricks Wiser and Charlotte Viall Wiser Papers, 1836-2000

William and Charlotte Wiser were Presbyterian missionaries in North India, appointed in 1915, and were active in the development of India Village Service, a demonstration project for the improvement of village life. These papers document the work of the Wisers in North India, particularly their involvement in rural reconstruction and their interest in Indian folklore.
Collection ID: RG 128

Yale University Divinity School Memorabilia Collection, 1701-2020

This collection represents primarily non-official documentation of life at Yale Divinity School. The official archives of the Yale University Divinity School are housed at Sterling Memorial Library. The Yale University Divinity School was formed as a separate department of the University in 1822. Since 1972 Berkeley Divinity School has been affiliated with Yale University Divinity School. The Institute of Sacred Music, founded at Yale in 1973, is also affiliated with the Divinity School.
Collection ID: RG 53

Christian Conference of Asia Records, 1946-2008

These are the official archives of the Christian Conference of Asia, a regional ecumenical organization representing church councils and denominations in Australia, Bangladesh, Burma, Cambodia, East Timor, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Laos, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Taiwan and Thailand. The CCA began as the East Asia Christian Conference in 1957 and changed its name to Christian Conference of Asia in 1973.
Collection ID: RG 237

Lewis and Lois Gilbert Papers, 1925-1980

Letters and photographs provide documentation of religious and political conditions in North China from 1929 to 1941 and document Lewis Gilbert's work at Yali 1925-1926. Lewis and Lois Gilbert were missionaries in North China from 1929 to 1941 serving under the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions. Lewis Gilbert was also an instructor at Yali, Yale-in-China, Changsha from 1925 to 1926.
Collection ID: RG 144

Helen Morton Papers, 1932-1991

These papers document the later part of Helen Morton's career, particularly her work with the University Christian Movement in New England. Born to a privileged New England family in 1898, Helen Morton spent her long life engaged in ecumenical religious and social work with a variety of U.S. and international organizations.
Collection ID: RG 133

Philip C. Landers Papers, 1913-1972

Correspondence, writings, collected materials, and biographical material document the life and work of Philip C. Landers. Landers and his wife, Ethna, both pursued careers in Christian education. Landers was a founder of the "University of Life" movement in Minnesota. He later worked for the International Council of Religious Education in Chicago, which merged into the National Council of Churches, based in New York. He coordinated the nationwide introduction and interpretation of the new Revised Standard Version of the Bible in the early 1950s.
Collection ID: RG 191

United Board for Christian Higher Education in Asia Records - Addendum C, 1895-1994

This record group represents a continuation of the official archives of the United Board for Christian Higher Education in Asia, supplementing and overlapping the papers in record groups 11, 11A, and 11B. It provides extensive information about the institutions and projects to which the United Board lent its support. The United Board for Christian Higher Education in Asia supports educational work in China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Pakistan, The Philippines, Republic of China (Taiwan).
Collection ID: RG 11C

Reinhold Riemer Papers, 1915-1917

Notes and papers from Riemer's years at the Yale Divinity School (1915-1917) provide insight into the curriculum and teaching methods at YDS during the first part of the twentieth century. Reinhold Riemer was a Yale Divinity School graduate, Moravian minister, and President of the Moravian College for Women.
Collection ID: RG 121

United Ministries in Higher Education Records, 1942-2002

Organizational and program materials of the UMHE and related bodies provide an overview of three decades of Protestant campus ministries. United Ministries in Higher Education was established in 1964, emerging out of the United Campus Christian Fellowship, a body that represented the student Christian movements of four Protestant denominations. By 1968 six more denominational agencies had joined the UMHE. In 1979 UMHE changed its name to United Ministries in Education, joining with Ministries in Public Education. In 1988 this partnership was ended and the UMHE was reorganized as The Higher Education Ministries Team of United Ministries in Higher Education (though still incorporated as United Ministries in Education).
Collection ID: RG 104

Council for Ecumenical Student Christian Ministry Records - Addendum A, 1944-2003

This record group represents a series of addenda to the original archives of the CESCM that were received in 2000. It contains material related to predecessor organizations and administrative files from the CESCM from its inception in 1987 to its dissolution in 2009. The Council for Ecumenical Student Christian Ministry was composed of denominational staff and college/university students from the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), the Episcopal Church, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and Presbyterian Church (USA), the United Church of Christ, and the United Methodist Church. It became an affiliate member of the World Student Christian Federation in 1995.
Collection ID: RG 107A

Social Ethics Pamphlet Collection, 1919-1972, bulk 1938-1958

The Collection includes pamphlets, brochures, typescripts, booklets, comic books, posters, cartoons, letters, memoranda, offprints, etc., documenting various aspects of social issues in America and throughout the world during the mid-twentieth century.
Collection ID: RG 73

James Claude Thomson and James C. Thomson Jr. Papers, 1917-2010

The James Claude Thomson and James C. Thomson, Jr. Papers provide a visual and written record of James Claude Thomson's career as a biochemist, professor at the University of Nanking, and medical nutrition expert. The collection contains Thomson's private and professional correspondence, a record of his academic and research work, several copies of his nutritional surveys of Turkey, Iran, and Pakistan, as well as the lectures and speeches he delivered during his long career as a professor. A highlight of the collection is the series of color slides of Iran, Afghanistan, China, Korea, and Japan, and notable film footage of China. Addenda to the original collection also document the life and work of James Claude Thomson's son, James Claude Thomson, Jr. (1931-2002), who was a statesman, historian, and journalist.
Collection ID: RG 24

Paul Herman Vieth Papers, 1919-1974

Writings, notes, and subject files document Vieth's career as a student and professor of Religious Education at Yale. Paul Vieth was a Yale Divinity School professor in the field of Religious Education from 1931 to 1963.
Collection ID: RG 59

Millar Burrows Papers, 1913-1981

Correspondence, notes, writings, photographs, and slides document Burrows' life and work. Millar Burrows (1889-1980) was Winkley Professor of Biblical Theology at Yale from 1934 to 1958.
Collection ID: RG 71

Cai Yongchun Papers, 1924-2018

Correspondence, writings, and research materials by and about Cai Yongchun (Ts'ai Yung-ch'un) (1904-1983), provide insight into the life and work of a Chinese scholar, educator, and theologian, and into conditions in China during the Cultural Revolution.
Collection ID: RG 205

Nott Family Papers, 1797-1944

The Nott Family Papers document the life and work of three generations of family members. Eliphalet Nott (1773-1866) served as president of Union College for 62 years beginning in 1804. Eliphalet's brother Samuel Nott (1754-1852) was a Congregational minister in Franklin, Connecticut for 70 years. The bulk of the collection relates to Samuel's son, also named Samuel (1787-1869) who, with his wife Roxana Peck Nott, went to India as part of the first group of missionaries commissioned by the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions.
Collection ID: RG 304

Lorenzo and Ruth Bennett Morgan Papers, 1862-2001

Extensive correspondence, diaries, writings, collected material, and photographs document the medical mission work of Lorenzo and Ruth Bennett Morgan in Jiangsu and Anhui provinces as well as Lorenzo Morgan's internment in Shanghai during World War II. The work of mission hospitals, famine relief, plague treatment, mission politics, mission family life, and political events in China are documented. The Morgans were medical missionaries in China, serving under the Presbyterian and Methodist mission boards from 1905 to 1946.
Collection ID: RG 126

Robert K. Greenleaf Papers, 1927-1991

The collection documents Greenleaf's professional life, including as founder of the Servant Leadership movement and of the Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership, which was first known as the Center for Applied Ethics.
Collection ID: RG 287

Paul L. Holmer Papers, 1876-2004

Published and unpublished writings, notes, course-related material, and correspondence of Paul L. Holmer provide insight into his work and thought. Holmer (1916-2004) was Professor of Philosophical Theology at Yale from 1960 to 1987.
Collection ID: RG 195

David M. Stowe Papers, 1806-2003, bulk 1949-1999

Correspondence, sermons, lectures, writings, reports, slides, and collected material document the life and work of David M. Stowe, who was a top level executive for the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, the United Church Board for World Ministries, and the National Council of Church Division of Overseas Ministries. The collection includes extensive documentation of the history of the ABCFM and UCBWM that Stowe compiled in preparation for writing a history of the Boards.
Collection ID: RG 156

Lawrence and Eleanor Mead Papers, 1886-1994, bulk 1911-1939

This collection documents the lives and work of Lawrence and Eleanor Mead. Lawrence Mead served in China under the YMCA from 1913-16, and 1919-1926. He taught English at Yenching University in Beijing from 1928-1939, and was unofficial "official" photographer for the University. Extensive correspondence and memorabilia shed light on the early lives and family interactions of the Meads. The photograph collection documenting Yenching University, and scenes and events in China is noteworthy.
Collection ID: RG 155

Chauncey Booth papers, 1808-1844

The papers consist primarily of the sermons from Booth's pastoral career in South Coventry, Connecticut from 1815 to 1844.
Collection ID: RG 281

Standard Bible Committee Records, 1939-1973

The collection includes agendas, notes and working drafts that document the Committee's progress in its translation revision work. There is a small amount of material related to Committee procedures and publicity material. There is interesting documentation of public reaction to the new Revised Standard Version. The Standard Bible Committee was organized in 1929 by the International Council of Religious Education. The Committee was authorized in 1937 to proceed with the revision of the English translation of the Bible. The Committee's work resulted in the Revised Standard Version of the Bible. The Revised Standard Version of the New Testament was published in 1946, the entire Bible in 1952, and the Apocrypha in 1957. The work of the Committee was ongoing, to provide for future translation revisions.
Collection ID: RG 70

China American Schools Collection, 1919-2013

This collection contains documentation of schools for missionary children in China and the alumni associations of the schools. Records of the Kuling American School, North China American School, and Peking American School are included in this record group. For documentation of the Shanghai American School and American School Kikungshan, see separate record groups, RG 132 and RG 164.
Collection ID: RG 209

Andover Newton Miscellaneous Personal Papers Collection, 1716-2018

This is a collection of the correspondence, diaries, writings and/or other papers and memorabilia related various individuals, including clergy, missionaries, and faculty and graduates of Andover Theological Seminary, Newton Theological Institution, and Andover Newton Theological School faculty members.
Collection ID: RG 295

William Palmer Ladd Papers, 1897-1943

Correspondence, sermons, writings, and collected material document the work of William Palmer Ladd (1870-1941), who was Dean of Berkeley Divinity School from 1918 to 1941. Of particular interest is documentation related to charges of socialism brought against Berkeley Divinity School and its Dean following a lecture on Russia delivered at the school in December 1919.
Collection ID: RG 136

James Payne Alter Papers, 1817-1984

The papers document Alter's lifelong involvement with the Christian church in India, his affiliation with Yale University, his activities in student Christian organizations, and his ongoing interest in issues of peace and social concern. James Payne Alter was born in India in 1919, son of Presbyterian missionaries. He attended Yale College and Yale Divinity School. He was appointed as a Presbyterian missionary to India in 1945. He taught at Ewing Christian College in Allahabad, served as first Director of the ecumenical Christian Retreat and Study Center, Rajpur, and wrote on Christianity in northern India.
Collection ID: RG 84

Daniel S. and Jane Balderston Dye Papers, 1905-1987

Substantive letters refer to the social and political scene in the Chengdu (Chengtu) area, as well as providing a thorough account of the educational mission work of the Dyes at West China Union University. The papers include unique documentation of patterns and designs used in West China latticework, woven belts, and pottery. Drawings of hundreds of patterns and notes regarding their origin and symbolism are included. Daniel Sheets Dye taught academic courses at West China Union University in Chengdu, Sichuan (Chengtu, Szechuan Province), from 1910 to 1949, serving under the American Baptist Foreign Missionary Society. As an avocation Dye recorded and analyzed window lattice and woven belt patterns, which often had swastika designs, throughout West China. Jane Balderston went to West China in 1915, serving under the Friends Foreign Mission Association of Great Britain and Ireland. After her marriage to Daniel Dye in 191, she taught mathematics and education courses at Woman's Normal School in Chengdu (Chengtu) and West China Union University Normal School.
Collection ID: RG 22

American Theological Library Association Library Development Program Records, 1960-1973

The records include correspondence, reports, and financial records related to the ATLA Library Development Program. The ATLA Library Development Program provided funds to strengthen the book collections of ninety North American theological libraries between 1961 and 1966. The program was directed by Raymond Morris, Librarian of the Yale Divinity School Library and funded by the Sealantic Fund.
Collection ID: RG 81

Howard Olson Family Papers, 1943-2010

Correspondence, writings, and collected material document the life and work of Howard and Louise Olson and their family. The Olsons were Lutheran missionaries and educators in Tanzania from 1946 to 1988. Howard Olson was instrumental in translating the New Testament into the Rimi language and had a particular interest in African music and hymns.
Collection ID: RG 238

Wakefield Family Papers, 1904-2000

Correspondence, writings, and collected material document the life and work of Arthur Paul Wakefield and family, including information regarding medical work in China and interactions with Chinese colleagues, among them Francis C. M. Wei. Arthur Paul Wakefield was a medical missionary serving in China under the Disciples of Christ and Episcopal mission agencies from 1905 to 1927. He served at Luchowfu Hospital in Anhui (Anhwei) province from 1912 to 1919 and at Boone College, Central ChristianUniversity in Wuchang from 1919 to 1927. Following his return from China, Wakefield was involved in public health and tuberculosis treatment in Maine and Massachusetts.
Collection ID: RG 183

Trustees of Lingnan University Records, 1885-1982

Collection contains letters, minutes, financial reports, photos and other documents. These records represent the official archives of the Trustees of Lingnan University from approximately 1952 to the present. Originals of the earlier official archives are located at Harvard; a microfilm copy is available at the Yale Divinity Library. The photos and financial records in this collection provide substantial early documentation of Lingnan University and Canton Christian College. Lingnan University, located in Guangzhou (Canton), China, was formerly known as Canton Christian College. It received its charter from the New York Board of Regents in 1893. American involvement with the University ended in 1949 following the Communist takeover of Guangzhou (Canton). The Trustees of Lingnan University supported other institutions and programs after 1949, including Chung Chi College, Lingnan College, and the Lingnan Institute of Business Administration, all in Hong Kong.
Collection ID: RG 14

Forman Family Papers, 1808-2005

Letters, writings, notes, and collected material document the life and work of three generations of the Forman family. Charles William Forman was an American Presbyterian missionary in North India from 1847 to 1894. His son, Henry Forman, served as a missionary in North India from the 1880s to 1924. Charles W. Forman, son of Henry and grandson of Charles William, taught at a seminary in India for five years prior to beginning his career as professor of missions at the Yale Divinity School, where he served from 1953 to his retirement in 1987. An addendum includes information about the Frederick Marsh family, into which Douglas Forman, grandson of Charles William Forman, married.
Collection ID: RG 110

Herbert J. Gezork papers, 1931-1981

The Gezork papers document his professional career, including as Professor of Social Ethics and Christian World Relations at Andover Newton Theological School from 1939 to 1950 and President of Andover Newton from 1950 to 1965.
Collection ID: RG 298

Council of Higher Education Ministries records, 1988-2007

The archives include minutes and financial information for the Council for Higher Education Ministries' work groups: the Council for Ecumenical Student Christian Ministry, Higher Education Ministries Arena, and United Ministries in Higher Education.
Collection ID: RG 226

Roland Herbert Bainton Papers, 1886-1988

Extensive correspondence, writings, notes, and illustrations document Bainton's roles as lecturer, researcher, artist, world traveler, friend to the oppressed, ardent pacifist, teacher, and mentor. Bainton was born in England and emigrated first to Canada in 1898 and then to the United States in 1902. He taught church history at Yale Divinity School from 1920 to 1962, serving as Titus Street Professor of Ecclesiastical History from 1936. Bainton wrote prolifically and was an authority on Luther and the Reformation, Christian attitudes toward war, Congregational history, and the history of the Yale Divinity School.
Collection ID: RG 75

D.T. Niles Papers, 1907-1970

This collection documents the life of D.T. Niles (1908-1970) who was a Sri Lankan Methodist minister, ecumenical leader, and evangelist. Niles held several positions in ecumenical leadership including Chairman of the Youth Department of the World Council of Churches, Chairman of the World Student Christian Federation, and General Secretary for the East Asia Christian Conference. The collection include correspondence and collected materials relating to Niles' work and personal life.
Collection ID: RG 260

Henry Stauffer Papers, 1874-1948

Sermons, writings, and scrapbooks document Stauffer's work as a Congregational minister. Henry Stauffer (1858-1949) was a graduate of the Yale Divinity School who served Congregational churches in Ohio, Wisconsin, and California, and was active in promoting social reforms.
Collection ID: RG 125

Samuel Moss Carter Papers, 1923-1995

Sermons, writings, notes, teaching materials, and personal items provide substantive documentation of the life and work of Dr. Samuel Moss Carter, an early African American graduate of the Yale Divinity School, who was a Baptist pastor and professor of Church History, primarily in Virginia.
Collection ID: RG 268

International Nepal Fellowship records, 1932-2014

These are the official archives of the International Nepal Fellowship, formerly known as the Nepal Evangelistic Band. The International Nepal Fellowship is a Christian international non-government organization working in Nepal. It helps people affected by tuberculosis, leprosy, disability, HIV / AIDS and drug abuse, facilitates development among poor communities, runs medical camps and provides medical training.
Collection ID: RG 214

Edward James Vorba Papers, 1946-1985

Looseleaf notebooks of sermons, prayers, and programs document Vorba's work as a Congregational minister. Edward James Vorba, a 1947 graduate of the Yale Divinity School, was a pastor at churches in Iowa, Vermont, Florida, Connecticut, New York, and Pennsylvania from 1947 to 1985.
Collection ID: RG 97

Student Volunteer Movement for Foreign Missions Records, 1886-1964

The papers document the activities of the Student Volunteer Movement for Foreign Missions and provide valuable information on various aspects of American religious life during the period 1886-1964. Religious conditions on American college and university campuses are documented. Vast files of student volunteer application, information and health examination blanks provide personal data on thousands of prospective missionaries which is of potential interest to genealogists, biographers and historians. The financial records and correspondence provide documentation related to philanthropic support of religious causes in America. The Student Volunteer Movement for Foreign Missions was an organization that sought to recruit college and university students in the United States for missionary service abroad. It also publicized and encouraged the missionary enterprise in general.
Collection ID: RG 42

Samuel Slie Papers, 1961-1986

This collection documents Samuel Slie's work with numerous organizations involved in student Christian work, ecumenical issues, and social justice, particularly in New Haven and New England. The papers complement organizational archives held at the Yale Divinity School Library, including the archives of the Student Christian Movement in New England, University Christian Movement, United Ministries in Higher Education, and National Campus Ministry Association. Samuel Slie, a Yale Divinity School graduate, was involved in religious work with college and university students in New England and served as Associate University Pastor at Yale.
Collection ID: RG 111

Douglas Clyde Macintosh Papers, 1906-1978

Letters, writings, and memorabilia document Macintosh's life and work. Douglas Clyde Macintosh was Professor of Theology at Yale from 1909 to 1942.
Collection ID: RG 50

Merrill and Lucile Ady Papers, 1921-1971

Letters, writings, and printed material document the personal side of the Ady's missionary work in China and Hong. These records complement documentation held in the archives of the Presbyterian Board of Missions. Merrill Steele and Lucile Meloy Ady were Presbyterian missionaries in China and Hong Kong from 1923 to 1960.
Collection ID: RG 138

Associate Board of the Women's Christian College (Madras, India) Records, 1942-1973

The Associate Board of the Women's Christian College, Madras, was the American governing body of the College, which was founded in 1915 in Chennai (Madras), India, as a joint venture of several British and American mission boards.
Collection ID: RG 187