Author Archives: Amanda Dietz

Finding Aid Roundup

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We’ve been busy writing finding aids for recent acquisitions and revising finding aids for sets of papers already in our holdings. You can browse all of our collections on DigitalCommons. See something below that piques your interest or could be useful for your research? Get in touch and let us know what you’re thinking about; we’d love to help!

Paul C. Witt Papers, 1908-1970, MS#34 [Revised Finding Aid]
Paul C. Witt was born in 1898. He received his A. B. from Abilene Christian College, his M. A. from University of Texas, and Ph.D. from University of Colorado. He served as chair of the Chemistry department at Abilene Christian College and elder at the 16th and Vine Church of Christ in Abilene. Witt was not a vocational preacher, but he consistently preached throughout his career as an educator. He also published a series of booklets on studying the Bible in English and Spanish. This collection contains notes, outlines of sermons and Bible class lessons, and transcripts from sermons and speeches by Witt and others. It is housed in one box in three series.

Jim Bevis Papers, 1966-2004, MS#63 [Revised Finding Aid]
Jim Bevis has been a minister of the gospel for 44 years and has served churches in Lubbock, Houston and San Angelo, Texas, Atlanta, Georgia, Nashville, Tennessee, Indianapolis, Indiana and Sheffield, Alabama. Bevis was a major leader in the Campus Evangelism movement from 1966-1970. With Rex Vermillion he co-directed the Campus Evangelism movement under the oversight of the Broadway Church of Christ in Lubbock, Texas. The movement put forth major evangelical efforts on campuses nationwide, holding conferences with thousands of students in attendance. Despite the support of church leaders, such as E.W. McMillan, M. Norvel Young, Frank Pack, Tony Ash, Reuel Lemmons, the leaders of the movement came under withering criticism. Having lost support from their biggest supporters, and the movement that had focused on teaching about the Holy Spirit, grace, and spreading faith ended in 1970.  This collection contains correspondence, photographs of Campus Evangelism events, spiritual renewal conference papers, and newsletters produced by Campus Evangelism movements.

Campus Evangelism photograph from box 4, folder 1 of the Jim Bevis Papers, 1966-2004. Center for Restoration Studies MS #63.

Fowler Family Papers, 1943-1992, MS#495 [New Finding Aid]
Thomas Gideon Fowler, Sr., was an evangelist for more than 50 years mainly in the San Antonio, Texas, area. He was the father of Thomas Gideon Fowler, Jr. (1917-2001) and James Franklin Fowler (1919-1979). James Franklin Fowler preached in Churches of Christ in Temple, Texas; Dallas, Texas; College Station, Texas; Irving, Texas; and Birmingham, Alabama. The papers include correspondence, biographical materials, radio sermon scripts, prayers, newspaper articles, church bulletins, mimeographed and manuscript materials from Thomas G. Fowler, Sr., of San Antonio, TX, and James F. Fowler of Irving, Texas, and Birmingham, Alabama.

Central Church of Christ (Birmingham, AL) Records, 1961-1969, MS#508 [New Finding Aid]
These materials include three folders of correspondence, pamphlets, and other print material related to segregation and integration events at Central Church of Christ in Birmingham, Alabama. Central Church of Christ and West End Church of Christ merged to form Palisades Church of Christ. For more information on the history of these congregations please visit their website.

Alice Sorrells Bush Papers, 1976-2013, MS#509 [New Finding Aid]
Alice Sorrells Bush is a registered nurse who is involved with Health Talents International and was a member of the Medical Missions Team in the Peten of northern Guatemala. She currently sits on the board of Health Talents International as part of the nursing committee. These papers include one box of correspondence, training booklets, print materials, and photographs.

Photograph from the Alice Sorrells Bush Papers, 1976-2013. Center for Restoration Studies MS #509.

Back of photograph from the Alice Sorrells Bush Papers, 1976-2013. Center for Restoration Studies MS #509.

Stay tuned for more installments of Finding Aid Round Ups!

Finding Aid Round Up

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We’ve been busy writing finding aids for recent acquisitions and revising finding aids for some materials already in our holdings. You can browse all of our archival holdings on DigitalCommons. See something below that piques your interest or could be useful for your research? Get in touch and let us know what you’re thinking about; we’d love to help!

Glenn L. Wallace Papers, 1930-1970, MS#31 [Revised Finding Aid]
Nephew of Foy E. Wallace, Glenn L. Wallace was born in 1907. He married Leola Duckworth. He was baptized by E.S. Fitzgerald in 1923. He began his preaching career in Abilene, Texas in 1925. Wallace attended Abilene Christian College where he received his B.A. degree. He also attended Friends University in Wichita, Kansas. He worked with churches in Kansas, Texas, and California, eventually moving back to Abilene in 1946 where he began working with the College Church of Christ. He was a regular contributor to Christian Worker, Gospel Advocate, and Firm Foundation. He did a great deal of evangelist work through the years working mostly in the midwest states of Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Kansas. He also did a six-month effort in the British Isles establishing and settling works there in progress. This collection contains papers from Glenn L. Wallace. The collection contains information about Herald of Truth, sermons, notes, lessons, articles, manuscripts, notebooks, membership lists, funeral sermons and other papers.

Henry Walker Papers, 1957-1976, MS#33 [Revised Finding Aid]
Henry Alexander Walker was born April 7, 1923 in Hico, Texas, to Floyd Edgar Walker and Effie Luetta Scales. Walker was married to Dorothy Marie Sims (1927-2015) on September 13, 1942, until their divorce in 1955. He later married Bonnie McGhee (1923-2013). Walker served as a minister and preacher in the Churches of Christ. Walker died at age 68 in Abilene, Texas, on December 8, 1991. He is buried in the Johnsonville Cemetery in Johnsonville, Texas. These papers include a collection of studies on baptism and the New Testament church and copies of the San Marcos Sounder.

William Everett Ferguson Papers, 1941-2014, MS#78 [Revised Finding Aid]
The Ferguson papers consists primarily of over 9600 color slides taken by Dr. William Everett Ferguson while on trips to study the antiquities of Europe, Israel, Turkey, Greece and Egypt. He photographed museum artifacts such as coins, sculptures, and portrait busts depicting the art and objects of ancient civilizations and early Christianity. Also included are slides of buildings related to the history of these early civilizations and the beginnings and development of Christianity. Images include those of early Christian churches, basilicas and cathedrals as well as images of modern and ancient cities and archaeological sites in Israel, Turkey, Greece, ancient Rome, and throughout Europe. The objects photographed are from exhibits at the British Museum, the Ashmolean, the Louvre and other prominent museums of Europe and the Mediterranean countries. These slides document both Dr. Ferguson’s travels and his pedagogy because he used them as visual aids to his lectures on ancient world history and religion and the development and art and symbolism of early Christianity through the Middle Ages. The full collection was digitized in 2015 by Simon Summers and is available online at https://digitalcommons.acu.edu/ferguson_photos/.

Jedburgh Abbey – Scotland from So. Apr ’93. Founded 1118. Built 1140-1220. Work on choir began 1140.
From the William Everett Ferguson Papers, Center for Restoration Studies MS#78.

Charles Ready Nichol Papers, 1926-1961, MS#345 [Revised Finding Aid]
Charles Ready Nichol was a Church of Christ minister, debater, and writer. He was born 26 March 1876 near Murfreesboro, Tennessee. He was educated at the Nashville Bible School, Southwest Kentucky College, Vanderbilt University, and Transylvania University. He married Harriet “Hattie” Thompson Helm in 1896. He began preaching in Woodbury, Tennessee in 1891 and continued his work in numerous other places, often holding protracted meetings. He is perhaps best known for his work with R. L. Whiteside in producing the multi-volume series of Sound Doctrine books. These remain in print and were widely used in Bible classes in Churches of Christ. Nichol often wrote for church papers such as Gospel Advocate and Firm Foundation. He wrote 21 books and in 1948 received an honorary doctor’s degree from Abilene Christian College. Nichol died in 1961 and was buried in the Clifton Cemetery in Clifton, Texas. These papers includes notes, charts, newspaper clippings, debate materials, and photographs from Charles Ready Nichol.

Bonnie Deal Packer Papers, 1918-1920, MS#369 [Revised Finding Aid
Bonnie Deal Packer was born March 10, 1900. She was a student at Abilene Christian College (1918-1920), and she married Napolean Clinton Packer on February 25, 1922. She died on August 26, 1988. This collection includes two scrapbooks and photographs from Bonnie Deal Packer’s time as a student at Abilene Christian College (1918-1920).

From the Bonnie Deal Packer Papers, 1918-1920. Center for Restoration Studies MS#369.

Stay tuned for more installments of Finding Aid Round Ups!

Finding Aid Round Up

Posted on by
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We’ve been busy writing finding aids for recent acquisitions and revising finding aids for some materials already in our holdings. You can browse all of our archival holdings on DigitalCommons. See something below that piques your interest or could be useful for your research? Get in touch and let us know what you’re thinking about; we’d love to help!

J. W. Roberts Papers, 1946-1972, MS#25 [Revised Finding Aid]
Born in 1918, J W Roberts began preaching in 1938 as a senior in high school. He attended Freed-Hardeman College from 1936-38 and Abilene Christian College from 1940-42 where he received a M.A. in religious education. Preached in Iraan, Texas, 1938-40; Wichita, Kansas, 1942-45; Indianapolis, Indiana 1945-46; and Perrin, Texas. He preached two summers for the Graham Street Church of Christ in Abilene and two summers for Pepperdine University and Great Lakes Christian College. He was Religious Emphasis speaker at Washington State College in 1963 and Texas A&M in 1964. Roberts was director of Graduate Studies for Bible and Religious Education at Abilene Christian College from 1963 until his death in 1973. He was heavily involved in the Boy Scouts of American for more than 20 years and was a deacon for the College (now University) Church of Christ in Abilene. He also served as moderator for Otis Gatewood in a debate in 1942. He wrote or co-wrote multiple books and commentaries. These papers include a collection of seminar notes, correspondence, course syllabi, gnostic library, septuagintisms, trips, commentaries, reports, articles, research, personal papers, and notes from J W Roberts.

William Newton Short Jr. Papers, 1948-1997, MS#27 [Revised Finding Aid]
William Short was born on February 23, 1943 in Southern Rhodesia, Africa. Graduated from Gilbert Rennie School, Lusaka, Africa and moved to the United States in 1961. Received a BSW at Harding University and began Graduate Studies at Abilene Christian College before receiving his Masters in French, German, and Spanish from the University of North Texas. Short obtained his Doctorate in Foreign Languages from Rice University. Short was a Professor of Languages at McMurry University for 27 years, teaching French, German, and Spanish. He was the Chairman of Modern Languages and served as a sponsor of the Makona Social Club for almost 3 decades. He served as a member at Minter Lane Church of Christ for over 20 years where he taught Bible classes. He traveled the world as a missionary and teacher, taking trips with Let’s Start Talking Ministries and led many International Studies Abroad campaigns. These papers include a collection of autobiographical stories from experiences in Africa and America from Bill Short. Written in the 1990s, Short’s recollections mainly include childhood memories from the late 1940s and 1950s.

Tillit Sydney Teddlie Papers, 1885-1987, MS#29 [Revised Finding Aid]
Tillit Sidney Teddlie was a singing school teacher, composer, publisher, and minister of the Church of Christ. Teddlie was educated in Southern Development Normal in Waco, Texas, a school for advanced instruction in theory and harmony. He also attended what is now North Texas State University. He composed his first song in 1906. During his lifetime, Teddlie taught singing schools for 61 years, composed 130 songs, published 14 song books, and served as a full-time minister, including the Johnson Street Church of Christ (1945–1951), Central Church of Christ in Greenville, Texas, and Churches of Christ in Ennis, Sulphur Springs, Lone Oak and Quinlan. For two years he sang only with Foy E. Wallace, Jr. while traveling across the country for gospel meetings. These papers include notes, scripture, and sermon notes.

From the Tillit Sidney Teddlie Papers, 1885-1987. Center for Restoration Studies MS#29.

Homer Lee Terry Papers, 1955-1984, MS#30 [Revised Finding Aid]
Homer Lee Terry was born in 1909 in Lindale, Texas. He graduated with honors from Texas A&M in 1936. He began preaching in 1956. The bulk of his preaching occurred between 1956 and 1958 in rural churches in Texas. He preached his last sermon in 1964. This collection contains some of the sermon and Bible class notes of Homer Lee Terry.

David Edwin Harrell, Jr. Papers, 1923-2017, MS#467 [New Finding Aid]
David Edwin Harrell, Jr., was born on February 22, 1930, in Jacksonville, FL. He received a B.A. (1954) from David Lipscomb College, and an M.A. (1958) and Ph.D. (1962) from Vanderbilt University. Harrell served as a professor of history at numerous American universities (1961-2004), finishing his teaching career at Auburn University (1990- 2004). Additionally, he served as a Fulbright Lecturer in India (1976-1977), and as the Director of the American Studies Research Centre in Hyderabad, India (1993-1995). Harrell is a noted social historian of American religious history. His research interests included the Stone-Campbell Movement, Pentecostal traditions, the southern black and white sectarian tradition, and twentieth century American Christianity. Additionally, he wrote biographies of Oral Roberts, Pat Robertson, and Homer Hailey. This collection includes correspondence, presentations, research, and reviews from Harrell’s academic career. Additionally, there are correspondence and reports regarding his work with Churches of Christ.

Stay tuned for more installments of Finding Aid Round Ups!