Finding Aid Round Up

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

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!


LeMoine Gaunce Lewis Papers, 1936-1995, MS#13 [Revised Finding Aid]
These papers span the entire academic career of one of Abilene Christian University’s most illustrious teachers from his time at Abilene Christian College (ACC), Harvard, and then back to teach at ACC. The collection consists of Lewis’ personal, hand-written notes taken down during his course work at Harvard Divinity School; his sermons and speeches given throughout his career, arranged by topic; and materials related to his work with congregations in New England and west Texas.

From the LeMoine Gaunce Lewis Papers, (1936-2995). Center for Restoration Studies Manuscripts #13.

James Lacy Lovell Papers, 1930-1995, MS#14 [Revised Finding Aid]
James Lovell was a prolific author and editor of religious publications. This collection contains personal and professional papers, including correspondence, financial records, and photographs which outline Lovell’s involvement in missions, Pepperdine College, World Bible School, religious publications, and other charitable endeavors. These papers also reflect Lovell’s active correspondence with his peers. The collection is housed in 44 boxes.

Dudley Lynch Papers, 1950-2007, MS#15 [Revised Finding Aid]
Dudley Lynch attended Abilene Christian College in 1958 and 1960-1961. He went on to attend other universities and graduate B.A. of Arts, Journalism, and Religion and then a M.A. in Mass Communication and History. He worked as a journalist and writer and then changed his career path to focus on exploring the nature of human thinking and technologies.
These papers include personal and business correspondence, various periodicals and articles written by Dudley Lynch, manuscripts, material for Lynch’s thought-development books, and floppy discs. Also contains bound journals and newspapers.

This collection was sealed upon acquisition in 1999 and may not be accessed by researchers for seventy-five (75) years from date of acquisition.

Gaines Beachamp Stanley, Sr. Papers, 1940-2010, MS#503 [New Finding Aid]
Gaines Beachamp Stanley, Sr. was born in Tahoka, Texas, and grew up in the Texas panhandle area. Gaines Graduated from Abilene Christian University in 1950 and began preaching across Texas. Throughout his life he was engaged in continuing education programs that focused on hospital ministry and marriage and family counseling. In 1981 he began serving at the Central Church of Christ on Ball Road in Orange County, California. This collection includes class materials from Gaines Stanley’s time at Abilene Christian College as well as extensive sermon notes. There are also two boxes of commemorative material related to the Gaines B. Stanley Theological Reading Room at Abilene Christian University.

Morlan and Gray Family Papers, 1915-2010, MS#502 [New Finding Aid]
G. C. and Alma (Adams) Morlan worked at Abilene Christian College as faculty members. G. C. Morlan began teaching in 1918 in the education department and in 1922 chaired the Education and Psychology department. Alma Morlan was the founding Home Economics Department Chair and served as the sponsor to the social club, Cadettes.
G. C. and Alma had four children: G. C. Morlan, Jr. (ACC ‘39), Alice Alene Floyd (ACC ‘42), Barbara Morlan Gray (ACC ‘45), and John Morlan (ACC ‘52). The materials in this collection were donated by John Gray, son of Barbara Morlan Gray and C. G. Gray.
C. G. Gray and Barbara Morlan Gray were married in 1951. Barbara’s career in education included teaching in public schools, serving as an assistant registrar, and then in 1981 joining the ACU faculty. She continued in the General Studies program until she retired in 1993. C. G. Gray served the university as Vice President and Dean of Academic Affairs and was heavily involved in strategic planning for the university. The preceding information is from the Dr. and Mrs. G. C. Morlan Endowed Scholarship Fund page and ACU Remembers: Barbara Gray from ACU Today.

These papers document the award of the Grover C. Morlan Medal from the early 1970s through the early 1990s. There are also photographs, newspaper clippings, correspondence, and subject files related to the Morlan and Gray families.


Stay tuned for more installments of Finding Aid Round Ups!

Foldered & Finished: Mable Fuchs Papers

The Mable Fuchs Papers (1920-1921) are processed and ready for researchers. The finding aid for the papers is now available on DigitalCommons@ACU and her scrapbook is now digitized and available on DigitalCommons@ACU.

Scrapbook page 1, Box 1, Folder 1, Mable Fuchs Papers, 1920-1921. Center for Restoration Studies MS #445. Abilene Christian University Special Collections and Archives, Brown Library. Abilene Christian University, Abilene, TX.

Mable Fuchs was an Abilene Christian College student from Mayfield, Oklahoma.

Scrapbook page 33, Box 1, Folder 1, Mable Fuchs Papers, 1920-1921. Center for Restoration Studies MS #445. Abilene Christian University Special Collections and Archives, Brown Library. Abilene Christian University, Abilene, TX.

This collection includes one scrapbook from Mable Fuch’s first year as a student at Abilene Christian College (1920-1921).