Category Archives: Finding Aids

Finding Aid Round Up

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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!

William Frasier “Bill” Nash Papers, 1983-2003, MS#100 [Revised Finding Aid]
William Frasier “Bill” Nash was born in Highland Park, Michigan on September 29, 1933. He moved to Abilene in 1972 and was heavily involved in the community. He was the special needs and benevolence minister at the Highland Church of Christ and was involved in ministries such as Winter Wonderland, Wheelchair Ministry, and Moms Meals. Bill Nash passed away on July 27, 2009. Personal papers and files donated by Bill Nash, Associate Minister at the Highland Church of Christ in Abilene. Contains newspapers, bulletins, and various teaching material. Also includes lessons, essays, and correspondence by or pertaining to Bill Nash.

Edith Winifred Burgess Emett Papers, 1933-1934, MS#395 [Revised Finding Aid]
Edith Winifred Burgess Emett (November 24, 1912-April 28, 1996) was a student at Abilene Christian College in the 1930s. This collection contains a scrapbook from Edith Winifred Burgess Emett’s time as a student at Abilene Christian College.

First page of scrapbook. Edith Winifred Burgess Emett Papers, MS#395, Center for Restoration Studies, Abilene Christian University.

Bobby Joe Morrow Collection, 1956-1984, MS#396 [Revised Finding Aid]
Bobby Joe Morrow (1935-2020) was a sprinter at Abilene Christian University and a member of the men’s club Frater Sodalis. Morrow won the sprint double in the national college championships and defended his AAU title. Morrow went to the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, Australia where he won three gold medals and was the leader of the American sprint team. This collection contains magazines with stories about Morrow and a scrapbook about Morrow.

Bobby Joe Morrow Papers, MS#396, Center for Restoration Studies, Abilene Christian University.

Dr. Abigail Curlee Holbrook Papers, 1924-1999, MS#398 [Revised Finding Aid]
Abigail Curlee Holbrook was born in 1897 in Waxahachie, Texas. She studied at the University of Texas where she earned her PhD. She married Thomas Jefferson Holbrook in 1943. She was active in various historical organizations throughout the state of Texas and was involved in various causes in the city of Austin. She died in 1996. This collection contains journals, correspondence, photographs, and other materials related to Dr. Abigail Curlee Holbrook’s life.

Westover Hills Church of Christ (Austin, TX) Records, 1970s-2000s, MS#518 [New Finding Aid]
Westover Hills Church of Christ is located in Austin, Texas. These records include nine boxes of cassette tapes and reels from the church.

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 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!

George Dallas Smith Papers, 1895-1921, MS#28 [Revised Finding Aid]
George Dallas Smith was born 17 March 1870 in Union City, Tennessee. He attended Dickson Normal College and Georgie Robertson Christian College, both in Tennessee. In 1896 he began preaching throughout the southern United States. In addition to traveling speaking engagements, he also worked with churches in Texas, Kentucky, and Tennessee. He authored multiple books and pamphlets which emphasized the importance of Bible study, among other things. He passed away on 7 November 1920 in Cleburne, Texas following a very brief illness. This collection includes sermons written by George Dallas Smith and by John Thomas Smith. It also includes articles for Christian journals written by George Dallas Smith.

Sermon sheet, George Dallas Smith Papers, CRS MS#28. Center for Restoration Studies, Abilene Christian University.

Morris Solon May Papers, 1956-1995, MS#429 [Revised Finding Aid]
Morris Solon May was born July 10, 1926 in Winfield, Alabama. He served in the Navy during World War II as a typist in the Pacific. He married Helen “Maxine” Ehl on April 5, 1947. The couple had four children. He preached at the Church of Christ in Yakima, Washington for many years and also worked as a millwright in Richland, Washington. He retired in College Station, Texas, and died February 25, 2016. This collection contains a large set of sermon outlines, along with notes, lessons, correspondence, church bulletins, printed charts and articles, and several sermon manuscripts.

Ray and Nancy Hansen Papers, 1943-1944, MS469 [Revised Finding Aid]
Nancy Hansen was born April 7, 1931 in Grand Saline, Texas. She attended Abilene Christian University and majored in Home Economics. Ray and Nancy Hansen were married January 23, 1954. Ray worked for Exxon Oil and the two lived in many places throughout his career and had three children: Kathy, Tim, and Ted. Nancy passed away November 28, 2016. This collection contains World War 2 ration books belonging to Nancy Hansen and her family members. There are six books inside a green book cover.

Commerce Church of Christ (Commerce, TX) Records, 1963-2011, MS496 [Revised Finding Aid]
This record group includes one box of Commerce Church of Christ history and bulletins. Commerce Church of Christ is located in Commerce, Texas.

“Some Days and Years in the Life of the Church of Christ at Commerce, Texas–An Unfinished Notebook,” Box 1, Folder 1. Commerce Church of Christ Records (Commerce, TX), MS #496. Center for Restoration Studies, Abilene Christian University.

David Henry Bobo Papers, 1960s, MS519 [New Finding Aid]
David Henry Bobo was born in 1910 in Alabama. He attended David Lipscomb College from 1929-1933. He then worked with Churches of Christ throughout Tennessee, Kentucky, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, and Indiana. He married Madolin Davis (1915-1985) and the two had a daughter in 1938. He began working with the Fountain Square Church of Christ in Indianapolis, Indiana in 1950 where he served until his death in 1985. This collection consists of two boxes of magnetic tape reels of sermons at Fountain Square Church of Christ in Indianapolis, Indiana, from the 1960s. Bobo is likely the speaker on most if not all of the reels. Some reels retain the handwritten labels with sermon titles and dates.

Stay tuned for more installments of Finding Aid Round Ups!

Finding Aid Roundup

Posted on by
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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!