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!


Sarah Martha Murphree Papers, 1958-2003, MS#18 [Revised Finding Aid]
This collection includes correspondence received by Sarah Martha Murphree while she was a missionary in Salzburg, Austria (1959-1962). The correspondence also includes letters Murphree sent to her cousin, Rebecca Henry. Henry saved these letters and later returned them to Murphree. The collection also includes newsletters from Murphree and other missionaries in Europe, photographs of Murphree, and Murphree’s obituaries.

From the Sarah Martha Murphree Papers, (1958-2003). Center for Restoration Studies Manuscripts #18.

Thomas Henry Olbricht Papers, 1934-1982, MS#19 [Revised Finding Aid]
This collection includes research materials and drafts for a book about the life of Texas Senator (1981-1983) Mike Richards, who was running for Texas State Comptroller in 1982 against incumbent Bob Bullock. The Richards campaign decided not to use the book, and it was not published. Additionally, the collection includes data from a survey regarding missionary support from US Churches of Christ designed and directed by Thomas Olbricht, George Gurganus, and Phil Elkins in 1966. The surveys and collected data provide insight into Churches of Christ missionary support during the mid-1960s.

Walter Frank Pack Papers, 1940-1989, MS#20 [Revised Finding Aid]
Frank Pack served as a preacher and educator. He began preaching in 1932, the summer before he entered David Lipscomb College. He completed his B.A. at the University of Chattanooga. He received his M.A. from Vanderbilt University in 1939 and began teaching Bible at David Lipscomb College in 1940. In 1945 he moved to California to begin his PhD at University of Southern California and also began teaching Bible at Pepperdine College. In 1949, he joined the Bible faculty at Abilene Christian University, where he served for 14 years. In 1964, he returned to Pepperdine, where he remained until his retirement in 1986 at age 70. During his time teaching, he maintained a steady career as a preacher. He was also a prolific writer, having published nine books and over 300 journal articles during his career. This collection includes personal and professional papers of Frank Pack, including correspondence, research materials, institutional papers, and photographs.

From the Frank Pack Papers, (1940-1989). Center for Restoration Studies MS#20.

Elbert G. Lewis Papers, 1964-2003, MS#491 [New Finding Aid]
Elbert G. Lewis was born 22 May 1935 in Huntsville, Alabama. He served many churches throughout his career including Patton Heights Church of Christ in San Antonio, Texas, a congregation in Bogalusa, Louisiana, and throughout Alabama including Colvin Street Church of Christ in Anniston, Betta View Hills Church of Christ in Oxford, Central Church of Christ in Anniston, Central Church of Christ in Rainsville, and a congregation in Red Bay. The Elbert G. Lewis Papers contain 2 bankers boxes of sermon notes arranged by book of the Bible, topical research files, and sermons. The original order was largely maintained.

Stella Thompson Nelson and Effie Thompson Harlan Papers, 1898-1925, MS#494 [New Finding Aid]
Sisters Stella Thompson Nelson and Effie Thompson Harlan were daughters of B. F. Thompson (d. 1923), whose obituary is included. Stella lived in Cedarville, KS, and Effie in Winfield, KS. This collection consists of one scrapbook of newspaper clippings circa 1890 by authors related to Churches of Christ published in various religious periodicals, including the Octographic Review edited by Daniel Sommer. Clippings are pasted into the pages of a Marshall Fields catalog. There are a number of loose clippings. The collection is housed in one box, in one series.


Stay tuned for more installments of Finding Aid Round Ups!

Recent books in Restoration history

Several recent publications suggest interest in Stone-Campbell history thought, and theology is by no means dormant.  The sample listed below reflects a wide scope of interest.  Some focus intently on local or regional history, while others are thematic, anecdotal, or institutional.  Some are designed to be immediately accessible to any reader, while others require varying degrees of prior knowledge.  Below are just a few, I intend to regularly post updates as new material is published.

Robert W. Steffer. Saving Cane Ridge. Paris: Cane Ridge Shrine, Inc. 2015. 378 pages.

Robert W. Steffer, Saving Cane Ridge

Libby Weed, A Cloud of Witnesses: Centennial History of Austin Graduate School of Theology. Austin: Christian Studies Press, 2018. 202 pages.

Libby Weed, A Cloud of Witnesses: Centennial History of Austin Graduate School of Theology.

Larry C. Jackson, Choosing Sides: A History of the Churches of Christ in Austin 1847-2018. LaGrange, TX: Larry C. Jackson, 2018. 198 pages.

Larry C. Jackson, Choosing Sides: A History of the Churches of Christ in Austin 1847-2018.

John Young, Visions of Restoration: The History of Churches of Christ. Florence: Cypress Publications, 2019.

John Young, Visions of Restoration: The History of Churches of Christ.

John Young, Visions of Restoration: The History of Churches of Christ.

Edward J. Robinson, Hard Fighting Soldiers: A History of African American Churches of Christ. Knoxville: University of Tennessee Press, 2019. 224 pages.

Edward J. Robinson, Hard Fighting Soldiers: A History of African American Churches of Christ.

 

J. Caleb Clanton, editor. Restoration and Philosophy: New Philosophical Engagements with the Stone-Campbell Tradition. Knoxville: University of Tennessee Press, 2019. 389 pages.

J. Caleb Clanton, editor. Restoration and Philosophy: New Philosophical Engagements with the Stone-Campbell Tradition.

 

Perry C. Cotham,  Please Don’t Revive Us Again!: The Human Side of the Church of Christ. Bloomington: Archway Publishing, 2020. 390 pages.

Perry C. Cotham,  Please Don’t Revive Us Again!: The Human Side of the Church of Christ.

John Mark Hicks, editor. Resisting Babel: Allegiance to God and the Problem of Government. Abilene: Abilene Christian University Press, 2020

John Mark Hicks, editor. Resisting Babel: Allegiance to God and the Problem of Government.

John Mark Hicks, editor. Resisting Babel: Allegiance to God and the Problem of Government.

Greg Massey, By the Grace of God: The Story of Freed-Hardeman University. Abilene: Abilene Christian University Press, 2020.

Greg Massey, By the Grace of God: The Story of Freed-Hardeman University.

 

 

Center for Restoration Studies Organizational Files Finding Aid now available

A revised and updated Finding Aid for the Center for Restoration Studies Organizational File set is now available for browsing or download.

ACU Library staff created this set of files in the 1980s to collect and preserve materials from and about a wide array of organizations, entities, businesses, non-profits, and missionary, educational, and benevolent institutions affiliated with Churches of Christ, Christian Churches and the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). The file set includes clippings, articles, promotional materials, newsletters, photographs and ephemera from or about 325 such entities.  It complements four similar sets of vertical files, all housed as part of the collections of Center for Restoration Studies: Church Leaders Biographical Files, Congregational Files, World Churches Files, and Subject Files.

In 2018-2019 we improved the arrangement and order of these files by removing and cataloging many published tracts and pamphlets.  After weeding non-Stone-Campbell-related material, many of the files were refoldered and the entire set was relabeled and an inventory created.  With the publication of this finding aid, we now have online access to all of our vertical file sets within the Center for Restoration Studies collection, and all four sets are open to researchers.

We solicit donations for these file sets.  Ephemera of all kinds, promotional brochures, annual reports, photographs all contribute to our knowledge of the past.  Contact Mac Ice at mac.ice@acu.edu for details on how you can preserve these materials.