Category Archives: Research aids

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!

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!

Finding Aid Round Up

Posted on by
Reply

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!

Resource Spotlight: Restoration Serials Index

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Once you have at least a question and perhaps a working hypothesis along with a few tentative reasons for supporting it, you can start looking for the data you’ll need to support your reasons and test your hypothesis.*

Researchers in Stone-Campbell studies will find very helpful one online tool designed to facilitate this kind of search.  Restoration Serials Index is an on-going collaborative effort across many libraries and archives affiliated with the Churches of Christ and Christian Churches.  Begun in 1974, RSI relies on the efforts of dozens of librarians and interested volunteers to index serial literature (periodicals of many kinds, from weeklies to monthlies to quarterlies and the occasional recurring special event such as a lectureship).  For many years the fruit of this labor was available only in print volumes issued on a triennial basis. For over a dozen years it has been available on-line.

The project’s four goals are:

–to facilitate access to periodical literature produced by members of the Churches of Christ and historically related groups

–to encourage and facilitate scholarly research about Biblical teachings and restoration of New Testament Christianity

–to document the broad spectrum of thought among Churches of Christ and historically related groups stemming from the nineteenth-century movement to restore and unify the church of the New testament

–to serve the needs of those who have an interest in what adherents of these groups are thing and saying**

The online index now covers dozens of periodicals, with coverage (in places) from 1940 to the present, all indexed by author, title and subject.  A particular value of RSI for researchers is the level of expertise behind the index. Operating out of expertise and training in the field of information science, they understand the value of indexing thoroughly, accurately, consistently and with a standard approach across all journals.  The compilers have provided reliable ways to access the content of these journals.  Search by author, subject, keyword and more, to locate information that could be useful for your project.

When you need specific information from an author, or a particular article on a question or a range of articles on a topic across time, RSI will reward your search.  This the best way to currently access the content of these periodicals, short of turning page-by-page.  While RSI does not offer full-text content, it does a fine job of getting you a good ways down that road.  The journals indexed in RSI are widely available and your local library can assist through its InterLibrary Loan department.

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*Kate L. Turabian, A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations: Chicago Style for Students and Researchers, 7th ed., ed. Wayne C. Booth et al. (Chicago: University Of Chicago Press, 2007), 24.

**Marsha Harper, Melissa Johnson, Erma Jean Loveland, Craig Churchill, Eds. Restoration Serials Index: A Subject and Author Index to Selected Periodicals and Lectureships, 2000. (Abilene: Christian College Librarians, 2001), iii.