Finding Aid Round Up

Posted on October 21, 2021 by Amanda Dietz

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 Roy “W. R.” Smith Papers, 1951-1969, MS#446 [Revised Finding Aid]
William Roy “W. R.” Smith was born September 22, 1893 in Nacogdoches, Texas. He was married to Mayme Christian Rice Smith. The couple had two children. In 1933 W. R. Smith founded Lee Junior College in Baytown, Texas. He served as president at Lee Junior College until 1936 when he began working at Abilene Christian College. He was vice president of ACC from 1940-1962. The Smiths traveled extensively teaching Bible classes throughout the United States and Canada. Mayme passed away on November 18, 1975 and W. R. passed away on April 29, 1976. This collection includes correspondence regarding the McGarvey Fellowship Program, W. R. Smith Graduate Fund, and Restoration Quarterly.

Dawn Leslie Callaway Papers, 1991-2016, MS#459 [Revised Finding Aid]
Dawn Leslie Callaway (she also went by ‘Lori J. Lee’ and ‘Rebel Yell’) hitchhiked and lived on the streets most of her life. She published “Hitchhiker’s Dream” in 1992, a verse record of her travels through the South under her pen name ‘Rebel Yell.’ Callaway connected with the Aspen Grove Christian Church (Franklin, TN) where the members helped her secure a job and find a place to live. Her journals provide insight into topics including women’s issues, poverty, justice, and homelesness. This collection includes 29 journals of poetry and notes, and a folder of personal information about Callaway.

Hitchhiker’s Dream by Rebel Yell, Dawn Leslie Callaway Papers, 1991-2016. Center for Restoration Studies MS #459. Abilene Christian University Special Collections and Archives, Brown Library. Abilene Christian University, Abilene, TX.

James Durward Willeford Papers, 1928-1967, MS#468 [Revised Finding Aid]
James Durward Willeford was born in Grayson County, Texas, on April 13, 1916. His father died when he was nine, and his mother died when he was twelve. Willeford went to live in the Boles Orphan Home (Quinlan, Texas) until he graduated from high school. He attended college at West Texas State Teachers College (Canyon, Texas), Freed-Hardeman College (Henderson, Tennessee), Pennsylvania State College (State College, Pennsylvania), Abilene Christian College (Abilene, Texas), and the University of Wisconsin (Madison, Wisconsin). Willeford married Alice Marguerite Perkins on July 25, 1937. They had three children, and adopted one child. Willeford preached in Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, New Mexico, Texas, and Wisconsin. While preaching in Madison, Wisconsin, Willeford began producing a daily radio program. He later teamed up with James Walter Nichols and the 5th and Highland Church of Christ (Abilene, Texas) and began producing the Herald of Truth radio program. He preached for the Herald of Truth in its early years. When he died on August 3, 1992, he was an elder at the 5th and Grape Street Church of Christ (Abilene, TX). This collection includes transcripts and notes for Willeford’s sermons (1952-1960), and a small folder of materials from other authors and/or preachers.

Sermon, James Durward Willeford Papers, 1928-1967. Center for Restoration Studies MS #468. Abilene Christian University Special Collections and Archives, Brown Library. Abilene Christian University, Abilene, TX.

Hubert Connor “Con” Sweet, Jr. Collection, 1927-1928, MS#480 [Revised Finding Aid]
Hubert Connor ‘Con’ Sweet, Jr. was born 12 August 1942 in Leadville, Colorado. From 1959-1963 he served in the U.S. Navy before moving to Austin, Texas and working as a truck driver. His interests included trains and photography, among others. He was a member of West Erwin Church of Christ in Tyler, Texas, and was active in a prison Bible correspondence ministry. He passed away on 13 August 2012 in Tyler, Texas. The Hubert Connor ‘Con’ Sweet, Jr. Collection contains one negative and six photographic prints of various scenes in the Abilene, Texas region.

J. Hermon Taylor Papers, circa 1915-1930, MS#512 [New Finding Aid]
According to Logan Key, great-great nephew of J. Hermon Taylor, family oral tradition holds that J. Hermon Taylor left home in Alabama around 1916 to attend a music school and died at a young age. These papers include a partial hymnal and some handwritten musical compositions by J. Hermon Taylor.

Stay tuned for more installments of Finding Aid Round Ups!

Finding Aid Round Up

Posted on September 23, 2021 by Amanda Dietz

John Henry Austin Varner Papers, 1939-1985, MS#447 [Revised Finding Aid]
John Henry Austin Varner was born on March 7, 1913 in Texas. In 1939 he graduated from Abilene Christian College. He married Inaleen Williams and the couple had two sons. Varner preached in Churches of Christ for thirty years. He died April 19, 1988 in San Marcos, Texas. These papers include type-written radio sermons, Bible class lesson notes, newspaper clippings, and church bulletins.

Ghana Bible College Collection, 1967-2013, MS#460 [Revised Finding Aid]
Ghana Bible College was founded in 1962 and was begun by missionaries from Cedars Church of Christ, Delaware. Fred Aarae, who donated these materials, is an Abilene Christian University alumnus and Director of Village of Hope in Ghana. This collection includes copies of newsletters and correspondence from missionaries and ministers in Ghana.

The Gospel for Ghana newsletter, Ghana Bible College Collection, 1967-2013. Center for Restoration Studies MS #460. Abilene Christian University Special Collections and Archives, Brown Library. Abilene Christian University, Abilene, TX.

Eddie Leon Sharp, Sr. Papers, 1949-1997, MS#470 [Revised Finding Aid]
Eddie Leon Sharp Sr., also known as Leon Sharp, was a Church of Christ minister for about 45 years primarily in Texas but also in New Mexico and Oklahoma. He was born in 1928 and died in 2017. He was married to his wife, Billie, in 1950 until her death in 2016. They had three sons, Eddie, Mark, and Bryan. His son, Eddie also became a Church of Christ minister. Leon preached at Churches of Christ across Texas, including in Bronte, Sheffield, Meadow, El Passo, Denison, and Canton, along with other churches in neighboring states. This is a collection of framed photographs and diplomas, sermon notes, and church bulletins. The collection is arranged chronologically within series. Boxes 1 and 2 are arranged from 1955-1995. Box 3 and 4 are arranged by content and date.

Lloyd Theodore “Ted” Poe Papers, 2005-2018, MS#483 [Revised Finding Aid]
Ted Poe was born in Temple, TX on September 10, 1948. Poe obtained his B.A. from Abilene Christian University in 1970 and his J.D. from the University of Houston in 1973. Poe served in the United States Air Force Reserves from 1970-1976. Poe served as district attorney for Harris County, Houston, TX from 1973-1981 and as district judge in Harris county from 1981-2003. Poe was elected to the United States House of Representatives for the 109th Congress in 2005 and served as Texas Representative (Republican) from January 3, 2005-January 3, 2019. This collection contains floor speeches by Congressman Ted Poe delivered to the United States House of Representatives during the years 2005-2018.

“Recognizing Over 200 Years of Sovereignty of the Principality of Liechtenstein,” Lloyd Theodore ‘Ted’ Poe Papers, 2005-2018. Center for Restoration Studies MS #483. Abilene Christian University Special Collections and Archives, Brown Library. Abilene Christian University, Abilene, TX.

Flaleah Byrd Cotter Papers, 1953-2002, MS#513 [New Finding Aid]
These papers include six folders of personal papers, a cassette tape, and an antique pitch pipe.

Stay tuned for more installments of Finding Aid Round Ups!

Finding Aid Round Up

Posted on August 20, 2021 by Amanda Dietz

James Marion, Jr. and Kathryn Adelaide Kerby Tolle Collection, 1559-1952, MS#448 [Revised Finding Aid]
James Marion Tolle, Jr. was born in Amarillo, Texas on October 22, 1915. Kathryn Adelaide Kerby was born in 1924 and the couple married on July 6, 1959. James attended Lipscomb College and the University of Tampa, Florida. He also did graduate work at George Peabody College and Los Angeles State. He preached throughout Tennessee, Florida, California, Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas. James died on June 22, 2005 and Kathryn died January 22, 2013. This collection includes correspondence, photographs, and manuscripts collected by the Tolles. Some of the materials have original autographs.

Charles Camille Saint-Saëns, autograph music manuscript, James Marion, Jr. and Kathryn Adelaide Kerby Tolle Collection, 1559-1952. Center for Restoration Studies MS #448. Abilene Christian University Special Collections and Archives, Brown Library. Abilene Christian University, Abilene, TX.

Morris Dupree Norman Papers, 1948-2012, MS#461 [Revised Finding Aid]
This collection includes Morris Dupree Norman’s files for preaching and teaching, including annotated research, typewritten and handwritten sermons, teaching notes, and church bulletins.

11th and Willis Church of Christ Collection, 1986-1991, MS#472 [Revised Finding Aid]
The South 11th and Willis Church of Christ is located in Abilene, Texas. These records include cassette tapes of sermons and one DVD. Many of the tapes are of V. E. Howard as broadcast on the International Gospel Hour

Alice Carlson Papers, 1946-1989, MS#489 [Revised Finding Aid]
The Alice Carlson Papers contain 1 box of materials from Carlson’s ministry as a Sunday School teacher. Carlson’s lesson plans, study notes, and other church-related material are arranged in the order in which they were received.

“Year Six – Spring, Bible Reading Guide April – June, Prophets, Psalms,” Box 1, Alice Carlson Papers, 1946-1989. Center for Restoration Studies MS #489. Abilene Christian University Special Collections and Archives, Brown Library. Abilene Christian University, Abilene, TX.

Everett Oscar Coffman Papers, 1928-1934, MS#514 [New Finding Aid]
Everett Oscar Coffman (1882-1973) was born in Tennessee and eventually attended Abilene Christian College. He was a preacher in the Church of Christ and worked in the Lawrence County, Tennessee school system. These papers include one loose-leaf notebook of typed sermon outlines.

Stay tuned for more installments of Finding Aid Round Ups!