Finding Aid Round Up

Posted on December 14, 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!

Edwin Harold “Ed” Enzor, Jr. Papers, 1950-2015, MS#443 [Revised Finding Aid]
This collection includes materials created by Edwin Harold “Ed” Enzor, Jr. including documents, tapes, negatives, and binders.

James Orville Wilburn Papers, 1927-1970, MS#451 [Revised Finding Aid]
James Orville Wilburn was born March 9, 1905 in Grove County, Kansas. He passed away on September 7, 1970 in Lubbock, Texas. He was a preacher in the Church of Christ and participated in multiple debates, including with Russellites and Jehovah’s Witnesses. He married Frances Mae on September 1, 1930. The couple worked in ministry throughout Texas, Oklahoma, Oregon, California, and Kansas. These papers include a set of sermon notes, clippings, study notes and ephemera collected by James Orville Wilburn over the course of his ministerial career.

From the James Orville Wilburn Papers, 1927-1970. Center for Restoration Studies MS#451.

Noble Festus Patterson, Jr. Papers, 1938-2013, MS#465 [Revised Finding Aid]
Noble Festus Paterson, Jr. was the editor of the Christian Journal. Terry J. Gardner and Patterson edited Foy E. Wallace, Jr.: Soldier of the Cross. This collection includes Patterson’s correspondence, topical files, church materials (e.g., bulletins, directories, etc.), sermons, photographs, 35mm slides, and cassettes. Notably, the first box includes correspondence about Foy E. Wallace, Jr. following his death, and correspondence and photos concerning Patterson’s edited work on Wallace: Foy E. Wallace, Jr.: Soldier of the Cross.

Ewell Prather Papers, 1767-1978, MS#478 [Revised Finding Aid]
Ewell Prather served as Director of Security at Abilene Christian University. The Ewell Prather Papers includes Prather family genealogical and historical information.

Hermitage Church of Christ (Nashville, TN) Records, 1967-2017, MS#499 [New Finding Aid]
Hermitage Church of Christ (Nashville, TN) was established in 1967 (formerly known as Berryville Church of Christ) and closed in 2018 (renamed New Garden Church). Two cubic foot boxes of directories, ministry information, correspondence, financial statements, audio materials on cassette, and photographs and audio materials on CDs and DVDs.

From the Hermitage Church of Christ (Nashville, TN) Records, 1967-2017. Center for Restoration Studies MS#499.

Stay tuned for more installments of Finding Aid Round Ups!

Finding Aid Round Up

Posted on November 17, 2021 by Amanda Dietz

Wendel Lavern Moore Papers, 1951-1986, MS#444 [Revised Finding Aid]
These papers include cloth sermon charts, materials related to creating cloth sermon charts, magnetic audio reels, hymnals, film strip series, and photographs.

Gailyn Van Rheenen Papers, 1972-2016, MS#455 [Revised Finding Aid]
This collection includes newsletters, notes, correspondence, and photographs related to Van Rheenen’s mission efforts in East Africa. There are also African wood carvings, paintings, and spears.

Gailyn Van Rheenen

Robert D., Sr. and Lula Arrington Smith Papers, 1898-1993, MS#466 [Revised Finding Aid]
Robert D. Smith, Sr. preached in Churches of Christ in Texas for over fifty years. He was the brother of George Dallas Smith and uncle of Lawrence Leon Smith, Sr. This collection includes genealogical information, correspondence between Robert D. Smith, Sr., Lula Arrington Smith, and their family members. There are sermons, lessons, ledger books, and poetry authored by Smith. Additionally, there are many photographs, mainly of family members.

Carol Gafford Papers, 1974, MS#479 [Revised Finding Aid]
The Carol Gafford Papers include a paper by Bobbie Lee Holly called “God’s Design- Women’s Dignity” which was given at the Women in Christ Today Conference. Carol Gafford wrote the second response to “God’s Design- Women’s Dignity” which is also included in these papers.

Joe Allen Wilson Papers, 1960-1981, MS#510 [New Finding Aid]
Joe Allen Wilson (1923-2007) preached in various congregations for 65 years. These papers include seven folders of sermon notes, research materials, and print materials from Joe Wilson and various Churches of Christ.

Typed notes, Joe Allen Wilson Papers, 1960-1981. Center for Restoration Studies MS #510. Abilene Christian University Special Collections and Archives, Brown Library. Abilene Christian University, Abilene, TX.

Stay tuned for more installments of Finding Aid Round Ups!

Foldered & Finished: Thomas Wesley Rogers Papers

Posted on June 21, 2019 by Amanda Dietz

The Thomas Wesley Rogers Papers (1962-1985) are processed and ready for researchers. The finding aid for the papers and digitized selections are now available on DigitalCommons@ACU.

The Korean Reporter newsletter December 1965, Box 1, File #2, Thomas Wesley Rogers Papers, 1962-1985. Center for Restoration Studies MS #271. Abilene Christian University Special Collections and Archives, Brown Library. Abilene Christian University, Abilene, TX.

Thomas Wesley Rogers was born on September 30, 1900, in Fayetteville, Tennessee. He received a Bachelor of Arts from Birmingham–Southern College (Birmingham, Alabama) in 1927, a Master of Arts from the University of Chicago (Chicago, Illinois) in 1928, and a Juris Doctor from DePaul University (Chicago, Illinois) in 1948. Rogers served as a professor and taught business and economics at Drake University (Des Moines, Iowa) from 1928-1929, Indiana University (Bloomington, Indiana) from 1929-1941, and as a visiting professor at David Lipscomb College (Nashville, Tennessee), and the University of Texas (Austin, Texas). He also worked as an economist for the American Finance Corporation (1938-1964). Rogers served as an elder and as the Chair of the Missions Committee at the Otter Creek Church of Christ (Nashville, Tennessee).

The Korean Reporter July-August 1966 newsletter, Box 1, File #3, Thomas Wesley Rogers Papers, 1962-1985. Center for Restoration Studies MS #271. Abilene Christian University Special Collections and Archives, Brown Library. Abilene Christian University, Abilene, TX.

This collection includes correspondence with missionaries, mission reports (e.g., The Korean Reporter), and financial records concerning Churches of Christ mission work in Korea, and Korea Christian College (1962-1971). These materials were arranged and annotated by Thomas Wesley Rogers while serving as the Chair of the Missions Committee at Otter Creek Church of Christ (Nashville, Tennessee). Additionally, there are bulletins from the Otter Creek Church of Christ (1970; 1980-1985).

Additional resources from ACU Special Collections and Archives on Korea:

Cha, Kilnam, “The Exodus: Then and Now: The Book of Exodus and Its Role in Korea’s Democratization Movement” (2009). Lectureship and Summit Audio Collection. 785.
Chessir, Haskell, “Teaching the word of God in Korea” (1960). Lectureship and Summit Audio Collection. 5160.
Church of Christ Mission Photography Collection
Edward Washington McMillan Papers, 1863-1986. Center for Restoration Studies MS #17. Milliken Special Collections, Brown Library. Abilene Christian University, Abilene, TX.)
- McMillan worked extensively Japan but also preached in Korea and surrounding countries.