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New Treasures: Archives of the Mennonite Church
by Dennis Stoesz, Archivist
What follows is a sampling of personal papers and organizational records that have come into the archives during the past six months. They are listed alphabetically by the name of the collection.
Aschliman, Kathryn A., Goshen, Indiana. Personal papers, 1950-1999, including student papers during her time at Goshen College and the Biblical Seminary, 1950-1959, on topics such as Christian education, Menno Simons, missions in India, moral character development, peace education, role of women in the church, and teaching science. Papers also include annual reports of the Goshen College laboratory kindergarten, 1959-1996, her annual faculty report to Goshen College, 1974-1996, and collected articles, writings and clippings by and about Aschliman, 1954-1999. She graduated from Goshen College with a bachelor of science in 1954, and from Goshen College Biblical Seminary with a master of religious education in 1959. She served as professor of education and director of the laboratory kindergarten at Goshen College, 1962-1996, and as professor emerita of education since 1996. 10 linear inches. Donor: Kathryn Aschliman.
Beyler, Clayton, 1918-1973. Correspondence of Clayton Beyler to Gladys Graber, September 1944-December 1946, when he served as a relief worker under Mennonite Central Committee, first in the Bengal floods in Calcutta, India, and then in Kaifeng, China. Also includes slides of the work as photographed by Beyler, 1944-1946, including trip by Beyler and Lawrence Burkholder to visit Mennonite missionaries in Dhamtari, India in December 1944. 7 linear inches. Donor: Gladys (Graber) Beyler, Goshen, Indiana.
Charles, Howard H. and Miriam, Goshen, Indiana. Personal papers, 1940s-1998, nineteenth-century photographs, and a plain suit. Includes Howard Charles’ articles and original manuscripts written for Herald Teacher/Builder, 1950-1984; class syllabi and notes as a professor of New Testament at Goshen College/Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary, 1947-1989; class notes as a student at Princeton, 1948 (Th.M.) and University of Edinburgh, 1958 (Ph.D.); and papers reflecting a wide variety of his involvements in the church, 1940s-1990s, such as teaching an adult Sunday School class at East Goshen Mennonite Church, serving on the pastoral team during the late 1960s and early 1970s, serving as pastor at Lititz Mennonite, Pennsylvania in the 1940s, and providing interpretations on biblical texts in relation to various social issues like sexuality, speaking in tongues, and the Holy Spirit. The collection includes a four-generation photograph of Frances Coffman family, a portrait of Barbara Coffman, and a biography of Samuel Coffman. 48.75 linear feet. Donors: Howard H. and Miriam Charles.
Hostetler, John A., Goshen, Indiana. Collected items, 1940s-1998, including photographs and posters of Amish life, 1984-1989; phonograph recordings of “Folksongs of the Pennsylvania Dutch,” 1940s; selected Hutterian documents in translation, 1975; and an inventory of the John A. Hostetler Collection, 1998 at Penn State University, Pennsylvania. 6 linear inches. Donor: John A. Hostetler.
International Voluntary Service, 1953- , Roderick MacRae, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Records, 1963-1996, reflecting MacRae’s activities as a voluntary relief worker in Laos, 1963-1966 and at IVS headquarters in Washington, D.C., 1966-1968. Collection also includes materials collected by MacRae on IVS involvement in Cambodia and Vietnam during the 1960s, as well as annual reports, newsletters and documents of the ongoing activities of IVS from 1968-1996. 24 linear inches. Donor: Roderick MacRae.
Mennonite Board of Congregational Ministries, 1971- , Elkhart, Indiana. Records, 1977-1994, reflecting the work of three departments during these years. Atlee and Winifred Beechy, David Helmuth, Edgar Metzler and Gordon Zook worked in the peace and social concerns department, 1980-1990. Ray and Lillian Bair and Robert Yoder worked in the stewardship department, 1977-1992. Gordon Zook and then Everett Thomas were the directors, 1982-1994. 5.25 linear feet. Donor: Everett Thomas, director.
Mennonite Central Committee, 1920- , Akron, Pennsylvania. Records, 1944-1995, the bulk of which reflects five series of files, 1986-1994: workbooks, news releases, minutes of MCC executive committee and annual meetings, minutes of MCC USA executive committee and annual meetings, and personnel listings. All of these materials are on microfilm. Included on microfilm is also an earlier set of news releases, 1944-1970. Two other series of files, which are found on both microfilm and paper, are the field records of MCC Indonesia, 1958-1993 and MCC Mozambique/Swaziland, 1969-1995. 22 original microfilm reels (16mm), 22 duplicate microfilm reels (16mm), plus 5 linear feet. Donor: Irene Leaman, records/library and archives manager.
Mennonite Health Services, 1947- , Goshen, Indiana. Audiovisual records, 1971-1997, and some paper records, 1989-1992. The cassette tapes feature the early history and 25th anniversary of Mennonite Mental Health Services (MMHS), 1971-1973 and 1981; a symposium on mental health, 1972; a symposium on devalued persons and the church, 1981; Spanish language tapes on various health topics; and tapes of the National and Mennonite Health Assemblies, 1986, 1992, 1996-1997. The video tapes, 1988-1997, include the video MHS: The Healing Community, 1990-1991; video footage from Lebanon Community Hospital, Philhaven Hospital, Kings View Center, Schowalter Villa, Prairie View, and Eden Health Services, 1988-1997; videos of General Assemblies, 1991, 1993; and three videos of The Prolonged Mentally Ill: A Congregational Issue. Collection also includes some photographs and slides of several mental health hospitals, 1970s-1990s, and files of the MHS Soviet exchange program, 1989-1993. 6.25 linear feet. Donor: Wendy Rohn, office manager.
Mennonite Nurses Association, 1942- , Goshen, Indiana. Financial records, 1994-1996, including receipts, bank statements, and bankbooks, as well as correspondence on membership and projects. Financial records, 1994-1996, 5 linear inches. Donor: Dottie Kauffmann, treasurer.
Newcomer, Marvin, Goshen, Indiana. Papers, 1789-1999, including photographs, documents and the story of Newcomer’s experiences in Civilian Public Service which included building a dam at Hill City, South Dakota and working in the wards at the mental health hospital in Cleveland, Ohio during World War II, 1944-1946. Collection also includes military documents on conscientious objectors in World War I, 1918-1919; sale bill of Jacob Y. Miller estate sale, Harrison Center, Elkhart County, 1874; and collected calendars, souvenir booklets, postcards, school commencement programs, and sample periodicals and books, 1789-1958. 15 linear inches. Donor: Marvin Newcomer.
North Central Conference of the Mennonite Church, 1920- , Mission Board, President Andrew Levi Glick. Records, 1935-1959, including incoming and outgoing correspondence of Glick, 1952-1959, in his capacity as president of the district mission board. Collection also includes older correspondence and reports of the mission board, 1935-1950, membership certificates, 1946-1948, for persons transferring membership into congregations belonging to the North Central Conference. 15 linear inches. Donor: Ervie Glick, Harrisonburg, Virginia.Stutzman, Dale, Goshen, Indiana. Photographs, slides and a t-shirt, 1944-1946, of Stutzman’s involvement in Civilian Public Service as a smokejumper in Missoula, Montana, and as a dairy farm worker in Beltsville, Maryland. Collection also includes slides of Stutzman’s involvement in Mennonite Youth Village, Michigan, 1957- , Goshen College, Indiana, 1950-1965, and Adriel School, West Liberty, Ohio, 1961-1964. 4 linear inches. Donor: Dale Stutzman.
Stoesz has served as archivist since 1989.
Mennonite Historical Bulletin, July 2000