RG 30. Personal Papers

Scope and Contents

The Lysle K. Butler Papers are arranged into six series. The collection includes biographical files and materials from Butler's time at Oberlin College.

Scope and Contents The papers of Calvin C. Hernton consist of files relating to the Oberlin College African-American Studies Department (formerly the Black Studies Department). Hernton served as chairman of the department from 1997 to 1999 and was a faculty member from 1970 to 1999. This collection consists of the files and correspondence that he maintained during his time as chairman and as a faculty member. The collection provides documentation concerning the history of the African-American Studies...

Scope and Contents The Amzi D. Barber and Nancy I. Bailey Barber Family Papers consists primarily of correspondence and records related to the Barber and Bailey families. There are also records related to the Palmer and Dick families, featured prominently in the collection’s photographs. It has been organized into six records series. The correspondence, which forms the bulk of the collection, has been indexed and calendared for ease of use. Topics frequently addressed in correspondence include...

Scope and Contents The Willard Livingstone Beard Papers consists primarily of letters (1910-1925) between the Willard and Ellen Beard and their children. Of special interest are the twenty letters written by Willard L. Beard and his daughter, Phebe, from Foochow, China (1921-23), some of which tell of the struggle between factions of the Chinese to gain control of the area. A letter from Myron Gould Beard to “Dearest Sister Dot” (Dorothy), dated June 29, 1920, is an account of his visit to Bahia Blanca,...

Scope and Contents The William Hayden Boyers papers primarily document Boyers’s work as a theatre director. A majority of the records relate to his work as director and faculty advisor of the Oberlin College Gilbert and Sullivan Players, an organization that he founded in 1949. After his retirement from Oberlin College, Boyers served on the faculty of Saint Paul’s Episcopal College in Lawrenceville, Virginia. The collection contains correspondence, a class syllabus, several programs, and a series of slides...

Scope and Contents The papers of August Meier primarily document his student days at Oberlin College (1941-45), and his interest in interracial matters, Student Congress, and the Mock Convention. Records consist of materials related to the discrimination of Oberlin barbershops against Black clients (1942-45) and the investigation of discrimination against Black students on the Oberlin College campus (1942). Other files contain information concerning the Committees of Correspondence (1943-45), and the...

Scope and Contents The papers of Silas F. Millikan primarily document the lives of his immediate family and relatives. The bulk of the material, especially the correspondence, concerns Silas’ parents, Daniel and Aurelia Millikan, and his mother’s family, the Peases. The first series, Biographical Material, contains the bulk of the information about Silas F. Millikan, particularly in a biographical sketch of the minister. The biography, written by an unknown author, includes quotes by Millikan, as well as...

Scope and Contents The papers of Werner H. Bromund primarily document Werner Bromund’s role as historian of the Chemistry Department of Oberlin College. His collected works and materials concerning Frank Fanning Jewett and publications of the Chemistry Department illustrate some of the rich history of the department. Photographs of Charles Martin Hall and Frank Fanning Jewett are included in this collection. Bromund was also interested in the City of Oberlin water supply and he wrote and collected reports...

Scope and Contents The John C. Leith papers primarily consist of letters, many of which document various aspects of the Civil War. The most significant letters relating to the Civil War are the letters of soldiers and of John C. Leith. These letters contain passages regarding the hardships faced by the soldiers, and their desire to have news from home. Some legal documents, e.g. affidavits and an Ohio state bill, which concern the Leith family, are also included. Many other documents, e.g....

Scope and Contents The papers of Paul Leaton Corbin constitute a small portion of Corbin's research collection on China, assembled over the course of Corbin's 29 years as a missionary in Shansi Province. Consisting almost entirely of printed materials, these files document the educational and evangelical work of the American Board in North China from 1900 to 1936. The papers also provide evidence of the activities of several foreign missionary organizations headquartered in Shanghai. Notably absent from...