RG 30. Personal Papers

Scope and Contents The papers of William Kincaid Jr. primarily comprise correspondence, essays, verses, and notes for composition and rhetorical classes, 1856-1867 and undated, most of which were organized under the title “Compositions and Scraps, mainly College Essays.” These writings were written by Kincaid before and during his student days at Oberlin College--in the Preparatory School, the College (A.B. 1865), and the Graduate School of Theology (Sem. 1867). The papers dating from Kincaid’s student...

Abstract The materials in the Douglas V. Steere Papers have exclusively to do with his interest in and study of John Frederick (Jean-Frédéric or Johann Friedrich) Oberlin (1740-1826), the Alsatian pastor who served in the Ban de la Roche region in the Vosges Mountains of Alsace in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Steere visited Oberlin’s pastorate in the years following World War II, when he was involved in recovery efforts by the American...

Scope and Contents The Charles P. Parkhurst Papers date from the late 1930s to 1990 and document Parkhurst’s teaching career, with particular emphasis on his time at Oberlin College (1949-1962). The material gives insight into his teaching methods and strategies, such as his focus on the historical context of artwork, visual recognition of artistic principles, and understanding artistic techniques. The papers are arranged into two series: 1. Teaching Materials and 2. Television Show Materials. The majority of...

Scope and Contents The Carleton Family Papers primarily document the life and career of Alford Carleton as a missionary, teacher, minister, college president, and observer of the cultural and political climate in the environs of the Middle and Near East. During his time abroad (mostly in Syria, Turkey, and present-day Lebanon) Carleton wrote hundreds of letters to family members, friends, and colleagues. Of great historic value are his first-hand accounts of the region’s unrest due to the repeated...

Scope and Contents The Papers of Dr. James T. and Jeanne (Hibbard) Stephens primarily document their  careers as physicians in the Oberlin Community, and their work in Kenya after retirement in 1976. The writings of James Stephens, including The Christian as a Doctor (1960), The History of the Oberlin Clinic (1977),  and In the Shadow of Mt. Kenya (1993, book and manuscript), provide insight into the medical...

Scope and Contents The papers of Giles Waldo and Mary E. Burton Shurtleff consist, in large part, of their correspondence, 1862-1887. This is by far the richest series in the collection. Two hundred and twenty-one of the letters were written by Giles between 1861-65 while he was on active service. They detail the longing of the soldier for his girl (wife), military routine interspersed by the violence of his wartime world, and family matters. One letter was smuggled out of prison in a button in 1862. In...

Scope and Contents The papers of John Herbert Nichols consist mainly of the files of Camp Pemigewassett. The documentation covers his career as a counselor, owner and director from 1933 to 1963, although items as early as 1908 and as late as 1974 are included in the collection. In addition to the camp material the papers include biographical files and records documenting his military service and interest in Oberlin community activities. The records are divided into two subgroups designed to reflect the...

Scope and Contents The papers (1877-1920) of John Henry Beacom pertain mostly to his career in the U.S. Army. Included in the papers are 38 letters written by prominent persons, 14 documents captured from Philippine insurrectionists, and Beacom's commissions and appointments. In addition to these documents, the papers include the writings (1994, 1999) of Seward E. Beacom on the life of John Henry Beacom and Beacom Family genealogy. Also included are photocopies of a diary of John Beacom, 1873-77, and a...

Scope and Contents The family papers of Dan Beach Bradley consist of letters, letterpress books, diaries, diary transcripts, journals, notebooks, writings, photographs, and a painting. The bulk of the papers document the missionary careers of the Rev. Dan Beach Bradley (1804-73) and his first wife, Emilie Royce Bradley (1811-45) in nineteenth-century Siam (modern Thailand). The collection also includes a small amount of correspondence and writings created by two of their children, Sophia Royce Bradley...

Abstract The papers of Warren Taylor relate primarily to the professional life of an Oberlin College professor. Their contents reflect Taylor's interest in collecting evidence of his achievements. His friendships with students were important to him and are recorded in correspondence spanning forty years. Lecture notes used in his popular English and American literature courses are not present in the collection, although there is material relating to the academic programs Taylor initiated. There is...