RG 30. Personal Papers

Scope and Contents The Adelia A. Field Johnston papers are divided into the following five series: Series I. Biographical File, Series II. Correspondence, Series III. Travel Accounts and Diaries, Series IV. Writings and Notebooks, and Series V. Photographs.Of importance to the Oberlin community is the correspondence series, which sheds valuable insight on the central role Johnston played in the establishment of the Oberlin Village Improvement Society. Filed under the subheading "Oberlin...

Scope and Contents The papers, photographs, and objects originating with Frances Cade and E. John Hamlin reflect the lives of two Oberlin graduates who met during their service in China as Shansi representatives in the mid-1930s, and continued after their marriage in 1942 to pursue a lifetime of service in the Far East.  Both the Hamlins wrote articles for their hometown newspapers during their time at Taigu, and gave presentations on their experiences later in life as employees of the World Council of...

Scope and Contents The papers of Nancy Hays Teeters (1930-), spanning four decades, document the development of Teeters' career as a fiscal economist from professional staffer and research scholar (1957-78) to member of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (1978-84), a Presidential appointment. She concluded her career as IBM's Director of Economics (1984-90) and Vice President (1986-90). Although the papers are largely professional in nature, providing little information about Teeters'...

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The Charles Fayette Olney Papers reflect his life as an art collector, gallery operator and lecturer on the subject. As Deacon of Pilgrim Church in Cleveland, Ohio, Olney delivered speeches on special topics and issues related to art and religion.

This collection is organized around three series: I. The Olney Art Gallery Visitor Register; II. Speeches; and III. Information regarding Olney Bequest.

Scope and Contents Geoffrey T. Blodgett’s career as a professor and scholar of American history at Oberlin College is well documented in these papers, from his appointment at Oberlin in 1960 to his retirement in 2000 and death in 2001. A small amount of material dates from prior to his faculty appointment. There is very little of a personal nature in the papers, but his correspondence with respected and valued colleagues, as well as many former students, reveal warm relationships with many of them and their...

Scope and Contents The Marlene Deahl Merrill Papers reflect her professional activity from 1978 to 2017 as an independent researcher, documentary editor, author, speaker and consultant, Research Associate for the Oberlin College Library, and Affilate Scholar for Oberlin College for over fifteen years. Her area of expertise is 19th century American history, particularly that of Oberlin as situated in the larger national context on the issues of education and rights of Black people and...

Scope and Contents This collection was created, compiled and organized by Beverly Soll in preparation for the writing of her book, I Dream a World: The Operas of William Grant Still (University of Arkansas Press, 2005).  The collection consists primarily of copies pertaining to Still’s operas from the William Grant Still and Verna Arvey Papers at the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville, but also includes material from the Library of Congress and other sources, as well as...

Scope and Contents The Dale Broadhurst Papers consist of materials relating to his research concerning the Solomon Spaulding manuscript and its relationship to the Book of Mormon. Documents include transcriptions of the Spaulding Manuscript and comparative textual studies of its contents. Also included are three computer diskettes containing computer copies of included documents and a CD-ROM about the Spaulding manuscript and the Book of Mormon produced in part by Broadhurst.  Also included is a copy of the...

Scope and Contents The papers of Sherlock Bristol document the last few years of Bristol's ministerial work before his death in 1906, which he presents his views on popular religious topics at the turn of the century. The thirteen letters to Reverend William Marsh confirm that the fearless Bristol had remained steadfast to "Oberlin Perfectionism" all his life. His letters continually take up the gifts of spirituality in general and what it meant to accept faith, by way of the Bible, in particular....

Scope and Contents The papers of Mariah Crabb document her manumission, include information about her former enslavers, and detail the activities of her family members in the 1830s and 1840s. Of particular note is Mariah Crabb's handwritten Manumission Indenture. On July 1, 1831, Mariah and her family purchased their freedom for $150 from Martin, Elizabeth, and David Hausman.Consisting largely of personal letters written to Mariah Crabb from her former enslavers, Martin and Elizabeth, the letters...