This past week was quite busy for the library staff! On April 6th and 7th, the Stone-Campbell Journal Conference was held at Milligan College for the first time in its 17 year history. The occasion provided an excellent venue for the re-opening of the Helsabeck Archives of the Stone-Campbell Movement (SCM). In preparation for the event, former Theological Librarian John Mark Wade, Archives Intern Katherine Banks, College Archivist Lindsay Kenderes, and myself (Theological Librarian David Kiger) organized the third floor of the Seminary Library to house a display honoring the legacy of preaching in the Stone-Campbell Movement. We displayed the saddlebag of Dennis Helsabeck Sr.’s father, several books that focus on preaching in the SCM, a video of Marshall Leggett acting as Barton Stone, as well as many photos from our collection.

The Helsabeck Archives were moved to the third floor of Seminary Library in early 2017, but were not set up in a way that made them accessible for researchers. Through the generous donation (of time and shelving units) from John Mark Wade, we were able to store and organize many of the unprocessed boxes in a secure part of the archives. This move created space to set up a display of pictures, books, and more. Perhaps more importantly, we were able to use the available space to create room for scholars to use the archives as a research location.

The Thursday before the conference, Dr. Loretta Hunnicutt of Pepperdine University came to the Helsabeck Archives to research for her book project on the history of women’s leadership in the Stone-Campbell Movement. By accessing our online catalog she was able to locate several books and journals that were relevant to her research. She sent a bibliography of works that she would like to use prior to her visit and we had these sources ready for her upon her arrival. While the books were important, what truly impressed Dr. Hunnicutt was our collection of vertical files. The Helsabeck Archives houses 40 vertical files with a wide assortment of papers, unpublished manuscripts, correspondences and missionary newsletters. It was from this collection that Dr. Hunnicutt discovered a 1,500 page autobiography from Maude Whitmore Madden, a missionary to Japan for 43 years. This rich resource was a delight to Professor Hunnicutt and directly related to her research. At the end of her time she said that the Helsabeck Archives is the best collection of Christian Church/Churches of Christ materials she had come across.

The fun did not stop with Dr. Hunnicutt’s visit. On the first evening of the conference there was a tour of the Helsabeck Archives. Around 30 people were present for the tour, and all left with the knowledge that there is a lot of primary source research to be done here. Many people were impressed with the quality of the archives and the potential for innovative research it presents.

Our goals for the archives going forward are to create finding aids and contents lists for our vertical files, to process more of our Dean E. Walker collection, and to work toward building a more robust online presence with digitization. We would also love to see classes on Stone-Campbell history come and use our archives for class sessions, research, and more.

Milligan College Archivist, Lindsay Kenderes hopes you will come by the main floor of the P.H. Welshimer Memorial Library to see two exhibits on display for Homecoming 2017.

A Vision For Milligan

This exhibit reveals an early history of Milligan College, with Rev. Wilson G. Barker arriving at Buffalo Creek Christian Church and establishing the Buffalo Male and Female Institute in 1866. Lawson White Hampton was a student at the Buffalo Institute around 1870-1871 and the Holloway Archives has his original class notebook featuring writings from his Composition Writing and Reading class. “To have an example of a student’s work from the early years of the Buffalo Institute is a rare find in the Archives,” said Kenderes.

Another exciting item on display is Dr. Josephus Hopwood’s telescope, which was given to him by Wilkie Snyder Bishop. Earlier this semester, on the day of the solar eclipse (August 21, 2017), Anne E. Bishop, with her nephew James Allen Bishop and family, donated this telescope to Milligan College. In 1915, Dr. Hopwood returned to Milligan to serve a second term as president. While on a walk on Emmanuel Hill he became acquainted with a little boy playing in the woods. This boy was 9-year-old Wilkie Snyder Bishop. Dr. Hopwood was intrigued by the telescope Wilkie was playing with. Wilkie shared his telescope and Hopwood used it to gaze across the valley toward Milligan College. After returning home, Wilkie’s father encouraged his son to give his telescope to Dr. Hopwood. The telescope was returned to the Bishop family after Hopwood’s death in 1935.

“I think this telescope signifies Dr. Hopwood’s vision for what Milligan College has become today. Milligan has united with Emmanuel Christian Seminary, on the spot where Wilkie Snyder Bishop shared his telescope with Dr. Hopwood. I think this was a foreshadowing moment of what Milligan now represents,” said Kenderes.

Class of 1967: Reminiscing Milligan Life 50 Years Ago

Each year at Homecoming, alumni return to unite with classmates from their graduating year. This year, the Archives celebrates the Class of 1967’s 50th Reunion by showcasing an array of student life photos and documents they would have experienced during their time at Milligan. “I think students would be surprised by some of these photos, including one showing a student with a typewriter on Pardee lawn, and a classroom photo with some students wearing ties.”

Written by Lindsay Kenderes. Photos by Gary Daught.

James Blake Stanley, Milligan Class of ‘18, worked on several interesting projects while completing an Archive Internship at The Holloway Archives at Milligan College during the 2017 spring semester. As a history major, Blake pursued the opportunity to learn how researchers search and discover historical materials representative of Milligan’s history in the Milligan archives. With an interest in Church History, he spent time processing the James DeForest Murch papers, which is a collection of research materials and publications representative of Dr. James D. Murch’s activities as a supporter of the Stone-Campbell Movement, particularly in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). This collection represents Murch’s research interests, publications and his work as managing editor for several journal publications, including Christianity Today, Lookout, Restoration Herald, Christian Standard, and the Christian Evangelist Quarterly. As Archive Intern, Blake arranged and organized the contents of this collection and re-edited the James Deforest Murch papers finding aid, making this collection discoverable online through MCStor, Milligan College’s Digital Repository.

Archive Interns also have an opportunity to curate an archival exhibit, which is displayed in the exhibit cases located on the main floor of the P. H. Welshimer Memorial Library. This spring’s exhibit was titled “Pep Rally in a Box!,” showcasing Milligan’s athletic history prior to 1950. Blake researched and gathered documents, photographs and yearbooks, including a 1910 photograph of the women’s basketball team, a 1935 photograph of the track team, and a basketball ticket dated December 7, 1946, from the Tennessee vs. Milligan game in Knoxville. Also included in the exhibit are orange and black pennants and letters for baseball and track. The “Pep Rally in a Box!” exhibit will be on display through June 30, 2017.

Before arriving at Milligan, Blake spent four years in the United States Marine Corp as an infantry rifleman in Jacksonville, NC. He is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in History. After graduation, he plans to pursue graduate studies in history.

Milligan’s Archive Internship opportunity

Each fall semester, students are invited to apply for one volunteer Archive Internship opportunity at The Holloway Archives at Milligan College. The internship begins the following spring semester. All majors are welcome to apply. Please stay tuned for announcements coming this fall.

Have a Milligan history question? Contact Lindsay Kenderes, College Archivist, at 423-461-8901 or lrkenderes@milligan.edu.

Find out more about Milligan’s archives here.

Find us on Twitter at #MilliganArchives.