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Full listing > Accession MC2006/13: Schwalm's Confidential Files - Folders 1-20
Accession #MC2006/13: Schwalm's Confidential Files - Folders 1-20
TopicSchwalm, Vernon: Correspondence Folders 1 - 20,
TitlePresident Vernon Schwalm's Correspondence, Folders 1 - 20
LocationLarge Box area 176
CitationPresident Vernon Schwalm's Correspondence, Folders 1 - 20, MC2006/13: Schwalm's Confidential Files - Folders 1-20, Archives and Brethren Historical Collection, Funderburg Library, Manchester University, North Manchester, Indiana.
AccessSome files are CONFIDENTIAL and are marked accordingly - Researchers are responsible for determining copyright status of archived materials where this is relevant to their intended use of the materials.
ProvenanceCollection of the Archives, from the President's Attic, see original accession page from 2006 [MC2006/13]
Scope and Content

The materials in these folders were identified, probably by Schwalm, as "confidential files." They contain personal, College, and Church of the Brethren related correspondence.

MC2006/13: Schwalm’s Confidential Files

Folder Number 1

Executive Board Minutes November and December 1926 – during the time that Schwalm was Dean.  It was noted that Schwalm was absent for the meeting.  Winger, Snider, Ikenberry and Ulery were in attendance.  Some topics of discussion were as follows:

Orpha Keever was to be paid at the rate of $2.25 per teaching hour (her name is not listed in “A Century of Faith, Learning and Service as an instructor).

Manchester College will participate in a Peace contest between the various Church of the Brethren colleges.

Rinker Property sold for $6,250 on a contract.

The following statement was ordered to be sent to the Athletic Committee: The Executive Board of the College respectfully requests the Athletic Committee to enforce rigidly the present rule concerning the use of tobacco by those who participate in Inter-Collegiate contests.  Beginning with next year we request that those who use tobacco before and between training seasons be not used on intercollegiate teams.

Letter from Avnee Abraham to Congregationalist minister, addressed as Mr. Studebaker, 1915, regarding Mohammedanism and the people of Turkey.

 

Folder Number 2

Section One: Baugher, A. C. – Correspondence.  A. C. Baugher served as the Secretary of the General Education Board of the Church of the Brethren and also as President of Elizabethtown College, Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania. Correspondence related to the General Education Board.

Section Two: 1942 and 1943 correspondence related to establishing the Civilian Public Service (CPS) Training Corps. December 10, 1942 letter regarding Hershey’s approval of the C.P.S. Training Corps.  Letters planning a Training School for Relief and Reconstruction.  Some names included in these letters are M. R. Zigler, Andrew Cordier, and McNutt.  There is also mention of a Church Related College Movement.

Section Three: Miscellaneous correspondence.

Section Four: Confidential – regarding student, D. Myers.

 

 

Folder Number 3 – Baugher, Norman - “How Fares the Church Around the World?” by Norman J. Baugher.  Correspondence from 1949.

 

Folder Number 4

Section One - Beahm, James - 1946 – appreciation for the stand Schwalm is taking on moral principles at Manchester College. 

Section Two - Beahm, William.  Correspondence with MC alumnus and Dean of Bethany Biblical Seminary. Some of the topics discussed include:  I. V. Funderburgh’s inquiry about the status of the “The Study of Urban Churches.”  Foreign missions.  Personal notes from the time of William’s illness – along with a bulletin published in honor of William Beahm following his death that offers a short biography. Also included are short talks, a letter from Africa, 1925 (idealism and obstacles), a paper in praise of Helser, 1930 Garkida via Jos, Nigeria, 1962 reference to Kermit Eby’s illness. Note – William is the son of I. N. H. Beam and brother to Anna Mow.

 

Folder Number 5 - Bittinger, Desmond – Correspondence with Desmond Bittinger, Managing Editor of The Gospel Messenger (circa 1944) and would become president of McPherson College. Discussion includes an article by R. MacCauley, 4 May 1946 which might have reflected badly on Church of the Brethren related institutions.

 

Folder Number 6 – Blough, Carman G.  Correspondence with Carman Blough of the War Production Board, Washington, D.C. (circa 1943-1944).  Bough compliments Schwalm on his article, “Manchester College and the War.” Carman, an alumnus of Manchester College, was honored with an honorary degree on 6 May 1944.  In addition to Carman, honorary degrees were also conferred upon his brother, Roy Blough and upon H. L. Hartsough. – Blough Roy, M. C. U. S. Office of the Treasury, 12 April 1946, commendation from Schwalm regarding a letter from C. L. Christenson of the I. U. Department of Economics, “You may be interested in knowing that your alumnus, Dr. Blough, distinguished himself at the conference and was clearly one of the outstanding reasons for its success….”

 

Folder Number 7 – Bollinger, Russell, circa 1943 – 1945 – Ashland College, Ashland Ohio.  Correspondence between Schwalm and Russell Bollinger. Also included is a resume written by Bollinger in 1941.  Bollinger did come to Manchester to teach Education and Psychology 1946 – 1972.

 

Folder Number 8Boitnott, John – Dean of McPherson College – WWII hardships and McPherson College, (1941 – 1945).

 

Folder Number 9 Bonsack, Charles– Advisory Secretary and also General Secretary of the General Mission Board, Church of the Brethren.  Letter of 17 June 1943, Otho Winger suffered a slight stroke.  Letter of 29 February 1944, Winger broken and weakened.  Letter of 17 August 1946, death of Winger and story regarding Winger and R. E. Arnold […I can recall many scraps between he (Arnold) and Winger, they would hit each other hard, but would usually go to lunch together and laugh it off.  I admire that spirit.  He respected Winger deeply].  1942 – WWII college administrative plan of action. 27 June 1952 commentary on Schwalm’s book on Otho Winger and mention of the sudden death of Brother Brougher.  1942 death of Calvin Ulery.  Member of the Manchester College Board of Trustees.  Effects of WWII on the college.

 

Folder Number 10 –

Bowman, Walter and Frances – 12 February 1947 correspondence between Schwalm and theBowman’s who were working in Carrara, Italy following WWII.   Frances writes, “We find Italy terribly poor and many families are destitute. Carrara, especially, suffers a great deal, because it is a one industry town.  Marble is the city’s life blood, and before, during, and since the war there was no export for it, machinery was destroyed.  I often wonder how people can live in such misery…”  Schwalm writes, “We have over 800 students, as diverse in character and kind as you could possibly find.  Every chapel seat is filled from the front row to the very last one, with restless, shifting students, many of them do not have too much in common…”

 

Folder Number 11 – Bowman, Paul – President of Bridgewater College, Bridgewater, Virginia.

May 1932 Mount Morris College debate – distribution of student territory.  In 1932 Schwalm is president of McPherson College.  He is disturbed about how the merger of Mt. Morris College with Manchester College took place and the division of Mount Morris College territory between the same.

Other topics include Church of the Brethren Mission Board materials.

General Education Board materials.

12 August 1944 – meeting educational needs for boys (men) returning from CPS camps.

Training school credit to boys in Civilian Public Service.

Letter by Bowman to Andrew Cordier, 1943.  Blue Ridge College Assets.

Rationing, 1942.

War (WWII) crisis in our colleges.

 

Folder Number 12 – Bowman, Rufus – President of Bethany Biblical Seminary. 

Correspondence regarding the work of the Foreign Mission Commission about the work of missionaries China, Africa and India.

E. B. Hoff Memorial Lectures at Bethany.

Complimentary letter regarding Dr. Jesse Ziegler [21 April 1950].

1943 – Status of male and female students on campus and the reduction of expenses.

Other letters.

 

Folder Number 13 – Bowman, Warren – President of Bridgewater College.  Two Bowman’s served as President of Bridgewater, Paul and Warren. Warren is Rufus Bowman’s brother.  Rufus was President of Bethany Biblical Seminary.  Warren was pastor at the Washington City Church of the brethren before taking on the Bridgewater presidency. Correspondence between Warren and Schwalm.

 

Folder Number 14

Part One– Brandt, H. A. – Managing Editor, “The Gospel Messenger.” Correspondence-1942 and 1943.

Part Two – Breidenstine, A. G. – Secretary for the General Education Board of the Church of the Brethren, 1943 correspondence with reference to a survey covering five major phases of financial problems: Legal Ownership; Financial Policies; Support from the COB; Financial Aid to Students; Further Follow-Up.

 

Folder Number 15 – Bright, Daniel.  Correspondence from 1926 through 1963 between (J. D.),  John Daniel and Grace Bright, and the Schwalm’s.  Note: The Brights were friends of Roy Blough. It appears as if the Brights were at Manchester College with Forbes Norris, Andrew Cordier and Vernon Schwalm?

 

Folder Number 16 – Correspondence:

Brower, W. H., 1945.

Brumbaugh, A. J.  University of Chicago, Graduate School of Education - 1941 – 1945.

Brumbaugh, Juniata College, 1930.

Byerly, D. M. – Funeral by Schwalm.

Byerly, C. C. – Superintendent West Chicago Public Schools.

Bowers, Marjorie – correspondence 1960 – regarding Schwalm’s book on Otho Winger – this letter is stapled to a letter from C. C. Byerly and can be found with the C. C. Byerly letters in this folder.

Byerly, Carl L., Clayton Public Schools, Missouri, 1945 letter to Schwalm – “I have long felt that Manchester needed to be revitalized, to shed certain shackles of provincialism, if not orthodoxy, in order to reach its true stature among its peers.  While your program evidently does not disturb the religious course it certainly makes a seven-league stride in the Liberal Arts area and one which I thoroughly endorse.”

 

Folder Number 17 – Correspondence:

Barnhart, Wilbur, 1928.

Bechdolt, Rev. B. M., 1927.

Butler, Kathie, 1946

Letter to Leland Brubaker from Kurtis Friend Naylor, 1946, re:  Visit with June and Claude Wolfe in Ecuador. Discussion about Ecuador and relationship with the Church of the Brethren Mission Board.

Letter of support to the Probate Court [D.Fleckenstein, 1956] regarding Brembeck adoption request.

Bosley, Harold – Schwalm letter, 1956, praising Bosley’s sermon delivered at Manchester.

Wenger R. C. - 1929 – The Trustees’ emphasis on fundamentalism has pushed Wenger out of a job at Manchester College.

Wolfe, Claude – 1947 correspondence to and from Castaner, Purto Rico and Quito, Ecuador. 1946 letter inquiring if Manchester needs a coach or an individual in the physical education department?

Other letter from the Wolfe family dated March 15 (?).

 

Folder Number 18 – Correspondence and Article:

“H. C. Early and Great Preaching,” article composed by Schwalm with letter to Kenneth Morse for possible inclusion in the Messenger.

Eddy, Sherwood, 1939 – letter of appeal for John Rothschild’s, The Open Road.

Ellison, Robert, 1966 – Carl Burt Recognition Day, 15 May 1966. Nice words about Burt.

Heibert, Elma Minnick, 1942 letters to Schwalm from McPherson, Kansas regarding her husband, Franklin, who left for Coast Guard duty, and Elma’s desires to continue her teaching career.  Some newsy segments about teachers and alumni.

Emmert, Mrs. – letter announcing engagement to C. C. Price and plans to move to Florida, 1941.

Esbensen, Erna Pottenger, MC alumna – letter of recommendation, 1966.

 

Folder Number 19 – Schwalm Correspondence  [circa 1929 – 1950] with Charles C. Ellis, President and President Emeritus of Juniata College:

21 and 24 May 1932 - Mount Morris College issue, 1932 – Apparently, Winger and Davis, and some others in a position of authority at Mt. Morris, overlooked the potential input of the Educational Board – and arranged for Mt. Morris to merge with Manchester College. Winger called the Board, “a useless piece of machinery.”  – Protest by Schwalm – proper division of Mount Morris territory.

1940 -  Handwritten offer to Schwalm to take a position at Juniata.

1941 - Warm letter to Schwalm at start of Vernon’s Manchester College presidency.

1943 - Schwalm’s honorary degree from Juniata – see also Juniata College “Bulletin,” Spring 1943, Vol. XL.

WWII Era - Commiseration with the dilemma of college men during World War II.  – Materials discussing a variety of issues between brethren educational leaders, such as; college curriculum, Civilian Public Service – meeting with General Hershey

Church of the Brethren conflicts – discussions around Annual Conference - the function of the Educational Board.

Newspaper article with the Baccalaureate Sermon presented by President C. C. Ellis at Juniata College – wartime movie and advertisements.

Memorial brochure for C. C. Ellis – 1987 – 1950 listing his achievements and printing statements of appreciation.

1944 and 1947 letters from President Emeritus Ellis to Schwalm.

1950 letter from Henry Gibbel, Juniata Board of Trustees, announcing the death of C. C. Ellis.  Ellis dies on 27 June 1950.  He had served the college from 1898 to 1943 and was the second person to receive a Bachelor of Arts degree from Juniata.

 

Folder Number 20 – Schwalm Correspondence with Calvert N. Ellis, President of Juniata College:

C. N. Ellis was the son of C. C. Ellis. C. N. fathered his father as President of Juniata College.  C. N. served as president from 1943-1968. This correspondence between Schwalm and C. N. covers approximately the years 1942 through 1971.  Topics include U.S. politics, issues related to Church of the Brethren college presidents, the Church of the Brethren annual conferences and areas of church debate, sharing of personal life events, writing, commentary, reflections, and speeches.  Included is a biography of Calvert N. Ellis written by President A. Blair Helman in 1968.  Also, the collection contains a confidential letter regarding the proposal of a Brethren Basketball tournament to be held at Manchester College and the feasibility of such a plan.

 

Date of Accession11 September 2013
Archivist Note

Schwalm's folders came to the Archives in 2006 when President Jo Young Switzer was moving into her office and what was to be known as "the President's Attic" was discovered.  Multiple boxes of  materials came to the Archives from the "attic."  2006 was my first year as Archivist and much needed to be done.  Describing the contents of the boxes in detail had to be put on hold until the summer of 2013. As he got older, Schwalm's eyesight deteriorated, until he was practically blind.  It is my opinon that he tried to organize these files (large lettered notes) - and that he might have tried to work with an assistant (filing cabinet organizational chart) - but that the job never go done. Kay Batdorf, administrative assistant for President Helman, remembers that they came to Helman's office, and that Helman never let anyone look at them. More work needs to be done in describing this correspondence.  There is a wealth of information included here, some not previously seen, including the controversy over the merger of Mount Morris College with Manchester (while Schwalm was President of McPherson), Winger's turbulant last years as President, as well as decades of letters between Schwalm and Cordier that include behind-the-scenes accounts of the United Nations during the Congo uprising and Kennedy's plan to end the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Description prepared 12 Setpember 2013 by Jeanine M. Wine.

 


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