Folders Number 144a – 144f  – Church of the Brethren Related Materials:

144a - Schwalm’s notes for the “Rededication of the Baugo Church!”  My memories of the Baugo Church go back as far as I remember anything at all.  I was first brought here in my mother’s arms more than 60 years ago.  A little later I remember when we drove a whole load of us here from our home in Peru township of St. Joseph Co., in a double seated carriage drawn by two work horses – perhaps old George and Queen…

144b –

Schwalm’s Notes – “Backgrounds of Brethren History.”

The 250^th Anniversary of the Founding of the Church – Program and Speakers, 1958.

Schwalm’s address at the opening program in Germantown, “The Mind of Christ Revealed.”

Annual Conference Program Committee Minutes, 1957.

Program Committee correspondence, 1957.

Booklets published for the 250^th Anniversary of the  Church of the Brethren-

“A Message From Christopher Sauer,” “A Message From Alexander Mack,” “A Message From John Kline.”

Schwalm’s notes, probably while on the Program Committee – listing methods or devices of delivering the 250^th message.

Bibliography for Brethren Background Study, prepared by Dr. V. F. Schwalm.

Another Bibliography on the history of the Church of the Brethren.

Notes taken on January 10, 1958 for the Middle Indiana District of the Church of the Brethren Anniversary Committee.

“The Story of Our Church” – question sheet.

144c – “Alexander Mack’s Teachings,” by Schwalm. 

144d – Correspondence with Ken Morse and Ora Garber at the Church of the Brethren General  Offices in Elgin, regarding materials Schwalm is writing primarily for The Gospel Messenger (1957-1969).

144e –

Joint Meeting of Annual Conference Program and Arrangement Committee for Annual Conference 1953.

Preparations.

Schwalm’s speech.

Letter – W. Newton Long.

Letter – Zeller – the Brotherhood Fund disbursements.

Materials from the General Brotherhood Board.  Report of the General Brotherhood Board.

Leland Brubaker  - Report of the Foreign Mission Commission to the Committee on Goals and Program, 1952.

Brotherhood Fund Disbursements, Year Ended September 30, 1952.

Bulletins and items from the Colorado Springs Annual Conference, 21 June 1953.

Ora De Lauter correspondence, Ex. Secretary of the Southeastern Regional Board.

Standing Committee delegates.

Edward Zigler letter.

144f – J. Miller, Brethren Publishing House, 1941, regarding  Miller’s publication, “The Story of Our Church – a history for our young people. He congratulates Schwalm about his work at McPherson and for his new position at Manchester.  He wants to confirm the history of past presidents at McPherson. An outline is given that appears to be questions developed for each chapter.

144g – Miscellaneous:

Siegfried Leffler, Pfarrer, 1958 – German pastor writing letter of thanks to the Church of the Brethren for a donation of 35 dollars for the peace bell [translation from the internet and may not be accurate]. The letter continues and mentions Mr. Peters and Professor Royer.  Harl Russell, Secretary, Brotherhood Fund, General Brotherhood Board, 1953, regarding Schwalm’s reflections as moderator of Annual Conference that were published in the 1 August 1953 Messenger.

Folder Number 145 – Correspondence with individuals at the Church of the Brethren General Brotherhood Board, Elgin, Illinois, including but not limited to: Harold Rowe (1960’s), Loren Bowman (circa 1960), Norman Baugher, Henry Long (the 1960’s), Harold Row (circa1957), Ruth Shriver (1945-1947), Don Snider (1947). This file needs more organization.

Folder Number 146 – Correspondence about Church of the Brethren Related Issues:

Schwalm to Studebaker (1947) – rebuking an article in the Christian Century as a “ridiculous mistake.” The article asks whether the young people in the Church of the Brethren are more or less “pacifist” than their elders.  Studebaker writes a response. …To train every young man to accept the ultimate necessity of war is in my judgment not only completely wicked but subversive of every good thing.

Letter from Snavely, 1947 and Schwalm’s reply regarding Schwalm’s article in the Gospel Messenger, “The Lay Forces of the Church…” Snavely writes …Our men’s groups, are a hopeless group of energy.

1950 letter from C. C. Ellis regarding dissatisfaction with our (the Church of the Brethren’s) Federal Council status and what to do about it? Schwalm’s notes regarding a solution.

Page two[undated] of Schwalm letter that apparently deals with the cooperation of the Church of the Brethren with the National Council of Churches, the World Council of Churches and various international missionary organizations.

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 20 September 2013 by Jeanine M. Wine.