MS – 230: Young Men’s Christian Association of Pennsylvania College Papers, 1867-1872

In 1867, President H. L. Baugher appointed Tutor Henry Eyster Jacobs (Class of 62) to chair a student committee to draw up a constitution for an organization through which students could learn about and support Christian missions. March 16, 1867, the Young Men’s Christian Association of Pennsylvania College was formed with Edward S. Breidenbaugh (Class of 1868) as its first president. With an early membership of 40, the association meet monthly, then quickly moved to weekly programs including prayer meetings, bible study, and lectures. Over the years, they supported the work of the Y. M. C.A. of Pennsylvania, several foreign missions, conducted services in the local poorhouse, held public lectures, and worked for temperance The Y.M.C.A. was the precursor to the Student Christian Association that functioned on this campus until 1965 when it merged with the Chapel Council to become one body. Chiefly an organization for inquiry concerning missions, the Y. M. C. A. of Pennsylvania College members wrote letters to foreign missionaries requesting details of mission work. Folder 1 contains letters from missionaries in Indian, Japan, Syria, Turkey, and China, as well as a “home missionary” in St. Louis, Missouri. Some respondents wrote of the importance of the work in general and a few wrote details of their personal missionary work. The rest of the papers contain business correspondence with Executive Committee of the Y.M.C.A. of Pennsylvania and other Y.M.C.A. organizations, as well as letters from local ministers contacted to speak before the group. These records, 1867-1872, are the only extant records of the association until 1946-1965, For those papers, see Record Group 3.4 Office of the Chaplain, Series I: Student Christian Association. Special Collections and College Archives Finding Aids are discovery tools used to describe and provide access to our holdings. Finding aids include historical and biographical information about each collection in addition to inventories of their content. More information about our collections can be found on our website http://www.gettysburg.edu/special_collections/collections/.https://cupola.gettysburg.edu/findingaidsall/1196/thumbnail.jp

Plaque in Christ Chapel

We see them every day and pass them as we rush to class. Painting, monuments, and even old photographs that remind us of Gettysburg’s past. They have become so commonplace that we hardly spare a second glance for them so that they start to fade into the general scenery, eventually losing their meaning and with that, the rich history that they denote. What if one could turn back the clock and return to the beginning of freshman year when every sign and monument was new, worth our attention and more importantly, our curiosity? Although Gettysburg College is well steeped in history, it is meaningless unless one takes the time to uncover and try to understand the object. Let us examine the Reverend Adam Long memorial plaque in Christ Chapel to illustrate the rich history and present day reality that lies right in front of us. [excerpt] Course Information: Course Title: HIST 300: Historical Method Academic Term: Fall 2006 Course Instructor: Dr. Michael J. Birkner \u2772 Hidden in Plain Sight is a collection of student papers on objects that are hidden in plain sight around the Gettysburg College campus. Topics range from the Glatfelter Hall gargoyles to the statue of Eisenhower and from historical markers to athletic accomplishments. You can download the paper in pdf format and click View Photo to see the image in greater detail.https://cupola.gettysburg.edu/hiddenpapers/1006/thumbnail.jp

Book Review:\u3cem\u3ePilgrimage of Awakening: The Extraordinary Lives of Murray and Mary Rogers\u3c/em\u3e

Book Review of Pilgrimage of Awakening: The Extraordinary Lives of Murray and Mary Rogers. By Mary V. T. Cattan. Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 2016, 421 pages

Billy Graham: Life and Legacy

This 5-page overview summarizes Billy Graham\u27s life and impact, and situates him within the American evangelical tradition