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A Collection of the Professional and Personal Papers of Paul Neff Garber: The Garber Collection 1899-1972

Access and use

Location of collection:: Randolph-Macon College

McGraw-Page Library

Randolph Macon College

P.O. Box 5005

305 Henry Street

Ashland, VA 23005

Contact for questions and access:: POC: Laurie Preston

Email: lpreston@rmc.edu

Phone: (804) 752-4718

Email: archives@rmc.edu

Phone: (804) 752-3203

Fax: (804) 752-7345

Web: library.rmc.edu/specialcollections

Restrictions:: Collection is open to research.
Terms of access:: There are no restrictions.

Preferred citation:: The Paul Neff Garber Papers, McGraw-Page Library, Randolph-Macon College, Ashland, Va.

Summary

Language:: English
Preferred citation:: The Paul Neff Garber Papers, McGraw-Page Library, Randolph-Macon College, Ashland, Va.

Background

Scope and content:

The Garber Papers include a plethora of materials ranging from Garber's birth to his death. These materials include personal items such as diaries and correspondences, professional items from his work as bishop in both Europe and the United States, lecture notes, research notes and typed scripts of sermons and lectures.

His personal life from birth to his election as bishop. This will also include some data on personal items throughout his lifetime; also addenda concerning his death.

Garber's Episcopacy in Europe. These documents shed light upon the overall situation in Europe and the work that the Methodist Church was doing there. Included are Garber's correspondences, reports, and articles on his travels and work in the Geneva Episcopacy.

The Austria Conference: includes correspondences with European officials, European churches, and colleagues. Along with the correspondences are essays written by Garber and others about Christianity's movements in Austria.

The Belgium Conference: includes information on Belgium Methodism from Garber and others, correspondences concerning relief projects for Belgium, personal correspondence, and correspondence with European preachers.

The Bulgaria Conference: Correspondences concerning the struggle of the Bulgarian Church, correspondences, and reports concerning the persecution of the Methodists in Bulgaria. The files document the arrests and trials of Protestant Ministers.

The Czechoslovakian Conference: Includes articles and reports by Garber and others concerning the post-war state of Czechoslovakia along with correspondences between Garber and Czechoslovakian churchmen. Much of the material deals with Czechoslovakian reconstruction and other post-war aid.

The German Conference: Includes German Methodist Church records, correspondences, and articles concerning the state of the German Methodist Church.

The Hungarian Conference: Includes Documentation of Garber's travels through Hungary, accounts of the work done in Hungary through the Church, appeals for aid, and correspondences.

The Italian and Spanish Conferences: The vast majority of these documents deals with the Methodist Church in Italy. These documents include correspondences concerning financial aid for churches, reports on the Methodist Church in Italy and Spain, and documents in Italian and Spanish.

The Yugoslavian Conference: Correspondence from Yugoslavian leaders, reports and letters from the Yugoslavian Methodist Church and its leaders.

The North African Conference: Includes correspondences indicating an effort by Garber and others to bring more focus to North Africa. Other documents highlight the Methodist mission efforts in North Africa and the state of Methodism there.

The Polish Conference: Correspondences with leaders of the Polish Methodist Church along with reports on the church and the leaders.

Includes correspondences and reports from Methodist leaders in Scandinavia; A few letters concerning the church in Latvia.

The Swiss Conference: Some correspondences from Garber's acquaintances, along with newspaper articles and his own reports concerning the Methodist Church in Switzerland.

Addresses given by Garber placing Methodism in the cultural contexts of various nations, including: North Africa, Belgium, Italy, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Hungary, Spain, and Eastern Orthodox countries. The addresses highlight the historical and modern challenges that Methodism faces.

Newspaper articles and manuscripts. Garber's account of travel to Geneva by ship and his initial experiences in Europe. Other articles on North Africa, Poland, and Germany.

Correspondences, Official Documents, and Passports which show the physical conditions and purposes of his travels in North Africa and Europe.

A wide array of Garber's correspondences with colleagues throughout Europe and in America.

Documents show the creation of the Crusade for Christ Scholarship and give examples of those who benefited from it.

A Telegram asking about Garber's arrest and indictment, letters to Garber expressing fear that the church may have to go under ground. These spark advance specials to Garber's episcopacy. Included is a outline of aid given to Poland, North Africa, and Belgium from the Charlotte District.

Documents concerning aid to Europe from the World Council of Churches. Several essays on the church in Europe, newspaper clippings about Garber's work, and correspondences.

Includes various correspondences noting the giving and receipt of aid for Europe along with newspaper clippings concerning European aid. Includes many documents on the Methodist Committee for Overseas Relief.

This includes correspondences, articles, and reports relevant to Garber's time in Geneva.

Mostly correspondence between Garber and his co-workers, includes a list of prominent Methodist workers in Europe and North Africa.

Correspondences, reports, and newspaper articles showing the direction Garber took the Virginia and North Carolina Methodist conferences during his time as Bishop.

Correspondences, reports, and articles concerning the work done during Garber's time as bishop of the Virginia conference. Much of the material documents Garber's campaign for Methodist educational institutions, from which Virginia Wesleyan College sprung.

Correspondences and several newspaper articles featuring Garber and his work in the North Carolina Conference. Several reports document the state and future of the Church in North Carolina.

Garber's correspondences with individuals and institutions concerning his role as a bishop and friend. Includes correspondences with Randolph-Macon College, other bishops, and churches both inside and outside of his conference.

Miscellaneous Documents From Garber's time as Bishop.

Correspondences and reports concerning church issues at the time (race, education, organization) and their roles at General Conference.

Material on the Jurisdictional system and the struggle to integrate the system through the elimination of the Central Jurisdiction. Also contains more general administrative material.

The Methodist Churches role in the social context of the time, along with Administrative concerns.

Correspondences, reports, and newspaper articles showing the bitter conflict over integration in the Virginia Conference of the Methodist Church.

Material concerning interdenominational cooperation in the church. National Council, World Council, Methodist World Council, American Council of Churhes, and Catholicism are all part of the file.

Various documents on Methodist Pastors and their relationships with their churches.

The Church's role in securing health care facilities for the residents of Tangier Island.

A few documents on the Methodist Church's opposition to the escalation of the conflict in Vietnam along with other cold-war issues.

Material that show the Methodist Church's specific role in Social issues of the time.

Materials demonstrating the fear the Methodist Church held of communism as a "subversive influence in Methodism."

Correspondences demonstrating the fear that communist ideas might be printed throughout the Methodist press.

Wide ranging materials including The Vatican, Red China, and Prayer in Public schools. Most material is correspondence pressuring Garber to act on the various issues.

Personal items.

Wide ranging personal correspondences.

Professional and Personal Correspondences along with official papers and reports.

Various Personal correspondences expressing Garber's views on the actions of his colleagues as well as outside correspondences and reports.

Appraisals, evaluations, and letters of appreciation from those in Garber's episcopacy, as well as his colleagues.

Letters expressing gratitude for all that the Garbers have done. Contains letters of kindness from all of the places Garber's work reached.

Evaluations, both good and bad, of Garber's work as a Bishop.

A wide range of personal and professional items: diaries, bank papers, reports, scrapbooks, etc.

Twenty One Volumes of Diaries dating from the years between 1945 and 1950. Also contains many very small date books Garber accumulated over the years.

The typed pages of the volumes of diaries from 1945-1950 with some editing.

Bulk Correspondence with Episcopal Colleagues: Flint, Leete, etc.

Materials on the Wesleyan Tradition.

Materials dealing with the prospect of a union of Methodists and Episcopalians, and more broadly a greater movement toward Church unity.

Correspondences, proposals, and pamphlets chronicle the steps toward the Unification of the E.U.B and Methodist churches.

Receipts, Bank Statements, and Ledger all showing how money was spent to rebuild the Methodist Church in Post-War Europe.

Various Cards, Gift Lists, and acknowledgements.

Many personal letters and cards; including wedding congratulations, appointments, holidays, and elections.

Various bank papers from America and Europe; a few of Garber's old checkbooks.

Information from many colleges in the South during Garber's time. Including Duke, Drew, Emory and Henry, and Randolph-Macon.

Garber's Scrapbooks containing photos correspondences, and personal cards.

Historical and Cultural Studies by Garber, Classroom Notes, and Speeches and Sermons used throughout his professional life.

Notes Garber used for preparing Sermons. Mostly verse explications and outlines.

Hand-written notes on the church, religions, and cultures.

Papers in Criminology, Religion, Race, and Sociology.

Notes used by Garber teaching Church History at Duke Divinity School.

Seventy-Five Typed Speeches by Garber: including sermons and addresses for many occasions.

Biographical / historical:

Bishop Paul Neff Garber 1899-1972 Paul Neff Garber was born in New Market, VA, the son of Samuel and Ida Garber. He was raised there and began his religious life attending The Church of the Brethren. He was an undergraduate at Bridgewater College and later received his Masters and Doctorate degrees from the University of Pennsylvania. He went on to teach history at the University of Pennsylvania, Brown University, and Duke University. In 1926, he became the first professor of church history at the newly opened Duke School of Religion. His career at Duke continued for 18 years, becoming the school's registrar in 1928 and dean in 1941. He was elected Bishop in 1944. At this point, he was assigned to the Geneva Area Episcopacy, which consisted of nine European countries and part of North Africa. Bishop Garber returned to the U.S. when he was assigned to the Richmond Area Conference in 1951, which consisted of Virginia and North Carolina. When the Raleigh Area Conference was created in 1964, Garber became its first bishop. He served there until his retirement in 1968, at which time he went back to Switzerland, having been commissioned by the Methodist World Council to write a history of the Methodist Church. His retirement here was pleasant, doing research among old friends and colleagues. He was nearly finished with this work when he suddenly passed away on December 18, 1972. History of Methodism in Europe was completed by Roy Short, a noted Methodist Historian, and was published in 1980. Garber wrote several other books, mainly on the history of the United Methodist Church.

Acquisition information:

The majority of the collection was a gift from Bishop Garber to the college in August of 1964, when he left Virginia, having been appointed Bishop of the North Carolina Conference. The remainder of the collection was donated by Mrs. May.

Arrangement:

The collection is divided into nine topical divisions and each topical division is divided either topically or chronologically.

Topical

Topical by nation or region

Chronological

Topical

Chronological

Topical

Physical description:

57 archival boxes along with 15 scrapbooks

Collection