US-RPB-of1ZC.1 Guide to the Chaplain's Office Records circa 1958-1997 Finding aid prepared by Brown University Library staff Processing funded by a grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission. Brown University Archives
John Hay Library Box A Brown University Providence, RI, 02912 (401) 863-2148 email:archives@brown.edu
2012 September 27 This finding aid was produced using the Archivists' Toolkit 2013 January 22 English Finding aid based on Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS) Chaplain's Office records OF.1ZC.1 John Hay Library Special Collections
Box A Brown University Providence, RI 02912 Tel: 401-863-2146 email: hay@brown.edu
English 5.5 Linear feet circa 1958-1997 The Chaplain's Office records contain materials related to the operation of the Office from circa 1958 to 1997. The collection includes information regarding Manning Chapel, religious services, preachers, offerings, Christmas Carol Service, and service projects in Africa, Brazil, Costa Rica and Honduras. Brown University. Office of the Chaplains and Religious Life. Chaplain's Office Records Administrative History

Brown presidents until 1926 were ordained Baptist ministers, and Brown's religious life until the 1950s was largely concerned with compulsory chapel attendance (or the lack thereof) and the ad hoc organization of various religious groups. In 1952, a special committee of the Corporation recommended the formation of a formal chaplaincy, thus recognizing that the chaplain was "an important official of the University, a spiritual counsellor [sic] to the entire student body, and an overall supervisor of all religious activities of the University including the chapel services and relations with neighboring churches."

The title of Chaplain was created in 1942 for Dr. Arthur L. Washburn, who for some years had been performing the duties of the office. Dr. Washburn, rector of St. Martin's Church in Providence, had been living among the students in Brunonia Hall, which was a privately operated dormitory. He was invited to remain after Brown purchased the dormitory. He gave up his parish and began to teach modern languages at Brown in 1929. He was a regular attendant at Chapel every morning and every day acquired a list of sick students and visited them in the infirmary or hospital. He became a Resident Counsellor in 1935 and Chaplain in 1942. When Washburn retired in 1947, his place was assumed by William J. Robbins, a Baptist minister, who joined the faculty of the Department of Biblical Literature and became its chairman in 1950. The Office of the Chaplain was created in 1952, and in July of that year Edgar C. Reckard, a Presbyterian minister, was appointed chaplain and assistant professor in the Department of Religious Studies. The recommendations of a special committee on religion appointed by the Corporation at this time perceived the chaplain as an important official of the University, a spiritual counsellor to the entire student body, and an overall supervisor of all religious activities of the University including the chapel services and relations with neighboring churches. The Brown and Pembroke Christian Associations were brought under the Chaplain's office with funding from the University. Reckard was succeeded in 1958 by Charles A. Baldwin, a 1950 graduate of Illinois College with a Bachelor of Divinity degree from Yale, who came to Providence as assistant minister of Central Congregational Church.

In 1954 Bishop John S. Higgins appointed Rev. Samuel Wylie the first full-time Episcopal chaplain to Brown and other local colleges, forming the Episcopal College Church. With his office at St. Stephen's Church Reverend Wylie served until 1958, and was followed by Canon Crocker from 1959 to 1969, and Rev. Sheldon Flory from 1970 to 1974. Church services were held at an appointed hour at St. Stephen’s Church. In 1971 the Episcopal College Church merged with the Protestant congregation of Manning Chapel to form the University Church, which continued the services in St. Stephen's. A difference over the ecumenical nature of the services caused the removal of the services to Manning Chapel in April 1974. Reverend David Ames became the new Episcopal chaplain in 1974 and brought the University Church back to St. Stephen's in 1975, where it remained until 1980. Leaving this time because the facilities were needed by St. Stephen’s at the time appointed for the University Church, the student group returned once more to Manning Hall.

Catholic priests Edward Mullen and Daniel Kehew served as chaplains before 1967, when Father Howard V. O'Shea became the first full-time Catholic chaplain. He was given office space in Faunce House, living quarters in the Graduate Center, and a small budget provided by St. Francis Chapel in Providence. Local alumni founded the Thomas Beckett Foundation to raise funds to meet a challenge for a grant from the Diocese of Providence. In 1975 Miriam Wolcott was the first laywoman to be a full-time Catholic chaplain in Rhode Island. Later Catholic chaplains were Rev. David Inman, who came in 1976 and Rev. Richard Perry since 1991. Sister of Mercy Mary Lomax came to supply the Catholic chaplaincy in 1983, while David Inman was acting director of student activities. Gwen Hofmann became a Catholic lay chaplain in 1989.

Nancy Simons, who was director of religious activities at Pembroke, became assistant chaplain in 1965. Other chaplains who were appointed with special interest in women's issues were Beverly Edwards, who was appointed a lay chaplain in 1969 and was ordained a minister of the United Church of Christ in 1976, Rabbi Cathy Felix appointed assistant chaplain in 1980, and Flora A. Keshgegian, an Episcopal priest, who was named associate chaplain in 1984.

Julius Scott, an ordained minister of the Methodist Church, came to Brown in 1963 as executive secretary of the Brown Christian Association, became assistant chaplain in 1965, and was acting chaplain during Chaplain Baldwin's leave of absence in 1965-1966, and left in 1967 to become assistant director of the Southern Fellowships Fund for Negro colleges. Rev. Bennett Owens was acting chaplain of the Episcopal College Church during Canon Crocker's leave in 1965-1966. Richard A. Dannenfelser, a Presbyterian minister, became assistant chaplain in 1967 and associate chaplain in 1970. He took an active part in protests against the Vietnam war and taught a course in topics of human sexuality. After he was terminated in 1980, when the staff of the Chaplain's Office was reduced, he worked for a brief time in the office of the dean of student life. In 1971 Rabbi Richard Marker became an additional Jewish chaplain with his appointment financed by Brown, National Hillel, and the Jewish Federation in Providence. He was succeeded by Rabbi Alan C. Flam, who became director of Hillel and assistant chaplain in 1982.

The first chaplain for minority students was Geoffrey Black, appointed in 1974. In 1968 Reverend Herbert O. Edwards, then an assistant in the Religious Studies department, had informally served as a chaplain for black students. Later minority chaplains were Reverend Darryl Smaw, a Baptist minister appointed in 1978, and Daphne Wiggins, also a Baptist minister, from 1985 to 1991.

In 1983 a report on the chaplaincy concluded that the position of coordinating chaplain should be established and supported by the University, and that the University seek funding for chaplains with special responsibilities. A capital campaign under the leadership of Joseph Ress raised $1.5 million for endowment for both the University Chaplain and also for Episcopal, Jewish, and Roman Catholic chaplaincies. Chaplain Baldwin's successor, Janet Cooper Nelson, ordained in the United Church of Christ, was appointed in 1990, becoming the first woman University Chaplain in the Ivy League.

 General files Series I circa 1969-1984 American Jewish Committee - RISCC 1 I.1 Big Mother 1 I.2 Blacks at Brown - Chitsulo, et al 1 I.3 Brown's Civic Responsibilities Report 1 I.4 Brown Community Peace Outreach 1 I.5 Campus Ministry - Chicago Paper 1 I.6 Chaplain Intern Position 1 I.7 1984 Chaplain's Colloquia 1 I.8 Children's Friend and Service 1 I.9 Churches Concerned 1 I.10 Criterion - University of Chicago 1 I.11 Faculty Discussion Group 1 I.12 Foreign Students and Faculty 1 I.13 Foundation Proposals 2 I.14 Jacob 2 I.15 Jewish Chaplain 2 I.16 1969-1971 Las Vegas 2 I.17 1980 December 3 Magrath Committee 2 I.18 Magrath Committee Student Conduct at Brown University Report 2 I.19 ROTC 2 I.20 South Africa 2 I.21 South Africa 2 I.22 South African Banks 2 I.23 Tuesday School 2 I.24 Chaplain's Committee Series II circa 1966-1968 Baldwin, Charles A - "Campus Ministry" (speech) 3 II.1 Chaplain's Committee - Formation 3 II.2 Chaplain's Committee, Notebook 3 II.3 1966-1968 Chaplain's Committee 3 II.4 1966 Chaplain's Committee 3 II.5 1967 Chaplain's Committee 3 II.6 1968 Creative Worship in Manning Chapel 3 II.7 Episcopal Chaplaincy 3 II.8 Francis, Richard Lee - Report to Chaplain's Committee 3 II.9 1968 Feb Johnson, Major L. - Brown's Civic Responsibility 3 II.10 1967 Manning Chapel Series III circa 1958-1967 Manning Chapel 4 III.1 1958-1959 Manning Chapel 4 III.2 1959-1960 Manning Chapel - Fall 4 III.3 1960 Manning Chapel 4 III.4 1960-1961 Manning Chapel 4 III.5 1961-1962 Manning Chapel 4 III.6 1962-1963 Manning Chapel 4 III.7 1964-1965 Manning Chapel 4 III.8 1965-1966 Manning Chapel 4 III.9 1966-1967 Manning Chapel - Prayers 4 III.10 1959 Communion Service Offering Plates 5 III.11 Executive Board 5 III.12 Manning Chapel Choirs 5 III.13 Manning Chapel Construction 5 III.14 Manning Chapel Lent 5 III.15 1961 Manning Chapel Lent 5 III.16 1962 Manning Chapel Lent 5 III.17 1963 Solicitations 5 III.18 Staff 5 III.19 Religious services Series IV circa 1962-1997 Manning Chapel, Sunday Worship 6 IV.1 Morning Worship 6 IV.2 1962-1963 Morning Worship 6 IV.3 1963-1964 Morning Worship 6 IV.4 1964-1965 Morning Worship 6 IV.5 1965-1966 Morning Worship 6 IV.6 1966-1967 Morning Worship 6 IV.7 1967-1968 Morning Worship 6 IV.8 1968-1969 Morning Worship 6 IV.9 1969-1970 Morning Worship 6 IV.10 1970-1971 Protestant Worship Programs 7 IV.11 1993-1994 Protestant Worship Programs 7 IV.12 1994-1995 Protestant Worship Programs 7 IV.13 1995-1996 Protestant Worship Programs 7 IV.14 1996-1997 Brother Antoninus 8 IV.15 Lectionary 8 IV.16 Order of Services 8 IV.17 1967-1969 Order Of Services 8 IV.18 1971-1972 Order of Services 8 IV.19 1972-1973 Order of Services 8 IV.20 1973-1974 Order of Services 8 IV.21 1974-1975 University Church Afro-American Caucus 8 IV.22 1972 Preachers Series V 1962-1969 Sunday preachers 9 V.1 1962-1963 Sunday preachers 9 V.2 1963-1964 Sunday preachers 9 V.3 1964-1965 Sunday preachers 9 V.4 1965-1966 Sunday preachers 9 V.5 1966-1967 Sunday preachers 10 V.6 1967-1968 Sunday preachers, Fall 10 V.7 1968 Sunday preachers Spring 10 V.8 1969 Sunday preachers A-C 10 V.9 Sunday preachers D-G 10 V.10 Sunday preachers H-I 10 V.11 Sunday preachers J-M 10 V.12 Sunday preachers N-P 10 V.13 Sunday preachers R-S 10 V.14 Sunday preachers T-Y 10 V.15 Offerings Series VI 1962-1968 Offerings 11 VI.1 1962-1963 Offerings 11 VI.2 1963-1964 Offerings 11 VI.3 1964-1965 Offerings 11 VI.4 1965-1966 Offerings 11 VI.5 1966-1967 Offerings 11 VI.6 1967-1968 Offerings - Misc 11 VI.7 Christmas Carol Service Series VII 1963-1973 Nine Lessons with Carols 12 VII.1 1963 Nine Lessons with Carols 12 VII.2 1964 Nine Lessons with Carols 12 VII.3 1965 Nine Lessons with Carols 12 VII.4 1966 Nine Lessons with Carols 12 VII.5 1967 Nine Lessons with Carols 12 VII.6 1968 Nine Lessons with Carols 12 VII.7 1969 Nine Lessons with Carols 12 VII.8 1970 Nine Lessons with Carols 12 VII.9 1972 Nine Lessons with Carols 12 VII.10 1973 Service projects Series VIII 1967-1970, undated Brazil 13 VIII.1 Costa Rica 13 VIII.2 Crossroads - Africa 13 VIII.3 undated Crossroads - Africa 13 VIII.4 1967 Crossroads - Africa 13 VIII.5 1968 Crossroads - Africa (forms) 13 VIII.6 1968 Crossroads - Africa 13 VIII.7 1969 Honduras 13 VIII.8 undated LASP applications 13 VIII.9 1970 LASP organization 13 VIII.10 1970 Collection information

The Chaplain's Office records have been organized in eight series: I. General files II. Chaplain's Committee III. Manning Chapel IV. Religious services V. Preachers VI. Offerings VII. Christmas Carol Service VIII. Service projects

The Chaplain's Office records contains materials related to the operation of the Chaplain's Office at Brown University from circa 1958 to 1997. The records are organized in eight series:

Series I. General files inlcude materials related to the Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC), South Africa, Blacks at Brown, and the Magrath Committee (Advisory Committee on Student Conduct) report. Files are arranged alphabetically and date from circa 1969-1984.

Series II. Chaplain's Committee comprise various committee reports, notes, and speeches, circa 1966 to 1968.

Series III. Manning Chapel includes materials related to Lenten services, various solicitations, and staffing. The files are arranged alphabetically by topic and date from circa 1958 to 1967.

Series IV. Religious services comprises records related to worship services, the University Church Afro-American Caucus, and Brother Antoninus (the poet William Everson). The series is arranged alphabetically by topic and materials date from circa 1962 to 1997.

Series V. Preachers is dated from 1962 to 1969. The first half of this series is arranged chronologically; the second half is arranged alphabetically by name.

Series VI. Offerings is arranged chronologically and is dated from 1962 to 1968.

Series VII. Christmas Carol Service contains materials regarding the "Nine Lessons with Carols". It is arranged chronologically from 1963 to 1973.

Series VIII. Service projects contains materials related to service projects in Africa, Brazil, Costa Rica and Honduras. It is dated from 1967 to 1970.

There are no restrictions on access, except that the collection can only be seen by prior appointment. Some materials may be stored off-site and cannot be produced on the same day on which they are requested.

Although Brown University has physical ownership of the collection and the materials contained therein, it does not claim literary rights. Researchers should note that compliance with copyright law is their responsibility. Researchers must determine the owners of the literary rights and obtain any necessary permissions from them.

Chaplain's Office Records, OF.1ZC.1, Brown University Archives.

 Administrative information

Additional information

Names Brown University. Office of the Chaplains and Religious Life. Subjects College chaplains Universities and colleges--Chapel exercises Occupations Chaplains Types of Materials Administrative records RIAMCO Browsing Term Religion