Archival Collections

The Interdenominational Theological Center (ITC) was chartered in 1958, bringing together four denominational seminaries: Morehouse School of Religion (now Baptist School of Theology), Gammon Theological Seminary, Turner Theological Seminary, and Phillips School of Theology. Johnson C. Smith Theological Seminary, Charles H. Mason Theological Seminary, and Absalom Jones Theological Institute (now closed) later joined the consortium. Audio recordings span the years 1943 to 1969. Among the speakers are prominent ITC faculty and staff, including Harry V. Richardson and Charles Copher; clergy from other religious institutions, including Rabbi Jacob Rothschild and Bishop Edgar Amos Love; as well as students and other visiting dignitaries. Topics covered include preaching, church administration, Christian history, and theology. The photographs document students, alumni, faculty, presidents, campus life, campus events, and buildings of the founding institutions and the ITC, which was chartered in 1958.

The yearbook of the Interdenominational Theological Center chronicles the annual activities of the institutions. The respective schools are: Gammon Theological Seminary, The Morehouse School of Religion, Phillips School of Theology, and Turner Theological Seminary.

The Center was a publication of the Interdenominational Center in the interest of the Cooperating seminaries of I.T.C. (Gammon Theological School, Morehouse School Of Religion, Phillips School of Theology, and Turner Theological School), the alumni, and the Stewart Missionary Foundation of Africa.

The Foundation was published quarterly in the interest of Gammon Theological Seminary, the Alumni, and the Stewart Missionary Foundation for Africa.

The Lantern is an Alumni News publication. The newsletter is used to highlight the work of alumni, important dates, and general information about the activities of the institution.

Dr. Isaac Rufus Clark (1925-1990), the son of Reverend James H. and Lillian Clark was born February 15, 1925 in New Castle, Pennsylvania. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Wilberforce University in 1951, and in 1952, he received his Bachelor of Divinity degree from Payne Theological Seminary. Dr. Clark went on to receive his Ph.D. in Theology from Boston University in 1958. Clark was a lifelong member of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. He made public his call to the ministry in 1946, and in 1952 he was ordained as an elder.In 1962, Dr. Clark joined the faculty at the Interdenominational Theological Center as Professor of Homiletics and Director of Field Education. In recognition of his contributions as a professor and scholar, in 1975 he was chosen to be the first Fuller E. Callaway Professor of Homiletics at the Interdenominational Theological Center which he held until his death at the age of 64.

Dr. James H. Costen was a Presbyterian minister and educator, serving as president of the Interdenominational Theological Center (ITC) from 1983 to 1997. In 1969, he became the first Dean of the Johnson C. Smith Theological Seminary the only historically Black theological seminary of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Costen's records tell the story of an active educator and administrator with the papers providing rich resources in the study of African American religion and education in the South.

James Herbert Touchstone (1889-1975), an educator, scholar, and scientist, Touchstone worked as a Professor of Chemistry, Greek, and Latin at Clark University. In addition to his teaching career at Clark University, he was a Professor of Chemistry and football coach at Rust College, Samuel Houston College, and Philander Smith College, where he also served as Academic Dean and Director of Summer School. Beyond his work as an educator, Touchstone was an active member of the Methodist Church. He served as a teacher, Trustee, Steward, Superintendent of Church School, and as Church Lay Leader. The images in this collection range from 1915-1979.

James P. Brawley was born on September 26, 1894 in Lockhart, Texas. He taught at Rust College in Holly Springs, Mississippi before entering the Masters program Northwestern University, receiving a Masters of Arts in Religious Education in June of 1925. Brawley then took a job as head of the Department of Education and Religious Education at Clark University, becoming the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences in the fall of 1926, and President of Clark College in 1941 (Clark University became Clark College in 1940). On August 31, 1965, Brawley resigned as President and began his tenure as President Emeritus. He wrote a book on the history of Clark College, as well as a book on Methodism and the education of Black people. Outside of his work with Clark College, Brawley was an active member of the Methodist Church. He served on the President's Council of the Methodist Board of Education as well as several boards, commissions and committees related to social action and concerns. This collection features images and events from the life of James P. Brawley, and scenes around campus at Clark College. Also included are lantern slides of religious clergy, historical events and campus life, most likely used in his teachings.

As president of Morehouse College for twenty-five years and as president of Atlanta University for five years, Dr. Hope conducted a great volume of correspondence with black leaders and with numerous white philanthropists and supporters of Negro civil rights. As an officer and member of various local, regional, and national church groups, fraternal organizations, civil rights groups, and professional associations, Dr. Hope also engaged in voluminous correspondence with blacks and whites of all walks of life. Mrs. Hope, although most closely associated with Atlanta's Neighborhood Union, was also an officer and member of several charitable, feminist, and civil rights organizations. The Hopes numbered among their personal correspondents almost all of the major black educational, political, and civil rights figures of the first half of this century as well as many prominent white persons. Finding aid only.

This collection consists of correspondence and papers of John Brown, an American abolitionist. The collection contains letters from Brown's fellow abolitionist, Franklin Benjamin Sanborn concerning the Free-Soil contest in Kansas, the National Kansas Committee, and various state committees. The letters concern finances and the amassing of arms for Brown's insurgencies on Kansas soil. Two letters concerning Brown's raid on Harper's Ferry, from local resident D. E. Henderson, give a detailed account of the foray. A military order, signed by Robert E. Lee, details a guard to escort Brown and his fellow prisoners to the Charleston jail.

John H. Calhoun, Jr. was an Atlanta businessman, community leader, civil rights activist, and political organizer. These materials provide documentation on civil rights and the Atlanta business and political communities.

John H. Wheeler [b. 1908, d.1978] began his academic career at Morehouse College in 1925. He graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1929. In 1947, Wheeler graduated from the law school at the North Carolina College at Durham (now North Carolina Central University). Beginning as a teller at the Mechanics and Farmers Bank in 1929, he rose to become president of the bank in 1952. Mechanics and Farmers Bank was a black-owned financial institution in a city that boasted several thriving black enterprises, including the North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Company (N.C. Mutual). Wheeler was heavily involved in politics and education through various positions within the federal government and on various boards of trustees for institutions like Morehouse College, Atlanta University, Lincoln Hospital, and the National Scholarship Service for Negro Students. While serving two presidents, Wheeler devoted his time to the development of low-income housing, focused on race relations, and the elimination of poverty.

The records of John Hope (1897-1953) include documentation on the development of what would later be called the Atlanta University Center, when Atlanta University aligned with Morehouse College and Spelman College to form an academic consortium. During Hope's eight years as president, the graduate school was launched, the Department of Fine Arts was established, and the Trevor Arnett Library was opened. The Hope Papers include correspondence, administrative, and financial records for all eight years of his presidency, as well as some personal and family records.

Founded in 1942 by African American businessman John H. Johnson, the Johnson Publishing Company, Inc. published Ebony and Jet magazines, as well as other publications. This collection contains newspapers clippings, press releases, and more used as research for the various publications. The collection includes newspaper clippings on various prominent African American women, such Daisy Bates, Mary McLeod Bethune, Fannie Lou Hamer, Dorothy Height, Mary Church Terrell, Sojourner Truth, Diane Nash, Rosa Parks, and Pauli Murray. It also contains newspaper clippings and press releases on various African American organizations, such as the League of Women Voters, the National Council of Negro Women, and the National Women’s Committee for Civil Rights.

Josephine Dibble Murphy (1888-1974), was a community leader, educator and international traveler. Images in the collections span from 1900 to 1974 with the bulk of the materials from 1950-1974. Images consist of organizations that she was affiliated with, such as the Atlanta University Alumni Association, NAACP and the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom.

The Juanita Marshall Eber collection includes her personal papers, professional correspondence, memorabilia, printed material and photographs. A significant portion of the collection contains papers, correspondence, printed materials and photographs relating to the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority with special focus on the 75th Anniversary Celebration.

This collection documents the work of the Honorable John H. Ruffin, Jr. as a civil rights attorney, judge, speaker, lecturer, and civic leader. Judge Ruffin was actively involved in numerous civil rights cases, notably the Acree vs. County Board of Education of Richmond County, Georgia, a lawsuit he filed to desegregate the schools in the county. Notably, Ruffin held the distinction of being the first African-American member of the Augusta Bar Association.

This collection of personal papers provides insight about Lemoine A. DeLeaver Pierce, Professor of Legal Studies and cultural historian. Pierce is a teacher whose commitment to life long learning stems from a continuing need to supplement her formal education, and a long standing family commitment to education. Professor Pierce has taught at: Kennesaw State University, the Keller Graduate School of Management, Morris Brown College, Clark Atlanta University, and the J. Mack Robinson College of Business at Georgia State University. The collection is rich in family history and documents Pierce's professional career and multidisciplinary interests in law, world cultures and art history.

Levi Maurice Terrill (b. 1899) was born in Moberly Missouri. He joined the Walnut Grove Baptist Church and remained a member there until he came to Atlanta, Georgia in 1922 to enter Morehouse College. He worked in the ministry throughout his career at Tremont Temple Baptist Church, Union Baptist Church, First Bryan Baptist Church, and lastly the Zion Hill Baptist Church in 1943. He remained at Zion Hill until his death, January 31, 1971. His activities aside from the active pastorate include serving as Vice President of the General Missionary Baptist Convention of Georgia. He was also the first Director of the Morehouse School of Religion for several years, and Professor at the Interdenominational Theological Center from 1953-1962. Jewell Evelyn Middlebrooks was born in Griffin, Georgia 1907. For forty two years she was a faithful pastors wife, the first lady of the Tremont Temple Church, Savannahs First Bryant Church and Atlantas Zion Hill Baptist Church.

When Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated in April of 1968, the Black theological students at Colgate Rochester Divinity School requested a program and professorship in Black Church Studies as a memorial to what King represented as a pastor and leader of the Black Church. After a forced close-down of the school by the Black students and a series of fundraising efforts, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Professorship in Black Church Studies was established. This position was filled by Henry H. Mitchell (clergyman, educator, author and at that time pastor of Calvary Baptist Church, Santa Monica, CA) on July 1, 1969 and the program of Black Church Studies at CRDS/BH/CTS was launched in September 1969. The Martin Luther King, Jr. Fellows project began as the result of an idea given to Dr. Mitchell for a research and writing project for the purpose of developing literature, curriculum, and bibliographical materials in the area of Black Church practice.

The Mary Ann Smith Wilson - Ruby Doris Smith Robinson Collection on Student Activism spans the dates 1948-2008 with the bulk of the material dated 1960-1967. The collection documents both Ruby Doris Smith Robinson's and Mary Ann Smith Wilson's participation in the civil rights movement and the organizations with which they were affiliated. Although the collection documents both sisters' activities, the bulk of the collection reflects Ruby Doris Smith Robinson’s activism activities in the civil rights movement. Also included in the collection are photographs, correspondences, news articles, programs, reports, and flyers.

Maurice Pennington was a photographer and cartoonist for The Atlanta Inquirer during the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s. A talented multimedia artist, Pennington documented the boycotts, sit-ins, and the arrests of students, commenting critically on the political and social climate in Atlanta through cartoons - skewering local politicians, admonishing Black leaders for their accommodationist views, and reminding his audience of the incompatibility of segregation and democracy.

The Maynard Jackson mayoral administrative records are extensive and consist of materials spanning the years 1968 to 1994. Within this digital collection are photographs, general correspondence, Mayoral campaign materials, and printed and published materials and correspondence related to the Atlanta Child Murders. The Atlanta Child Murders subseries in the Maynard Jackson Mayoral Administrative Records chronicles the time period between 1979-1981 when multiple young black children and adults were murdered in the city of Atlanta. The murders garnered national news coverage and caused panic across the country. The records in this digital collection reflect the response to the tragedy that were both created, collected and sent to the Atlanta Mayor's office during Maynard Jackson's second mayoral term.

The Morehouse College Catalogs range from 1932-1964. This collection includes the College Catalogs, “M” and the Companion. The catalogs provide information on academic course offerings, college policies and procedures, fees, administration and faculty, student organization, and alumnus listings. The “M” and The Companion are student handbooks containing school information, calendars, student activities, chants, songs, and college history.

This collection is comprised of communication publications from Morehouse College throughout the 20th century providing information and reports on campus news, announcements, events, statistics, administrative issues, faculty, staff, board members, Alumni Association, students, and alumni. The title of the publication changed throughout the decades and administrations from the Bulletin to the Alumnus during different times.

Yearbooks of Morehouse College containing portraits, academics, organizations, and campus life.

Morris Brown College, a private, liberal arts institution located in Atlanta, Georgia, was founded in 1881 by the African Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E.) Church for the " moral, spiritual and intellectual growth of Negro boys and girls. "The original site for the school was located at Boulevard and Houston Street in Northeast Atlanta. On October 5, 1885, under the charter granted by the State of Georgia, Morris Brown College opened with nine teachers and 107 students. To prepare students for ministerial careers in the A.M.E. Church, Morris Brown opened a theology department in 1894, which became the Turner Theological Seminary in 1900. The seminary's name honors Henry McNeal Turner, a pioneering A.M.E Church organizer. Turner Seminary remained affiliated with Morris Brown until 1957, when it joined the Interdenominational Theological Center. The school operated until 1894 on the primary, secondary, and normal school levels, while the College department was established in 1894 and graduated its first class in 1898. By 1908 the school boasted an enrollment of nearly 1,000 students. It continued to offer instruction in industrial trades as well as academic fields and awarded two-year degrees in addition to four-year bachelor's degrees, but over time administrators placed greater emphasis on the development of the school's college-level curriculum. Morris Brown joined the Atlanta University Center in 1941, and along with Atlanta University, Clark College, Spelman College, and Morehouse College formed the largest consortium of HBCUs in the country. They remained members of the AUC until 2002.

Morris Brown College, a private, liberal arts institution located in Atlanta, Georgia, was founded in 1881 by the African Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E.) Church for the "moral, spiritual and intellectual growth of Negro boys and girls." The original site for the school was located at Boulevard and Houston Street in Northeast Atlanta. On October 5, 1885, Morris Brown College opened with nine teachers and 107 students. By 1908 the school boasted an enrollment of nearly 1,000 students. It continued to offer instruction in industrial trades as well as academic fields and awarded two-year degrees in addition to four-year bachelor's degrees, but over time administrators placed greater emphasis on the development of the school's college-level curriculum. Morris Brown joined the Atlanta University Center in 1941, and along with Atlanta University, Clark College, Spelman College, and Morehouse College formed the largest consortium of HBCUs in the country. They remained members of the AUC until 2002. This collection contains photographs depicting Morris Brown College campus life spanning 1900 to 1990. Images include athletics, building and grounds, students and alumni, departments, events, faculty and staff, groups and organizations and individuals.

Morris Brown College, a private, liberal arts institution located in Atlanta, Georgia, was founded in 1881 by the African Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E.) Church for the "moral, spiritual and intellectual growth of Negro boys and girls." The original site for the school was located at Boulevard and Houston Street in Northeast Atlanta. On October 5, 1885, under the charter granted by the State of Georgia, Morris Brown College opened with nine teachers and 107 students. To prepare students for ministerial careers in the A.M.E. Church, Morris Brown opened a theology department in 1894, which became the Turner Theological Seminary in 1900. The seminary's name honors Henry McNeal Turner, a pioneering A.M.E Church organizer. Turner Seminary remained affiliated with Morris Brown until 1957, when it joined the Interdenominational Theological Center. The school operated until 1894 on the primary, secondary, and normal school levels, while the College department was established in 1894 and graduated its first class in 1898. By 1908 the school boasted an enrollment of nearly 1,000 students. It continued to offer instruction in industrial trades as well as academic fields and awarded two-year degrees in addition to four-year bachelor's degrees, but over time administrators placed greater emphasis on the development of the school's college-level curriculum. Morris Brown joined the Atlanta University Center in 1941, and along with Atlanta University, Clark College, Spelman College, and Morehouse College formed the largest consortium of HBCUs in the country. They remained members of the AUC until 2002. The yearbooks of Morris Brown College chronicles the annual activities of the institution.

Originally called the Tattler, the Wolverine Observer was a student-run publication serving Morris Brown College and its community. The paper became the Wolverine Observer in 1935 and initially published monthly under the direction of Professor V. C. Clinch. This monthly publishing goal found itself limited, however, and often the paper only published a few times during active school sessions. By the 1960s, the Observer was a member of the Intercollegiate Press (later the Associated Collegiate Press) and was largely run by the students themselves. The Observer sought to report news of interest to the Morris Brown College community and featured student editorials throughout its pages. Publication of the paper ceased during the 2000-2001 school year.

The National Association of Guardsmen was formed in Brooklyn, New York in 1933 by 13 young African American men, most of whom were alumni of Morgan State College. The group was established in order to foster social interactions and programs for members of the community. The statement of purpose for the organization is to "Provide a regular and periodic social association and foster close relationship and fellowship among its individual members and Chapters." The Atlanta Chapter was installed in March 1957, developed from an earlier social club, "The Atlanta G-Men".

The National Association of Mathematicians (NAM) is a professional organization founded in January 1969 by seventeen mathematicians from underrepresented groups in response to the racism and exclusion they faced from other mathematical organizations. With a stated commitment to inclusivity, diversity, and equity, NAM provides support to and recognition for the work of minority mathematicians while promoting progress and advancement in mathematics. The newsletters contain organizational news, promotions, event information, and articles. It also highlights mathematicians from underrepresented groups.

The records of the Neighborhood Union Collection include correspondence, speeches, financial reports, minutes, committee reports, news clippings, programs, photographs, scrapbooks and additional memorabilia preserving a rich legacy and history of one of the earliest private social welfare organizations founded by African American women in Atlanta. The Union received its charter in 1911. The Neighborhood Union's plan of organization was based on a division of neighborhoods into districts with members conducting surveys in their districts and reporting conditions which needed aid and improvement. Some aid focused on improving domestic skills, handicrafts and home nursing arts of African American women. They were also taught facts about tuberculosis and other prevalent diseases and provided supervised recreation for children.

Nora Ethel Floyd (1893-1969) was born in Georgia in 1893 and attended Atlanta University in from around 1911-1913. She married John Rosamond Johnson, the brother of James Weldon Johnson (a founder of the NAACP), in 1913. John Rosamond Johnson was a renowned composer, known for writing "Lift Every Voice and Sing" (1900), which became known as the The Negro National Anthem. After marrying, the couple moved to New York City in 1914, where John was the director of the Music Settlement School for Colored People. The photographs in this collection feature groups of students and adults from the Atlanta University and Morris Brown College participating in the football game festivities. Other images include unidentified individuals, female students from Atlanta University, Eugene Dibble, and the marching band.

Oscar Lewis Harris, Jr. is a notable architect, artist, mentor, and author. During his over 40 year career, he created and designed "symbols of civilization" as a part of the Atlanta skyline and other cities in the South.

Pauline Alice Young, a distinguished educator, librarian, historian, and civil rights activist, was born in 1900. Her impactful career included teaching, lecturing, and extensive community involvement. Young's lifelong commitment to equality and civil rights advocacy left an indelible mark on Delaware, earning her numerous awards and a place in the Hall of Fame of Delaware Women in 1982.

The Political Poster Collection contains various posters and ephemera depicting political campaigns and social justice issues from 1970-1989. These posters chronicle the political campaigns of elected officials including, school council members, commissioners, Georgia Assembly representatives, and mayoral candidates within Atlanta Georgia, and the South.

This collection contains photographs from the life and work of Reverend Robert E. Penn, a Baptist minister and educator. Penn was born in a rural coal mining town in West Virginia and went on to receive degrees from Clark College, Gammon Theological Seminary, and Central Baptist Theological Seminary. He was a chaplain during World War II, and later after his pastoral work in Kansas City, Kansas, and Gary, Indiana, Penn returned to Atlanta to become Director of Field Education at the Interdenominational Theological Center in 1973. These photographs document Rev. Penn's family life and friends in West Virginia, Indiana, and Georgia, as well as his work as Pastor of the First Baptist Church in Gary, Indiana, and Director of Field Education at the Interdenominational Theological Seminary.

Dr. Rufus Early Clement, the sixth President of Atlanta University, was the longest serving president in the history of the institution. While president, Clement served on the American Council on Education, the United Negro College Fund, and was appointed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower to the United Service Organization. Clement served as president until his death in 1967. Materials consists of correspondence and reports from organizations such as Gammon Theological Seminary, the United Negro College Fund, National Education Association, Carnegie Research Fund, General Education Board, Harmon Foundation, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Atlanta Urban League, Southern Regional Council, Southern Conference for Human Welfare, Georgia Department of Education, and the United States Veterans Administration.

The Society for the Study of Black Religion (SSBR) is the oldest scholarly society dedicated to the study and production of knowledge about the broad diaspora of Black religion. The first meeting was in October, 1970, with the society's mission to "engage in research and discussion about the religious experiences of blacks and to promote the teaching of these experiences in colleges and universities." A constitution was adopted that gave purposes for the Society, these are: 1) To engage in scholarly research and discussion about the religious experience of Blacks; 2) To publish reports of its discussions and research; and 3) To encourage the teaching and discussion of the Black religious experience in the curricula of college or university departments of religion and theological seminaries.

The Southern Education Foundation records include the administrative files of the John F. Slater Fund (1882-1937), the Negro Rural School Fund (Anna T. Jeanes Fund)(1907-1937), and the Southern Education Foundation (SEF). The records of these organizations document the activities of philanthropists and educators in helping to provide African Americans in the South with greater educational opportunities. The records of both the John F. Slater Fund and the Anna T. Jeanes Fund include minutes of meetings, annual reports, financial records, and application forms from various states requesting educational aid. The materials in this digital collection represent photographs and scrapbooks ranging from the 1930s to the 1960s. and audio recordings from a meeting in 1997.

The Southern Regional Council is a reform-oriented organization created in 1944 with its roots in the Commission on Interracial Cooperation. The organization was founded to help avoid racial violence and promote racial equality in the Southern United States. The collection includes newsletters, memos, correspondence, reports, programs, statements, and pamphlets from various organizations, such as the League of Women Voters, the National Council of Negro Women, and the National Women’s Committee for Civil Rights.

This collection contains over 1100 images dating from 1887 to the present and documents Spelman presidents, commencement ceremonies, and campus buildings and grounds. Also featured are images from the Spelman Department of Drama and Dance from the 1930s to the present.

The yearbooks of Spelman College chronicle the annual activities of the institution.