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This collection contains sermons, lectures, a manuscript, correspondence, and biographical materials related to Charles B. Mitchell. The bulk of this collection is sermons. There are approximately four hundred sermons prepared by Mitchell between 1875 and 1941. All the sermons are handwritten. They were folded length- wise in envelopes which provide the date and location the sermon was given. Many of the sermons had news clippings accompanying them. His sermons were often published by The Inter Ocean newspaper, but a few clippings are from other papers. The clippings have been photocopied and are joined with the sermon and the envelope in an acid free mini folder. Additional clippings or short articles that supplemented the sermon or were used in its preparation have been kept with the sermon as well.

Mitchell's sermons are oriented to the Social Gospel, as he speaks of contemporary issues and challenges. He is particularly concerned with the spiritual and moral well being of young men and women. All the sermons have been arranged by text reference, except those that were given as part of a series. There are thirteen sets of sermons prepared as series. These series sermons contained several sermons on a particular topic such as temperance, gambling, the danger of cities, temptations, and the Christian life. One folder contains a sermon Mitchell gave on the death of Ulysses S. Grant. A news clipping of this sermon is from the Leavenworth Times. Another folder contains photocopies of four news clippings to sermons that had no handwritten copy. In addition, there is a folder of fragmented sermons.

Two folders contain prayer meeting materials prepared by Mitchell. There are forty-four prayer meeting talks in one folder. These are short notations on note cards or small pieces of paper. This material is dated 1897 to 1909, although not every piece is dated. These talks have been arranged by text reference. Talks with no text reference are separated from talks with text reference by an acid free sheet of paper. In addition, there are seven prayer meeting addresses which may have been part of a series. These addresses were given between 1901 and 1912. An envelope contains the date and location of each address.

Lectures and addresses given by Mitchell are the second major part of this collection. There are approximately ninety-five addresses given between 1882 and 1933. The lectures were also folded length-wise and placed in envelopes with the date and location of the presentation. Mitchell lectured to a variety of groups including the Y.M.C.A., college commencements, conferences, conventions, Mason meetings, women's clubs, community organizations and civic groups. Topics that Mitchell addressed in his lectures include peace, women's suffrage, missions, teachers, education, citizenship, Memorial Day, revivals, Abraham Lincoln, Sunday school, and youth. Mitchell also spoke at several universities including Hamline, Dakota Wesleyan, Allegheny College, and Nebraska Wesleyan. The lectures also include five travel accounts. The most extensive account is on the Bible lands. Other countries covered are Holland, Italy, Norway, and Russia.

A typed manuscript Mitchell prepared entitled "Questions to Modern Youth" is part of this collection. There are also three letters addressed to Mitchell. Biographical materials include a handwritten copy of a characterization of Mitchell by Reverend J. S. Daney; two short articles on Mitchell; an article on Mitchell's father, Revered Daniel Patrick Mitchell by S. J. Heaton; and an application for membership in the Pennsylvania Society of the Sons of the American Revolution. This application contains some ancestry information.

This collection contains eight journals of Ethel Suzy Weisz Withers, dating from April 1958 through May 1984. These entries include records of baptisms, weddings, deaths, church attendance, and church membership. Daily entries also include a list of Ethel’s daily calls, hospital visitations, attendance at conferences, and various personal appointments. The first entries in 1958 serve as a simple log of Ethel’s daily commitments but over time the entries become more detailed and an image comes together of Ethel’s personal opinions and experiences. Some journals also contain itemized lists of church related expenses and record of the Withers’ monthly income.

Journal 1: Entries range from April 3, 1958 to September 4, 1963. In 1959, Ethel’s journal entries begin to be more discursive. The 1960 entries become more regular compared to the sporadic entries from 1958 and give a greater sense of Ethel’s daily tasks and domestic life. During her vacations, Ethel typically suspends her record, such as her entry for her 1962 “Trip to the West” from July 2 to September 3 which merely provides a list of the states they crossed. The journal then resumes on September 4. The entry for September 30, 1961 is followed by a page blank on one side and then seven pages of entries ranging from April 1958 through September 1959. These pages contain entries of various church related expenses. Regular journal entries resume on October 1, 1961. Another gap in entries occurs between June 24, 1963 and August 15, 1963.

Journal 2: Entries range from March 1, 1964 to March 31, 1968. It is notable that Ethel’s entries become more extensive as she inserts more of her personal opinions into the text, using more descriptive adjectives, and thus providing a rich level of detail largely absent from her previous journal. There are several gaps in entries in this journal. First, from July 29 through July 22, 1964 with the note “See Trip Book.” Second, from September 27 through October 2, 1964 with the note “Our trip to New Hampshire.” Third, from July 12 through August 4, 1965, with the note “See Travel Logue.” Fourth, from July 6, 1967 until August 28, 1967. Fifth, there is a one year gap in entries from April 19, 1966 to April 13, 1967. The intermediary pages contain the Withers’ income records from August 1966 through March 1968 and expenses from October 1966 through May 1968. This journal also includes a 1967 Hallmark Date Book.

Journal 3: Entries range from April 1, 1968 to June 30, 1969. The last pages of this journal contain itemized lists of the Withers' earnings in October 1968.

Journal 4: Entries range from July 1, 1969 to December 31, 1971. A loose page inserted into the front of this journal contains a chart titled “1968 Income Tax Details” containing a breakdown of the Withers’ financial information including income and various itemized expenses. The last pages of this journal include lists of the Withers’ income in 1969, 1970 and 1971 with separated data for Robert and Ethel.

Journal 5: Entries range from January 1, 1971 to December 31, 1974. The last pages of this journal include lists of the Withers’ income in 1972 through 1974 with separated data for Robert and Ethel. The last page of this journal also includes a record of a property sale in 1972.

Journal 6: Entries range from November 1, 1977 to September 30, 1979. Ethel writes very detailed entries in February and March of 1979 concerning Robert’s declining health until his death on March 12 at age 85. The final pages of this journal contain income records from 1978-1979.

There are also several letters included in this journal which are located in the folder following the journal. Typed Letter from Dwight M. Bittner, Treasurer for the Western Pennsylvania Conference, dated March 23, 1979, expressing condolences, ensures Ethel that she will continue to receive health insurance coverage, and encloses a check for the Death Benefit Program. Typed Letter from Robert C. Hicks of the Presbyterian Ministers’ Fund dated April 5, 1979, concerning the “Death Claim-Robert Blackwood Withers” and enclosing a check in full settlement of all claims. Typed Letter from Vernon A. Sladek of the General Board of Pensions, dated May 24, 1979, explaining the details of Robert’s monthly pension and policy for reporting income for tax purposes.

Journal 7: Entries range from October 1, 1979 to December 29, 1981. The entries from October 13 through 28, 1979 describe Ethel’s travels in the south of England including visits to London, Stratford-upon-Avon, Bath, and Cambridge. There is a gap in entries between February 4 and March 24, 1981 with the note, “February 5 to March 23 in Travel Book.” There is a second gap in entries between July 20 and September 1, 1981. The last page of this journal details Ethel’s income from October 1979 through April 1980.

Journal 8: Entries range from August 1, 1983 to May 16, 1984. Journal entries cease rather abruptly on May 16. In her entry on May 14, Ethel mentions that she is packing and explains that a load has already been moved. She became a resident at Brooks-Howell on October 2, 1984.

This collection is made up of records from the various educational institutions that were run or supported by the Board and administrative material from the Board of Christian Education and its predecessor organizations.

This collection is made up of records of the various agencies of the church. It also includes material regarding local churches and annual conferences. The collection is made up of fourteen series. The four largest series which make up the bulk of the collection are the Woman's Missionary Society, Missionary Society, Annual Conferences, and Sunday School and Tract Union.

This collection is made up of records of the various agencies of the church. It also includes material regarding local churches and annual conferences. The collection is made up of thirteen series. The three largest series which make up the bulk of the collection are the Missionary Society, the Woman's Missionary Society, and the Board of Christian Education.

This collection primarily documents the work and ministry of the Evangelical Church's annual conferences and local churches from the middle nineteenth century to the middle twentieth century. To a lesser degree there are records that reflect the ministry of the general church as well. There are other records that pertain to filial denominations such as the Evangelical Association, United Evangelical Church, Church of the United Brethren in Christ (United Brethren Church), and the Evangelical United Brethren Churches are also found in this collection. Leedy was an avid collector of church related information so that the topical landscape of this collection is broad enough to cover information ranging from local church ministries and histories to denominational theological beliefs and social concerns. Most of the paper records center on church work in the Ohio region though not to the exclusion of other geographic areas within the continental United States and Germany. All in all this collection provides a nice overview of the diversified life within the Evangelical tradition and is an excellent resource for those who wish to understand more fully the Evangelical Church's historical influence within the ongoing traditions of United Methodism.