Matthew Walker Clair, Jr. Papers

Elementos de identidad

Código de referencia

US NjMdUMCG 569

Nombre y localización del repositorio

General Commission on Archives and History

Nivel de descripción

Colección

Título

Matthew Walker Clair, Jr. Papers

Fecha(s)

1921-1965 (Creación)

Extensión

1.98 cubic feet

Nombre del productor

Clair, Matthew Walker

(1890-1968)

Historia biográfica

Matthew Walker Clair, Jr. (1890-1968) was a Methodist Church bishop. He received his B.A. from Howard University in 1915, a bachelor of sacred theology from Boston University in 1918, and a doctor of divinity from Gammon Seminary in 1936.

Clair's first appointment was to Bedford, Virginia in 1918, and this was followed by appointments in Martinsburg, West Virginia, in 1919; Roanoke, Virginia, in 1920; Daytona Beach, Florida (1924-1925); and Denver, Colorado (1925-1928). In 1929 he was appointed to the Board of Home Missions. Clair was professor of Practical Theology at Gammon Theological Seminary from 1936 until 1940, when he became pastor at St. Mark Church in Chicago.

During World War I Clair served as a United States Army chaplain. Elected to the episcopacy by the Central Jurisdictional Conference in 1952, he was sent by the Council of Bishops to review and appraise Methodist work in several parts of the world. He visited Africa in 1954, Singapore in 1956, Central and South America in 1958, and Europe in 1961

Clair was a member of several church wide organizations. He also served as president of the Board of Trustees of Philander Smith College. In 1964, after eight years as the bishop in charge of the work of the Central Jurisdiction, Clair retired.

Área de contenido y estructura

Alcance y contenido

This collection pertains mostly to Clair's service as Bishop of the Central Jurisdiction. Most of the collection consists of correspondence, incoming and outgoing, pertaining to conferences and specific churches within the Central Jurisdiction, reports and minutes. Some of the outgoing correspondence was written by Clair's secretary while the Clairs were traveling in 1961. There also are many copies of correspondence neither to, nor from Clair.

While most of the materials were produced during Clair's his years as bishop, there are a few pieces that date form the 1920's, '30's, and '40's. There is material pertaining to the controversy over the realignment and desegregation of the Central Jurisdiction. The printed matter in the collection includes annual conferences bulletins, books and pamphlets on race issues, and communism in the Methodist Church.

Sistema de arreglo

This collection is arranged by series and subseries.

Condiciones de acceso y uso de los elementos

Condiciones de acceso

One personnel file in the collection is closed until 2035. Otherwise, there are no restrictions regarding this collection.

Acceso físico

Acceso técnico

Condiciones

Detailed use restrictions relating to our collections can be requested from the office of the archivist at the General Commission on Archives and History. Photocopying is handled by the staff and may be limited in certain instances. Before using any material for publication from this collection a formal request for permission to publish is expected and required.

Idiomas del material

inglés

Escritura(s) de los documentos

Notas sobre las lenguas y escrituras

Instrumentos de descripción

Elementos de adquisición y valoración

Historial de custodia

Origen del ingreso

Valoración, selección y eliminación

Acumulaciones

Elementos de material relacionado

Existencia y localización de originales

Existencia y localización de copias

Unidades de descripción relacionadas.

Descripciones relacionadas

Elemento notas

Nota general

When citing material from this collection please use the following format: Direct reference to the item or its file folder, Matthew Walker Clair, Jr., Papers, United Methodist Church Archives - GCAH, Madison, New Jersey. Do not make use of the item's call number as that is not a stable descriptor.

Notas especializadas

Identificador/es alternativo(os)

Área de control de la descripción

Reglas o convenciones

Fuentes

Nota del archivista

Prepared by Morris Davis, Manuscript Processor and Mark C. Shenise, Associate Archivist