United Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. Commission on Ecumenical Mission and Relations. Secretaries' files: Guatemala Mission, 1911-1972.

United Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. Commission on Ecumenical Mission and Relations.
Secretaries' files: Guatemala Mission, 1911-1972.
Finding Aid to Record Group 157
7.00 cu.ft.

Presbyterian Historical Society
425 Lombard St.
Philadelphia, PA 19147-1516

ADMINISTRATIVE HISTORY

Presbyterian mission work in Guatemala began in 1882, at the request of and with the financial support of the liberal government of Justo Ruffino Barrios. The Reverend and Mrs. John Hill were the first missionaries to Guatemala, opening a mission station in Guatemala City. In 1898, a second mission station was established in Quezaltenango, despite considerable local opposition.

The PCUSA's work in Guatemala was educational, evangelistic and medical in nature. Though the mission was limited to two stations, it succeeded in organizing a number of churches. In 1936, the Synod of the Evangelical Church in Guatemala was formed, incorporating the work of five denominational missions, including the PCUSA.

Educational work began in 1883 and resulted in the founding of several schools, notably La Patria Girls' School (established 1913) and the Norton Hall Industrial School for Boys (1929). Medical work began in 1906, and the Hospital Americano was opened in 1913 in Guatemala City. The work of the Guatemala Mission was absorbed by the Evangelical Presbyterian Church of Guatemala in 1962.

SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE

RG 157 contains the Secretaries' Files of the Board of Foreign Missions for the Guatemala Mission, 1911-1958, and the records from COEMAR, 1958-1972. It contains minutes, correspondence and reports. The records reflect the missionaries' concern for the medical, educational and spiritual needs of the Guatemalan people as well as their close rapport. The papers likewise reflect the rather unique historical, geographical, cultural, and economic factors that have contributed to the development of the Guatemalan nation. The 1917 earthquake and the subsequent rehabilitation efforts are extensively documented.

The collection is arranged as follows:

SERIES 1: MISSION MINUTES, 1911-1971 BOX 1

SERIES 2: AMERICAN HOSPITAL MINUTES, 1956-1958 BOX 1

SERIES 3: MISSIONARY REPORTS, 1913-1970 BOX 2

SERIES 4: GENERAL REPORTS, 1950-1972 BOX 2

SERIES 5: MISSION STATION REPORTS, 1911-1950 BOX 2

SERIES 6: MISCELLANEOUS REPORTS, 1927-1960 BOX 2

SERIES 7: MISSIONARY CORRESPONDENCE, 1926-1964 BOX 3

SERIES 8: BOARD LETTERS TO MISSIONS, 1914-1955 BOX 3-4

SERIES 9: EXECUTIVE CORRESPONDENCE, 1926-1972 BOX 4

SERIES 10: SPECIAL EXECUTIVE CORRESPONDENCE, 1948-1956 BOX 4

SERIES 11: INSTITUTIONAL CORRESPONDENCE, 1959-1970 BOX 5

SERIES 12: CORRESPONDENCE, 1913-1971 BOX 5

SERIES 13: CABLES, 1924-1972 BOX 5

SERIES 14: APPROPRIATIONS/ESTIMATES/BUDGETS, 1930-1971 BOX 5

SERIES 15: CORRESPONDENCE (CALENDARED LETTERS),
1915-1925 BOX 6

SERIES 16: MISCELLANEOUS CORRESPONDENCE, 1911-1972 BOX 6

SERIES 17: SPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE (DONALD R.
FLETCHER), 1939-1969 BOX 7

SERIES 18: STATISTICS, 1911-1959 BOX 7

NOTES TO THE RESEARCHER

Numbering of folders within this RG begins with 1 at the beginning of each series rather than each box, creating multiple folders with the same numbers within a box. The researcher must therefore specify the series, not just the box and folder number, when requesting materials.

The researcher should be advised that part of the collection, from about 1960 onward, contains a great deal of material in Spanish, relatively little of which has been translated.

Before 1940, the BFM used a classification scheme for its records. The researcher will see hyphenated numbers on the documents in the collection. The following is a guide to the numbers after the hypen:

1 Minutes, estimates, appropriations
2 Reports--station, educational, narrative, etc.
3 Corespondence with those who were not regular missionaries
4 Cables
5 Letters from the BFM to the various missions (numbered)
6 Correspondence with mission secretary
7 Personal labor reports
8 Statistical summaries
9 Property
10 Correspondence with mission personel. At times each correspondent was given a number so the numbers continued beyond 11.

Collection processed: 1982

Robert Goldstein and Frederick J. Heuser, Jr, Assistant Archivist

Finding Aid prepared: 1982
Frederick J. Heuser, Jr, Assistant Archivist

Finding aid revised: May 1992
Stephanie Muntone, Processing Archivist

Box Folder Description

1 1 Finding Aid to Record Group 157 SERIES 1: MISSION MINUTES, 1911-1971 2 1911 3-5 1913-15 6-56 1917-67 57-58 1970-71 SERIES 2: AMERICAN HOSPITAL MINUTES, 1956-1958 1-4 1956-58 (1958 in Spanish) SERIES 3: MISSIONARY REPORTS, 1913-1970 2 1-2 1913-14 3-30 1917-44 31-38 1946-53 39 1955 40-42 1957-59 43-50 1962-70 SERIES 4: GENERAL REPORTS, 1950-1972 1-16 1950-66 17-19 1968-70 20 1972 SERIES 5: MISSION STATION REPORTS, 1911-1950 2 1 1911 2 1913 3 1920 4 1929 5-8 1931-34 9 1939 10 1942 11 1944 12 1950 SERIES 6: MISCELLANEOUS REPORTS, 1927-1960 1 Confidential Report (Indian work in Guatemala), 1947 2 American Hospital: Deputation report, 1959; Annual Report, 1960 3 Mam Christian Center (in Spanish and in English), 1960 4 Mam Christian Center: Report/Institutional Correspondence, 1960 5 Guatemala Deputation Correspondence, 1927-29 6 Deputation Report to Guatemala, 1928 7-8 Deputation Report to Guatemala, 1940 2 9 Deputation Report to Guatemala, 1959 10 Findings of the Central American Evangelical Congress, 1941 SERIES 7: MISSIONARY CORRESPONDENCE, 1926-1964 3 1-26 1926-50 27-30 1952-56 31 1958 32-33 1960-61 34-35 1963-64 SERIES 8: BOARD LETTERS TO MISSIONS, 1914-1955 3 1-3 1914-17 4-23 1919-38 4 24-40 1939-55 SERIES 9: EXECUTIVE CORRESPONDENCE, 1926-1972 4 1-48 1926-72 SERIES 10: SPECIAL EXECUTIVE CORRESPONDENCE, 1948-1956 4 1 Guatemalan Churches, 1948 2 Institutions, 1948 3 Rest Home, 1948 4 5 Year Plan, 1948 5 Property, 1949 6 Institutions, 1949 7 Guatemalan Seminar, 1949 8 Churches, 1950 9 Rest Home, 1950 10 Institutions, 1951 11 Central Church, 1951 (in Spanish) 12 Institutions, 1952 13 Guatemalan Industrial Farm Property, 1952 14 Private Schools in Guatemala, 1953 15 Institutions, 1953 16 Iglesia Evangelica, 1953 (in Spanish) 17 Institutions, 1955 18 Churches, 1956 19 Property, 1956 SERIES 11: INSTITUTIONAL CORRESPONDENCE, 1959-1970 5 1 Miscellaneous, 1959 5 2 American Hospital, 1960 3 Miscellaneous Churches, 1960 4 Evangelical Presbyterian Synod of Guatemala, 1961 5 American Hospital, 1961 6 Presbyterian Seminary, 1961 7 Mam Christian Center, 1961 8 La Patria School, 1962 9 Mam Christian Center, 1962 10 American Hospital, 1962 11 Evangelical Presbyterian Synod of Guatemala, 1962 12 Mam Christian Center, 1963 13 American Hospital, 1963 14 Bilingual School, 1963 15 Evangelical Presbyterian Church, 1963 in Spanish) 16 Miscellaneous, 1963 17 American School, 1964 18 Mam Christian Center, 1964 19 Evangelical Presbyterian Synod, 1964 20 Miscellaneous, 1965 21 La Patria School, 1966 22 Evangelical University, 1966 23 Inter-American School, 1966 (some pre 1966) 24 Universidad Evangelica Dr. Mariano Galvez, 1967 25 Inter-American School, 1967 26 La Patria School, 1967 27 Miscellaneous, 1967 28 Miscellaneous, 1969 29 La Patria School, 1970 SERIES 12: CORRESPONDENCE, 1913-1971 5 1 Rev/Mrs. McBath, 1913-1914 2 Rev/Mrs. E.E. Freed, 1915-1917 3 H. York, 1919-1920 4 Rev/Mrs. F.J. Hillis, 1929 5 Special correspondence, 1929 (see classification scheme) 6 Dr/Mrs. F.C. Pinkerton, 1941 7 Special correspondence, 1941 8 Special correspondence, 1947 9 Special missionary correspondence with audio-visual department, 1949 10 General correspondence, 1953 11 Special Missionary correspondence re T. Harnish, 1953-1954 12 General correspondence, 1954 13 Correspondence from Office of Literature and Publications, 1955 14 General correspondence, 1955 15 Diamond Jubilee Celebration, 1957 16 American Hospital, 1957 17 Guatemalan Churches, 1957 18 Institutions, 1958 19 American Hospital, 1958 5 20 Correspondence from/publication of Evangelico Presbiteriano de Guatemala, 1958 21 Good Will Caravan and miscellaneous items, 1959 22 Miscellaneous church correspondence, 1961 23 Miscellsneous correspondence, 1961 24 Guatemalan property, 1961 25 Miscellaneous church correspondence, 1962 26 Treasury correspondence, 1962 27 Treasury correspondence, 1963 28 Re Church properties, 1963 29 Miscellaneous church correspondence, 1963 (in Spanish) 30 Audio-Visual department, 1963 31 Miscellaneous Treasury correspondence, 1964 32 Princeton Theological Seminary, 1964 33 Belen Church, 1964 34 Treasury correspondence, 1965 35 Guatemalan church, 1965 (in Spanish) 36 Guatemala executive, 1965 37 Correspondence with Guatemalan nationals, 1965 38 Correspondence with Guatemalan missionaries, 1965 39 Guatemalan Properties, 1966 40 Miscellaneous churches, 1966 (in Spanish) 41 Dr. Mariano Galvez University, 1966 42 Guatemalan property, 1967 43 Guatemala National Church, 1967 44 Guatemala churches, 1967 (in Spanish) 45 Miscellaneous institutions, 1968 46 Ecumenical Mission Efforts, 1968 47 Guatemala National Church, 1968 48 Guatemala National Church, 1969 49 Miscellaneous correspondence, 1969 50 Guatemala Churches, 1970 51 Guatemala Churches, 1971 (in Spanish) SERIES 13: CABLES, 1924-1972 5 1 1924 2 1926 3-8 1928-33 9-10 1935-36 11-13 1938-40 14-21 1947-54 22 1964 23-25 1970-72 SERIES 14: APPROPRIATIONS/ESTIMATES/BUDGETS, 1930-1971 5 1 1930 2-5 1938-41 6 1944 7-9 1950-52 5 10-12 1955-57 13-14 1959-60 15-18 1962-65 19-22 1968-71 SERIES 15: CORRESPONDENCE (CALENDARED LETTERS), 1915-1925 6 1-6 1911-16 7-8 1916-1946 9-17 1917-25 SERIES 16: MISCELLANEOUS CORRESPONDENCE, 1911-1972 6 1 Correspondence from E.M. Haymaker, 1911-1919 2 Financial situation in Guatemala, 1914-1916 3 Mission press, 1914-1920 4 Boy's school, 1914-1922 5 Hospital Americano, 1916-1922 6 Cables re Guatemalan earthquake, 1917-1918 7 Mission Minutes, (January-February), 1918 8 Reports re earthquake, 1918 9 Special executive correspondence re earthquake, 1918 10 Special Board letters to Guatemala Mission re earthquake, 1918 11 Projected estimates re reconstruction of Guatemala Mission, 1918-1919 12 Special executive correspondence re earthquake, 1919 13 Special Board letters to Guatemala Mission re earthquake, 1919 14 Special Board appropriations re Guatemala rehabilitation fund, 1920-1921 15 Correspondence re Guatemala appropiations, 1920-1923 16 Appropriations for La Patria School, 1920-1938 17 Correspondence re La Patria School, 1920-1944 18 Correspondence re Mission press, 1921-1947 19 Correspondence re Boy's school, 1922-1923 20 Correspondence re Boy's school, 1923 21 Missionary reports re La Patria school, 1923-1943 (incomplete) 22 Correspondence re Boy's school, 1924-1947 23 Cables re La Patria school, 1926-1930 24 Correspondence re Norton Hall School, 1935-1946 25 Correspondence re Guatemala Station Central Church dispute, 1946 26 Mission property lists, 1932 27 Mission property lists, 1938 28 Memorandum re Guatemala missionaries, 1951 29 Guatemala News Letter drafts, 1958 30 Presbyterian University Student Work in Guatemala: Evaluations and Recommendations, 1966 31 History of the Presbyterian Church in Guatemala: miscellaneous items, 1966 32 Miscellaneous educational items, 1966 33 Newsletters-Extension Seminary, 1970 34 Newsletters-Extension Seminary, 1971 6 35 Guatemalan Seminary Resource File, 1971 36 Miscellaneous items, 1972 SERIES 17: SPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE (DONALD R. FLETCHER), 1939-1969 7 1 History of Indian Work in Guatemala, 1939 2 Quiche Bible Institute: Correspondence, constitution, report, 1944-1969 3 Correspondence/reports re Mam Christian Center, 1950-1960 4 Reports re American School of Nursing, 1955-1958 5 General correspondence, 1956 6 Correspondence re Central Presbyterian Church, 1956 7 Miscellaneous items re Youth Program, 1956-1957 8 Miscellaneous items re La Patria School, 1956, 1959-1960 9 Correspondence re Sinodo Evangelico Presbiteriano, 1956-1960 10 Correspondence/By-laws re Guatemala Seminary, 1956-1960 11 Correspondence re La Patria School, 1956-1960 12 Board Actions, 1956-1960 13 Minutes-Sinodo Evangelico Presbiteriano, 1957-1958 14 Correspondence re Presbiteriano de Suchitepequez, 1957-1958 15 Correspondence miscellaneous items re Monte Sione Conference 1957-1958 16 Correspondence/reports, Presbyterian Joint Committee, 1957-1958 17 Guatemala Student Center: report, correspondence, constitution, 1957-1958 18 Correspondence re Women's Work Program, 1957-1959 19 Minutes, Presbyterian Joint Committee, 1957-1960 20 Miscellaneous draft notes, 1958 21 Questionnaire, Colegio La Cooperacion, 1960 22 Evangelical Synod of Guatemala: Miscellaneous items, 1962, 1966, 1968-1969 23 Miscellaneous items, 1962-1967 (in Spanish) 24 Guatemala Church relations summary statement, 1963 25 Confidential report re opportunities in rural health work in Guatemala, 1963-1964 26 Miscellaneous items re El Instituto Programa De Avance, 1963-1966 27 Proposal (?) re Edward Haymaker Center, 1966 (in Spanish) 28 Photographs, Quiche Bible Institute, 1969 29 Photographs, Mam Christian Center, n.d. SERIES 18: STATISTICS, 1911-1959 7 1-6 1911-17 7-11 1919-23 12-21 1925-34 22 1942 23 1955, 1957, 1959