Giving Tuesday | Presbyterian Historical Society

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Giving Tuesday

Save the Date: November 28
This year, our Giving Tuesday campaign is all about helping researchers and scholars. We set a goal to raise money to support four Research Fellowships in 2024. Thanks to a generous challenge gift from an anonymous donor, all donations up to $5,000 will be doubled.

2023 Giving Tuesday Campaign: Research Fellowships

The Presbyterian Historical Society’s Research Fellowship Program awards annual research and travel grants to eligible scholars, students and independent researchers who wish to use PHS’s rich holdings. Since 2004, the program has supported scholarship in a range of fields including mission history, social justice movement and ecumenism. Fellows submit reports to PHS and are encouraged to publish their work in the Journal of Presbyterian History.

The significance of scholarship and access to research materials has never been more important. Each grant of $2,500 is awarded through a competitive application process and can be used to cover travel, lodging, and other research expenses. Consideration is given to those whose primary residence is more than seventy-five miles from Philadelphia.

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Some Previous Fellowship Winners:

I am extremely grateful for having had the opportunity to visit the PHS archives and to have benefited from the generous support of the society in conducting my research. I hope that this unique opportunity will allow my dissertation to present new and novel aspects of both the American missionaries’ history in Lebanon and of architectural and urban history in the region, and be a testament to the importance of the extensive and well-preserved archives of the mission and the PHS. 

-- 2019 PHS Research Fellow Yasmina El Chami from the Univrsity of Cambridge

The holdings of the Presbyterian Historical Society are vital to my dissertation research and project. Without the funds provided by the PHS’s Research Fellowship Program, I would have found it very difficult to undertake my research there, particularly for the amount of time I did. Furthermore, the kind and enormously helpful staff greatly facilitated my time in the archive, offering helpful suggestions and insights into the PHS’s holdings on my topic.

-- 2018 PHS Research Fellow Johanna Peterson from University of California, San Diego

The Presbyterian Historical Society is a national treasure. It's vital holdings shed light on not just the history of American Christianity, but also the changing texture and organization of social, political, and economic life through the centuries. The Federal Council of Churches collection is particularly essential for my current research into the history of American social Christianity, but a number of other collections are directly relevant as well. I am grateful for the generous provision of a fellowship as well as for the expert assistance of the Society's staff during my visit. Thank you!

--2016 PHS Research Fellow Heath W. Carter from Valparaiso University

Dynamic and compelling primary sources are important to the work of scholars, and the Presbyterian Historical Society houses many such papers, letters, journals and records. Due to the Fellowship I received and with the assistance of the extremely helpful staff, I managed to look at thousands of such documents on the first years of the Southern Presbyterian mission in Korea and the cross-cultural interchange between American women missionaries and Korean women. These sources are a key component in my dissertation work and tell a story not only of evangelism, but also of educational, relational and cultural interchange. As we move towards a more globally connected world, scholarship on cross-cultural encounters becomes decidedly more germane and the mission collections at the Society provide a rich archive of global interaction. I am extremely thankful for the generous support of the research fellowship.
 
--2016 PHS Research Fellow Faith Skiles from Virginia Tech University
 
When I began to plan out which archives I would need to visit for my dissertation research, the Presbyterian Historical Society was at the top of my list. I had heard from other historians about the impressive size and scope of its collections, and also about the incredibly helpful staff. After using CALVIN, the online catalog system, I also knew that the PHS had plenty of materials on my dissertation topic, the intersection of Christianity and sports in the United States. My research trip to Philadelphia confirmed everything that I had been told. I was able to study a wealth of material from the National Council of Churches, the PCUSA, and the Religion News Service collections, all of which will be crucial to my dissertation. 
 
As a graduate student living in Texas, it would have been difficult for me to afford the cost of travel to visit the PHS. Thanks to the fellowship, however, I was able to make the trip. Thank you for making it possible, and for allowing me to join the ranks of numerous other historians whose work has been based upon sources held at the PHS. The work of the PHS is truly vital, indispensable for those who seek to understand our past and present in all its complexity.
 
--2016 PHS Research Fellow Paul Putz from Baylor University
2022 Giving Tuesday Campaign: Research Fellowships

The Presbyterian Historical Society’s Research Fellowship Program awards annual research and travel grants to eligible scholars, students and independent researchers who wish to use PHS’s rich holdings. Since 2004, the program has supported scholarship in a range of fields including mission history, social justice movement and ecumenism. Fellows submit reports to PHS and are encouraged to publish their work in the Journal of Presbyterian History.

The significance of scholarship and access to research materials has never been more important. Each grant of $2,500 is awarded through a competitive application process and can be used to cover travel, lodging, and other research expenses. Consideration is given to those whose primary residence is more than seventy-five miles from Philadelphia.

Some Previous Fellowship Winners:

I am extremely grateful for having had the opportunity to visit the PHS archives and to have benefited from the generous support of the society in conducting my research. I hope that this unique opportunity will allow my dissertation to present new and novel aspects of both the American missionaries’ history in Lebanon and of architectural and urban history in the region, and be a testament to the importance of the extensive and well-preserved archives of the mission and the PHS.

-- 2019 PHS Research Fellow Yasmina El Chami from the University of Cambridge

The holdings of the Presbyterian Historical Society are vital to my dissertation research and project. Without the funds provided by the PHS’s Research Fellowship Program, I would have found it very difficult to undertake my research there, particularly for the amount of time I did. Furthermore, the kind and enormously helpful staff greatly facilitated my time in the archive, offering helpful suggestions and insights into the PHS’s holdings on my topic.

-- 2018 PHS Research Fellow Johanna Peterson from University of California, San Diego

The Presbyterian Historical Society is a national treasure. It's vital holdings shed light on not just the history of American Christianity, but also the changing texture and organization of social, political, and economic life through the centuries. The Federal Council of Churches collection is particularly essential for my current research into the history of American social Christianity, but a number of other collections are directly relevant as well. I am grateful for the generous provision of a fellowship as well as for the expert assistance of the Society's staff during my visit. Thank you!

--2016 PHS Research Fellow Heath W. Carter from Valparaiso University

2020 Giving Tuesday Campaign: Internships for CCP Students

In 2020, our #GivingTuesday campaign raised money to support paid internships at the Presbyterian Historical Society for students attending the Community College of Philadelphia.

Donations made on December 1, 2021 helped fund four internships. Thanks to a generous match, all gifts received up to $1,500 were doubled!

Click here to learn more about PHS-CCP collaborations through the Building Knowledge & Breaking Barriers project.

Hear from previous interns:

"I will be sure to carry [my experiences] over to more internships and, ultimately, put what I have learned to use in my future career as a professional archivist/librarian."

--Marcus Baldwin, CCP Graduate and Spring/Summer 2019 PHS intern. Hear from Marcus and find out what he uncovered during his internship.

"I have thoroughly enjoyed my work throughout this somewhat exhausting summer. I have done much interesting research and I’ve been privileged to pore over so many interesting artifacts and documents...I hope that other young people -- Presbyterian or not -- are encouraged to apply for an internship at the Presbyterian Historical Society or to use its resources for their independent scholarship.

-- Anthony McDonnell, CCP Graduate and Summer 2019 PHS intern. Explore Anthony's research at PHS by clicking here

-- Read CCP student and PHS intern Chris Ludd's two-part history of the Mt. Airy Presbyterian Church. Chris considered the church within the context of the past trends and controversies experienced by congregations across the PC(USA). 

2017 Giving Tuesday Campaign: Research Fellowship Program

In 2017, our Giving Tuesday campaign is all about helping researchers and scholars. Donations received through our online donation page on November 28th will go directly toward awarding an additional Research Fellowship. Thanks to a generous matching pledge, all donations received up to $1,500 will be doubled!

Our Research Fellowship program awards research and travel grants of $2,500 to scholars, students, and independent researchers. Learn more about the program here. 

Some Previous Fellowship Winners:

The Presbyterian Historical Society is a national treasure. It's vital holdings shed light on not just the history of American Christianity, but also the changing texture and organization of social, political, and economic life through the centuries. The Federal Council of Churches collection is particularly essential for my current research into the history of American social Christianity, but a number of other collections are directly relevant as well. I am grateful for the generous provision of a fellowship as well as for the expert assistance of the Society's staff during my visit. Thank you!

--Heath W. Carter, Valparaiso University, 2016 PHS Research Fellow

Dynamic and compelling primary sources are important to the work of scholars, and the Presbyterian Historical Society houses many such papers, letters, journals and records. Due to the Fellowship I received and with the assistance of the extremely helpful staff, I managed to look at thousands of such documents on the first years of the Southern Presbyterian mission in Korea and the cross-cultural interchange between American women missionaries and Korean women. These sources are a key component in my dissertation work and tell a story not only of evangelism, but also of educational, relational and cultural interchange. As we move towards a more globally connected world, scholarship on cross-cultural encounters becomes decidedly more germane and the mission collections at the Society provide a rich archive of global interaction. I am extremely thankful for the generous support of the research fellowship.
 
--Faith Skiles, Virginia Tech University, 2016 PHS Research Fellow
 
When I began to plan out which archives I would need to visit for my dissertation research, the Presbyterian Historical Society was at the top of my list. I had heard from other historians about the impressive size and scope of its collections, and also about the incredibly helpful staff. After using CALVIN, the online catalog system, I also knew that the PHS had plenty of materials on my dissertation topic, the intersection of Christianity and sports in the United States. My research trip to Philadelphia confirmed everything that I had been told. I was able to study a wealth of material from the National Council of Churches, the PCUSA, and the Religion News Service collections, all of which will be crucial to my dissertation. 
 
As a graduate student living in Texas, it would have been difficult for me to afford the cost of travel to visit the PHS. Thanks to the fellowship, however, I was able to make the trip. Thank you for making it possible, and for allowing me to join the ranks of numerous other historians whose work has been based upon sources held at the PHS. The work of the PHS is truly vital, indispensable for those who seek to understand our past and present in all its complexity.
 
--Paul Putz, Baylor University, 2016 PHS Research Fellow

"I am convinced that the best way to understand the past is through a close study of the individual institutions, figures, and events that shaped (and now reveal) deeper historical shifts. The generous support of a Research Fellowship at the Presbyterian Historical Society allowed me to spend three full weeks conducting research at PHS, where I used missionary records to reconstruct the history of a Presbyterian mission school in Iran during a crucial period in the history of US-Iranian relations. As a graduate student and aspiring historian, this fellowship provided me with the unique opportunity to conduct in-depth primary research into an important topic, while developing the skills necessary for my future studies and career."

--Julian Cole Phillips, M.A. Student, The Hagop Kevorkian Center for Near Eastern Studies, New York University2015 PHS Research Fellow

"The Presbyterian Historical Society’s Research Fellowship program has been indispensable to my book project on the American Revolution in Pennsylvania and other projects. Historians have always known that Presbyterianism was central to the revolution, but the wonderfully preserved sermons at PHS exposed the force and pervasiveness of a singular and important Presbyterian political logic that not only shaped the coming of the revolution, but the consequences of that revolution in the formation of new polities that would dominate the political world of the United States for at least another century. PHS is the only place to conduct such research and has pushed my research and enhanced my understanding of the American Revolution above and beyond any and all expectations."

--Dr. Chris Pearl, Lycoming College2014 PHS Research Fellow

"The Fellowship gave me the opportunity to examine the records of the Federal Council of Churches and National Council of Churches, two of the most prominent Protestant ecumenical organizations of the 20th Century. The staff at PHS made my research trip all the more productive as I collected material to add to my completed dissertation, which explores the political and social influence of mainline Protestantism. My time at PHS also helped me uncover material for conference papers and future projects on the economic attitude of these influential organizations. The Presbyterian Historical Society's archives are a vital means for uncovering the complexities and debates of U.S. life, and the Fellowship Program is an essential resource to help scholars and researchers tell that story."

--Dr. Kristen Shedd, Oklahoma State University, 2014 PHS Research Fellow

"The Research Fellowship Program draws researchers to the rich storehouse of materials preserved at PHS. It brings scholarship to life at a time when promising work in the humanities often goes unexplored for lack of funding. It also supports projects that are uniquely important today. Not long ago, scholars looked upon religious activity as the superficial dressing over supposedly greater historical forces such as politics and economics. This view is no longer tenable. The cultural and social dynamics of recent years have impressed a plain truth upon us all: if we hope to understand the world we live in, we must take religion seriously. We have much to learn, and the Research Fellowship Program produces scholarship that fills this need."

--Chris Schlect, Ph.D. candidate, Washington State University2012 PHS Research Fellow 

2016 Giving Tuesday Campaign: Research Fellowship Program

This year, our Giving Tuesday campaign is all about helping researchers and scholars. Donations received through our online donation page on November 29th will go directly toward awarding an additional Research Fellowship. Thanks to a generous matching pledge from a board member, every dollar you give towards our $2,500 goal will be doubled!

Our Research Fellowship program awards research and travel grants of $2,500 to scholars, students, and independent researchers. Learn more about the program here. 

December 2016 note: Thanks to our generous #GivingTuesday donors, we reached our 2016 goal. Thank you to all PHS supporters!

2014 Giving Tuesday Campaign: Additional Heritage Preservation Grants

 

This year, our Giving Tuesday campaign is all about helping congregations. Donations received through our online donation page on December 2nd will go directly toward awarding additional Heritage Preservation Grants to historic churches that have fewer than 250 members--82% of all PC(USA) congregations.

Heritage Preservation Grants cover up to $500 of the cost to digitize a church's official records. Every $500 we raise means one more grant we can give in addition to those we will already be awarding in 2014. Learn more about the grants program, including application details, here.

Looking for other Presbyterian causes to give to this holiday season? The Presbyterian Foundation is making it easy to support a range of PC(USA) ministries. Donate through the Foundation's Giving Tuesday buttons.

Thanks to many generous donors, our first Giving Tuesday campaign was a success! We raised enough to fund two additional Preservation Heritage Grants. Thank you!

 

Some Paster Winners of Heritage Grants

"When we received a grant from the Presbyterian Heritage Society to digitize our records it was like a God-send. The merger of our two predecessor churches in 1960 produced records from both churches as far back as 1903. We feel relieved that they will be preserved and available for future generations of our members to see and be aware of the evolution of our church."

--Mary Janet Henry, Elder, Calvary United Presbyterian Church, Donora, PA, 2012 winner

"Our 1715 records will be 300 years old in 2015, and somehow have survived war, fire, moving of the building, flooding, Hurricane Sandy, and more. But we have been fortunate. When I heard about PHS's Heritage grant I knew that it was our best hope to preserve our records for the future--not only for us but for the general public. I encourage all churches to have their records digitized. Your spiritual descendants will be so thankful your records continue on!"

--Marjorie Melikian, Elder & Historian, First Presbyterian Church of Newtown, Elmhurst, NY, 2012 winner 

"This program was a life-saver! Our Church records did not survive the Civil War so we have taken very good care of what we do have. The Heritage grant was completely painless and our records were back under our roof before we even missed them! You know the old saying 'if we don’t know where we came from then how will we know where we are going'? Without our history we are lost. Thank you, PHS!"

--Buckhannon Presbyterian Church, Buckhannon, WV, 2010 winner

"The Heritage grant allowed us to preserve our church records dating back to the early 1800's. We also requested that PHS keep the originals in their climate-controlled storage--a much better environment than a safe deposit box. We hope they will contribute to the available history of the PC(USA)."

--Amy Jo Sommers, Clerk of Session, First Presbyterian Church, West Union, OH, 2012 winner