Blog

News, events, updates, and tidbits from the Presbyterian Historical Society. Use tags to read related articles or sort by author for similar posts written by PHS staff members and volunteers.

Get to Know PHS: What's in Our Collections

May 22, 2023

Organized in 1852, the Presbyterian Historical Society is the oldest denominational archives in the United States and serves as the national archives for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) and its predecessor denominations. Our collections include archival records, published materials, and artifacts documenting the history of the Presbyterian and Reformed tradition in America.

What types of records does PHS collect?

The Presbyterian Historical Society is home to over 40,000 cubic feet of records and 250,000 published titles that reflect Presbyterian,...

Author:

McKenna

Tags:

Get to Know PHS, Collections

Now Processed: Howard Rice Papers

January 10, 2023

“I cannot separate my confession of faith from my politics and have either faith or politics be meaningful. I cannot sit by comfortably and let my brothers starve whether they be low-paid laborers in this country or peasants in India.” The statement of faith written by a McCormick Seminary student in 1955 would guide the future moderator throughout his career.

The minister, theologian, and activist Howard Leland Rice was moderator of the 191st General Assembly of the UPCUSA. His personal records are now processed, in...

Author:

David S

Tags:

News and Events, General Assembly, Archival Processing, Collections

AALC Collecting Update

December 15, 2022

We’re excited to share this year’s progress in our efforts to document and lift up the work and witness of Black Presbyterians through the African American Leaders and Congregations Collecting Initiative.

Over the summer, we partnered with the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture at the New...

Author:

David S

Tags:

African American History, Collections

Now Processed: James and Melva Costen Papers

December 5, 2022

James (left) and Melva (right) Costen at the Interdenominational Theological Center celebration dinner for James' presidency, October 7, 1993 [RG 538, Box 11]

The James and Melva Costen Papers have been processed as Record Group 538, and the guide to the records is now available: https://www.history.pcusa.org/...

Author:

Nick

Tags:

Collections, Archival Processing, African American History