Guide to the Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. Board of Foreign Missions Secretaries' Files

Descriptive Summary

Title

Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. Board of Foreign Missions Secretaries' Files

Inclusive Dates

1839-1871

Call Number

RG 174

Creator(s)

Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. Board of Foreign Missions.

Quantity

1.00 cubic foot

Restrictions on Access

Open for research.

Repository

Presbyterian Historical Society, 425 Lombard Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147-1516 USA

Biographical Note / Administrative History

Biographical Note

The Board of Foreign Missions (BFM) of the Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. was formed in 1837 from the Western Foreign Missionary Society. The Corresponding Secretary of the BFM was responsible for maintaining contact with missionaries in the field. Missionaries sent reports at specified intervals and wrote additional letters, detailing their day-to-day work on the fields, discussing future plans for their missions, reporting illnesses, and asking for help whenever necessary. The secretaries responded with comments, counsel and their central perspective on the mission work.

Walter Lowrie (1784-1868) succeeded Elisha Swift in 1837 as Corresponding Secretary of the Western Foreign Missionary Society, the predecessor of the Board of Foreign Missions. He served in that capacity until his death in 1868. Prior to his service with the Presbyterian Church, Lowrie had served as a representative to the Pennsylvania Assembly (1811-12); as a State Senator (1813-19); and as a US Senator (1819-25). A contemporary of Henry Clay, Daniel Webster, John C. Calhoun and Thomas Hart Benton, Lowrie was a temperance advocate and an ardent opponent of the extension of slavery into the territories. He served on a number of congressional committees, including roads and canals, accounts, finance and Indian Affairs. In 1825, he was elected Secretary of the US Senate, a position he held until 1836.

During his tenure as Corresponding Secretary, the newly formed Board of Foreign Missions grew from obscurity to an extensive missionary operation. He solicited contributions for the Board and maintained close touch with all phases of mission work. His senatorial experience provided a unique and detailed knowledge of the needs of Native Americans. He personally supervised the sending of household provisions and farm implements to the Native Americans and frequently visited missionaries in the West. In the area of foreign missions, Lowrie corresponded extensively with those serving in Africa, India China and those ministering to the Native, Chinese and Jewish Americans.

Collection Overview

Record Group 174 consists primarily of Walter Lowries's incoming correspondence and reports. Some outgoing correspondence is also included. The collection also includes four letterbooks, two of which contain correspondence from John Lowrie, his son and successor as Corresponding Secretary.

Organization and Arrangement

SERIES 1: CORRESPONDENCE AND REPORTS, 1839-1871

Researchers should consult RG 31, Secretaries' Files of the Board of Foreign Missions, 1829-95; RG 175, John C. Lowrie Papers, and the card catalogue for complementary materials.

Administrative Information

Processing Information

Collection processed and finding aid prepared: 1984
Frederick J. Heuser, Jr, Archivist

Catalog Headings

The following headings have been used to index the description of this collection in the society’s electronic catalog.

Corporate Subject

Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. Board of Foreign Missions.

Topical Subject

Presbyterian Church Missions.

Indians of North America--Missions..

Asian Americans Missions.

Genre-form

Letterpress copybooks. aat

Personal Added Name

Lowrie, Walter, 1784-1868.

Lowrie, John C. (John Cameron), 1808-1900.

Collection Inventory

Box	Folder	Description

1	1	Finding Aid to Record Group 174

		Incoming Correspondence and Reports

1	2	Miller, MR--Correspondence and reports re missions to the Jews in Indiana and New York, 1845-51
	3	Alexander, JW--Correspondence re missions to the Jews, 1 September 1846
	4	Monroe, Allen--Correspondence re missions to the Jews, 12 November 1847
	5	B. Steinthal--Correspondence and reports re missions to the Jews and Germans in Philadelphia, 1850-54
	6	Henry A. Boardman--Correspondence re Steinthal and missions to the Jews, 27 February 1854
	7	Miscellaneous Correspondence, 1846, 1850

		Outgoing Correspondence

1	8	Rev. Stephen Mattoon correspondence, Siam Mission, 1846-50
	9	Miscellaneous Correspondence, 1843-54
	10	Address to the female members of the Presbyterian Church, 15 October 1844

		Letterpress Correspondence (bound)

1	11	Walter and John Lowrie re Furrukhabad Mission, 1839-64
	12	Walter Lowrie, 1855-58

2	1	Walter Lowrie, 1855-67
	2	Walter and John Lowrie re missions in West Africa, 1862-71

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Guide to the Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. Board of Foreign Missions Secretaries' Files

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