Guide to the Rolla Edwards Hoffman Papers

Descriptive Summary

Title

Rolla Edwards Hoffman Papers

Inclusive Dates

circa 1915-1949

Call Number

RG 231

Creator(s)

Hoffman, Rolla E. (Rolla Edwards), 1887-1974.

Quantity

1.00 cubic foot (4 boxes)

Restrictions on Access

Collection open for research

Digital Content

To browse this collection's digital content visit Pearl.

Materials marked "Digital" in the Collection Inventory may not be available on Pearl or in their entirety.

Repository

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

Biographical Note / Administrative History

Biographical Note

Rolla E. Hoffman served as a medical missionary for the PCUSA in Iran for 42 years. Dr. Hoffman was born in Leipsic, Ohio in 1887. He graduated from Berea College in 1908, spent the first year of medical school at American Medical Missionary College and received his M.D. from Western Reserve University in 1913. He was appointed by the Board of Foreign Mission to the East Persia Mission in 1914 and arrived in Tehran in 1915. In 1919 Dr. Hoffman married Helen Easton, a nurse working in Persia. Hoffman practiced in Tehran 1915-1916, 1932-1933 and 1940-1942. He was in charge of the American Hospital in Meshed from 1916-1947 and the Christian Hospital in Resht from 1948-1957. Following the death of his wife Helen in 1949, Hoffman married veteran medical missionary Dr. Adelaide Kibbe Frame, the widow of Dr. John Davidson Frame. Hoffman retired in 1957.

Collection Overview

The papers consist of correspondence, reports, newsletters, a book manuscript and photograph albums of Rolla Hoffman's years in Iran. The correspondence is primarily written to family members and to mission supporters. There are also station reports to the Board and The Assuit Hospital News. The photographs depict both medical mission work and general Iranian people and culture.

Organization and Arrangement

SERIES I: CORRESPONDENCE, 1915-1949
SERIES II: STATION REPORTS AND NEWSLETTERS, 1918-1949
SERIES III: BOOK MANUSCRIPT, UNDATED
SERIES IV: PHOTOGRAPH ALBUMS, CIRCA 1915-1947

Alternative Formats

To browse this collection's digitized content visit Pearl.

Materials marked "Digital" in the Collection Inventory may not have been digitized in their entirety.

Related Material

Administrative Information

Processing Information

Collection processed and finding aid prepared 1988:
Kristin L. Gleeson, Associate Archivist
Dale Plummer, Archives Technician

Catalog Headings

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

Personal Name Subject

Hoffman, Rolla E. (Rolla Edwards), 1887-1974.

Hoffman, Helen Marie Easton, 1881-1949.

Hoffman, Adelaide Kibbe Frame, 1901-1986.

Corporate Subject

Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. Iran Mission.

Topical Subject

Hospitals--Iran--20th century.

Medicine--Practice--Iran.

Missionaries, Medical--Iran--20trh century.

Missions, Medical--Iran--20th century.

Presbyterian Church--Missions--Iran.

Geographic Subject

Iran--Social life and customs.

Iran--Missions--20th century.

Genre-form

Correspondence. aat

Manuscripts (documents) aat

Newsletters. aat

Photograph albums. aat

Photographs. aat

Personal Added Name

Hoffman, Helen Marie Easton, 1881-1949.

Hoffman, Adelaide Kibbe Frame, 1901-1986.

Collection Inventory

Box	Folder	Description	Alternative Formats

1	1	Finding Aid to Record Group 231

		SERIES I: CORRESPONDENCE, 1915-1949

1	2	1915-1919
1	3	1918
1	4	1920-1929
1	5	1930-1949

		SERIES II: STATION REPORTS AND NEWSLETTERS, 1918-1949

1	6	1918-1949 (Assuit Hospital News, circa 1936)

		SERIES III: BOOK MANUSCRIPT, UNDATED

1	7	Pioneering in Meshed, undated	Digital

		SERIES IV: PHOTOGRAPH ALBUMS, CIRCA 1915-1947

2		Photo Album #1 (loose pages), 1915-1922

3		Photo Album #2 (loose pages), 1915-1922	Digital

4		Photo Album #3 (loose pages), 1923-1947	Digital

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Guide to the Rolla Edwards Hoffman Papers

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