Guide to the Frank A. Brown Papers

The Frank A. Brown Papers, 1875-1967, bulk 1906-1967, include personal correspondence, missionary records, writings, sermon and lecture notes, scrapbooks, photograph albums, postcards, and financial and other personal records documenting the personal and professional lives of Frank A. Brown and his wife, Charlotte Thompson Brown, and the Presbyterian Church in the United States' (PCUS) mission to China.

The collection is arranged into seven series: "Life and Letters, 1875, 1891, 1901-1967;" "Missionary work, 1909-1965;" "Articles and writings, 1914-1966;" "Notebooks, circa 1920-1960s;" "Scrapbooks, 1910-1959;" "Photograph albums and postcards, 1907-1950s;" and "Financial and miscellaneous personal records, 1947-1958."

The "'Life and Letters'" series contains records about Frank A. Brown's personal life before, during, and after his work in China. Contained in the series are letters to and from Brown; letters to and from his wife, Charlotte Thompson Brown (including condolence letters upon her death in 1950); and letters to and from George H. and Elizabeth Brown (his parents) and family. Also included are letters and assorted documents detailing Brown's life and work before China; his retirement work; and his hospitalization at the U.S. Public Health Service Hospital at Carville, Louisiana for leprosy from 1953 to 1954. Researchers may find particularly interesting the reflections of George H. Brown, a Confederate sergeant, on the Civil War. The series is arranged thematically, beginning with Frank's records, moving to Charlotte's, and concluding with George's and Elizabeth's. The series title appears to have originated with Frank A. Brown, whom it seems originally arranged these records.

The "Missionary work" series contains records apparently collected by Frank A. Brown documenting his missionary activity in China from 1910 to 1949 and beyond. Files on China mission history, reflecting the years between 1910 and approximately 1963, contain correspondence, mission reports, and various printed materials. Also included are files containing correspondence and clippings on mission policy, methods, and chronology pertaining to the China Mission; scrapbooks documenting the Laymen's Missionary Movement from 1909 to 1910; and PCUS Missionary Correspondence Department (MCD) letters from the Browns. The series is arranged alphabetically.

The "Articles and writings," series, 1914-1966, contains materials pertaining to Frank A. Brown's writings. The series includes assorted articles, letters to the editor, clippings, and pamphlets by or about Brown; it also contains notes on, correspondence regarding, and advertisements for several of his books: Life of Virginia Hale Hoffman, Last of the 8,000, Charlotte Brown - A Mother in China, Fatherhood of God - Brotherhood of Man, From Coast to Coast for Every Creature, and The Missionary Call. The series is arranged alphabetically.

The "Notebooks" series largely consists of notebooks that contain outlines and notes for sermons and lectures that Frank A. Brown gave throughout his life. Brown created the bulk of these materials between 1925 and 1960 and organized most of them during the 1950s. The series also includes indices of the Frank A. Brown papers that were compiled by Brown himself and notes for his studies of the Epistle to the Hebrews, Psalms, and the Letters of Paul.

The "Scrapbooks" series consists of four scrapbooks of newspaper and magazine clippings that Frank A. Brown created between the 1910s and the 1950s. The bulk of the clippings date from the 1930s to the 1950s. Two of the scrapbooks contain clippings of articles written by or about Frank A. Brown. The bulk of the clippings address Brown's missionary work, views about China, and religious views. The remaining two scrapbooks contain clippings of poems and materials related to China and the Presbyterian Church.

The "Photograph albums and postcards" series primarily consists of five photograph albums. These albums contain labeled photographs of Frank A. Brown's family and subjects related to Brown's missionary work in China including other missionaries and their families, the daily activities of Chinese peasants, Chinese Christians, and the construction of infrastructure in China. The bulk of the photographs in the albums date from the 1920s to the 1940s. One loose photograph shows Frank A. and Charlotte Brown in 1946 with General George C. Marshall at a reception given by Marshall in Suchowfu, China for American citizens and others. A few photographic negatives relate to Brown's missionary work in China. The series also includes a folder of assorted scenic postcards from the 1910s to the 1950s.

The "Financial and miscellaneous personal records" series primarily consists of three notebooks that contain the financial records of Frank A. Brown from 1947 to 1958. One book contains Brown's general financial records from 1948 to 1958; the second book contains Brown's daily financial transactions from 1947 to 1949; and the third book contains Brown's daily financial transactions from 1949 to 1951, the addresses and birthdays of people associated with Brown, and a few diary entries. The series also includes an unidentified guestbook from 1953 to 1954.