Guide to the Eugene Carson Blake Papers

Descriptive Summary

Title

Eugene Carson Blake Papers

Inclusive Dates

1940-1966

Call Number

RG 3

Creator(s)

Blake, Eugene Carson, 1906-1985.

Quantity

20.00 cubic feet

Restrictions on Access

Collection open for research

Digital Content

To browse this collection's digitized materials 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

Eugene Carson Blake was born in St. Louis on November 7, 1906. He graduated from Princeton University in 1928 and spent the following year teaching English in Forman College, Lahore, India (now Pakistan). He returned to his studies in 1929, spending a year at New College, Edinburgh, Scotland and two years at Princeton Theological Seminary, where he received a Th.B. in 1932. Blake married Valina Gillespie in 1929. He served as pastor of churches in New York City, Albany, and Pasadena, CA from 1932-51. In 1951 he was elected Stated Clerk of the General Assembly (PCUSA), a post he held until 1958. In 1958 the PCUSA became the UPCUSA, and Blake was elected Stated Clerk of the UPCUSA General Assembly; he served until 1966. From 1954-57 he served as president of the National Council of Churches, and in 1966 he became general secretary to the World Council of Churches, from which he retired in 1972.

Dr. Blake is noted for his contributions to the 1967 confessional revision in the Presbyterian Church, to the civil rights movement, to church union efforts, for his leadership in the WCC's Programme to Combat Racism, and to the WCC's world development activities.

Collection Overview

Record Group 3 consists of Blake's correspondence from 1951-66, the years of his tenure as Stated Clerk. It also includes approximately 3.50 cubic feet of Blake's sermons, speeches, articles, writings, and various personal papers.

Organization and Arrangement

SERIES 1: CORRESPONDENCE, 1951-1966

SERIES 2: PERSONAL PAPERS, 1940-1963

Alternative Formats

To browse this collection's digitized materials visit Pearl.

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

Administrative Information

Processing Information

Blake's Stated Clerk's files from 1951-66 and additional writings and addresses from as far back as 1938 comprise Record Group 95: decision letters from 1949-58 and Stated Clerk's subject files from 1951-66, including 2.5 cubic feet of material on the WCC, comprise Record Group 121.

Catalog Headings

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

Personal Name Subject

Blake, Eugene Carson, 1906-1985 Archives.

Title Subject

Frontiers of faith (Television program)

Topical Subject

Speeches, addresses, etc.

Sermons.

Correspondence.

Corporate Added Name

Lawrenceville School.

Occidental College.

San Francisco Theological Seminary.

Princeton Theological Seminary.

International Social Service. American Branch.

March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom (1963 : Washington, D.C.)

Collection Inventory

Box	Folder	Description	Alternative Formats

1	1	Finding Aid to Record Group 3

		SERIES 1: CORRESPONDENCE, 1951-1966

1	2	A, 1951
	3	B, 1951
	4	C, 1951
	5	D-F, 1951
	6	G, 1951
	7	H, 1951
	8	I-K, 1951
	9	Korea trip, 1951
	10	L, 1951
	11	M, 1951
	12	N-P, 1951
	13	Occidental College, 1951
	14	R, 1951
	15	S, 1951
	16	T-Z, 1951
	17	A, 1952
	18	B, 1952

2	1	C, 1952
	2	D-E, 1952
	3	F-G, 1952
	4	H, 1952
	5	I-K, 1952
	6	L, 1952
	7	Lawrenceville School, Trustees' Minutes, 1952
	8	Lawrenceville School, 1952
	9	M, 1952
	10	N-Q, 1952
	11	Occidental College, 1952
	12	R, 1952
	13	S, 1952
	14	San Francisco Theological Seminary, 1952
	15	T-Z, 1952

3	1	A-B, 1953
	2	C, 1953
	3	D-G, 1953
	4	H, 1953
	5	I-L, 1953
	6	Lawrenceville School, 1953
	7	M, 1953
	8	N-Q, 1953
	9	Occidental College, 1953
	10	R-S, 1953
	11	San Francisco Theological Seminary, 1953
	12	T-V, 1953
	13	W-Z, 1953
	14	Travel Account, 1952-53
	15	A, 1954
	16	B, 1954
	17	C, 1954
	18	D, 1954
	19	E-G, 1954
	20	Frontiers of Faith, 1954

4	1	Frontiers of Faith, Scripts, 1954
	2	H, 1954
	3	I-K, 1954
	4	L-M, 1954
	5	Lawrenceville School, 1954
	6	Blake, M.R.A, 1954
	7	N-P, 1954
	8	Occidental College, 1954
	9	Presbyterian Hospital, Philadelphia, 1954
	10	R-S, 1951
	11	San Francisco Theological Seminary, 1954
	12	T-Z, 1954
	13	Travel Accounts, 1953-54
	14	A-B, 1955
	15	C, 1955
	16	D-E, 1955

5	1	F-G, 1955
	2	Frontiers of Faith, 1955
	3	H, 1955
	4	H, 1955
	5	I-K, 1955
	6	L, 1955
	7	M, 1955
	8	Mc, 1955
	9	N-O, 1955
	10	P, 1955
	11	Q-R, 1955
	12	S, 1955
	13	T-V, 1955
	14	W-Z, 1955
	15	Travel Accounts, 1955

6	1	Occidental College, 1955
	2	San Francisco Theological Seminary, 1955
	3	A, 1956
	4	B, 1956
	5	C, 1956
	6	D, 1956
	7	E-F, 1956
	8	Frontiers of Faith, 1956
	9	G-H, 1956
	10	I-K, 1956
	11	International Social Service, Inc, 1956
	12	L, 1956
	13	Lawrenceville School, 1956
	14	N-O, 1956
	15	Occidental College, 1956

7	1	P, 1956
	2	Presbyterian Hospital, Philadelphia, 1956
	3	Princeton Theological Seminary, 1956
	4	R, 1956
	5	S, 1956
	6	San Francisco Theological Seminary, 1956
	7	T-V, 1956
	8	W-Z, 1956
	9	A, 1957
	10-11	B, 1957
	12	C, 1957
	13	D, 1957
	14	E-G, 1957
	15	Frontiers of Faith, 1957
	16	H, 1957
	17	Harvard Divinity School, 1957
	18	I-K, 1957

8	1	International Social Service, American Branch, 1957
	2	L, 1957
	3	Lawrenceville School, 1957
	4	M, 1957
	5	N-P, 1957
	6	Occidental College, 1957
	7	Princeton Theological Seminary, 1957-59
	8	R, 1957
	9	S, 1957
	10	San Francisco Theological Seminary, 1957
	11	T-V, 1957
	12	W-Z, 1957
	13	A-B, 1958
	14	Travel Schedules, Expenses, 1958-59
	15	C, 1958
	16	D, 1958

9	1	E-G, 1958
	2	Frontiers of Faith, 1958
	3	H, 1958
	4	I, 1958
	5	Integration Statement, 1958
	6	International Social Service, American Branch, 1958
	7	K, 1958
	8	L, 1958
	9	M, 1958
	10	N-O, 1958
	11	Occidental College, 1958
	12	P, 1958
	13	Princeton Theological Seminary, 1958
	14	Princeton Theological Seminary, Committee on the Presidency, 1958
	15	Princeton Seminary President, 1958
	16	Princeton Seminary Trustees, 1958
	17	R, 1958
	18	S, 1958

10	1	San Francisco Theological Seminary, 1958
	2	T-Z, 1958
	3	A-B, 1959
	4	C, 1959
	5	D-F, 1959
	6	G-H, 1959
	7	I-L, 1959
	8	International Social Service, American Branch, 1959
	9	M-O, 1959
	10	Occidental College, 1959
	11	P, 1959
	12	Princeton Theological Seminary Trustees, 1959
	13	Princeton University Trustees, 1959
	14	R-S, 1959
	15	San Francisco Theological Seminary, 1959
	16	T-Z, 1959
	17	A-B, 1960
	18-19	ECB Income Tax, 1956-60

11	1	South Africa Trip, 1960
	2	C, 1959
	3	D-E, 1960
	4	F-G, 1960
	5	H, 1960
	6	Hanover College, 1960
	7	International Social Service, American Branch, 1960
	8	I-L, 1960
	9	M, 1960
	10	N-P, 1960
	11	Occidental College, 1960
	12	Princeton Theological Seminary, 1960
	13	Princeton Theological Seminary, Trustees, 1960

12	1-2	Princeton University, Trustees, 1960
	3	R, 1960
	4	S, 1960
	5	San Francisco Theological Seminary, 1960
	6	Rev. Russell Stevenson, 1960
	7	T-Z, 1960
	8	West Africa, 1959-61
	9	A-B, 1961
	10	C, 1961
	11	Committee on Secretary of the General Council, 1961
	12	D-F, 1961
	13	G-H, 1961
	14	I-K, 1961
	15	I, 1961
	16	M, 1961

13	1	N-P, 1961
	2	Princeton Theological Seminary, 1961
	3-4	Princeton University, 1961
	5	R, 1961
	6	S, 1961
	7	San Francisco Theological Seminary, 1961
	8	T-V, 1961
	9	W-Z, 1961
	10	A, 1962
	11	American University, 1962
	12	ECB, Personal, 1962
	13	B, 1962
	14	C, 1962
	15	D-F, 1962

14	1	G, 1962
	2	H, 1962
	3	I-K, 1962
	4	International Social Service, American Branch, 1962
	5	L, 1962
	6	M, 1962
	7	N-P, 1962
	8	Occidental College, 1962
	9	Princeton Theological Seminary, 1962
	10	R, 1962
	11	S, 1962
	12	San Francisco Theological Seminary, 1962
	13	T-Z, 1962

15	1	A, 1963
	2	American University, Washington DC, 1963
	3	B, 1963-65
	4	B, 1963-64
	5-6	C, 1963-64
	7	D, 1963-64
	8	E-F, 1963-64
	9	G, 1963-64
	10	H, 1963-64
	11	I-K, 1963-64
	12	International Social Service, American Branch, 1963

16	1	L, 1963-64
	2	M, 1963-64
	3	M, 1963-64
	4	Mc, 1963-64
	5	N-P, 1963-64
	6	Occidental College, 1963
	7	Princeton Theological Seminary, 1963
	8	Princeton University, 1963-64
	9	Q-R, 1963-64
	10-11	S, 1963-64
	12	San Francisco Theological Seminary, 1963-64
	13	T, 1963-65
	14	U-V, 1963-65
	15	US-Africa Leadership Exchange Program, 1964
	16-17	W-Z, 1963-65

17	1	Civil Rights, 1964
	2	Presidential Election Issues, 1964
	3	ECB/Martin Niemoller Sermons, 1965
	4	ECB Trip to Rome, 1964
	5	ECB Monthly Schedule 1965-66
	6	Itineraries, 1964-66

		SERIES 2: PERSONAL PAPERS AND WRITINGS, 1940-1963

17	7	Photographs and Biographies
	8	Call papers, Pasadena Presbyterian Church, 1940
	9	Marriages Performed, Albany, NY
	10	Degree Award Certificates
	11	Diary and Notes, 1951-52
	12	Pasadena Presbyterian Church, Directory of Members, 1948
	13	Appointment Calendars, 1950-1952
	14	1953-55
	15	1956-58
	16	1959-63
	17	Articles, Speeches, Publicity, 1953
	18	Speeches, Sermons, Articles; including address delivered at March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, August 28, 1963
	19	Speeches, Sermons, Articles, 1951-1963
	20	Rev. Bruce William Klunder memorial address by Eugene Carson Blake, April 1964	Digital
	20	Speeches, Sermons, Articles
	21	Speeches, Sermons, Articles

18	1-9	Speeches, Sermons, Articles
	10	Funeral Sermons and Memorial Addresses
	11-12	Speeches, Sermons, Articles

19	1-5	Speeches, Sermons, Articles
	6	Poetry and Doggerel
	7	Lecture Notes
	8-12	Speeches, Sermons, Articles

20	1-4	Speeches, Sermons, Articles
	5	Speeches, Sermons, Articles, Clippings
	6	Clippings
	7	Personal
	8	Five publications of interest