Descriptive Summary
Creator(s)
Biographical Note / Administrative History
John Richard Crawford was born Aug. 21, 1932, in Karuizawa, Japan, the son of missionaries Vernon Allen Crawford and Mattie Wofford ("Matsu") Crawford. The family returned to the United States in 1941, settling in Georgia. John Crawford attended King College in Bristol, Tennessee, from 1949 to 1953, earning a B.A. in History and Political Science. He received a B.D. from Union Theological Seminary, Richmond, Virginia, in 1956, and a Ph.D. in History from the University of Aberdeen, Scotland, in 1958. In 1953, he married Sylvia Jean Peresenyi.
Crawford served as Assistant Dean of Wynne Chapel and Assistant Professor of Religion at Austin College in Sherman, Texas, from 1958 to 1960. In 1960 John and Sylvia Crawford were appointed by the Presbyterian Church in the U.S. (PCUS) Board of World Missions to serve as missionaries in Congo, where they remained for nine years. Dr. Crawford's activities in Congo included administrative duties at the Faculté de Théologie Protestante; teaching religion in secondary schools; preaching at the Institut Pédagogique National (in both French and English); and helping to organize the École Unie de Théologie at Luluabourg and the Université Libre.
In 1969, the Crawfords returned to the United States. Dr. Crawford served as a Visiting Professor at Limestone College in Gaffney, South Carolina, until 1970, when he was appointed Professor of History at Montreat-Anderson College in Montreat, North Carolina. He remained at the college until his retirement in 1997. In 2001, Montreat College established the John R. Crawford Award for promotion and support of college advancement.
Dr. Crawford wrote numerous articles on the history of Christianity in Africa, stewardship, and on coins and other forms of currency. His published works include: A Christian and His Money; Protestant Missions in Congo, 1878-1969; Your Money and God; and Only By Thumb, published under the nom de plume J. Walker.
Collection Overview
The correspondence series, 1959-1987, contains letters written both by and to John Crawford. Included is correspondence concerning Dr. Crawford's tenure at Austin College; his years as a missionary in Congo; his work at Montreat College; and his experiences as a minister in the PCUS. Many of the letters also chronicle the publication of various articles and books written by Crawford. PCUS correspondents of particular interest include: T. Watson Street and James Halverstadt of the Board of World Missions; James Doom of the Board of National Ministries; G. Thompson Brown, Director of the Division of International Missions; and James Andrews, Stated Clerk of the Office of the General Assembly. Correspondence with various missionaries and ministers are also included in this series.
The writings series, 1960-1980, contains drafts, manuscripts, and several published works by Dr. Crawford. Topics include missionary work in the Congo, missionary Samuel Phillips Verner, African history, the history of Christianity, and coins and money systems of Africa. While most of the works are article-length, the manuscripts of Your Money and God and its French translation, Votre Argent et Dieu, are also included.
The papers also include assorted reports, printed materials, and other documents related to Dr. Crawford's work as a missionary and minister. Of particular interest are a report to the American Protestant Congo Mission (APCM) by Dr. Crawford describing his experiences as a professor of Protestant Religion in the secondary schools of Luluabourg, Africa; exams given by Dr. Crawford to these classes; bulletins from the Brevard-Davidson River Presbyterian Church (Brevard, N.C.) with Dr. Crawford's notations (he served as interim pastor of the congregation in 1976-1977); and an article about Dr. Crawford's coin collection entitled "Congo Money."
The miscellaneous series also contains approximately forty photographs from the years 1914 through the 1970s. Included are images of Vernon Allen Crawford and his family in Japan during the 1930s, and photos of various missionaries and ministers, including Lardner Moore and L. Nelson Bell. Also included are photographs of sixteenth-century medals collected by Dr. Crawford.
Organization and Arrangement
The collection is arranged as follows:
SERIES I: CORRESPONDENCE, 1959-1987
SERIES II: WRITINGS, 1960-1980
SERIES III: MISCELLANEOUS, 1914-1977 and undated
Administrative Information
Received from John R. Crawford in several accessions from 1991 through 2000.
Collection processed and guide prepared by the staff of the Presbyterian Historical Society-Montreat. Guide revised in 2009 by Jennifer Barr, Archives Intern, and in 2010 by Nancy Taylor, Records Archivist.
Preferred Citation
John R. Crawford Papers, RG 442, Presbyterian Historical Society, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Catalog Headings
Collection Inventory
| Box | Folder | Description | |
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| SERIES I: CORRESPONDENCE, 1959-1987 | |
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1 | 1 | Correspondence, 1959 | |
1 | 2 | Correspondence, 1960 | |
1 | 3 | Correspondence, 1963-1965 | |
1 | 4 | Correspondence, 1966-1968 | |
1 | 5 | Correspondence, 1969 | |
1 | 6 | Correspondence, Jan.-June 1970 | |
1 | 7 | Correspondence, July-Dec. 1970 | |
1 | 8 | Correspondence, Jan.-June 1971 | |
1 | 9 | Correspondence, July-Dec. 1971 | |
1 | 10 | Correspondence, 1972 | |
1 | 11 | Correspondence, 1973 | |
1 | 12 | Correspondence, Jan.-June 1974 | |
1 | 13 | Correspondence, July-Dec. 1974 | |
1 | 14 | Correspondence, 1975 | |
1 | 15 | Correspondence, 1976 | |
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2 | 1 | Correspondence, 1977-1978 | |
2 | 2 | Correspondence, 1979 | |
2 | 3 | Correspondence, 1980-1981 | |
2 | 4 | Correspondence, 1982-1983 | |
2 | 5 | Correspondence, 1984-1987 and undated | |
2 | 5 | Subject correspondence: | |
2 | 6 | Publication of Only By Thumb, 1963-1964 | |
2 | 7 | General Shale Products Corporation, 1968-1971 | |
2 | 8 | Financial matters, Jim Halverstadt, Mission Treasurer, 1964-1966 | |
2 | 9 | Financial matters, 1964-1973 | |
2 | 10 | Numismatics, 1971-1979 | |
2 | 11 | Numismatics, 1980-1984 | |
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| SERIES II: WRITINGS, 1960-1980 | |
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3 | 1 | "Aspects of Culture Clash in the Congo, 1878-1920" | |
3 | 2 | "The Bite of the Bottle Bug" | |
3 | 3 | "Calvin and the Priesthood of All Believers" | |
3 | 4 | "Cannibal and Missionary: Some Aspects of Culture-Clash" | |
3 | 5 | "Christ and Your Living Standard" | |
3 | 6 | "The Christian and the Crunch" | |
3 | 7 | "Coins of the Congo" | |
3 | 8 | "The Coins of Katanga" | |
3 | 9 | “Conférence sur la Doctrine des 'Ministres'" | |
3 | 10 | "Congo Gold Coin Issue Legality Clouded" | |
3 | 11 | "Congo Rich in Odd, Curious Items" | |
3 | 12 | "Congo Tax Tokens Recall Bygone Era" | |
3 | 13 | "The Earliest Money of Zambia" | |
3 | 14 | "The Enigma of Congo's Gold Coins" | |
3 | 15 | "Facing the Congo Situation" | |
3 | 16 | "Faculté de Théologie Protestante Au Congo" | |
3 | 17 | "Grace Notes for Congolese Christian History" | |
3 | 18 | "Indigenous Money Abounds in African Region" | |
3 | 19 | "The Instructive Missionary Career of Samuel Phillips Verner" | |
3 | 20 | "The Instructive Missionary Career of Samuel Phillips Verner," drafts | |
3 | 21 | "The Instructive Missionary Career of Samuel Phillips Verner," drafts | |
3 | 22 | "The Last Check" | |
3 | 23 | "A Medal for a Martyr" | |
3 | 24 | "Of Familiar Streets and Time" | |
3 | 25 | "Primitive Money from Africa's Heart" | |
3 | 26 | "Protestant Missions in Congo, 1960-1965" | |
3 | 27 | "Protestant Witness in the Congo Basin" | |
3 | 28 | "The Role of Iron as an Indigenous Money in East Africa" | |
3 | 29 | "Saga of a Seminary, Part II" | |
3 | 30 | "Samuel Phillips Verner-- Missionary Extraordinary" | |
3 | 31 | "Samuel Phillips Verner: Presbyterian Missionary in the Congo, 1895-1899" | |
3 | 32 | "A Scottish Medal Pleads the Cause of Lady Arabella" | |
3 | 33 | "A Seminary's Struggle for Survival" | |
3 | 34 | "The Silver Ringlets of Namibia" | |
3 | 35 | "Some Aspects of Culture-Clash Accompanying the Arrival of Christianity in the Congo | |
3 | 36 | "Souvenirs of Terror: The Medals of St. Bartholomew's Day" | |
3 | 37 | "Stewardship in Black and Gold" | |
3 | 38 | "Stewardship in the Church: Observations from an African Perspective" | |
3 | 39 | "Stoned" | |
3 | 40 | "Temoignage Protestant Au Zaire (1878-1970)" | |
3 | 41 | "To Invest or Not To Invest: A Common Sense Approach for Christian Investors" | |
3 | 42 | "Université Libre Completes Second Consecutive Year at Kisangani" | |
3 | 43 | "An Unusual Mission Venture" | |
3 | 44 | "When That Last Check Comes" | |
3 | 45 | Votre Argent et Dieu, drafts | |
3 | 46 | Votre Argent et Dieu, drafts | |
3 | 47 | Your Money and God, manuscript | |
3 | 48 | Miscellaneous drafts | |
3 | 49 | Book Review, African Religions: A Symposium | |
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| SERIES III: MISCELLANEOUS, 1914-1977 and undated | |
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4 | 1 | Biographical material | |
4 | 2 | Legal papers, 1960 and 1965 | |
4 | 3 | Report to APCM from the Congo by Dr. Crawford, 1962 | |
4 | 4 | Course booklet: "Religion Protestante: Introduction au Nouveau Testament" by Dr. Crawford | |
4 | 5 | Exams: Protestant Religion Courses, Luluaborg, Congo, 1961-1962 | |
4 | 6 | Miscellaneous Congo materials, 1962-1963 | |
4 | 7 | Financial materials | |
4 | 8 | Book contracts, 1969-1973 | |
4 | 9 | Bulletins: Brevard-Davidson River Presbyterian Church, 1976-1977 | |
4 | 10 | Bulletins: Brevard-Davidson River Presbyterian Church | |
4 | 11 | Congregational District Plan, 1976 | |
4 | 12 | Report: "Frontier Situations for Evangelisation in Africa, 1972" | |
4 | 13 | Pamphlet: "Église Du Christ Au Zaire" | |
4 | 14 | Article: "Congo Money" by Nancy Coleman Yates | |
4 | 15 | Article: “John Crawford: Congo Currency Collector” by Nancy Coleman Yates | |
4 | 16 | Miscellaneous articles | |
4 | 17 | Miscellaneous | |
4 | 18-19 | Photographs, 1914-1970s | |
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| Photographs of Sixteenth-century medals |