Guide to the Sir W.J. Wanless Papers

Descriptive Summary

Title

Sir W.J. Wanless Papers

Inclusive Dates

1889-1963

Call Number

RG 92

Creator(s)

Wanless, W. J. (William James), Sir, 1865-1933.

Quantity

2.00 cubic feet

Language

There are a few letters and documents in Sanskrit in the collection

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

Dr. William James Wanless was assigned as a medical missionary by the Board of Foreign Missions to the Western India Mission in 1889, upon graduating from the University Medical College in New York City. He began his work at Sangli but in 1892 moved to Miraj, where he was to remain until his retirement in 1928. His skill and ability as an evangelist, physician and surgeon drew ever-increasing patronage and support that ultimately resulted in the establishment of the most extensive and effective medical missionary plant in India. Through his efforts, the first missionary medical school was established in 1897, followed by a leper asylum in 1900 and a tuberculosis sanitarium in 1931. For his outstanding service to the people of India, Dr. Wanless was thrice decorated by the Indian government and in 1928 was knighted by the British government.

Wanless' first wife, Mary, died in 1906; she bore him five children, four of whom died and were buried in India before reaching the age of two. Wanless married again and returned to India with his wife Lillian, who was active in mission work. They had three children.

Collection Overview

Record Group 92 consists of Dr. Wanless' correspondence, notes and diaries, scrapbooks, and photographs of the mission hospital work.

Organization and Arrangement

SERIES 1: CORRESPONDENCE, 1892-1933
SERIES 2: MIRAJ HOSPITAL AND WESTERN INDIA MISSION, 1893-1930
SERIES 3: NOTEBOOKS AND DIARIES, 1895-1928, nd
SERIES 4: SCRAPBOOKS AND CERTIFICATES, 1894-1963, nd
SERIES 5: PHOTOGRAPHS, 1890-1928, nd

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.

Administrative Information

Processing Information

There are a few letters and documents in Sanskrit in the collection.

Collection processed and finding aid prepared: 1983
Frederick J. Heuser, Archivist

Material added, collection reprocessed and new finding aid prepared: October 1990
Stephanie Muntone, Processing Archivist

Material added: January 1992
SM

Catalog Headings

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

Personal Name Subject

Wanless, W. J. (William James), Sir, 1865-1933.

Corporate Subject

Sir William J. Wanless Tuberculosis Sanatorium (Miraj, India)

Wanless Hospital.

Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. Western India Mission.

Topical Subject

Missions, Medical India Miraj.

Personal Added Name

Wanless, Lillian Emery Havens, 1874-

Collection Inventory

Box	Folder	Description

1	1	Finding Aid to Record Group 92

		SERIES 1: CORRESPONDENCE, 1892-1933

1	2	Family Correspondence, 1924
	3	Family Correspondence, 1925
	4	Family Correspondence, January-June 1926
	5	Family Correspondence, July-December 1926
	6	Family Correspondence, January-June 1927
	7	Family Correspondence, July-December 1927
	8	Family Correspondence, 1928-29
	9	Board of Foreign Missions Correspondence, 1892-1907
	10	Board of Foreign Missions Correspondence, 1926-31
	11	General Correspondence, 1892-1905
	12	General Correspondence, 1909-27
	13	General Correspondence, January-April 1928
	14	General Correspondence, May-December 1928
	15	General Correspondence, 1929
	16	General Correspondence, 1930-33

		SERIES 2: MIRAJ HOSPITAL AND WESTERN INDIA MISSION, 1893-1930

1	17	Addresses and Reports, 1896-1928
	18	Miraj Hospital, Annual Report, 1902
	19	Miraj Hospital, Annual Report, 1924, 1926-27
	20	Miraj Hospital, Annual Report, 1928-30
	21	"Indian Notes" Newsletters, January-December 1893
	22	W.J. Wanless Tuberculosis Sanatorium, nd

		SERIES 3: NOTEBOOKS AND DIARIES, 1893-1928, nd

1	23	Campaign Book, Student Movement for Foreign Missions, 1895-96
	24	Travel Diary, Toronto to Kolhapur, 1889
	25	New York to India, 1924
	26	Medical Notebooks, nd
	27	Notebooks, 1904
	28-29	Notebooks, nd
	30	Diaries, 1904 and 1928

		SERIES 4: SCRAPBOOKS AND CERTIFICATES, 1894-1963, nd

1	31	Certificates and Family Documents, nd
	32	Tributes, 1933
	33	Scrapbook, Miraj Hospital, 1894-1915

2	1	Scrapbook, 1920-63
	2	Certificates, nd

		SERIES 5: PHOTOGRAPHS, 1890-1928, nd

3	1	William J. Wanless, Portraits, nd
	2	Wanless Leaving India, 1928
	3-5	People, nd
	6	Hospital Staff and Students, nd
	7	Medical Students and Faculty, nd
	8-9	Missionaries and Hospital Staff, nd
	10	Hospital and Medical Buildings
	11	Buildings

4	1	Photograph Album, 1890-1900	Digital
	2	Copy print from Photograph Album: Female Ward at Miraj Hospital