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Digital Collections

bMS 536

Bowen, Clayton Raymond. Papers, 1899-1934.

Summary Information:

Call Number: bMS 536
Title: Clayton Raymond Bowen. Papers, 1899-1934.
Repository: Andover-Harvard Theological Library, Harvard Divinity School, 45 Francis Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138-1911
Quantity: 4 boxes

Administrative Information:

Acquisition Information: Gift of Henry Leland Clark, 1983, 1987.
Access: There are no restrictions on access to this collection.

Biographical Note:

Clayton Raymond Bowen (1977-1934) was born in Wellsboro, Pennsylvania, and married Margaret Browning Barber. He earned his BA from Franklin College in 1898 and received his MDiv from Meadville Theological School in 1901. In the academic year of 1901-1902 Bowen studied at the University of Berlin and the University of Marburg on a Perkins Fellowship. He attended Harvard Divinity School from 1902 to 1903. In 1903 he earned a BD from Meadville Theological School and during that same year he was ordained as pastor of the Unitarian Church in Charlestown, New Hampshire. In 1905 he became a lecturer at the Meadville Theological School, and in 1907 he was promoted to the position of assistant professor, finally becoming the professor of New Testament Interpretation in 1911. In 1920 he received a ThD from Meadville, and when that school moved to Chicago in 1926, he became a librarian. During his career he published many articles and tracts, such as The Resurrection in the New Testament (1911) and The Gospel of Jesus (1916). Bowen died in London, England, while on a lecture tour.

Scope and Content Note:

The bulk of this collection consists of letters to Bowen, arranged alphabetically by correspondent. There are also writings by Bowen, including some of his diaries and daybooks. Finally, there is some biographical material, such as his diplomas and materials relating to student abroad trips from 1901 to 1902.

Container List:

bMS 536/1 (1) Correspondence regarding the gift of the collection.

Correspondence

Most of the letters in this collection are to Bowen, and only a few are written by him. Some of the folders have photographs of individuals or family groups.

bMS 536/1 (2) Abramson, Gordon (1925, 1933).
bMS 536/1 (3) Barth, Joseph (1933-34, several without dates).
bMS 536/1 (4) Beech, Johnstone (1912).
bMS 536/1 (5) Biederwolf, W.E. (1914-15; includes letters by others relating to Biederwolf and Bowen).
bMS 536/1 (6) Bowen family correspondence (1899-1933). Includes letters from his parents, brothers, aunt, niece. Also, clippings and photographs.
bMS 536/1 (7) Bowen, Ray P. (1918-33).
bMS 536/1 (8) Boynton, Richard W. (1912).
bMS 536/1 (9) Brown, Howard Nicholson (1919-32). Includes photographs.
bMS 536/1 (10) Buck, Florence (1917).
bMS 536/1 (11) Buckland, Henry (undated Christmas card).
bMS 536/2 (1) Cadbury, Henry J. (1919, 1920).
bMS 536/2 (2) Carpenter, J. Estlin (1912-1920).
bMS 536/2 (3) Carver, Ranson F. (n.d.).
bMS 536/2 (4) Christie, Francis A. (1900-1934). Includes clippings and photographs.
bMS 536/2 (5) Clifford, John M. (1911).
bMS 536/2 (6) Cobb, Mary Esther (1919-33, n.d.).
bMS 536/2 (7) Crothers, Samuel M. (1903, 1906).
bMS 536/2 (8) Day, Richard Allen (1925, 1933). Includes photographs.
bMS 536/2 (9) Deissmann, Adolf (1914).
bMS 536/2 (10) Doan, Frank Carleton (1921, n.d.).
bMS 536/2 (11) Dole, Charles F. (n.d.).
bMS 536/2 (12) Douthit Family (1931-32, n.d.).
bMS 536/2 (13) Drake, Durand (1905-1934, n.d.).
bMS 536/2 (14) Dresser, Horatio W. (1902, n.d.).
bMS 536/2 (15) Eliot, Samuel Atkins (1905).
bMS 536/2 (16) Fenn, William Wallace (1911).
bMS 536/2 (17) Gannett, William Channing (1920).
bMS 536/2 (18) Goodspeed, Edgar J. (undated Christmas card). Includes photographs.
bMS 536/3 (1) Hale, Edward Everett (1904).
bMS 536/3 (2) Hoagland, Robert Samuel (1932, n.d.).
bMS 536/3 (3) Holmes, John Haynes (1913, 1916-17).
bMS 536/3 (4) Hooper, J. Harry. Photograph dated 1922.
bMS 536/3 (5) Hutcheon, R.J. Photographs dated 1926.
bMS 536/3 (6) Jones, William Safford (1914).
bMS 536/3 (7) Kidder, Elizabeth H. (1903, 1929).
bMS 536/3 (8) Ladd, William P. (1915, 1918, 1920, n.d.).
bMS 536/3 (9) Lake, Kirsopp (1915, 1920, n.d.).
bMS 536/3 (10) Lathrop, John Howland (1916, n.d.). Includes photograph c. 1900.
bMS 536/3 (11) Lawrance, William I. (1922, n.d.).
bMS 536/3 (12) Lewis, Fred R. (1911).
bMS 536/3 (13) Martineau, Mary Ellen (1900).
bMS 536/3 (14) Maxwell, Samuel (1912).
bMS 536/3 (15) Park, Charles E. (1921-1929).
bMS 536/3 (16) Perkins, John Carroll (1928, 1933).
bMS 536/3 (17) Riddle, Joseph (n.d.).
bMS 536/3 (18) Rihbany, Abraham M. (1918).
bMS 536/3 (19) Rockwell, William. Photograph dated 1901.
bMS 536/3 (20) Savage, Maxwell (1920).
bMS 536/3 (21) Scammon, Annie Leland (1933-34, n.d.).
bMS 536/3 (22) Schmiedel, Paul (1912-13).
bMS 536/3 (23) Scott, E.F. (1927).
bMS 536/3 (24) Secrist, Henry T. (1923).
bMS 536/3 (25) Sennett, Sarah E. (1924, 1926, 1929, n.d.).
bMS 536/3 (26) Siddhanta, B.K. (n.d.)
bMS 536/3 (27) Smith, Henry Preserved (1921-1926).
bMS 536/3 (28) Southworth, Franklin C. (1924-1928).
bMS 536/3 (29) Spaulding, Samuel Charles (n.d.)
bMS 536/3 (30) Sullivan, William Laurence (1923, 1925, 1928, n.d.).
bMS 536/3 (31) Tyler, Betty (1923, n.d.).
bMS 536/3 (32) Weis, Frederick Lewis (1922, 1924-25). Includes photograph.
bMS 536/3 (33) Wellman, Charles. (1902-33). Includes Photograph.
bMS 536/3 (34) Wendte, Charles W. (1918, 1924).
bMS 536/3 (35) Wilbur, Earl Morse (1911-1923).
bMS 536/3 (36) Wilbur, Ralph W. (1928-1933, n.d.).
bMS 536/3 (37) Witherbee, Frank Dennis (1899-1933, n.d.). Includes photographs.
bMS 536/3 (38) Withington, Robert C. (1931, 1933, n.d.).
bMS 536/3 (39) Wocester, Elwood (1916, 1919).

Bowen's Writings

bMS 536/3 (40) Statement on the life of William L. Chaffin, Meadville, 1923.

Biographical Files on C.R. Bowen

bMS 536/4 (1) Bowen's Diplomas.
bMS 536/4 (2) Bowen's Student Trip Abroad. 1901-02. As a Perkins Fellow he studied for two years at the Universities of Berlin and Marburg. Folder One.
bMS 536/4 (3) Bowen's Student Trip Abroad. 1901-02. Folder Two.

His Diaries/Daybooks

bMS 536/4 (4) Day Book, April 11, 1903-November 25, 1905.
bMS 536/4 (5) Calendar, 1906, with notes by Bowen.
bMS 536/4 (6) Diary, 1914-1917.
bMS 536/4 (7) Diary, 1918-1922.
bMS 536/4 (8) Diary, 1923-1927.
bMS 536/4 (9) Diary, 1928-1932.
bMS 536/4 (10) Biography. List of books on various topics made by Dr. Bowen.