The University of Chicago Library > The Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center > Finding Aids > Guide to the Baptist Theological Union Records 1863-1999
© 2016 University of Chicago Library
| Title: | Baptist Theological Union. Records |
|---|---|
| Dates: | 1863-1999 |
| Size: | 35 linear feet (34 boxes) |
| Repository: |
Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center |
| Abstract: | The collection contains records of the Baptist Theological Union, including minutes and administrative records, correspondence, financial information, and news clippings, documenting the early history of the B.T.U. and the activities of its governing board and committees. |
Series III contains administrative and financial records that are restricted for fifty years from the date of creation. The remainder of the collection is open for research.
When quoting material from this collection, the preferred citation is: Baptist Theological Union. Records, [Box #, Folder #], Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center, University of Chicago Library
In August 1863 a group of Baptist leaders met in Chicago and created the Baptist Theological Union. On Feb. 16, 1865, the Illinois legislature granted the Baptist Theological Union a charter for "the founding, endowment, support, and direction of an institution for theological instruction." That same year, Dr. Nathaniel Colver began to give instruction to a few students in his study. The Baptist Union Theological Seminary fully launched in 1866.
The formal work of the Baptist Union Theological Seminary began with the appointment of George W. Northrup as President and Professor of Systematic Theology. In the fall of 1867, courses in that subject as well as Ecclesiastical History and Biblical Literature and Exegesis were given to nineteen students in the Old University of Chicago’s Douglas Hall. On July 1, 1869, the Seminary dedicated its own building directly across the street from the Old University of Chicago. The Seminary provided theological education in English, Norwegian, Swedish, and Danish to Old University of Chicago and non-University students. Facing financial hardship in the mid-1870s, the Seminary sold its buildings near the Old University of Chicago and moved to donated land in the Chicago suburb of Morgan Park in 1877. The Old University of Chicago closed in 1886.
When John D. Rockefeller donated money toward the founding of the new University of Chicago, he made it a condition of the gift that the Baptist Union Theological Seminary become the Divinity School of the new institution. This took place formally on July 1, 1892. Since the establishment of the University of Chicago Divinity School, the Baptist Theological Union has continued its existence as a separate organization with its own Board, overseeing an endowment that provides support to the Divinity School.
Many Baptist Theological Union and Baptist Union Theological Seminary leaders were key to the founding and early history of the University of Chicago. E. Nelson Blake, President of the Board of the Baptist Theological Union from 1877 to 1893, was also a major donor to the new University of Chicago, and the first chairman of the University’s Board of Trustees. Edward Goodman and Thomas W. Goodspeed were also active in both institutions. The University of Chicago’s first President, William R. Harper, was a professor of Hebrew and Cognate Languages in the Seminary from 1879 to 1886. Dr. Eri B. Hulbert joined the faculty of the Seminary in 1881. In 1892, he became the first Dean of the Divinity School (until 1907).
The material in this collection has been organized into three series. Series I includes materials documenting the founding and early history of the B.T.U., including it’s relationship with the University of Chicago. It includes correspondence, financial records, minutes, and reports. Series II documents the operations and governance of the B.T.U. from 1928 through the 1960s, and consists primarily of records relating to the organizations annual meeting and meetings of the Board of Trustees. Series III contains records similar to those in Series II, dating from the 1960s to the 1990s. Access to these records is restricted for fifty years from the date of creation, because they contain materials relating to the financial and personnel affairs of the B.T.U.
The early records of the B.T.U. previously formed parts of the collection “Baptist Theological Union and Baptist Union Theological Seminary. Records.”
University of Chicago. Divinity School. Records
Baptist Union Theological Seminary. Records
Series I: Baptist Theological Seminary, Founding and Early Administration, 1863-1927 |
| Box 1 Folder 1 | An Act to Incorporate the Baptist Theological Union, located in Chicago" (1865); By-Laws of the Board of Trustees |
| Box 1 Folder 2 | "Memorandum of the Baptist Theological Union of Chicago." Notes and records taken by G.S. Bailey, Financial and Recording Secretary [1867-75]. Includes B.T.U. Board of Trustees minutes 1867 |
| Box 1 Folder 3 | Minutes of the Board of Trustees, 1897-1900 [T.W. Goodspeed, Secy.] |
| Box 1 Folder 4 | Minutes of the Board of Trustees, 1900-1902 |
| Box 1 Folder 5 | Minutes of the Board of Trustees, 1902-1904 |
| Box 1 Folder 6 | Minutes of the Board of Trustees, 1904-1907 |
| Box 1 Folder 7 | Minutes of the Board of Trustees, 1907-1910 |
| Box 1 Folder 8 | Minutes of the Board of Trustees, 1902-1910, mimeographed |
| Box 2 Folder 1 | Correspondence, 1870-1874 |
| Box 2 Folder 2 | Correspondence of the Board of Trustees of the B.T.U., 1877-1892 |
| Box 2 Folder 3 | Correspondence of the Board of Trustees of the B.T.U., March, 1880 – November, 1901 |
| Box 2 Folder 4 | Correspondence of the Board of Trustees of the B.T.U., December, 1901 |
| Box 2 Folder 5 | Correspondence of the Board of Trustees of the B.T.U., January, 1902 – March, 1912 |
| Box 2 Folder 6 | Correspondence of the Board of Trustees of the B.T.U., April, 1912 – November, 1924 |
| Box 2 Folder 7 | Annual Reports of the Board of Trustees of the B.T.U., 1871, 1891-1892; 1895-1904 |
| Box 2 Folder 8 | Special Committee Reports, circa 1875-1909 |
| Box 2 Folder 8A | Commission to Study the Relations of the B.T.U. and the Scandinavian Theological Seminary at Morgan Park, correspondence, notes and report, 1888-1912 |
| Box 2 Folder 9-10 | Early Reports of the B.T.U. at the time of Union with University of Chicago, 1891-1908 |
| Box 2 Folder 11 | Agreements between the Baptist Theological Union and the University of Chicago, 1904-1908 |
| Box 2 Folder 12 | Commission on the Affairs of the Divinity School of the University of Chicago; Preliminary Report, 1908 |
| Box 2 Folder 13 | Reports of Committees on Relation between the B.T.U. and the University of Chicago, undated |
| Box 3 Folder 1 | Contributors, undated |
| Box 3 Folder 2 | "Memorandum of names of subscribers and amounts of subscriptions and donations for support and endowment of theological chair of N. Colver, DD. and successors, undated |
| Box 3 Folder 3 | Treasurer’s book, 1863-1870 |
| Box 3 Folder 4 | Treasurer’s book, 1866 |
| Box 3 Folder 5 | Treasurer’s book of the Ladies Baptist Education Society, 1867 |
| Box 3 Folder 6 | Subscriptions of the Second Baptist Church of Chicago to the Theological Seminary Building, 1868 |
| Box 3 Folder 7 | Subscriptions for a Theological Building, 2 vol., 1868 |
| Box 3 Folder 8 | Contributions, circa 1869-1872 |
| Box 4 Folder 1 | Treasurer’s book, 1873 |
| Box 4 Folder 2 | Treasurer’s book, 1875 |
| Box 4 Folder 2A | G. A. Bailey, financial claims against the B.T.U., circa 1880 |
| Box 4 Folder 3 | Subscriptions to the $100,000 endowment fund, circa 1882 |
| Box 4 Folder 4 | Treasurer’s book, 1884-1893 |
| Box 4 Folder 5 | Treasurer’s book, 1891 |
| Box 4 Folder 6 | Treasurer’s book, 1900 |
| Box 4 Folder 7 | Financial Statements, 1885-1901 |
| Box 4 Folder 8 | Financial Statements, 1901-1924 |
| Box 4 Folder 9 | Annual Reports of the Treasurer, 1884-1924 |
| Box 5 Folder 1 | Accountant’s and Auditor’s Reports, 1885-1910 |
| Box 5 Folder 2 | Notes and reports on debts and investments, 1902-1912 |
| Box 5 Folder 3 | Real estate holdings, including Baptist Hospital, 1902-1922 |
| Box 5 Folder 4 | Treasurer, State of Illinois vs. the B.T.U., legal records 1897-1901 |
| Box 5 Folder 5 | Ledger, 1895-1905 |
| Box 5 Folder 6 | Scrapbook, News Clippings, April, 1876 – April, 1892 |
| Box 5 Folder 7 | Scrapbook, News Clippings, April, 1892 – March, 1904 |
| Box 5 Folder 8 | Scrapbook, News Clippings, March, 1904 – March, 1907 |
| Box 6 | Minutes, 1914-1927 Includes minutes of annual meeting, Board of Trustees, and committees |
| Box 7 | Minutes, 1917-1927 Includes minutes of annual meeting, Board of Trustees, and committees |
| Box 8 | Historical volume, Records, v. 1, 1863-1899 Includes manuscript constitution, minutes of annual meeting, Board of Trustees, and committees |
| Box 9 | Historical volume, Records, v. 2, 1899-1917 Includes minutes of annual meeting, Board of Trustees, and committees |
| Box 10 | Historical volume, Records, 1863-1875 Includes manuscript constitution, minutes of annual meetings, Board of Trustees, and committes, duplicates records in Box 8 |
| Box 11 | Historical volume, Letters, 1913-1927 Includes carbon copies of outgoing correspondence of Secretary |
| Box 12 | Historical volume, Records, 1891 Includes agreement between B.T.U. and University of Chicago, letters from John D. Rockefeller |
Series II: Board of Trustees and Administrative Records, 1928-1962 |
| Box 13 Folder 1 | Correspondence and administrative records, 1941-1953 |
| Box 13 Folder 2 | Correspondence and administrative records, 1956-1958 |
| Box 13 Folder 3 | Correspondence and administrative records, 1958-1962 |
| Box 13 Folder 4 | Correspondence and administrative records, 1963-1966 |
| Box 13 Folder 5 | Annual meeting, notes and related documents, 1953-1958 |
| Box 13 Folder 6 | Annual meeting, notes and related documents, 1959-1960 |
| Box 13 Folder 7 | Annual meeting, notes and related documents, 1960-1961 |
| Box 14 Folder 1 | Annual meeting, notes and related documents, 1961-1962 |
| Box 14 Folder 2 | Annual meeting, notes and related documents, 1961-1963 |
| Box 14 Folder 3 | Annual meeting, notes and related documents, 1963-1964 |
| Box 15 | Minutes, 1928-1946 Includes minutes of annual meeting, Board of Trustees, and committees |
| Box 16 | Minutes, 1928-1946 Includes minutes of annual meeting, Board of Trustees, and committees, duplicates records in Box 15 |
| Box 17 | Minutes, 1931-1944 Includes minutes of annual meeting, Board of Trustees, and committees |
| Box 18 | Minutes, 1932-1946 Includes minutes of annual meeting, Board of Trustees, and committees |
| Box 19 | Minutes, 1943-1954 Includes minutes of annual meeting, Board of Trustees, and committees |
| Box 20 | Minutes, 1947-1954 Includes minutes of annual meeting, Board of Trustees, and committees |
| Box 21 | Minutes, 1947-1956 Includes minutes of annual meeting, Board of Trustees, and committees |
| Box 22 | Minutes, 1954-1958 Includes minutes of annual meeting, Board of Trustees, and committees |
| Box 23 | Minutes, 1957-1960 Includes minutes of annual meeting, Board of Trustees, and committees |
| Box 24 | Minutes, 1954-1957, 1958-1962 Includes minutes of annual meeting, Board of Trustees, and committees |
| Box 25 | Minutes, 1958-1962 Includes minutes of annual meeting, Board of Trustees, and committees |
Series III: Restricted Records, 1963-1999 |
The records in this series are restricted for fifty years from the date of creation.
| Box 26 | Minutes, 1963-1969 Includes minutes of annual meeting, Board of Trustees, and committees |
| Box 27 | Minutes, 1969-1980 Includes minutes of annual meeting, Board of Trustees, and committees |
| Box 28 | Minutes, 1980-1990 Includes minutes of annual meeting, Board of Trustees, and committees |
| Box 29 Folder 1 | Annual Meeting Minutes, 1964-1966 |
| Box 29 Folder 2 | Annual Meeting Minutes, 1965-1967 |
| Box 29 Folder 3 | Administrative records, 1967-1969 |
| Box 29 Folder 4 | Annual Meeting Minutes, 1967-1968 |
| Box 29 Folder 5 | Administrative records, 1969-1971 |
| Box 29 Folder 6 | Trustees Meeting, October, 1971 |
| Box 29 Folder 7 | Trustees Meeting, April 19, 1972 |
| Box 29 Folder 8 | Administrative records, 1971-1972 |
| Box 30 Folder 1 | Administrative records, 1973-1974 |
| Box 30 Folder 2 | Financial Report, 1973 |
| Box 30 Folder 3 | Annual meeting and Board of Trustees, October 18, 1972 |
| Box 30 Folder 4 | Annual meeting and Board of Trustees, April 18, 1973 |
| Box 30 Folder 5 | Annual meeting and Board of Trustees, October 17, 1973 |
| Box 30 Folder 6 | Annual meeting and Board of Trustees, April 17, 1974 |
| Box 30 Folder 7 | Annual meeting and Board of Trustees, October 16, 1974 |
| Box 30 Folder 8 | Administrative records, 1974-1975 |
| Box 30 Folder 9 | Annual meeting and Board of Trustees, October 15, 1975 |
| Box 30 Folder 10 | Annual meeting and Board of Trustees, April 16, 1975 |
| Box 30 Folder 11 | Administrative records, 1975-1976 |
| Box 31 Folder 1 | Annual meeting and Board of Trustees, October 20, 1976 |
| Box 31 Folder 2 | Annual meeting and Board of Trustees, April 14, 1976 |
| Box 31 Folder 3 | Annual meeting and Board of Trustees, April 13, 1977 |
| Box 31 Folder 4 | Annual meeting and Board of Trustees, April 12, 1970 |
| Box 31 Folder 5 | Administrative records, 1977-1979 |
| Box 31 Folder 6 | Financial statements and records, 1976 |
| Box 31 Folder 7 | Financial statements and records, 1974 |
| Box 31 Folder 8 | Financial statements and records, 1977 |
| Box 31 Folder 9 | Annual meeting and Board of Trustees, October 19, 1977 |
| Box 31 Folder 10 | Administrative records, 1977-1978 |
| Box 31 Folder 11 | Administrative records, 1978-1981 |
| Box 32 Folder 1 | Administrative records, 1978-1980 |
| Box 32 Folder 2 | Dean’s Report to BTU, 1970-1973 |
| Box 32 Folder 3 | Dean’s Report to BTU, 1974-1979 |
| Box 32 Folder 4 | Administrative records, 1980-1982 |
| Box 32 Folder 5 | Administrative records, 1982-1983 |
| Box 32 Folder 6 | Administrative records, 1983-1984 |
| Box 32 Folder 7 | Administrative records, 1985-1986 |
| Box 32 Folder 8 | Administrative records, 1984 |
| Box 33 Folder 1 | Administrative records, 1986-1987 |
| Box 33 Folder 2 | Administrative records, 1987-1988 |
| Box 33 Folder 3 | Administrative records, 1988-1989 |
| Box 33 Folder 4 | Administrative records, 1989-1990 |
| Box 33 Folder 5 | Administrative records, 1990-1991 |
| Box 33 Folder 6 | Administrative records, 1991-1992 |
| Box 34 Folder 1 | Administrative records, 1992-1993 |
| Box 34 Folder 2 | Administrative records, 1993-1994 |
| Box 34 Folder 3 | Everett J. Tarbox, 1993-1995 |
| Box 34 Folder 4 | Administrative records, 1994-1995 |
| Box 34 Folder 5 | Administrative records, 1995-1996 |
| Box 34 Folder 6 | Administrative records, 1995-1997 |
| Box 34 Folder 7 | Annual meeting and Board of Trustees, April 18, 1996 |
| Box 34 Folder 8 | Annual meetings and Board of Trustees, April 10, 1997 and April 7, 1998 |
| Box 34 Folder 9 | Annual meeting and Board of Trustees, November 4, 1998 |
| Box 34 Folder 10 | BTU Trustees Biographies, 1983-1998 |
| Box 34 Folder 11 | Annual meeting and Board of Trustees, April 21, 1999 |