Manuscript Collections

The Center holds over 260 collections of personal papers of individuals prominent in the SDA Church and its work. These collections often include correspondence, topical files, lecture and sermon notes, research material, publications, photographs, reports, and many other types of material. All of the collections available for research use are shown below. All have a printed register, which is an information and user guide to the collections. These online registers require Adobe Acrobat software to view.

Click the picture to get the Adobe Acrobat Reader.


Manuscript Collection Page  

A   B   C   D   E   F   G   H   I   J   K   L   M   N   O 

P   Q   R   S   T   U   V   W   X   Y   Z

School Bulletins-Colleges and Academies [microfilm]
This is an extensive collection of the official bulletin or academic handbook for North American Division colleges and universities, NAD academies, as well as some non-NAD schools, mostly higher education. The collection begins at the earliest year and ends in the 1980s.

John L. Schuler Collection (2 boxes)
Shuler was a high profile evangelist who wrote and taught about effective evangelism. This collection includes some of his books and other writings, some sermons and lecture materials.

Richard W. Schwarz Collection (43 boxes)
Schwarz was a prominent Adventist historian. He wrote extensively on John Kellogg and produced the first denominational college level SDA history book. This collection reflects these interests and activities.

W. W. Simpson Collection (0.67 linear feet)
S. Parker Smith was the son of Adventist pioneer Uriah Smith. This collection consists of a few letters he received as well as six letters his parents wrote to each other between 1866 and 1870. There are also some photographs of Smith and his family as well as of San Fernando Academy between 1903 and 1918.

S. Parker Smith Collection (1 box)
S. Parker Smith was the son of Adventist pioneer Uriah Smith. This collection consists of a few letters he received as well as six letters his parents wrote to each other between 1866 and 1870. There are also some photographs of Smith and his family as well as of San Fernando Academy between 1903 and 1918.

Uriah Smith / Mark Bovee Collection (24 boxes)
Uriah Smith was a leading pioneer Adventist, serving for many years as the editor of the Review and Herald and a Bible teacher at Battle Creek Collge. Mark Bovee is Smith’s grandson. The collection includes large amounts of Smith family correspondence and other family memorabilia such as photographs. There is also a large amount of documentation on Adventist church history compiled by Mark Bovee.

Arthur W. Spalding Papers (12 boxes)
A. W. Spalding was an early proponent of home and family. This collection reflects his interest in children, education, family development, the General Conference Home Commission, as well as aspects of SDA Church history.

Walter Specht Papers (2 boxes)
This collection contains mainly Specht’s personal correspondence from 1936 to 1976. There are a few personal documents written by him or article about his life and ministry. In addition there are materials related to the Robert D. Brinsmead controversy, letters of S. A. Nagel, and some miscellaneous documents.

Andrews-Spicer Collection (12 boxes)
John Nevins Andrews was one of the leading pioneers of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. He was a theologian, administrator, writer, and the first official missionary outside of North America. Andrews’ grandson, John N. married W. A. Spicer’s daughter. The grandson and his family were pioneering missionaries to the Tibet region of China in the 19teens and 1920s. This collection includes around 30 original letters from John Nevins Andrews as well as some letters from other church pioneers such as Ellen White and James White. There are various family documents. The largest part of the collection is over 200 letters written by Dorothy Spicer-Andrews to her mother from China. Also included are some materials from the Spicer family.

William A. Spicer Papers (3 boxes)
Administrator and author, Spicer served as General Conference President for eight years. Papers include correspondence, manuscripts, articles, quotations, and notes.

Kenneth A. Strand Papers (21 boxes)
Strand was a long time Seminary professor specializing in the Reformation, the Sabbath, and the book of Revelation. The collection strongly reflects these interests through correspondence, class materials, and collected materials.

E. A. Sutherland Collection (1 box)
Sutherland was a leading educator in the early days of the 20th century. He began at Walla Walla College in the 1890s, continued at Battle Creek College, Emmanuel Missionary College, and ended at Madison College. He was involved in founding or fundamentally changing each of these institutions. This collection has some of his correspondence from 1896 to 1911.