Guide to the National Protestant Council of Higher Education Records
Open for research.
On February 18, 1911 secretaries from various denominational boards of education met in New York for informal discussions on their common problems and possible united action in the area of Christian higher education. The group held a second conference in April 1911. At a third meeting on January 17, 1912 in Philadelphia the group adopted the name of Council of Church Boards of Education. In 1947 the Council of Church Boards of Education was reorganized, and the name was changed to the National Protestant Council on Higher Education.
The activities of the Council include:
- Gathering a body of literature on Christian higher education, to publish the journal, Christian Education, and the Handbook of Christian Education.
- Promoting the work and interests of the church-related colleges through monthly news bulletins; conferences (state, regional, and national); addresses and articles.
- Stimulating religious work with students in colleges and universities through local, regional, and national conferences; through the news bulletin, Campus and Church, for church workers; and through discussion of materials and methods for cooperating groups.
- Counseling in Christian life service.
- Making surveys and studies of the various phases of the field of Christian higher education.
- Offering impartial services for the cooperative endeavors of the various denominational boards of education.
- Developing mutual good will and understanding of a common cause, Christian higher education.
R. Watson Cooper served as executive secretary of the Council from 1916 to 1917. He was replaced by Robert L. Kelly who served from 1917 to 1934. Gould Wickey was executive secretary from 1934 to 1947, and E. Fay Campbell held the position from 1947 to 1950. In 1950 the National Protestant Council on Higher Education joined the National Council of Churches, and its activities were assumed by the Commission on Christian Higher Education of the Division of Christian Education.
The National Protestant Council on Higher Education, 1911-1951, files date primarily from 1940 to 1950. The files are those of E. Fay Campbell, president and later executive secretary of the Council.
The files are arranged alphabetically by subject or name of organization. Material within the files is arranged chronologically by year, month, and day. Partially dated documents are placed at the end of the month or year; undated items are placed after all dated material.
The small amount of material from this organization consists of incoming and outgoing correspondence, form letters, memoranda, reports, agenda, minutes, financial statements, constitutions, bylaws, programs, pamphlets, and leaflets. The files detail the history and activities of the Council and treat such subjects as religion in university curricula, finding Christian teachers, the religious beliefs of college teachers, and National Christian College Day. The files also contain material relating to such organizations as the Association of American Colleges, the Foreign Missions Conference, the World Council of Christian Education, and the War Emergency Council on Student Christian Work.
The archives of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America were processed in 1980-1984 through two grants awarded to the Presbyterian Historical Society by the National Endowment for the Humanities. Work under the first grant was performed by Dr. Alan Thomson and under the second grant by Donald L. Haggerty.
The archives of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America have been dated from 1950 to 1972; however, there is material dating from before and after this time period. Documents from the predecessor organizations date from as early as 1839. There is also a small amount of material found in the files from as late as 1975. The year 1972 was selected as a cutoff date for the archives because of the major reorganization which the NCC underwent at this time. The archives are arranged in the following record groups:
NCC RG 1: Planning Committee for the NCC, 1941-1951
NCC RG 2: General Assemblies, 1952-1972
NCC RG 3: General Board, 1950-1972
NCC RG 4: General Secretary, 1950-1973
NCC RG 5: Deputy General Secretary, 1947-1975
NCC RG 6: Division of Christian Life and Mission, 1945-1973
NCC RG 7: Division of Home Missions, 1950-1964
NCC RG 8: Division of Overseas Ministries, 1914-1972
NCC RG 9: Division of Christian Education, 1897-1974
NCC RG 10: Division of Christian Unity, 1935-1973
NCC RG 11: Office of Administration, 1938-1973
NCC RG 12: Assistant General Secretary for Executive Operations, 1950-1966
NCC RG 13: Washington Office, 1951-1966
NCC RG 14: Office of Planning and Program, 1943-1973
NCC RG 15: Department of Information, 1951-1974
NCC RG 16: Broadcasting and Film Commission, 1923-1974
NCC RG 17: Special Topics, 1951-1970
NCC RG 18: Federal Council of the Churches of Christ in America, 1894-1952
NCC RG 19: International Council of Religious Education, 1839-1953
NCC RG 20: Missionary Education Movement of the United States and Canada, 1901-1952
NCC RG 21: National Protestant Council of Higher Education, 1911-1951
NCC RG 22: United Stewardship Council, 1917-1950
NCC RG 23: Inter-Council Field Department, 1935-1950
NCC RG 24: Association of Council Secretaries, 1915-1971
NCC RG 25: Church Executive Development Board, 1960-1974
NCC RG 26: Home Missions Council of North America, 1903-1951
NCC RG 27: Foreign Missions Conference of North America, 1887-1951
NCC RG 28: Scrapbooks, 1915-1963
Catalog Note
In the society's electronic catalog, all 28 NCC record groups are cataloged together as the records of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.
| Box | Folder | Description | |
| 1 | 1 | Guide to NCC RG 21 | |
| 1 | 2 | Annual Meetings, Jan 1936-Jan 1950; n.d | |
| 1 | 3 | Annual Reports, 1911- 1917 | |
| 1 | 4 | Association of American Colleges, Commission on Christian Higher Education, Oct 1946-1950; n.d. | |
| 1 | 5 | The College Teacher and Student Religion, March 1949 | |
| 1 | 6 | Committee on Means for Finding Christian Teachers, May 1947-March 1949; n.d. | |
| 1 | 7 | Committee on Religion in College and University Curricula, June 1947-Jan 1949; n.d. | |
| 1 | 8 | Committee to Select a Full-Time Secretary, Oct 1946-Dec 1950 | |
| 1 | 9 | Constituent Board Secretaries, Form Letters to, July 1934-Dec 1941 | |
| 1 | 10 | Constituent Board Secretaries, Form Letters to, Jan 1942-Aug 1950 | |
| 1 | 11 | Constitution and Bylaws, March 1947; n.d. | |
| 1 | 12 | Contributions of Constituent Boards, [1934?]-Dec 1948; n.d. | |
| 1 | 13 | Economic Theory and Practice in the Light of Basic Christian Principles, Sept 1947-Oct 1951; n.d. | |
| 1 | 14 | Financial and Activities Reports, Jan 1935-Dec 1940 | |
| 1 | 15 | Financial and Activities Reports, Jan 1941-Dec 1950 | |
| 1 | 16 | Foreign Missions Conference, Dec 1946-Jan 1949 | |
| 1 | 17 | Fund Raising Study, Dec 1949 | |
| 1 | 18 | Green Lake Conference, Feb 1948-1950 | |
| 1 | 19 | Handbook, April 1947-July 1951 | |
| 1 | 20 | History, [1940?]; n.d. | |
| 1 | 21 | Interracial Relations, Feb 1949; n.d. | |
| 1 | 22 | Lincoln National Bank, Feb 1935-March 1947 | |
| 1 | 23 | Minutes, Feb 1915-Jan 1933 | |
| 1 | 24 | Minutes, Feb 1933-Sept 1945 | |
| 1 | 25 | Minutes, Jan 1946-Nov 1950 | |
| 1 | 26 | Miscellaneous, [1924?]-March 1949; n.d. | |
| 1 | 27 | National Christian College Day, June 1941-[1950?] | |
| 1 | 28 | National Commission on Church Student Work, May 1947-Nov 1950; n.d. | |
| 1 | 29 | National Council of Churches, Jan 1944-Nov 1950 | |
| 1 | 30 | Objectives, July 1945-Jan 1947; n.d. | |
| 1 | 31 | Radio and Film, Dec 1949-Dec 1950; n.d. | |
| 1 | 32 | The Religion of College Teachers, Feb 1949-Jan 1951; n.d. | |
| 1 | 33 | Reorganization of the Council of Church Boards of Education, Sept 1943-Jan 1948 | |
| 1 | 34 | Selective Service and the Student Preparing for the Ministry, Dec 1950 | |
| 1 | 35 | "The Theism of Teachers in Church-Related Colleges," Sept 1950 | |
| 1 | 36 | United Student Christian Council, Jan 1944-Dec 1946; n.d. | |
| 1 | 37 | War Emergency Council on Student Christian Work | |
| 1 | 38 | Communique, Nov 1942-May 1944 | |
| 1 | 39 | Correspondence, Oct 1942-Sept 1944; n.d. | |
| 2 | 1 | Minutes, Nov 1942-Sept 1944; n.d. | |
| 2 | 2 | Miscellaneous, Nov 1942-June 1944; n.d. | |
| 2 | 3 | World Council of Christian Education, Toronto Meeting, Jan 1950-June 1951 |