Guide to the Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. Board of Foreign Missions Secretaries' Files

Record Group 31 consists of incoming correspondence to the treasurers and secretaries of the Board of Foreign Missions. Some earlier materials from the Board's predecessor, the Western Foreign Missionary Society, are also included. The collection contains minutes, financial records and reports relating to the activities of the Board and its various committees and mission fields (notably Africa, Colombia, Brazil, China, India, Japan, Mexico, Persia and Papal Europe), and with other organizations (the American Board of Foreign Missions, the American Colonization Society, the American Indian Mission, the American Tract Society, the United Presbyterian Church of North America, and the Women's General Missionary Society). Materials relating to missionary applications and assignments and subscriptions to missionary publications can also be found.

The letterbooks in the last boxes contain outgoing correspondence, and there are outgoing letters scattered throughout the collection. All of the correspondence is indexed and the indices are included in their proper chronological place. The index numbering order is basically, but not thoroughly chronological in most series. Occasional items of correspondence are incomplete and appropriate notation was made in such items whenever possible. Some series are incomplete and appropriate notation was made on both folder and finding aid whenever possible. Some indices are missing, as noted. Unidentified indices are located in box 39, folder 23.

From 1872, correspondence is separated into "Secretaries" and "Treasurer's" categories. In the folder listing these are identified as either (S) or (T).

The collection is arranged chronologically.