Guide to the Prentice Family Papers

Descriptive Summary

Title

Prentice Family Papers

Inclusive Dates

1926-1954

Call Number

RG 191

Creator(s)

Prentice family.

Quantity

0.50 cubic feet (1 box)

Restrictions on Access

Collection open for research

Repository

Presbyterian Historical Society, 425 Lombard Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147-1516 USA

Biographical Note / Administrative History

Biographical Note

John Wilbur Prentice (1901-1962) and his wife Mary Agnes Lefker Prentice (1896-) were appointed by the Board of foreign Missions to the India Mission in 1926. Initially stationed at Saharanpur, where the Reverend Prentice taught at the Theological Seminary, they subsequently spent the next two years engaged in rural evangelism in Etawah and Etah. In 1929, they were assigned to Allahabad Christian College where Reverend Prentice taught and served as treasurer of that institution and Mrs. Prentice taught in the Jumna Primary School and the Mary Wanamaker Girls' School. In 1940, the Reverend Prentice was appointed treasurer of the India Mission Council and served in the Inter-Mission Business Office in Bombay until 1952. In that year, the Prentices returned to Allahabad Christian College where they served until their subsequent retirement in 1961.

Collection Overview

This collection consists primarily of the Prentice's outgoing correspondence, 1926-1937 and 1953-1954. The correspondence documents their work in India and also reveals the political, economic and social conditions that existed in India during this time. Included with the correspondence is a transcript of an interview given by Mohandas Gandhi to the Prentices on 7 February 1931. Also included in this collection are the Reverend and Mrs. Prentice's personal labor reports, 1928-1953 as well as other miscellaneous items.

Organization and Arrangement

SERIES 1: REPORTS, 1928-1953
Includes personal labor reports of Reverend and Mrs. Prentice, arranged chronologically by year.

SERIES 2: CORRESPONDENCE, 1926-1937, 1953-1954
Includes primarily outgoing correspondence to their parents, arranged chronologically by year, month and day.

SERIES 3: MISCELLANY, 1933, 1946
Includes Reverend Prentice's M.A. degree from the University of Chicago, 1933 and an unpublished manuscript, 1946, written by Reverend Prentice.

Administrative Information

Processing Information

Collection processed and finding aid prepared: 1984
Frederick J. Heuser, Jr, Archivist

Catalog Headings

The following headings have been used to index the description of this collection in the society’s electronic catalog.

Personal Name Subject

Gandhi, Mahatma, 1869-1948.

Prentice, John W. (John Wilbur), 1901-1962.

Prentice, Mary Agnes Lefker, 1896-

Corporate Subject

Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. India Mission.

Sahāranpur Theological Seminary (Sahāranpur, India)

Ewing Christian College (Allahabad, India)

University of Allahabad.

Mary Wanamaker School (Allahabad, India)

Topical Subject

Missionaries--India.

Missions--India.

Women missionaries--India.

Presbyterian Church--Missions--India.

Geographic Subject

India--Social conditions--1918-1947.

India--Missions.

Genre-form

Correspondence. aat

Reports. aat

Transcripts. aat

Personal Added Name

Prentice, John W. (John Wilbur), 1901-1962.

Prentice, Mary Agnes Lefker, 1896-

Corporate Added Name

Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. Board of Foreign Missions.

Collection Inventory

Box	Folder	Description

1	1	Finding Aid to Record group 191

		SERIES 1: REPORTS, 1928-1953

1	2	1928-1953

		SERIES 2: CORRESPONDENCE, 1926-1937, 1953-1954

1	3-13	1926-1937
1	14	1953-1954

		SERIES 3: MISCELLANY, 1933, 1946

1	15	Miscellaneous items, 1933, 1946

Print

You are here

Guide to the Prentice Family Papers

Creator(s)