Guide to the Vass Family Papers

Descriptive Summary

Title

Vass Family Papers

Inclusive Dates

circa 1860s-1999

Call Number

RG 476

Quantity

8.58 cubic feet (36 boxes and 1 oversize folder)

Language

Approximately 75 percent of materials in English, 15-20 percent in Tshiluba and 5-10 percent in French

Restrictions on Access

Collection open for research. Photograph album in Box 6 restricted (fragile). Photographic nitrate negatives in Box 34 restricted; please use reference digital reproductions in Box 33.

Digital Content

To browse this collection's digital content visit Pearl.

Materials marked "Digital" in the Collection Inventory may not be available on Pearl or in their entirety.

Repository

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

Biographical Note / Administrative History

Biographical Note

Three generations of the Vass family served the Presbyterian Church, both in the United States and in the Congo, during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Lachlan Cumming Vass I ministered in the U.S. South between 1860 and 1896. His son and grandson, Lachlan Cumming Vass II and Lachlan Cumming Vass III, both served at the American Presbyterian Congo Mission (APCM). Vass III's wife, Winifred (Kellersberger), served with her husband at the APCM, and later published several books and articles on the history of the Presbyterian Church in the Belgian Congo/Zaire.

Lachlan Cumming Vass I was born in Fredericksburg, Virginia, on March 20, 1831. His father was James Vass, a Scottish émigré; his mother, Elizabeth Braine Maury Vass, was the daughter of American Revolutionary War Colonel Abram Maury. Vass I graduated from Princeton College (later University) in 1850 and later studied law in Fredericksburg, Virginia. In 1857, he became a member of the Presbyterian Church; that same year, he enrolled in Danville Theological Seminary in Kentucky. After transferring to Union Theological Seminary (Richmond, Virginia) in 1858, he graduated in 1860 and was ordained by the Presbytery of West Hanover in 1861. He served in a number of churches in Virginia before enlisting as a chaplain in the Confederate Army, where he served in the "Stonewall Brigade" commanded by General Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson. After the close of the war, he served as pastor of a number of Presbyterian Church in the U.S. congregations in Virginia, North Carolina, and Georgia. In 1895 and 1896, he traveled extensively in Europe, particularly in Scotland, his ancestral home. In September 1896, he was appointed chaplain of the University of Virginia, but died shortly after, on September 28, 1896.

Vass I served in numerous administrative roles in both regional presbyteries and the General Assembly. He was also an author, penning Amusements and the Christian Life: In the Primitive Church and in Our Day and History of the Presbyterian Church in New Bern, N.C., among others.

On May 9, 1867, Vass I married Mary E. Jones. With Jones, he had five children: Lachlan Cumming II; Edward Smallwood; and three girls, all of whom died in 1877 from diphtheria.

His eldest son, Lachlan Cumming Vass II, was born on February 22, 1872, in New Bern, N.C. He attended boarding school in Fredericksburg, Virginia, and later earned degrees from Davidson College (1894) and Columbia Theological Seminary (1897). In 1898, he volunteered to serve as a missionary to the Congo Free State, working under the auspices of the Presbyterian Church in the United States' Executive Committee of Foreign Missions. In late December of the same year, he arrived in the Congo.

During Vass II's missionary service in the Congo, the country suffered under the oppressive regime of King Leopold II of Belgium. Rumors of violent acts against the Congolese people began to appear in the international press. Those forced to labor in the country's many rubber fields were tortured and maimed; many lost their hands, ears, and other body parts. Vass, along with other Presbyterian missionaries such as William Morrison and William H. Sheppard, took an active role in publicizing these atrocities, holding Leopold's regime accountable to the international community. Their efforts contributed to an outcry against the regime, which resulted in the Belgian government's takeover of the state in 1908.

Vass II's other missionary work in the Congo included the construction and command of two Congo River steamboats, both named after Samuel N. Lapsley, the founder of the American Presbyterian Congo Mission (APCM). The steamers carried supplies from Leopoldville to Luebo Station, the center of APCM activity. The first steamer capsized in 1903, drowning 24 people. Following the tragedy, Vass supervised the construction of a second Lapsley on the Clyde River in Scotland in 1905; the boat was dismantled for transportation to Central Africa, and rebuilt on the Congo River in 1906.

Vass II was an active and energetic worker, a distinction that earned him the Congolese nickname "Malu Malu," which means "affairs, affairs" or "busy, busy." However, due to his declining health, he left the Congo mission field in March1909. He returned to the United States, where he convalesced and gave lectures about the mission and his experiences in Central Africa. In June 1910, he sent his letter of resignation from the APCM to the Secretary of the Executive Committee of Foreign Missions. The Committee accepted his resignation, which was effective August 31 of the same year. Afterwards, Vass II served as a minister in a number of Southern Presbyterian churches. During World War I, he served as religious work director for the YMCA, living in France for a time. On June 14, 1911, he married Frances S. Sharp. Together, they had three children: John, Lachlan III, and Sophie. Vass II died on December 31, 1962.

Lachlan Cumming Vass III was born in 1915, in Germantown, Tennessee. He graduated from City High School in Chattanooga, attended Davidson College, and earned his Bachelor of Divinity degree from Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary. Following in his father's and grandfather's footsteps, he was ordained a minister by the PCUS Presbytery of Knoxville in 1940.

Vass III married Winifred Kellersberger in 1940. Born in 1917 at the APCM in Lusambo, Winnie was the daughter of Presbyterian missionaries. Her father, Eugene Roland Kellersberger, was a medical missionary, specializing in leprosy and sleeping sickness. Her mother, Edna Boshe Kellersberger, died when Winnie was just six years old. Winnie was raised in the Belgian Congo, but returned to the United States to attend Agnes Scott College, from which she graduated in 1936.

In 1940, the Vasses were appointed missionaries to the APCM by the Presbyterian Church in the United States' Executive Committee of Foreign Missions. Both became fluent in the Tshiluba language, and worked in the communications and publication fields during their thirty-year tenure in the country. They spent seventeen years at the J. Leighton Wilson Printing Press, where Vass III was director and worked with thirty-five Congolese typesetters, pressmen and bookbinders. Winnie worked on developing teaching materials and bible lessons, as well as translating various written materials into the Tshiluba language. Between circa 1966 and circa 1968, they served at the Protestant Center in Luluabourg (now Kananga), the provincial capital.

In 1971, the Vasses moved to Dallas, Texas. Winnie wrote numerous books, including The Bantu-Speaking Heritage of the United States, The African Heritage of American English, and 31 Banana Leaves, a book based on her experience as a missionary. Her 1986 book, Dr. Not Afraid, was a biography of her father. Together, the Vasses authored The Lapsley Saga, about the Congo Mission steamers built and operated by Vass II. The Vasses both died in 2010. They had five daughters.

Collection Overview

The Vass Family Papers, circa 1860s-1999, consist of published works, correspondence, subject files, photographs, lantern slides, glass negatives, and other materials that document the lives of Lachlan Cumming Vass I, Lachlan (Lach) Cumming Vass II, and Winifred (Winnie) Kellersberger Vass. The collection is particularly rich in materials that document the Vass family's work for the American Presbyterian Congo Mission (APCM) between 1898 and 1910 and from 1940 to 1970.

This collection provides valuable insights into the missionary work of two generations of the Vass family in Central Africa. Researchers interested in the experiences and views of U.S. missionaries in the Congo Free State during the early twentieth century will find this collection particularly useful, as will, to a lesser extent, researchers interested in the work of U.S. missionaries in the Congo between 1940 and 1970.

The Vass Family Papers are arranged into three series: "Lachlan Cumming Vass I," "Lachlan Cumming Vass II" and "Winifred Kellersberger Vass."

Series I, "Lachlan Cumming Vass I, circa 1860s-1896," includes sermon notes, clippings, and other materials related to the life and work of Lachlan Cumming Vass I. This series largely documents Vass's work as a Presbyterian minister in the southeastern United States. To a lesser extent, it documents his association with the Christian Association of the Stonewall Brigade. This series also includes a diary with entries from 1888 and 1896, and a small collection of newspaper articles pertaining to a trip Vass made to Scotland in 1896. This series is arranged alphabetically by folder title.

Series II, "Lachlan Cumming Vass II, 1888-1966," contains notes, correspondence, photographs, lantern slides, and other materials related to the life and work of Lachlan (Lach) Cumming Vass II. These materials are arranged into two subseries, "Papers and ephemera" and "Photographic materials."

The subseries, "Papers and ephemera, 1888-1966," consists of notes, correspondence, diaries, certificates, clippings, maps, drawings, writings, printed matter, a scrapbook, and a medal. Most of these materials document Vass II's life as a missionary in the Congo Free State, particularly his work on the second S.S. Samuel N. Lapsley and his observations of the atrocities committed against the Congo's indigenous peoples. This subseries also includes sermon notes from his service as a Presbyterian minister in the southeastern United States and a scrapbook documenting his life as a teenager and young adult. The materials provide little information about Vass's personal life after leaving the Congo mission field in 1909 or his work in France for the YMCA between 1918 and 1919. Materials are arranged alphabetically by folder title.

The subseries, "Photographic materials, 1893-1951," includes loose photographic prints, glass and film negatives, lantern slides, and a photograph album. These materials primarily document Vass II's life as a missionary in the Congo Free State. The photographic prints illustrate a wide range of subjects including the S.S. Samuel N. Lapsley I and II, mission stations, other missionaries, indigenous villages and Belgian atrocities against indigenous peoples; some prints are from a trip to Europe and the Canary Islands. The glass and film negatives depict individuals, groups, buildings, events, landscapes, and other items associated with the American Presbyterian Congo Mission; some of the film negatives appear to have been taken after Vass II left the Congo mission field in 1909. The lantern slides depict indigenous peoples, missionaries, S.S. Samuel N. Lapsley I and II, and natural landscapes. Some of the negatives (especially those in Boxes 13-28) and lantern slides also appear as prints in this subseries; the negatives in Box 34 do not appear to have photographic print equivalents. A number of the loose materials in this collection (prints, negatives, lantern slides) are unidentified and undated. Although most of the glass negatives and all of the lantern slides are individually undated, collectively the images appear to date from circa 1898 to circa 1909. Materials in this subseries are arranged by image type.

Series III, "Winifred Kellersberger Vass, 1890s-1999," contains notes, correspondence, clippings, audio tapes, and other materials related to Winifred (Winnie) Kellersberger Vass's research and books on the work of Presbyterian missionaries in the Belgian Congo. It also includes materials that pertain to her own life as a missionary in the Congo. These materials are arranged into two subseries, "Subject files" and "Audio and visual materials."

The subseries, "Papers and subject files, 1890s-1999," consists of subject files that contain correspondence, clippings, maps, notes and printed matter related to Winifred Kellersberger Vass's interest in Presbyterian missionaries and the Belgian Congo. Many of the materials document the work of the American Protestant Congo Mission (APCM) and major historical developments in Zaire. Other subject files contain materials that pertain to Vass's writings, particularly Pillars of the Zaire Church (also titled Chosen Children: The Beginnings of the Presbyterian Church in Zaire) and The Lapsley Saga, a history of the S.S. Samuel N. Lapsley I and II. Only a small portion of the materials in this subseries document Vass's own experiences as a missionary or her personal life. The files in this subseries are arranged alphabetically by subject.

The subseries, "Audio and visual materials, circa 1905-1931, 1940-1972, 1981-1984," includes photographic prints, photographic postcards, copy prints, several reel-to-reel sound recordings, and a phonograph record. The photographic material primarily relates to Winifred and L.C. Vass III's time as missionaries in the Congo/Zaire. These items are arranged alphabetically by topic. The sound recordings document lectures, musical performances, and other events that the Vasses attended; most of the recordings date to the couple's time as missionaries. These items are arranged chronologically.

Organization and Arrangement

The collection is arranged as follows:

SERIES I: LACHLAN CUMMING VASS I, circa 1860s-1896

SERIES II: LACHLAN CUMMING VASS II, 1888-1966
Subseries 1: Papers and ephemera, 1888-1966
Subseries 2: Photographic materials, 1893-1951

SERIES III: WINIFRED KELLERSBERGER VASS, 1890s-1999
Subseries 1: Papers and subject files, 1890s-1999
Subseries 2: Audio and visual materials, circa 1905-1931, 1940-1972, 1981-1984

Alternative Formats

To browse this collection's digitized content visit Pearl.

Materials marked "Digital" in the Collection Inventory may not have been digitized in their entirety.

Related Material

Administrative Information

Acquisition Information

Received from R.E. McClure in 1935, Mrs. W.H. Sheppard in 1936 and Davidson College in 1944. Received from Vass family members in 1958 and 1959 and between 1987 and 2002.

Processing Information

The processing of this collection was made possible by funding from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, administered through the Council on Library and Information Resources' "Cataloging Hidden Special Collections and Archives" Project. The collection was minimally processed and the finding aid was created in Archivists' Toolkit in May-June 2011 by Devin Manzullo-Thomas and Daniel Cavanaugh. This guide was revised in July/October/December 2011 by Bill Brock, Collection Management Archivist. In September 2012, photographic material from the Eugene R. Kellersberger Papers, RG 436, was added to this collection and the guide was revised by Bill Brock, Collection Management Archivist.

Preferred Citation

Vass Family Papers, RG 476, Presbyterian Historical Society, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Catalog Headings

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

Personal Name Subject

Vass, L. C. (Lachlan Cumming), 1831-1896.

Vass, Lachlan Cumming, 1872-1962.

Vass, Winifred Kellersberger, 1917-2010.

Vass, Lachlan C., 1915-2010.

Corporate Subject

American Presbyterian Congo Mission.

Christian Association of the Stonewall Brigade.

Presbyterian Church in the U.S. Executive Committee of Foreign Missions.

Samuel N. Lapsley I (Ship)

Samuel N. Lapsley II (Ship)

Topical Subject

Presbyterian Church--Southern States--Clergy--19th century.

Missionaries--Congo (Democratic Republic)--20th century.

Women missionaries--Congo (Democratic Republic)--20th century.

Atrocities--Congo (Democratic Republic)

Missions--Congo (Democratic Republic)

Presbyterian Church--Missions--Congo (Democratic Republic)--20th century.

Geographic Subject

Congo (Democratic Republic)--Missions--20th century.

Genre-form

Clippings (information artifacts) aat

Correspondence. aat

Lantern slides. aat

Sermons. aat

Sound recordings. aat

Photographic prints. aat

Subject files. local

Film negatives. gmgpc

Glass negatives. gmgpc

Personal Added Name

Vass, L. C. (Lachlan Cumming), 1831-1896.

Vass, Lachlan Cumming, 1872-1962.

Vass, Winifred Kellersberger.

Collection Inventory

Box	Folder	Description	Alternative Formats

		SERIES I: LACHLAN CUMMING VASS I, circa 1860s-1896

1	1	Christian Association of the Stonewall Brigade - constitution, by-laws, and catalog of members, 1864
1	2	Diary, 1888, 1896
1	3	Pastoral letter (3 copies), 1894
1	4	Sermon notes, circa 1860s-1890s
1	5	Sermon preached at New Bern, North Carolina, 1886
1	6	Trip to Scotland, 1896

		SERIES II: LACHLAN CUMMING VASS II, 1888-1966

		Subseries 1: Papers and ephemera, 1888-1966

1	7	Addresses and papers, undated

		Blueprints and mechanical drawings of the S.S. Samuel N. Lapsley II, circa 1905 [Oversize, 193B, shelf 6]

1	8	Biographical information, 1898 and undated
1	9	Certificate of licensure for the ministry, 1896
1	10	Certificates, Lapsley-Slaymaker memorial donations, circa 1900s
1	11	Clippings, 1890s, 1900s, 1940s, 1960s
1	12	Correspondence - Morrison, William M. (outgoing), 1905-1909
1	13	Correspondence - Morrison, William M. (incoming), 1909
1	14	Correspondence - general, 1905-1906
1	15	Correspondence - general (incoming), 1904-1911
1	16	Correspondence - general (outgoing), 1907-1910
1	17	Course notes for Greek class, 1895-1896
1	18	Diary, 1899
1	19	Diary, 1906
1	20	Diary with hand-drawn map, [1908] July 24-August 19
1	21	Diary/letter fragment by William H. Sheppard, undated
1	22	Document - Senate Resolution #282, "Memorial Concerning Conditions in Independent State of the Kongo," 1904
1	23	"History of the S.S. Lapsley" by L.C. Vass II, 1904-1905, 1966 and undated
1	24	Letter to S.H. Chester volunteering for the Congo Mission, 1898
1	25	Map of voyage from the Congo to England, [March 1909]
1	26	"Medal awarded to Rev. L.C. Vass [II] during King Leopold's Regime," undated
1	27	Printed matter, Congo Reform Association, 1904-1908

5		Scrapbook, 1888-circa 1899

1	28	Sermon notes, 1910-1941
1	29	Sermon notes, 1910-1952
1	30	Sermon notes, 1910-1958
1	31	Sermon notes, 1911-1948
1	32	Sermon notes, 1911-1948
1	33	Sermon notes, 1912-1950

2	1	Sermon notes 1920-1956 and undated

		Subseries 2: Photographic materials, 1893-1951

8	1	Photographs - American Presbyterian Congo Mission missionaries at Luebo, undated	Digital
8	2	Photographs - Carriage used by Maria Fearing, undated
8	3	Photographs - Congo landscapes, undated
8	4	Photographs - "Congo Mission," undated
8	5	Photographs - "Congo Mission," undated

9	1	Photographs - Congolese amputees, undated	Digital
9	2	Photographs - Leopoldville and Mitidi, undated
9	3	Photographs - Luebo Station, circa 1900s
9	4	Photographs - "Missionaries," 1907 and undated	Digital

10	1	Photographs - Missionary groups, undated
10	2	Photographs - Printing press at Luebo, 1901
10	3	Photographs - "Proof of coercion by the rubber cartels," undated
10	4	Photographs - "Rubber atrocity," 1893-1906	Digital
10	5	Photographs - S.S. Samuel N. Lapsley I, capsizing, undated
10	6	Photographs - S.S. Samuel N. Lapsley I, unloading of cargo, undated
10	7	Photographs - S.S. Samuel N. Lapsley I and II, circa 1900s	Digital
10	8	Photographs - S.S. Samuel N. Lapsley I and II, circa 1900s

7		Photographs - S.S. Samuel N. Lapsley II, 1906, 1908

11	1	Photographs - S.S. Samuel N. Lapsley II under construction in Scotland, circa 1905
11	2	Photographs - Scott, William B., 1905
11	3	Photographs - "Sea-going vessels," undated
11	4	Photographs - Taylor, Annie Kate (Rochester) (Mrs. A.A. Rochester), undated
11	5	Photographs - Thomas, Lilian and Maria Fearing and orphan girl, undated
11	6	Photographs - Vass, Edna, Julia Lake Vass, Elizabeth Vass and Emily Boehler on the S.S. Samuel N. Lapsley II, 1951
11	7	Photographs - Vass, Lachlan Cumming II, undated

12	1	Photographs - "Village life and scenes," undated
12	2	Photographs - Miscellaneous, undated
12	3	Photographs - Miscellaneous, undated
12	4	Photographs - Miscellaneous, undated
12	5	Photographs - Miscellaneous, undated

6		Photograph album, 1898-1900s and undated [restricted (fragile)]	Digital

13		Glass negatives, circa 1898-1909

14		Glass negatives, circa 1898-1909	Digital

15		Glass negatives, circa 1898-1909

16		Glass negatives, circa 1898-1909

17		Glass negatives, circa 1898-1909	Digital

18		Glass negatives, circa 1898-1909

19		Glass negatives, circa 1898-1909

20		Glass negatives, circa 1898-1909

21		Glass negatives, circa 1898-1909

22		Glass negatives, circa 1898-1909

23		Glass negatives, circa 1898-1909

24		Glass negatives, circa 1898-1909

25		Glass negatives, circa 1898-1909

26		Glass negatives, circa 1898-1909

27		Glass negatives, circa 1898-1909

28		Glass negatives, circa 1898-1909

30		Lantern slides, circa 1898-1909 [fragile, handle with care]

31		Lantern slides, circa 1898-1909 [fragile, handle with care]	Digital

32		Lantern slides, circa 1898-1909 [fragile, handle with care]

33	1	Reference digital reproductions of photographic nitrate negatives in box 34, folder 1, undated
33	2	Reference digital reproductions of photographic nitrate negatives in box 34, folders 2-3, [1920s-1930s]

34	1	Photographic nitrate negatives [reference digital reproductions in box 33, folder 1], undated [restricted]	Digital
34	2	Photographic nitrate negatives [reference digital reproductions in box 33, folder 2], [1920s-1930s] [restricted]	Digital
34	3	Photographic nitrate negatives [reference digital reproductions in box 33, folder 2], [1920s-1930s] [restricted]	Digital

		SERIES III: WINIFRED KELLERSBERGER VASS, 1890s-1999

		Subseries 1: Papers and subject files, 1890s-1999

2	2	The African Heritage of American English, 1993
2	3	American Presbyterian Congo Mission (APCM) - Accelerated course in Tshiluba by Virginia Pruitt, 1968
2	4	American Presbyterian Congo Mission (APCM) - All-Africa Conference of Churches, "Youth Newsletter," 1966
2	5	American Presbyterian Congo Mission (APCM) - Articles from The Missionary/Missionary Survey, 1909-1920
2	6	American Presbyterian Congo Mission (APCM) - Articles from The News of the Kasai People, 1937-1967
2	7	American Presbyterian Congo Mission (APCM) - Bible study materials in Tshiluba, undated
2	8	American Presbyterian Congo Mission (APCM) - Congo constitution and laws, 1951, 1964-1967
2	9	American Presbyterian Congo Mission (APCM) - Congo Inland Mission, news releases and report, 1959-1961
2	10	American Presbyterian Congo Mission (APCM) - "Congo Protestant Council Medical Statistics," 1956
2	11	American Presbyterian Congo Mission (APCM) - Congolese independence, 1960-1962

7		American Presbyterian Congo Mission (APCM) - Congolese independence, scrapbook, 1955-1960

2	12	American Presbyterian Congo Mission (APCM) - Conseil d'Administration des Oeuvres Litteraires dans la Langue Tshiluba, 1966-1970
2	13	American Presbyterian Congo Mission (APCM) - Copies of photographs of APCM-related stations and people, undated
2	14	American Presbyterian Congo Mission (APCM) - Course materials for religion classes taught in Luluabourg State Schools, 1950s
2	15	American Presbyterian Congo Mission (APCM) - Ditalala magazine 1972-1973
2	16	American Presbyterian Congo Mission (APCM) - Financial contributions to Presbyterian foreign missions, undated
2	17	American Presbyterian Congo Mission (APCM) - Foyer International Protestant "David Livingstone," annual report, 1968
2	18	American Presbyterian Congo Mission (APCM) - "A Guide for Bible Study" in Tshiluba, 1958-1959
2	19	American Presbyterian Congo Mission (APCM) - History of the APCM in Tshiluba, undated
2	20	American Presbyterian Congo Mission (APCM) - "Important correspondence," 1916-1931 and undated
2	21	American Presbyterian Congo Mission (APCM) - J. Leighton Wilson Press, 1955, 1964, 1979 and undated
2	22	American Presbyterian Congo Mission (APCM) - Lake Munkanba Conference, agenda, 1952 September
2	23	American Presbyterian Congo Mission (APCM) - Maps of Africa and Zaire, 1967 and undated
2	24	American Presbyterian Congo Mission (APCM) - Maps of missions in the Belgian Congo, undated
2	25	American Presbyterian Congo Mission (APCM) - "Matters referred to in mission meeting," 1959
2	26	American Presbyterian Congo Mission (APCM) - McKee, George T., 1938-1940, 1980
2	27	American Presbyterian Congo Mission (APCM) - Minutes, 1960-1961
2	28	American Presbyterian Congo Mission (APCM) - Mission and church materials, 1960-1968
2	29	American Presbyterian Congo Mission (APCM) - Missionaries, 1891-1986
2	30	American Presbyterian Congo Mission (APCM) - Missionary attitudes, 1940s-1970s
2	31	American Presbyterian Congo Mission (APCM) - "Mfundilu Wa Tshiluba," 1966
2	32	American Presbyterian Congo Mission (APCM) - Moma Station, 1940s-1960s
2	33	American Presbyterian Congo Mission (APCM) - Moma Station, and radio communications, 1958-1959
2	34	American Presbyterian Congo Mission (APCM) - Morrison Bible School/Mutoto Station, undated
2	35	American Presbyterian Congo Mission (APCM) - Morrison, Dr. William M., 1891-1988
2	36	American Presbyterian Congo Mission (APCM) - Notes on the Baluba compiled by B.A. Anderson, undated
2	37	American Presbyterian Congo Mission (APCM) - Pastors (Musonguela), 1919-1920 and undated

3	1	American Presbyterian Congo Mission (APCM) - "Otetela proverbs," undated
3	2	American Presbyterian Congo Mission (APCM) - Smith, Plumer, 1944
3	3	American Presbyterian Congo Mission (APCM) - Stories written by and for Winifred Vass in Tshiluba, undated
3	4	American Presbyterian Congo Mission (APCM) - Studio Protestant Du Kasayi (STUDIPROKA radio program), 1958-1974 and undated
3	5	American Presbyterian Congo Mission (APCM) - Textbook, Tresors De La Litterature Ou Mond by Virginia Pruitt, undated
3	6	American Presbyterian Congo Mission (APCM) - "Tropics Topics" newsletters, 1942-1955, 1969, 1970
3	7	American Presbyterian Congo Mission (APCM) - Tshiluba (language), 1967-1976
3	8	American Presbyterian Congo Mission (APCM) - Tshiluba Regional Literature Committee, minutes, 1960-1979
3	9	American Presbyterian Congo Mission (APCM) - Tshiluba translation of Everyman, undated
3	10	American Presbyterian Congo Mission (APCM) - "Witchcraft and the Mission Church in Zaire" by Mukundi M. Mulumba, 1984
3	11	American Presbyterian Congo Mission (APCM) - Tuyaya Kunyi? Magazine, 1963-1972
3	12	Anderson, V.A. - correspondence, 1941, 1943, 1960-1961
3	13	Article and commentary/translation of Book of Romans, circa 1960s-1970s
3	14	"A Century of PCUS Medical Mission, 1881-1983," by Sophie Montgomery Crane, 1987
3	15	Chosen Children: The Beginnings of the Presbyterian Church in Zaire [see folder 69, Pillars of the Zaire Church - Manuscript and related note, 1993 and undated], 1990
3	16	Corley, Florence Fleming - correspondence and printed matter, 1980, 1984-1985
3	17	"Growth of the Church in the Kasai: History of the American Presbyterian Congo Mission, 1891-1959" by John Morrison, 1988
3	18	"The Hidden Page," 1988
3	19	The Lapsley Saga - American Congo Mission minutes, 1907-1937
3	20	The Lapsley Saga - Bibliography, 1890s-1990s
3	21	The Lapsley Saga - Congo atrocities and William M. Morrison correspondence 1916-1917 and undated
3	22	The Lapsley Saga - Correspondence about the book, 1991-1992
3	23	The Lapsley Saga - Daumery, Toussaint Joseph, 1916-1922 and undated
3	24	The Lapsley Saga - Early mission steamers on the Congo River, undated
3	25	The Lapsley Saga - Executive Committee of Foreign Missions (PCUS), minutes, 1907-1936
3	26	The Lapsley Saga - Lapsley, Samuel Norvell, 1893, 1980s	Digital
3	27	The Lapsley Saga - Maps, undated
3	28	The Lapsley Saga - McKinnon, Arch C., 1913-1915 and undated
3	29	The Lapsley Saga - Photograph orders and negatives for the book, 1990s
3	30	The Lapsley Saga - River expeditions of Samuel N. Lapsley and William H. Sheppard, circa 1890-1910
3	31	The Lapsley Saga - S.S. Samuel N. Lapsley I, construction and dedication 1899-1900, 1991
3	32	The Lapsley Saga - S.S. Samuel N. Lapsley I, capsizing, 1904, 1916, 1946
3	33	The Lapsley Saga - S.S. Samuel N. Lapsley I, financing, 1893-1899
3	34	The Lapsley Saga - S.S. Samuel N. Lapsley I, history of service, 1901-1903
3	35	The Lapsley Saga - S.S. Samuel N. Lapsley I, reassembly, 1901 and undated
3	36	The Lapsley Saga - S.S. Samuel N. Lapsley I and early missions steamers, 1890s-1900s and undated
3	37	The Lapsley Saga - S.S. Samuel N. Lapsley I and II, donation certificates, 1894, 1966 and undated
3	38	The Lapsley Saga - S.S. Samuel N. Lapsley II - accounts of construction, journeys, etc., in church papers, 1909, 1946, 1966
3	39	The Lapsley Saga - S.S. Samuel N. Lapsley II, construction and dedication, 1904-1908
3	40	The Lapsley Saga - S.S. Samuel N. Lapsley II, construction contract (photocopy), undated
3	41	The Lapsley Saga - S.S. Samuel N. Lapsley II, the final search, 1969, 1995 and undated
3	42	The Lapsley Saga - S.S. Samuel N. Lapsley II, financing, 1903-1904, 1947
3	43	The Lapsley Saga - S.S. Samuel N. Lapsley II, first trip upriver, 1904-1909
3	44	The Lapsley Saga - S.S. Samuel N. Lapsley II, "other captains," 1914, 1922-1923 and undated
3	45	The Lapsley Saga - S.S. Samuel N. Lapsley II, reassembly, 1904-1906
3	46	The Lapsley Saga - Scott, William Brown, 1904-1912 and undated
3	47	The Lapsley Saga - Vass, Lachlan C. II, 1899-1911
3	48	The Lapsley Saga - Watt, J.F., 1930 and undated
3	49	The Lapsley Saga - Wilds, Samuel Hugh, 1923-1929, 1992
3	50	Pillars of the Zaire Church - Andre, Pastor Mukeba 1931-1954
3	51	Pillars of the Zaire Church - Banza, Paul, 1931, 1943, 1945-1946, 1968
3	52	Pillars of the Zaire Church - Daniel, Kalombo, 1914-1953
3	53	Pillars of the Zaire Church - Davidi, Mutangadiki Mputu, 1914-1945, 1988
3	54	Pillars of the Zaire Church - Diesse-Lelu, Pasteur, undated
3	55	Pillars of the Zaire Church - Elisha, Mukulu Musonguela, 1913-1947
3	56	Pillars of the Zaire Church - Isaac, Kenyinda, 1931, 1960 and undated
3	57	Pillars of the Zaire Church - Isaac, Mpasata Katalai, 1933
3	58	Pillars of the Zaire Church - Job, Mujanai, 1932, 1979 and undated
3	59	Pillars of the Zaire Church - Joseph, Mukulu Kayimbe, 1911-1951
3	60	Pillars of the Zaire Church - Joseph, Mukulu Kayimbe, 1947-1979 and undated
3	61	Pillars of the Zaire Church - Joseph, Nsenda, 1919-1988	Digital*
3	62	Pillars of the Zaire Church - Kabua, Mukulu Mose, 1919, 1927
3	63	Pillars of the Zaire Church - Kadisha, Mulami Joseph, 1919-1952
3	64	Pillars of the Zaire Church - Kafuka, Mukulu H., 1919-1931
3	65	Pillars of the Zaire Church - Kankenzi, 1933
3	66	Pillars of the Zaire Church - Katembue, Mukulu, 1906-1919
3	64	Pillars of the Zaire Church - Lukengu, Kabeya, 1904-1979
3	65	Pillars of the Zaire Church - Lukumuenu, Job, 1916, 1918 and undated
3	69	Pillars of the Zaire Church - Manuscript and related note [see folder 15, Chosen Children: The Beginnings of the Presbyterian Church in Zaire, 1990], 1993 and undated
3	70	Pillars of the Zaire Church - Matabishi 1911-1921
3	71	Pillars of the Zaire Church - Morrison Bible School graduates 1931, 1948, 1952

4	1	Pillars of the Zaire Church - Mose, Kabongo-Mbuyi, 1912-1960
4	2	Pillars of the Zaire Church - Mose, Muepu, 1919, 1966 and undated
4	3	Pillars of the Zaire Church - Mudimbe, Malendola, 1906, 1954 and undated
4	4	Pillars of the Zaire Church - Muoyo, Kolesha, 1919 and undated
4	5	Pillars of the Zaire Church - Musonguela, 1904-1971
4	6	Pillars of the Zaire Church - Nsenda, Mulami Mose, 1931-1939, 1947, 1950
4	7	Pillars of the Zaire Church - "Other outstanding Christians," 1912-1953, 1988
4	8	Pillars of the Zaire Church - Paul, Kasonga, 1912-1941, 1988
4	9	Pillars of the Zaire Church - Paul, Kasukaja, 1920-1954 and undated
4	10	Pillars of the Zaire Church - Photographs and correspondence, 1989
4	11	Pillars of the Zaire Church - Samuel, Katshungu, 1919-1988
4	12	Pillars of the Zaire Church - Samuel, Lubilanji, 1954 and undated
4	13	Pillars of the Zaire Church - Simon, Kangaji, 1988 and undated
4	14	Pillars of the Zaire Church - "Steps in development of the Church in Bajikile," undated
4	15	Pillars of the Zaire Church - "Steps in the development of the Church in the Kasai," 1902-1989 and undated
4	16	Pillars of the Zaire Church - "Steps in the development of the Church in the Kasai," 1902-1989 and undated
4	17	Savels, John, 1988-1995
4	18	"Texas Presbyterians in Zaire, 1891-1970," 1986
4	19	Vass, Winifred Kellersberger - correspondence, 1951
4	20	Zaire - centennial celebration of Presbyterians in Zaire, 1991
4	21	Zaire - "Charlie Sierra" (newsletter), 1991-1993
4	22	Zaire - clippings, 1989-1991
4	23	Zaire - clippings, 1992-1994
4	24	Zaire - clippings, 1995-1996
4	25	Zaire - clippings, 1997-1999
4	26	Zaire - clippings and letters, 1997-1999
4	27	Zaire - Protestant University of the Congo (Zaire), newsletters, 1997
4	28	Zaire - Miscellaneous clippings/printed matter, 1944, 1985

		Subseries 2: Audio and visual materials, circa 1905-1931, 1940-1972, 1981-1984

35	1	Photographs - Air scenes of Zaire (Luluabourg, Luebo, Munkamba, etc.), circa 1960s-1972
35	2	Photographs - APCM missionaries and Mennonite paxmen, 1940-1972
35	3	Photographs - Bulape, Meweka, Bakete, Bakuba, and Mushenge, undated
35	4	Photographs - Children's Sunday School work, Mutoto and Ndesha, circa 1960s and undated
35	5	Photographs - Building churches in Zaire, circa 1960s and undated
35	6	Photographs - Church parades Luluabourg, circa 1960s and undated
35	7	Photographs - Kananga during intertribal fighting (1960 and after), 1960s and undated
35	8	Photographs - Kananga, Liproka (Literature and Press) and Studiproka (Protestant Broadcasting Center, circa 1960s-1972
35	9	Photographs - Kananga railroad station, circa 1960s
35	10	Photographs - Katubue Ecole Secondaire Unie, circa 1960s-1972
35	11	Photographs - Lake Munkamba, circa 1960s-1972 and undated
35	12	Photographs - Luebo Christians, circa 1960s and undated
35	13	Photographs - Luebo Christmas pageants, circa 1960s and undated	Digital
35	14	Photographs - Luebo mission meetings, 1940s
35	15	Photographs - Luebo scenes, circa 1960s and undated
35	16	Photographs - Luebo Scouts and sports, circa 1960s and undated
35	17	Photographs - Native arts and crafts (charms, fetishes, masks, and Bnadis), 1941 undated

36	1	Photographs - Ndesha, circa 1960s and undated
36	2	Photographs - Pioneer leaders of the Presbyterian Church of Zaire (copy prints), circa 1905-1931
36	3	Photographs - Presbyterian Church of Zaire (at Kananga) organization ceremony, 1970 March 15

4	29	Photographs - PCUS missionaries to Congo/Zaire and family members, 1981, 1984 and undated

36	4	Photographs - Protestant Center, Kananga, 1960s
36	5	Photographs - Swinging bridge on Methodist Mission (Zaire), circa 1960s
36	6	Photographs - Visiting pastors, board members, etc. from the U.S.A. to Zaire church meetings (Street, Fulton, Moffett, Richards and, Lynn), circa 1960s and undated
36	7	Photographs - Women's and girls' work, undated
36	8	Photographs - Zaire pastors and church leaders, circa 1960s and undated

29	1	Sound recording - "Panel discussion on mission work in Belgian Congo," 1952
29	2	Sound recording - Addresses delivered by Mrs. Peter Marshal and Dr. Louie Evans, 1953-1954
29	3	Sound recording - "The Easter Offering," "Christmas program"/"Dr. Nida" lecture at "Mission Meeting," 1954, 1966
29	4	Sound recording - "Greetings" from indigenous church leaders, 1961
29	5	Sound recording - "Boy Scouts of Luebo," 1965 May 15
29	6	Sound recording - "Choral from Luebo"/"Lyndon Johnson Choral from APCM Mission," undated
29	7	Sound recording - "Bible messages from 1961 Bourse Students," 1961

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Guide to the Vass Family Papers