Guide to the Margaret Flory Papers

Descriptive Summary

Title

Margaret Flory Papers

Inclusive Dates

1917-2009

Bulk Dates

1961-2006

Call Number

RG 527

Creator(s)

Flory, Margaret.

Quantity

18.50 cubic feet (19 boxes)

Language

Materials in English

Restrictions on Access

Open for research. Medical, educational, and psychological records of living people are closed.

Digital Content

To browse this collection's digitized content visit Pearl.

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

Repository

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

Biographical Note / Administrative History

Biographical Note

Margaret Flory was a leader in ecumenical relations and student mission work in the Presbyterian Church. Flory was born in 1914 in Wauseon, Ohio. She graduated from Ohio University in Athens, Ohio with an A.B. in English in 1936 and an M.A. in Speech and Dramatic Art in 1938. After graduation, Flory taught speech and drama at Alabama State College for Women from 1939 to 1940 and then served as the campus ministry director at the Westminster Foundation at Ohio University from 1940 until 1944. Flory also completed post-graduate study at Union Theological Seminary in New York from 1940 to 1942 and received an L.L.D. from Maryville College in 1987.

In 1944, Flory applied to serve as a missionary to China with the Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. Board of Foreign Missions. When her missionary work was delayed due to World War II, she began working with the Board of Foreign Missions in New York City as the Area Secretary for Women’s Work. She became director of the Board of Foreign Missions Office of Student Work in 1951 (this changed to the Office of Student World Relations with the Commission on Ecumenical Mission and Relations in 1958). During her eighteen years in this position, she implemented several new mission programs for students. Flory created the Junior Year Abroad program in 1953 and it was one of the first study abroad programs in the country. Throughout its run, the program allowed for over a thousand students to serve in places such as China, Brazil, India, Ghana, and the Philippines. Flory also executed the Frontier Internship in Mission program in 1961. This program allowed recent college graduates to gain international mission experience in “unreached corners of the globe.” With the reorganization of the United Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A.'s mission work in 1972, Flory assumed a new position in the Program Agency as Associate for Human Resources Planning and then in 1977 as Associate for Patterns of Ecumenical Sharing where she directed a pilot project called Education for Mission.

Flory’s work with students connected her with the ecumenical student movement in both the United States and abroad. She planned the 1955, 1959, and 1963 Quadrennials of the Student Volunteer Movement in Athens, Ohio which were week-long conferences attended by several thousands students interested in working for human rights. Flory was a strong supporter of the World Student Christian Federation and mission programs implemented by the National Council of the Churches of Christ and the World Council of Churches. She traveled extensively during her career to ecumenical conferences and to mission fields in Asia, Africa, South America, and Europe.

Flory officially retired from the UPCUSA in December 1980, but remained active in Presbyterian-related organizations. She accepted a position as program coordinator for the Gilmor Sloane House at Stony Point Conference Center in New York and continued to travel around the globe to the mission fields that she helped construct. She moved to College Walk, a retirement community in Brevard, N.C., in 1990 and helped with church relations at Warren Wilson College. Flory also wrote three books between 1955 and 2000, including an autobiographical account of her life’s work Moments in Time: One Woman’s Ecumenical Journey. Margaret Flory passed away in 2009.

Collection Overview

This collection mostly consists of files Flory created and arranged, either by chronology or subject, that document her work with mission programs in the Presbyterian Church.

The Biographical materials and memorabilia series, 1961-2009, includes Flory’s resume, biographical sketches, portraits, and writings by Flory. The writings include her personal reflections on her life and work with the church (these are also scattered throughout Series III: Chronological files and Series IV: Subject files). Also included in this series is ephemera that Flory collected during her travels; programs, correspondence, and audiocassettes related to her retirement and 90th birthday celebrations; and photographs taken of Flory later in her life.

The Correspondence and diaries series, 1948-2006, contains journals that Flory used to write notes about her meetings with mission organizations, travels overseas, and speeches or writing projects. Also included are address books, books of signatures that Flory collected during her travels, and miscellaneous appointment books. The correspondence consists of letters written to her colleagues at the Board of Foreign Missions and Program Agency, letters regarding the Tokyo Women’s Christian University, and personal letters from her friends and family. There are also “Dear Friends” letters and Christmas letters that Flory sent out to share life updates with loved ones.

The Chronological files series, 1930-2009, maintains Flory’s original arrangement. The files contain letters, photographs, news clippings, and reports. The majority of materials relate to her work with the Board of Foreign Missions, the Commission on Ecumenical Mission and Relations, and the Program Agency, but there are some personal materials mixed in, mostly cards received from family and friends. The files also contain correspondence and ephemera from her travels.

To help navigate this series, a timeline of Flory’s life is available here.

The Subject files series, 1917-2009, mostly consists of materials that Flory created or collected during her work with mission programs. Most of this series has maintained its original arrangement from Flory. Significant portions of the series include correspondence, reports, planning documents, and personal reflections related to programs that Flory established such as the Frontier Internship in Mission program, the Education for Mission: Education in a Global Age pilot project, and the Junior Year Abroad program.

After she retired, Flory wrote several books including Dear House, Mission Becomes You: Gilmor Sloane House, Stony Point, New York, 1949-1999 and the autobiographical Moments in Time: One Woman’s Ecumenical Journey. Correspondence, research notes, and press releases related to writing and publishing these books are included in the writing files portion of this series. The biographical files in this series contain research Flory conducted for her ecumenical writing project "Many Voices, One Melody."

Organization and Arrangement

The collection is arranged as follows:

SERIES I: BIOGRAPHICAL MATERIALS AND MEMORABILIA, 1961-2009

SERIES II: CORRESPONDENCE AND DIARIES, 1948-2006

SERIES III: CHRONOLOGICAL FILES, 1930-2009

SERIES IV: SUBJECT FILES, 1917-2009

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 Barbara A. Roche in 2010 and 2011, and Judy Nebrig in 2018.

Processing Information

Collection processed and guide prepared in 2020 by Elizabeth Wittrig, Processing Archivist.

Preferred Citation

Margaret Flory Papers, RG 527, 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

Flory, Margaret.

Corporate Subject

Alabama State College for Women.

Gilmor Sloane House (Stony Point, N.Y.)

Ohio University. Westminster Foundation.

Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. Board of Foreign Missions. Eastern Area Secretary for Women's Work.

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

Tokyo Women's Christian University.

United Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. Commission on Ecumenical Mission and Relations. Office of Student World Relations.

World Student Christian Federation.

Brevard-Davidson River Presbyterian Church (Brevard, N.C.)

Topical Subject

Presbyterian women--History--20th century.

Women in missionary work--History--20th century.

Genre-form

Correspondence. aat

Newsletters. aat

Photographs. aat

Publications (documents) aat

Sound recordings. aat

Subject files. local

Collection Inventory

Box	Folder	Description	Alternative Formats

		SERIES I: BIOGRAPHICAL MATERIALS AND MEMORABILIA, 1961-2009

1	1	Writings and biographical notes, 1961-2005
1	2	Writings, "The University, the Church, and Internationalization" by Margaret Flory and Alice Hoffman, 1968
1	3	Writings, "Aunt Margie Remembers," 2001
1	4	Awards and written tributes, 1991-2009
1	5	Events honoring Flory’s ministry (includes 90th birthday celebration), 1990-2007
1	6	Events honoring Flory’s ministry – retirement, 1980
1	7	Events honoring Flory’s ministry – retirement, audiocassettes, 1980
1	8	Photographs of Flory, circa 1960s and 2000s	Digital
1	9	Collected art and memorabilia, undated

19	1	Stamps of Flory's signature, undated
19	2	Doctoral hood

		SERIES II: CORRESPONDENCE AND DIARIES, 1948-2006

1	10	Correspondence, Christmas letters, 1967-1969
1	11	Correspondence, Japan and Tokyo Women’s Christian University, 1998
1	12	Correspondence, Korea visit, 1998
1	13	Correspondence with Dr. Reischauer re: 150 year witness celebration, 1990
1	14	Correspondence, retirement, 1980
1	15	Correspondence, Tamaki Uemura, 1949-1978
1	16	Correspondence, 1948-1969
1	17	Correspondence, 1970-1989
1	18	Correspondence, 1990s
1	19	Correspondence, 2000-2006

2	1-3	Correspondence, addresses, circa 1952-2002
2	4	Appointment books, 1966-1973
2	5	Signature books, 1969-1978
2	6	Journal, anniversary celebration plans, undated
2	7	Journal, International Working Group on Ecumenical Sharing and Resources, undated
2	8	Journal, Pacific School of Religion, circa 1980
2	9	Journal, reflections on retirement, 1980
2	10	Journal, “Toward a Portrait of Richard Shaull,” undated
2	11	Journal, travels to China, 1976 and undated
2	12	Journal, travel diaries, 1948 and undated
2	13	Journals, miscellaneous notes, undated

3	1	Journals, miscellaneous notes, 1952 and undated

		SERIES III: CHRONOLOGICAL FILES, 1930-2009

3	2	1930-1939
3	3	1930-1939 -- photographs
3	4	1933-1944 -- Ohio University
3	5	1939-1940 -- Alabama College, correspondence
3	6	1939-1940 -- Alabama College, clippings and newsletters
3	7	1939-1940 -- Alabama College, official bulletins and directories
3	8	1939-1940 -- Alabama College, programs
3	9	1940-1941
3	10	1942
3	11-12	1943
3	13-14	1943 -- correspondence re: broken ankle
3	15	1943 -- correspondence re: Caravan
3	16	1943 -- correspondence re: Westminster Foundation (Athens, Ohio)
3	17	1943 -- Flory mission service application to China
3	18	1944

4	1-3	1944
4	4	1944 -- Westminster Foundation (Athens, Ohio)
4	5	1945
4	6-7	1946
4	8	1947
4	9-10	1948
4	11	1948 -- Japan, English course papers by Flory
4	12	1948 -- photographs and "Dear Friends" letters, "Impressions of an Ecumenical Journey"
4	13	1949
4	14	1950

5	1	1951
5	2	1951 -- James H. Robinson
5	3	1951 -- photographs and clippings
5	4	1952 -- "Around the World in 101 Days" and Cameroon Christian College cornerstone
5	5	1952 -- includes photographs
5	6	1953 -- Flory and Rose Paige Welch travels overseas
5	7-8	1954
5	9-10	1955 -- Athens Conference, Ohio University Alumni honor
5	11-12	1956
5	13-14	1957
5	15-16	1958

6	1	1959 -- The 18th Ecumenical Student Conference on the Christian World Mission
6	2	1959
6	3-4	1960
6	5	1961
6	6	1961 -- mostly photographs
6	7	1962
6	8	1962 -- photographs and clippings
6	9-10	1963
6	11-12	1964
6	13-14	1965
6	15-16	1966

7	1-2	1967
7	3-4	1968
7	5	1969
7	6	1970
7	7	1970 -- photographs
7	8-9	1971
7	10-12	1972
7	13-14	1973
7	15-16	1974

8	1	1975
8	2	1975 -- photographs
8	3	1976
8	4-5	1977
8	6-8	1978
8	9-10	1979
8	11-12	1980
8	13-15	1981

9	1-2	1982
9	3-4	1983
9	5-6	1984
9	7	1984 -- Joshi Dai Reunion of 1949 English class
9	8	1985
9	9-10	1986
9	11	1987
9	12	1987 -- Stony Point Center
9	13-14	1988
9	15-16	1989
9	17	1990

10	1	1990
10	2-3	1991
10	4	1992 -- Brevard Christmas letters
10	5	1993
10	6	1994
10	7	1995
10	8	1996 -- "Margaret 50 year relationship with WSCF"
10	9	1997 -- Women of Faith Award and response
10	10	1998
10	11	1999
10	12	2000-2001
10	13	2002-2003
10	14	2004-2005
10	15	2006-2009

		SERIES IV: SUBJECT FILES, 1917-2009

11	1	Bi-National Service (includes Flory reflections), 1970-2003
11	2	Black Economic Development Conference and the Church’s Response to the Black Manifesto, 1969-1970
11	3	Brevard Church, 1982-1997
11	4	China – Flory diary and presentation, 1947-1977
11	5	China – Flory photographs and Christmas letters, 1970s-1990
11	6	China – notes and resources, undated
11	7	Church of the Master (Jim Robinson and Flory’s work as elder), 1950-1989
11	8-9	Clippings, 1944-2006
11	10	Clippings, TIME magazine, 1998-2007
11	11	Commission on Ecumenical Mission and Relations (COEMAR), 1957-1972
11	12	COEMAR, Office of Student World Relations overview of programs, 1957-1968
11	13	Conference on Interpreting the Ecumenical Mission to Students (Board of Foreign Missions), 1957
11	14	Covenant Community Consultation, 1991-1993
11	15	Cuba, 1979-1992

12	1	Cuba, 1979-1992
12	2	Ecumenical and interfaith relations, ECU-Dialogue, 2006
12	3	Education for Mission, Journal with Flory’s notes, circa 1970
12	4-5	Education for Mission, resources and notes, 1977-1997
12	6	Education for Mission, reports, 1979-1982
12	7	Education for Mission, guidelines and meetings, 1979-1984
12	8	Evangelism, 1985-1987
12	9	Europe, 1968-1982
12	10	Frontier Internship in Mission Committee, 1966-2004
12	11	Frontier Internship in Mission Committee audiocassettes, undated
12	12	Frontier Internship in Mission Committee evaluations, 1961-1965
12	13	General Assembly and General Assembly Nominating Committee, 1963-1999
12	14	Global Awareness notebook from office of Global Awareness, 1980-1987
12	15-16	Global Mission Conference at Montreat Conference Center, 1989

13	1	Global Women Theologians in Dialogue, 1986
13	2	Gray Panthers, 1982
13	3	Guatemala Seminar, 1940s
13	4	Health, 1977-1990
13	5	Hispanic ministry, 1988-1989
13	6	Human Rights, 1963-1989
13	7	International Bulletin of Missionary Research, 1981-1984
13	8	International Christian Education, 1965-1982
13	9	International Christmas House, 1969-1971
13	10	Internationalization of Mission (includes Pittsburgh Presbytery), 1966-1982
13	11	Internationalization of Mission, Global Village, 1982-1987
13	12	Islam, 1988
13	13	Japan, undated
13	14	John Knox International Reformed Center and Flory Building, 1993-2003
13	15	Junior Year Abroad, 1953-1968
13	16	Junior Year Abroad, student lists and publications, 1953-1986
13	17	Junior Year Abroad, publications – “The Path I have Chosen” by Jean Elizabeth Barker, 2000
13	18	Junior Year Abroad reunion, 2002
13	19-20	Junior Year Abroad reunion, 2002-2004

14	1-2	Junior Year Abroad reunion, 2002-2004
14	3	Junior Year Abroad correspondence post-reunion, 2004-2006
14	4	Junior Year Abroad Gathering at Ghost Ranch, 2008
14	5	Kagawa centennial project, 1988
14	6	Kirkridge retreat center, 1988-1989
14	7	Leadership Development survey PC(USA), 1987
14	8	Charles Tudor Leber and Richard Shaull, 1959-1981
14	9	Hal Leiper, 1993
14	10	Middle East Mission Update, 1982-1983
14	11	Mission Advocates and minute for mission, 1979-1981
14	12	Mission Guidelines (UPCUSA), 1961-1980
14	13	"Mission from the Margins” address by Philip Wickeri, 2003
14	14	Mission Ministry Team, 2005
14	15	“Mission to the U.S.A.”, 1977-1981
14	16	Mission – urban/rural, 1968-1976
14	17	“Movers and Shakers: Women Who have Made a Difference," undated
14	18	The North America Congress on Latin America (NACLA), 1981-1988
14	19	NCC Overseas Educational Ministries of American Mission Boards, 1968
14	20	National Student Christian Federation, 1959-1961
14	21	New Horizons, 1973-1995
14	22	Office of Student Work surveys, 1956-1958
14	23	Ohio University class reunion, 1986-1999
14	24	Pacific Basin Theological Network, 1979-1980
14	25-26	Peacemaking, 1978-1988
14	27	Photographs collected by Flory, 1917-1989
14	28	Poetry, 1978-1985

15	1	Program Agency – People in Mission, Task Force on Patterns of Service, 1977-1988
15	2-3	Presbyterian Mission History (150 Years) Conference at Stony Point, 1987
15	4	Quotes and prayers, 1950s and undated
15	5	Refugees/migrants and exiles, 1981-1983
15	6	Religion in Higher Education lectures and notes (Flory's academic work), 1940-1941
15	7	Retreat ideas, 1977-1983
15	8	Roche, Barbara, 1980-1984
15	9	Roman Catholic Church, 1960-1985
15	10	Scholarships for Overseas Students PCUSA, 1949-1957
15	11	Sermons (collected by Flory), 1940-1942, and 2007
15	12	Sermon resources, 1972-1989
15	13	Slides from Flory's international travels, 1959-1960
15	14	Spanish lessons, undated
15	15	Speech ideas, 1940s
15	16	Speech, Founder's Day, 1998 May
15	17	Speech, Oberammergau, 2000
15	18-21	Speeches and notes, 1930s-1990s
15	22	Stony Point Family at Prayer, 1983

16	1	Stony Point Center programs, 1980s
16	2	Gilmor Sloane House: Upper Room Supper, 1945, 1981-1982
16	3	Student Study Seminars, 1954-1980
16	4	Student Seminars, China Concerns Committtee and Asia study seminars, 1981-1983
16	5	Student Study Seminars, Latin America and Brazil, 1959-1964
16	6	Student Study Seminars, Brazil photographs, 1959
16	7	Student Study Seminars, Middle East Seminar for Women's Education, 1956-1976
16	8	Student Study Seminars, South Africa and Afro-Asian Seminars, 1963-1966
16	9	Tokyo Women’s Christian College slides, circa 1970s
16	10	Tokyo Women’s Christian College history, photographs from two students (sent to Flory in 2002), 1948-1950
16	11	Warren Wilson College, 1993-2006
16	12	World Alliance of Reformed Churches General Council, 1990-2007
16	13	World Council of Churches, 1970-1998
16	14	World Council of Churches, Ecumenical Sharing of Resources, 1976-1979
16	15	World Council of Churches, Justice, Peace, and the Integrity of Creation resource materials, 1988
16	16	World Student Christian Federation, 1952-2008
16	17	World Student Christian Federation, publications, 1947-1995

17	1	World Student Christian Federation, survey, papers, minutes, 1960-1995
17	2	“Experiments in Global Bridging” Margaret Flory reflections on WSCF involvement, circa 1995
17	3	World Student Christian Federation, Global Bridging materials, 1956-2004
17	4	Worship, 1958-1984

		Writing files
17	5	"Many Voices, One Melody" ecumenical writing project description, 2005-2006
17	6	Biographical files - Madeline Barot (France), 1989
17	7	Bio file - Chandran Devanesen (India), 1957-2004
17	8	Bio file - Suzanne de Dietrich (France), 1946-2005
17	9	Bio file - Paulus Gregious (India) and T. Paul Verghese, 1961-1989, 2009
17	10	Bio file - Jane Parker Huber, 1981-2000
17	11	Bio file - Josef Hromadka (Hungary) and Milan Opocensky, 1956-2007
17	12	Bio file - Toyoniko Kagawa, 1988-1998
17	13	Bio file - Yong Bock Kim, 1970-1973
17	14	Bio file - Maury, Malik, Mackay, 1949-1971
17	15	Bio file - Philippe Maurz, circa 2005
17	16	Bio file - Robert McAfee Brown, 1981 and 2006
17	17	Bio file - John W. Meister, 1963-1986
17	18	Bio file - Francis Pickens Miller, 2005
17	19	Bio file - Leslie Newbigin, 1952-1988
17	20	Bio file - Leslie Newbigin audiocassettes, undated
17	21	Bio file - D.T. Niles, 1955-1968
17	22	Bio file - Mercy Oduyoye, 1995-2006

18	1	Bio file - Philip Potter, 1996-2006
18	2	Bio file - James H. Robinson, 1956-1972
18	3	Bio file - Margaret Shannon, 1961-1991
18	4	Bio file - Dr. Masao Takenaka, 2006
18	5	Bio file - Ross Terrill, 1963-1970
18	6	Bio file - K.H. Ting, 1981, 2004-2006
18	7	Bio file - Tamaki Vemura, 1949-1978, 1995-2001
18	8	Bio files - additional notes and clippings, 1977-2006
18	9	"Moments in Time" book, 1994-1995
18	10	"Moments in Time" book signing, 1995
18	11-12	"Moments in Time" finances, 1995-1998
18	13	"Dear House" Gilmor Sloane House writing project, 1983-2000
18	14	"Dear House" resources, 1980-2000
18	15	"Dear House" manuscript, 1999

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Guide to the Margaret Flory Papers

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