Guide to the Eugene Carson Blake Papers

Descriptive Summary

Title

Eugene Carson Blake Papers

Inclusive Dates

1948-1966

Call Number

RG 121

Creator(s)

Blake, Eugene Carson, 1906-1985.

Quantity

18.00 cubic feet

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

Eugene Carson Blake was born in St. Louis on November 7, 1906. He graduated from Princeton University in 1928 and spent the following year teaching English in Forman College, Lahore, India (now Pakistan). He returned to his studies in 1929, spending a year at New College, Edinburgh, Scotland and two years at Princeton Theological Seminary, where he received a Th.B. in 1932. Blake married Valina Gillespie in 1929. He served as pastor of churches in New York City, Albany, and Pasadena, CA from 1932-51.

In 1951 Blake was elected Stated Clerk of the General Assembly (PCUSA), a post he held until 1958. In 1958 the PCUSA became the UPCUSA, and Blake was elected Stated Clerk of the UPCUSA General Assembly; he served until 1966. From 1954-57 he served as president of the National Council of Churches, and in 1966 he became general secretary to the World Council of Churches, from which he retired in 1972.

Dr. Blake is noted for his contributions to the 1967 confessional revision in the Presbyterian Church, to the civil rights movement, to church union efforts, for his leadership in the WCC's Programme to Combat Racism, and to the WCC's world development activities.

Collection Overview

Record Group 121 includes approximately 6 cubic feet of decision letters dating from 1949-58; these are arranged alphabetically by person's name. The rest of the collection consists of subject files dating from 1951-66 (including one or two items from 1948), roughly in chronological order. At the end of this series are approximately 2.5 cubic feet of material on the World Council of Churches, dating from 1954-58.

Organization and Arrangement

SERIES 1: DECISION LETTERS, 1949-58

SERIES 2: SUBJECT FILES, 1948-66

Administrative Information

Processing Information

Record Group 3 contains correspondence and additional writings of Blake from 1951-66; Record Group 95 contains his Stated Clerk's files from 1951-66 and additional writings and addresses from as far back as 1935.

Collection processed: January 1976
Jane Ramsay, Assistant Records Researcher

Finding aid revised and notes added: April 1991
Stephanie Muntone, Processing Archivist

Catalog Headings

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

Corporate Subject

World Council of Churches.

Topical Subject

Ecclesiastical law Interpretation and construction.

Corporate Added Name

Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. General Assembly. Stated Clerk (1951-1958 : Blake)

United Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. General Assembly. Stated Clerk (1958-1966 : Blake)

Collection Inventory

Box	Folder	Description

1	1	Finding Aid to Record Group 121

		SERIES 1: DECISION LETTERS, 1949-58

1	2-15	A-C, 1949-58

2	1-20	D-HO, 1951-58

3	1-17	HO-MAR, 1951-58

4	1-13	MAT-MO, 1950-58

5	1-14	N-SC, 1951-58

6	1-14	SI-WH, 1951-58

7	1-5	WI-Z, 1951-58

		SERIES 2: SUBJECT FILES, 1948-66

7	6-9	Correspondence with Stated Clerk--Judicial Matters, 1948-61
	10	Unfiled Material

8	1-3	Correspondence, A-Z, 1951
	4	Special Committee on Inadequate Pensions, 1950-52
	5	National Council of Presbyterian Men, 1951
	6	Installation Service of Drs. Blake and Moore, 1951
	7-10	Permanent Commission on Interchurch Relations, 1952
	11-12	Joint Negotiating Committee, 1952
	13	Negotiating Subcommittee on Union, 1951-52
	14	Conscientious Objectors--Correspondence, 1951-52
	15	Letters of Congratulation on Anniversaries to Pastors, Elders and Churches, 1951-66

9	1	Committee on Conservation of Church Property, 1941-51
	2	Papers re Los Angeles Overture, 1952
	3	Special Committee on Los Angeles Presbytery, 1952
	4	Special Committee on Los Angeles Overture, 1952-53
	5	First Draft of Report on LA Overture, 1953
	6	Special Committee on Deacons and Trustees, 1951-53
	7	Theological Seminaries, 1952
	8	National Presbyterian Church, 1952
	9	Committee on the Lord's Prayer, 1952-53
	10	Committee on Women Ministers, 1953
	11	Committee on an Additional Seminary, 1950-53
	12	Blank for Ministers' Annual Report to Presbytery, 1951
	13-14	Department of Ministerial Relations, 1951-52
	15	"Presbyterian World," 1952-54
	16	National Council of Women's Organizations, 1953
	17	Board of National Missions, 1953
	18	Department of Evangelism, 1953
	19	Board of Foreign Missions, 1953
	20	Board of Christian Education, 1953
	21	Social Education and Action, 1953
	22	Department of Publication, 1953
	23	Board of Pensions, 1953
	24	American Bible Society, 1953
	25	Secretary of the General Council, 1953
	26	Secretary of Finance, 1953

10	1	The Hubbard Press, 1953
	2	Committee on Chaplains and Service Personnel, 1953
	3	The Theological Seminaries, 1953
	4	"Presbyterian Life", 1953
	5	Committee on Stewardship and Promotion, 1953
	6	Budget and Finance, 1953
	7	The Foundation (Trustees), 1953
	8	Ministerial Relations Department, 1953
	9-10	General Assembly Arrangements, 1953
	11	Moderator John A. Mackay--Itinerary, 1953-54
	12	Non-Judicial Case No. 1--Norman & Wright vs. Synod of California, 1953-54
	13	General Assembly Arrangements, 1954
	14	Joint Negotiating Committee--PCUSA, PCUS & UPCNA, 1954

11	1	Special Committee on a Statement of Program Standards, 1954-55
	2	Special Committee on the Ordination of Women, 1953-54
	3	Special Committee on Deacons and Trustees, 1953-54
	4	Special Committee on Deacons and Trustees, 1954-55
	5	Pugh Memorial
	6	"A Letter to Presbyterians," 1954
	7	NCC Meeting--Boston, 1954
	8	NCC--General Board, 1955
	9	Minutes, 1955
	10	NCC--Lay Committee, 1955
	11	Christmas Visit to N.E. Air Command, 1955
	12	"God's Man Alone"--Hollywood Bowl Presentation--167th General Assembly, 1955
	13	Committee on Equitable Salaries, 1955
	14	Committee on the Book of Common Worship, 1955-57
	15	Emergency Service Commission, 1955-58
	16	Presbyterian Foundation, 1955
	17	Committee on Relation Of Christian Faith to Health, 1956-58, 1960
	18	Department of Radio and Television, 1955
	19	National Council of Presbyterian Men, 1958
	20	Department of Chaplains and Service Personnel, 1958
	21	Committee on Nominations, 1957-58

12	1-2	Department of Ministerial Relations, 1957-58
	3	Stewardship & Promotion Committee, 1958
	4	National Council Of Women's Organizations, 1958
	5	Division Of Evangelism, 1958
	6	Board of National Missions, 1958
	7	COEMAR, 1958
	8	Committee on Resettlement Services, 1958
	9	Publication Division, 1958
	10	Board of Pensions, 1958
	11	Board of Christian Education, 1958
	12	Department of Social Education and Action, 1958
	13	American Bible Society, 1958
	14	Hubbard Press, 1958, 1961
	15	National Presbyterian Church, 1958
	16	Committee on Consolidations--PCUSA, UPCNA--Special Committee on Office of the General Assembly, 1958
	17-20	Committee on Consolidations, 1957-58
	21	General Commission on Chaplains, 1957-58

13	1	Committee on Popular Meetings, 1957-58
	2	Manual on General Assembly, 1957-58
	3	General Assembly Arrangements--The Uniting Assembly, 1958
	4-5	General Assembly, 1958
	6	Moderator Theophilus Taylor--Itinerary, 1958-59
	7	Correspondence with Hotels re G.A. meeting, 1958-62
	8	Department of History, 1958
	9	Office of Information, 1958
	10	Department of Publicity, 1958
	11	"Monday Morning", 1958
	12	Treasurer--General Assembly, 1958
	13	Presbyterian Foundation, 1958
	14	Permanent Judicial Commission, 1958
	15	"Presbyterian Life", 1957-58
	16	Railroad Clergy Certificates, 1957
	17	Special Committee on Disaster Relief and Emergency Appeals, 1953-60
	18	Committee on World Relief & Emergency Service, 1958-60

14	1	Secretary of the General Council, 1958
	2	General Secretaries' Conference, 1958
	3	Committee on Personnel Policies, 1958
	4	General Council's Committee on Salaries & Salary Scales, 1958
	5	Long Range Planning, 1958
	6	Committee on Public Relations, 1958
	7	Committee on the Nature of the Ministry, 1958-59
	8	Committee on a Brief Contemporary Statement of Faith– Minutes and Papers, 1958-59
	9	Department of Ministerial Relations, 1959-60
	10	Committee on Conscientious Objectors, 1960
	11	National Council of United Presbyterian Men, 1960
	12	Department of Chaplains & Service Personnel, 1960
	13	Committee on Church Union, 1958-60
	14	Special Committee on Further Merger Problems, 1959
	15	Report of Special Committee on National Purpose, 1960-1961
	16	Department of History, 1960
	17	United Presbyterian Foundation, 1960-61
	18	Other Denominations, 1960
	19	Special Committee on Planned Parenthood, 1959
	20	Union Churches and Union Presbyteries, 1965-66
	21	National Ecumenical Research Center, 1965-66
	22	Ecumenical Institute--Jerusalem, 1965-66
	23	Addresses by Blake, 1964-66
	24	Income Tax Information, 1948-52, 1961-62
	25	Next General Council Meeting--May, 1951
	26	General Council Meeting--October, 1951
	27	March, 1952

15	1-11	1952-55

16	1-4	1958
	5-9	World Alliance, 1954-57

		World Council of Churches

	10-11	Assembly at Evanston, 1954
	12	Finance Committee, 1954-56
	13	Public Relations, 1954-56

17	1	Minutes and Reports, 1954-56
	2	U.S. Conference, 1954-57
	3	Finance Committee, 1954-57
	4	Executive Committee, 1954-57
	5	1955
	6	1955-57
	7	Central Committee, 1956
	8	Finance Committee, 1956
	9	Central Committee, 1956-57
	10	Finance Committee, 1956-57
	11	Faith and Order, 1956-57

18	1	Minutes and Reports, 1956, 1958
	2	1957
	3	Conference with Horvath in Prague re Events in Hungary, 1957
	4-5	Oberlin Conference--Faith & Order, 1957
	6	1957
	7	Finance Committee, 1957
	8	Division of Inter-church Aid and Service to Refugees, 1957-58
	9	Minutes and Reports, 1958
	10-11	Finance Committee, 1958
	12	US Conference, 1958
	13-14	1958
	15	Ecumenical Church Loan Fund, 1958

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Guide to the Eugene Carson Blake Papers

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