Oberlin College Archives | Holdings | Finding Guides | RG 2/5 - John Henry Barrows (1847-1902)

RG 2/5 - John Henry Barrows (1847-1902)
Scope and Content
The papers of John Henry Barrows and his family were supposedly destroyed by a fire in 1923 in Berkeley, California. Papers relating to Barrows' work for the Columbian Exposition in 1893 were inadvertently destroyed at the University of Chicago. Thus, what remains at Oberlin is all the documentation that exists relating to Barrows. The Barrows Papers consist of six small series: Correspondence, Donor Lists, Programs and Brochures, Writings by and about John Henry Barrows, Photographs, and Scrapbooks. Barrows' incoming correspondence (1889, 1892-93, 1901-02) includes a letter (1889) from Jane Addams (1860-1935) to Mrs. Barrows inviting her and Mr. Barrows to visit. Letters signed by Barrows include two written from Oberlin as President (1899, 1901) and one from Berkeley, California (1902) where Barrows was lecturing at the Pacific Theological Seminary. Housed with the correspondence are notes by Barrows entitled, "Things I have tried to do for Oberlin," (n.d.) and two poems addressed to his wife (1889). Additional records include lists of potential donors to Oberlin kept by President Barrows with additions made after his death; Barrows' articles for the Oberlin Review; published sermons and addresses; reviews of John Henry Barrows, A Memoir (1904); and obituaries (1902). The photographic series consists of one folder containing eight photos of the funeral of John H. Barrows on June 5, 1902. The two scrapbooks, 1893-1895, contain newspaper articles relating to the World’s Parliament of Religion and religious topics. Some articles were written by or about John Henry Barrows.
Series Descriptions
The series descriptions will be added at a later date.
Provenance
These records are of uncertain provenance. They were brought together in the Oberlin College Archives and joined with the papers of other Oberlin College Presidents. The scrapbooks in series 6 were transferred to the College Archives from the College Library in September 2000. The scrapbooks were originally a gift of Mrs. John H. Barrows to the Oberlin College library.
Related Materials
Oberlin College Library and Special Collections contain Barrows' publications as well as 1,500 books and 1,000 pamphlets from Barrows' library, many relating to the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition. Consult the records of the Office of the Secretary for President Barrows' annual reports to the Board of Trustees. Related materials are housed with the records of the Treasurer's Office. Letters of Barrows are located in 30/9, Metcalf Papers, Box 3; 30/28, Various Persons, Box 7; and 5/1/1, Office of the Secretary, Subgroup IV, Series 5, Box 3, Reunion 1900 Correspondence. In the papers of George Frederick Wright, 30/21, Series IV, ss 1, Box 18, a letter from I.W. Jones describes Jones' impressions of Barrows' letters, which he read in the Fall of 1902, prior to their destruction in 1923. The G.F. Wright Papers (30/21) also contains letters from Barrows; see index. Additional biographical information is contained in 28/4, Alumni and Development Records, in the files of former Faculty, Staff, and Trustees. The College Archives holds microfilm (1reel) of letters received by George D. Boardman, 1892-97, concerning the World's Parliament of Religions. Includes letters received from John Henry Barrows.


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