Series 1: Biographical/Historical Files

Box 1

Certificates, 1943
Clippings, 1936-50, n.d.
Documents relating to Herbert Van Meter’s health, 1943
Letter of reference, 1941
Programs, Graduation, Naval Training School (Chaplain’s), Appointment as Minister, First Congregational Church (Kent, OH), 1943, 1951
Report Cards, Josephine Van Meter, 1941-42
Report Cards, Herbert Van Meter, n.d.
Travel Documents, 1937, 1940, 1946
Miscellaneous Documents Relating to Military Service, 1943-44
Miscellaneous Items by Gretchen Van Meter, n.d.

Series 2: Incoming Correspondence of Herbert Van Meter

Subseries 1. Josephine Hamilton to Herbert Van Meter

Box 1

December 16, 1938 - December 31, 1940 (34 letters)
January 5, 1941 - September 3, 1941 (34 letters)

Subseries 2. Other Incoming Correspondence to Herbert Van Meter

Box 1 (cont.)

May 26, 1938 - December 8, 1938, n.d. (19 letters)
March 16, 1939 - December 20, 1939 (27 letters)
January 1940 - December 25, 1943 (43 letters)
January 12, 1944 - February 25, 1948 (32 letters)

Series 3. Outgoing Correspondence of Herbert Van Meter

Subseries 1. Herbert Van Meter to Josephine (Hamilton) Van Meter

Box 1

December 22, 1937 - April 28, 1938 (20 letters)
May 8, 1938 - December 23,1938 (26 letters)
January 4, 1939 - December 12, 1939 (15 letters)
June 16, 1939 - December 12, 1939
January 6, 1940 - August 23, 1940 (16 letters)
July 24, 1944 - August 31, 1944 (27 letters)
September 1, 1944 - September 30, 1944 (23 letters)
October 2, 1944 - October 31, 1944 (23 letters)
November 1, 1944 - November 30, 1944 (20 letters)
December 2, 1944 - December 31, 1944 (29 letters)
January 2, 1945 - January 31, 1945 (27 letters)
February 2, 1945 - February 26, 1945 (12 letters)
March 1, 1945 - March 31, 1945 (17 letters)
April 15, 1945 - April 30, 1945 (16 letters)
May 1, 1945 - May 31, 1945 (28 letters)
June 2, 1945 - June 30, 1945 (29 letters)
July 1, 1945 - July 31, 1945 (29 letters)
August 1, 1945 - August 31, 1945 (23 letters)
September 1, 1945 - September 30, 1945 (15 letters)
October 1, 1945 - October 31, 1945 (25 letters)
November 1, 1945 - November 30, 1945 (26 letters)

Box 2

December 1, 1945 - December 31, 1945 (23 letters)
January 1, 1946 - January 31, 1946, February 2, 1946 (27 letters)
April 16,1937 - September 23, 1938 (34 letters)
October 13, 1938 - December 27, 1938 (41 letters)
November 1, 1939 - January 31, 1939 (24 letters)
February 1, 1939 - February 28, 1939 (25 letters)
March 2, 1939 - May 27, 1939 (27 letters)
June 5 or 6, 1939 - July 28, 1939 (30 letters)
September 25, 1939 - October 31, 1939 (23 letters)
November 2, 1939 - December 30, 1939 (34 letters)
January 1, 1940 - July 28, 1940 (75 letters)
September 1, 1943 - January 29, 1950 (31 letters)

Series 4. Incoming and Outgoing Correspondence of Herbert Van Meter (re: his military service)

Box 1

Letters Written as Chaplain in U.S. Navy, W.W.II, n.d., 1945-46 (7f)

Aldrich - Bosworth
Bridges - Christensen
Clark - Eng
Farinella - Jordan
Kahles - Peacock
Pease - Sloan
Smith - Wold

Series 5. Correspondence of Josephine (Hamilton) Van Meter

Subseries 1. Incoming Correspondence of Josephine Van Meter

Box 1

July 21, 1936 - May 25, 1996, n.d. (19 letters)

Subseries 2. Outgoing Correspondence of Josephine Van Meter

Box 1 (cont.)

April 28, 1936 - March 24, 1945, n.d. (7 letters)

Series 6. Joint Correspondence (Incoming and Outgoing)

Subseries 1. Incoming Correspondence of Herbert Van Meter and Josephine (Hamilton) Van Meter

Box 1

October 30, 1937 - August 22, 1945, n.d. (5 letters)

Subseries 2. Outgoing Correspondence of Herbert Van Meter and Josephine Van Meter

Box 1 (cont.)

December 15, 1946 - January 4, 1950, n.d. (14 letters)

Subseries 3. Incoming and Outgoing Correspondence of Parents

Box 1 (cont.)

Mr. & Mrs. Hamilton, January 27, 1934 - June 23, 1941, n.d. (51 letters)
Mr. & Mrs. Thomas Van Meter, December 10, 1937 - March 1, 1940 (6 letters)

Series 7. Diaries

Box 1

Diaries (daily)

Vol. 3, September 10, 1933 - February 12, 1934
Vol. 4, February 13, 1934 - July 8, 1934
Vol. 6, December 24, 1934 - May 19, 1935
Vol. 7, May 20, 1935 - January 3, 1937

April 1935 - August 17, 1935
January 6, 1941 - September 18, 1941
August 5, 1945 - November 9, 1952
Travel Journal of Yenan Trip, June 13, 1938 - June 20, 1938

Series 8. Financial Files

Box 1

Checks (canceled) and receipts, 1934-46 (sample)
Financial Documents Relating Van Meter’s appointments as OSMA Reps, 1937-1940
Financial Documents Relating to Military Service to Herb, 1943
Income Tax Returns, 1942-43
Invoices, 1940, 1943-44
Insurance: New York Life Insurance Co., 1940
Lease, Rental Property, 1942-43
Ledgers, 1933-1936
Savings Passbook, 1943-44

Series 9. Writings/Speeches by Herbert Van Meter and Josephine Van Meter

Subseries 1. Talks/Speeches, n.d., 1942-1945, 1968

Box 1

Miscellaneous Talks/Speeches by Herbert and Josephine Van Meter 1942-45, 1968, n.d.

Subseries 2. Writings

Box 1 (cont.)

Miscellaneous Papers of Josephine (Hamilton) Van Meter, 1936-37, 1939, n.d.

The Problem of the Modern Chinese Woman, n.d.
The General Situation in Shansi, Taiku, March 1936
Article written on trip to Peiping, February 1937
Report by Representatives Returning from Oberlin and Shansi, January 1938
An Interpretation of Christian Ethics by R. Nehbuher, April 1939
Term Paper for Cause of Christian Ethics, June 10, 1939

The Growth and Development of Chinese Nationalism; How the Chinese Civilization Is Becoming a Chinese Nation by Herbert Van Meter, Senior at Oberlin College, May 1937
Miscellaneous Papers of Herbert Van Meter (As Navy Chaplain), n.d.

Series 10. Files Relating to OSMA and Ming Hsien School (Collected by Herbert and Josephine Van Meter)

Box 1

Booklet (letters to and from Herbert Van Meter, reports and bulletins from missionary groups, OSMA documents, Herbert Van Meter’s formal report to OSMA), n.d.
Three Transitional Years 1934-47 (Life in Shansi China) by Robbins Strong, 1987
Dragon Tracks (Shansi publication in China financed by Oberlin Shansi), July 1938 - Fall 1944
Oberlin Shansi Memorial Association Newsletter Oberlin in China, February 1, 1938 - November 1974
Teaching Materials used at Ming Hsien School, n.d.
Miscellaneous publications re: Shansi
Newspaper clippings

Series 11. Non-Textual Materials

Subseries 1. Albums/Scrapbooks

Box 1

“The Spearhead: Fifth Marine Division,” c. 1944
Ming Hsien School, 1947
Chengdu Album, 1947-48
Ming Hsien School - Josephine Van Meter album, c. 1930s-40s
Josephine Van Meter Scrapbook, 1935-37
Herbert Van Meter Scrapbook, c. 1937

Box 2

Shansi Agricultural University, 1981
Oberlin in China: Ready for the Day’s Trek, 1938-39

Subseries 2. Photographs

Box 3

China, c. 1930s
China - Ming Hsien, c. 1930s
China - general, 1935-37
China - 1961
China, c. 1930
China, 1935-37
China - Miscellaneous, c. 1930s
Miscellaneous China, c. 1930s-40s, 1950
Oberlin Reunion at Taichu, 1937

Box 4

Miscellaneous - Mostly China, c. 1930-40
Miscellaneous China, 1936-1987
China, 1935
China - c. 1930s

Subseries 3. Videotapes

Box 4 (cont.)

Josephine Van Meter’s China Talk (re: Shansi, 1930s) at Wake Robin, Shelburne, Vermont, 8 February 1995 (1 VHS videotape, 1998/110)