John Ferguson Moore papers, circa 1925 -- 1927

Collection context

Creator:
Moore, John F. (John Ferguson), 1867-1948
Abstract:
John Ferguson Moore, Protestant author and secretary in the Railroad Department of the Y.M.C.A. who wrote several pieces on the Roman Catholic Church, including an unfinished manuscript titled The Attitude of the Christian Church Toward Secret Societies. The collection contains Parts 1 and 2, as well as reports, bibliographies, and interviews on the subject of Catholicism.
Extent:
0.5 linear feet (0.5 linear feet; 1 box)
Language:
English .
Scope and content:

This collection contains the unfinished typescript of John Ferguson Moore's The Attitude of the Christian Church Toward Secret Societies, in which Moore examines Roman Catholic views of secret societies such as the Freemasons, including the Leo Taxil hoax. The typescript includes Parts 1 and 2 of the work as well as the title pages for Parts 3 and 4. This collection also contains reports on the Roman Catholic Church that Moore compiled on behalf of the Y.M.C.A., documenting religious conditions in Europe and North America and focusing on the status of Catholicism, as well as bibliographies, lists of interview subjects, and conference notes used as part of Moore's research on the Catholic Church.

Biographical / historical:

John Ferguson Moore was born in Albany, New York in 1867, and worked as a secretary in local branches of the Y.M.C.A. in New York. In 1897 he became a travelling secretary in the Railroad Department, maintaining communications between Y.M.C.A. headquarters and local branches. By 1919, Moore was the Senior Railroad Secretary for the International Committee of the Y.M.C.A.

Moore wrote several works on the development of the Y.M.C.A., including The Story of the Railroad "Y" (1930) and The "Y" in Rhyme (1940). He is most well-known for his manuscript, Will America Become Catholic? (1931), which examined the political, social, and financial influence of America's Catholic population. This work addressed rising fears that Catholics would assume a powerful position in American government and social institutions; Moore found these fears to be greatly exaggerated, and stated that "the issue today is not whether America is to be made Catholic but whether America … is to be made Christian."

Access and use

Restrictions:

This collection is open for research.

Onsite storage.

Terms of access:

Some material in this collection may be protected by copyright and other rights. Information concerning copyright, fair use, and reproduction requests can be consulted at Columbia's Copyright Advisory Office.

Preferred citation:

Item description, WAB: John Ferguson Moore papers, circa 1925-1927, box #, folder #, The Burke Library at Union Theological Seminary, Columbia University in the City of New York.

Location of this collection:
Before you visit:
Researchers must book an appointment at least 5 business days in advance to view special collections material in the reading room. To make the most of your visit, be sure to request your desired materials before booking your appointment, as researchers are limited to one item per hour of appointment time.
Contact:
burke@library.columbia.edu