Miner Searle Bates papers, 1927 -- 1984
Collection context
- Creator:
- Bates, M. Searle (Miner Searle), 1897-1978
- Abstract:
- Miner Searle Bates taught history at Nanking University 南京大學, was a member of the International Committee for Nanking Safety Zone in the Second Sino-Japanese War, and Professor of Missions at Union Theological Seminary, New York, 1950-1965. The collection contains papers, meeting minutes, articles, reports, and other publications collected or created by Bates regarding missions in 20th century China.
- Extent:
- 0.25 linear feet 0.25 linear feet; 1 box
- Language:
- English .
- Scope and content:
-
This collection contains papers, meeting minutes, articles, reports, and other publications collected or created by Bates regarding missions in 20th century China, most of which are connected to the research project on which he was working after his retirement (and which remained incomplete at the time of his death). The publication in folder 7 was an attempt to collect his notes and drafts from this project. The Hunan 湖南 Synod of the Church of Christ in China is well represented in the collection, as is Bates' experience in Nanjing 南京 in the late 1930s, dealing with the Japanese occupation. This collection also contains some provenance information and signature cards.
- Biographical / historical:
-
Miner Searle Bates was born on May 28, 1897 in Newark, Ohio, and was the son of Miner Lee Bates, a Disciples of Christ minister who later became president of Hiram College. M.S. Bates received a Rhodes scholarship to study at Oxford University, where he earned his A.B. and M.A. degrees. When the United States entered World War I, he volunteered with the YMCA and served in Mesopotamia. In 1920 he was commissioned by the United Christian Missionary Society to teach history at the University of Nanking in China. He married Lilliath Robbins, a teacher at Ginling College, in 1923, and received a Ph.D. in Chinese history from Yale University in 1935. At some point he began to use the Chinese name Bei Deshi 貝德士.
Bates was one of the key figures in the International Committee for the Nanking Safety Zone, which sought to protect Chinese from the Japanese soldiers who invaded and occupied the capital city in late 1937. He was appointed Vice President of Nanking University in January 1938 in order to enhance his standing with the Japanese and help his efforts to protect the Chinese. Bates remained in the city from 1937 to 1941, and after the war was summoned as a witness to the Tokyo War Crimes trials.
Bates was active in many missionary organizations, including the International Missionary Council, the China Council of Higher Education, the Nanking International Relief Committee, and the executive committee of the National Christian Council of China. From 1950 to 1965, Bates was Professor of Missions at Union Theological Seminary, New York, and after his retirement worked on a research project devoted to the history of Protestant missions in twentieth-century China. He died in 1978 in New York City.
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, MRL6: Miner Searle Bates papers, 1927-1984, 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