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.
Samuel Dodd was an American United Presbyterian missionary in Ningbo, China and Hangzhou, China; Samuel Thompson Carter Dodd was his eldest son, born in Ningbo, China. The collection contains a copy of Samuel Dodd's 1861-1877 journal typed and with notes by his son, as well as correspondence and photographs.