Hervey De Witt Griswold papers, 1893 -- 1925

Summary Information

Abstract

Hervey De Witt Griswold was a Presbyterian missionary in Lahore, Punjab, India (now Pakistan) from 1890-1926. The collection includes Griswold's diaries, sermons, published essays, council notes, prayer books, and Bible studies.

At a Glance

Arrangement

Arrangement

This collection is arranged in three chronological series: Series 1: Notebooks; Series 2: Correspondence; Series 3: Sermons and essays.

• Series 1: Notebooks, 1893 -- 1925
• Series 2: Correspondence, 1925 -- 1941
• Series 3: Sermons and essays, 1897 -- 1925

Description

Scope and Contents

This collection contains two essays and four published sermons written and delivered by Griswold; correspondence between various people and Griswold; as well as Griswold's diaries, prayer books, and "studies," which focus on one passage and expound upon its meaning.

• Series 1: Notebooks, 1893 -- 1925

  This series contains the personal handwritten notebooks of Griswold, which function as diaries and discuss his everyday thoughts. There are also books that Griswold called "studies" which focus on one passage and expound upon its meaning, as well as prayer books, which are dated and include what Griswold was thankful for or prayed about on a specific day.

• Series 2: Correspondence, 1925 -- 1941

  This series contains correspondence between various people and Griswold. Mr. Ray H. Carter was of the Presbyterian Mission in Lahore, India writing to Griswold in Philadelphia. Daniel J. Fleming was writing from Union Theological Seminary in New York to the Griswolds in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Other letters from Reverend E. Morris Wherry and Union graduate C. H. Mattison are also included. Mattison included a copy of a letter to a Dr. Beattie imploring for financial support. The final letter is from Sir Manohar Lal, finance minister of the Punjab Province in India.

• Series 3: Sermons and essays, 1897 -- 1925

  This series contains two essays and four published sermons written and delivered by Griswold.

Burke Library record group:

Missionary Research Library Archives: MRL3, South Asia

Using the Collection

Burke Library at Union Theological Seminary

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open for research.

Onsite storage.

Conditions Governing Use

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, MRL3: Hervey DeWitt Griswold Papers, series #, box #, and folder #, The Burke Library at Union Theological Seminary, Columbia University in the City of New York.

Related Materials

Hervey DeWitt Griswold papers, #2124. Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections, Cornell University Library.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Originally part of the independent Missionary Research Library, these records were received by Union Theological Seminary librarian Robert F. Beach and MRL archivist Laura Person in 1961 from Hervey DeWitt Griswold's daughter, Mrs. Frances Griswold Ballantine. In 1976 the records were accessioned to the Burke Library archives with the closure of the MRL.

About the Finding Aid / Processing Information

Columbia University Libraries, Burke Library at Union Theological Seminary

Processing Information

Material was cataloged by Lynn A. Grove on 1988-07-18. Metal clips and staples were removed from materials and folded items were flattened. Materials were placed in new acid-free folders and boxes. Acidic items were separated from one another by interleaving with acid-free paper as needed. Notebooks were wrapped in acid-free tissue and tied with acid-free cotton tying tape. An inventory was compiled by Paul A. Byrnes in 1977; the full finding aid was created with an updated inventory by Brigette C. Kamsler in December 2011 with the support of the Henry Luce Foundation, and edited by Leah Edelman in 2022.

Revision Description

2022-03-15 PDF converted to EAD and description updated by Leah Edelman.

Subject Headings

The subject headings listed below are found in this collection. Links below allow searches at Columbia University through the Archival Collections Portal and through CLIO, the catalog for Columbia University Libraries, as well as ArchiveGRID, a catalog that allows users to search the holdings of multiple research libraries and archives.

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Genre/Form

Subject

History / Biographical Note

Biographical / Historical

Hervey DeWitt Griswold was born May 24, 1860 in Dryden, New York to Benjamin and Laura Eliza (Hurd) Griswold. He attended Union College in Schenectady, New York 1881 – 1885, and then attended Union Theological Seminary in New York City 1885 – 1888. For the next two years, he had a fellowship at Oxford and Berlin Universities. Griswold began his service for the Board of Foreign Missions of the Presbyterian Church in India 1890 as a local missionary in Jhansi. That same year, he also married Frances S. Sheldon. Together they would have three children: Laura Katharine; Arthur Sheldon; and Frances Louise. In 1894, Griswold became Professor of Philosophy at Forman Christian College in Lahore, India, also teaching History and English. Griswold built the Foreman Christian College Library as its Librarian, adding greatly to the selection of books on philosophy and religion. He served as secretary of the India Council of the Presbyterian Missions. Griswold continued his own education, earning a PhD from Cornell University in 1900 with his thesis on Indian Philosophy, Brahman. He obtained his Doctor of Divinity in 1910. Griswold was a prolific writer, penning a number of pamphlets and other literary works throughout his life. Griswold retired from missionary work in India in 1926 and died May 11, 1945.