George Heber Jones papers, 1898 -- 1918

Summary Information

Abstract

George Heber Jones was a pioneer Methodist missionary in Korea. The collection contains correspondence; lectures and notes; a sermon; outlines; seminar notes and syllabi; news clippings; and annotated chapters from Heber's books, including a substantial collection of resources and reference materials for his published work, Christianity and World Democracy.

At a Glance

Arrangement

Arrangement

This collection is arranged in one series in original order from the Missionary Research Library.

• George Heber Jones papers, 1898 -- 1918

Description

Scope and Contents

This collection contains correspondence; lectures and notes on topics including "The Rise of the Church in Korea," Christianity and World Democracy, fundamental factors in missions, and the missionary and his relationships; a sermon; outlines; seminar notes and syllabi; news clippings; and annotated chapters from Heber's books, including a substantial collection of resources and reference materials for his published work, Christianity and World Democracy.

• George Heber Jones papers, 1898 -- 1918

  This series contains correspondence; lectures and notes on topics including "The Rise of the Church in Korea," Christianity and World Democracy, fundamental factors in missions, and the missionary and his relationships; a sermon; outlines; seminar notes and syllabi; news clippings; and annotated chapters from Heber's books, including a substantial collection of resources and reference materials for his published work, Christianity and World Democracy.

Burke Library record group:

Missionary Research Library Archives: MRL8, Korea

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, MRL8: George Heber Jones papers, 1898-1918, box #, folder #, The Burke Library at Union Theological Seminary, Columbia University in the City of New York.

Custodial History

Box two has been noted as missing since May 2004. As part of the update and review of the collection in 2014, box 2 has been removed from the finding aid. What was box 3 has been relabeled.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Donated to the independent Missionary Research Library (MRL) on December 22, 1920, these records were accessioned by the Burke Library at the time of the MRL's closure in 1976.

About the Finding Aid / Processing Information

Columbia University Libraries, Burke Library at Union Theological Seminary

Processing Information

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. Any items in an advanced state of deterioration were placed in Mylar envelopes. Copies of news clippings were made and are preserved with the originals. In 2014, the collection was updated and reprocessed as part of the Henry Luce Foundation Grant. At this time, box 3 became box 2. The folder numbers otherwise remain the same. The finding aid was created by Aram Bae in 2007, reviewed and updated by Brigette C. Kamsler in 2014 with the support of the Henry Luce Foundation, and edited by Leah Edelman in 2021.

Revision Description

2021-11-11 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

Rev. Dr. George Heber Jones, a Methodist pioneer missionary to Korea, was born in Mohawk, NY on Aug 14, 1867. In 1887 the Methodist Episcopal Mission Board appointed him to Korea, where he was connected with Pai Chai High School and College. In 1892 he graduated from the American University in Harriman, TN and then moved to Chemulpo, where he was stationed for the next ten years. In May 1893 he married Margaret Josephine Bengel. Jones served as superintendent of the M. E. Mission Board for two terms (1897-1899; 1907-1909). Proficient in Korean and member of the Board of Translators of the Bible, he held a number of positions including editor of Korean Repository, founder and editor of Sin-hak Wol-po, a theological review, and vice-president of the Korea Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society. He played a major role in efforts to encourage the first wave of Korean immigration to Hawaii in 1903. Returning to the U.S. in 1903, he worked as one of the secretaries of the Mission Board, and in 1905 lectured on missions at Morningside College in Iowa. In 1907 Jones returned to Korea and became president of the Bible Institute of Korea and Theological Seminary of the Methodist Church. He returned permanently to the U.S. in 1911 and worked as the editorial secretary for the M.E. mission board and secretary of the Foreign Missions Conference of North America. After his retirement from the mission field, Jones taught missions at De Pauw University (1911) and Boston School of Theology (1915-1918). He published in Korean a volume of Old Testament studies, a short history of the Christian Church, a hymnbook and a Korean-English dictionary. His works in English include: Korea, the Land, People and Customs (1907), The Korea Mission of the Methodist Episcopal Church (1910), Christian medical work in Korea (1910?) and Christianity and World Democracy (1918). Jones died after a long illness on May 11, 1919 in Miami, Florida.