%eadnotat; ]> 5043forb An Inventory of the Bliss Forbush Papers, circa 1915-1945 Finding Aid Prepared by FHL staff Encoding made possible by a grant by the Gladys Kriebel Delmas Foundation to the Philadelphia Consortium of Special Collections Libraries Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College. 1986 Text converted and initial EAD tagging provided by Apex Data Services, December 2000. ENG Bliss Forbush Papers, circa 1915-1945 FHL staff Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College. 1986 Descriptive Summary Papers, circa 1915-1945 RG 5/043 Bliss Forbush (1896-1990) 9 boxes and 53 volumes; 21 linear ft. Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College.

Swarthmore, Pennsylvania 19081-1399 U.S.A.

For current information on the location of materials, please consult the Library's online catalog. Bliss Forbush (1896-1987), Quaker educator, administrator, and author, served as the Headmaster of Baltimore Friends School, Chairman of Friends General Conference, and Executive Secretary of Baltimore Monthly Meeting. The collection contains many of his scrapbooks, including “A Forbush Chronicle” is the three volume manuscript 1896-1976, with additions to 1979, of his autobiography. Also in this collection are the manuscripts of Elias Hicks, Quaker Liberal, and A History of Baltimore Yearly Meeting of Friends, and notes for Moses Sheppard, Quaker Philanthropist of Baltimore. Also includes a small collection of correspondence and papers of his wife, La Verne Hill Forbush.

Repository:

Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College

500 College Avenue, Swarthmore, PA 19081-1399

Phone: (610) 328-8496 FAX: (610) 690-5728

BIOGRAPHICAL AND HISTORICAL NOTE

Bliss Forbush (1896-1987), Quaker educator, administrator, and author, served as the Headmaster of Baltimore Friends School, Chairman of Friends General Conference, and Executive Secretary of Baltimore Monthly Meeting. He was born in 1896, the son of William B. and Maud Forbush. He married E. La Verne Hill (1894-1990) in 1915.

Most of the material in this collection is in the form of scrapbooks kept by Bliss Forbush. They record his work as Executive Secretary of Baltimore Monthly Meeting, 1921-1943, as Secretary of the Advancement Committee of Baltimore Yearly Meeting, 1928-1943, and as Instructor in Bible, 1923-1960 and later Headmaster of Friends School, Baltimore, 1943-1960. He was Chairman of Friends General Conference 1941-1949. He also served as a member of the American Section of the World Council of Churches, 1941-1950 and as a delegate to the first Assembly of the World Council of Churches in 1948. He was President of the Board of Trustees of The Sheppard and Enoch Pratt Hospital from 1961-1971. For complete biographical information see Who's Who in America v.33, 1964-65.

TIME LINE OF SERVICE 1921-1943 Executive Secretary of Baltimore Monthly Meeting 1928-1943 Secretary of the Advancement Committee of Baltimore Yearly Meeting 1923-1960 Instructor of the Bible 1941-1949 Chairman of the Friends General Conference 1941-1950 Member of American Section of the World Council of Churches 1943-1960 Headmaster of Friends' School, Baltimore 1948 delegate to the first Assembly of the World Council of Churches 1961-1971 President of the Board of Trustees of The Sheppard and Enoch Pratt Hospital SCOPE AND CONTENT OF THE RECORDS

The Bliss Forbush Papers contain the papers of Bliss Forbush (1896-1987), Quaker educator, administrator and author, and reveal a detailed picture of Quaker life in Baltimore, Maryland for most of the 20th century.

Arrangement

The collection is divided into four series:

Bliss Forbush LaVerne Forbush William Byron Forbush Forbush Family

Series I is majority of the collection, and within this Series, the material is divided into subseries:

“A Forbush Chronicle” (autobiography of Bliss Forbush) “The Treasure Chest,” 1915-1978 “My Baltimore Book,” 1921-1943 “Baltimore Yearly Meeting Advancement Committee,” 1928-1943 World Council of Churches, Amsterdam, 1948 Album. (mostly correspondence) Books and articles Miscellaneous correspondence and paper Memorabilia ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION Accession information

Donor: Bliss Forbush, 1960-1985

Access

Collection is open for research.

Use Restrictions

Copyright has not been assigned to Friends Historical Library All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in to the Director. Permission for publication is given on behalf of Friends Historical Library as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by reader.

Preferred Citation

[Indicate the cited item or series here], Bliss Forbush Papers, RG5 / 043, Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College

Processing information

Originally catalogued as MSS collection. Transferred to RG5 and additions incorporated in 1986. At that time, additional material collected by Bliss Forbush as background for his writtings was placed in other, more appropriate collections. Baltimore Yearly Meeting material was added to reference files on individual meetings in PG 1 or to RG 2 / Meeting Records. Correspondence and reports of the Standing Committee on the Indian Concerns placed with that Committee in RG 2. Early history of Swarthmore College placed in RG 6. Some of the Elias Hicks material added to Hicks MSS. Most printed material was catalogued separately.

The following materials were removed from the collection and recatalogued:

Baltimore Yearly Meeting material was added to reference files on individual meetings in PG 1 or to RG 2/ Meeting Records Correspondence and reports of the Standing Committee on the Indian Concerns placed with that Committee in RG 2 Early history of Swarthmore College placed in RG 6 Some of the Elias Hicks material added to Hicks MSS Most printed material was catalogued separately Related Material

See also:

RG 1 World Council of Churches: Forbush correspondence SELECTED SEARCH TERMS Materials catalogued separately

This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the Friends Historical Library (TRIPOD). Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons, or places should search the catalog using these headings:

Baltimore Yearly Meeting of Friends (Hicksite: 1828-1968) Baltimore Monthly Meeting of Friends Sheppard and Enoch Pratt Hospital Friends School (Baltimore, Md.) Friends General Conference (U.S.) Quakers -- Maryland Maryland -- Quakers Baltimore (Md.) -- Quakers Baltimore (Md.) -- Education -- Schools Quakers -- Education Forbush, La Verne, 1894-1990 Forbush, Bliss, 1896-1990 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE RECORDS

Note to Researchers: To request materials, please note both the location and box numbers shown below:

Ser. 1. Bliss Forbush (1896-1987); 1835-1979 Subseries 1. “A Forbush Chronicle” (autobiography of Bliss Forbush), 1896-1979 Vol. 1 1896-1939 1 Vol. 2 1939-1960 2 Vol. 3 1960-1976 3 Epilogue II 1977-78 3 Epilogue III 1979 3 “Talks given home Meeting” 1931-1964 3

The journal contains dates, titles and subjects of talks.

Subseries 2. “The Treasure Chest,” 1915-1978 4 20 bound vols + additions

The 20 bound volumes go to 1973, additions cover 1973-1977, and family correspondence of 1978 is included. Contains much personal correspondence, but also many papers pertaining to Bliss Forbush's work as Headmaster of Friends School, Baltimore from 1943-1960.

Subseries 3. “My Baltimore Book” (scrapbooks), 1921-1943 4 22 vols

Contains the record of Bliss Forbush's work as Executive Secretary of Baltimore Monthly Meeting, in cooperation with the Advisory Committee. Includes copies of minutes of the meetings of the Advisory Committee, programs, announcements, clippings, snapshots, etc.

Subseries 4. “Baltimore Yearly Meeting Advancement Committee,” 1928-1943 4 11 vols

These scrapbooks contain the record of Bliss Forbush's work as Secretary of the Advancement Committee. Includes copies of the minutes of meetings of the Committee, programs, announcements, clippings, snapshots, etc.

Subseries 5. World Council of Churches, Amsterdam, 1948 5

Album and Program. Bliss Forbush was appointed as a representative to the Council by Friends General Conference. LaVerne Forbush also attended as an accredited visitor. Album contains clippings, photographs, and some correspondence.

Subseries 6. Album, mostly correspondence 5

The album was presented to honor Bliss and LaVerne Forbush when he retired as Headmaster of Friends School, Baltimore. Presented by the Parents' Auxiliary of the School.

Subseries 7. Books and articles, 1835-1972, n.d. Elias Hicks, Quaker Liberal; 1835-1956 6 typewritten ms. and proof sheets

Published by Columbia University Press, 1956. Folder of miscellaneous papers used by Forbush in writing the book includes:

Hicks family genealogical material 7 Notes on photographs of persons and houses in Old Westbury and Jericho, New York 7 Maps and charts 7 Photographs: Elias Hicks (bust) 7 Elias Hicks's home in Jericho 7 Elias Hicks's cherry desk 7 Marriage certificate of Elias Hicks and Jemima Seaman. 7 Biographical sketch of Elias Hicks from Hannah L. 7 Robbins's notebook, copied by Phebe U. Seaman, 1900 4mo 3 7 Account of Jemima Hicks's funeral service from newspaper 1835. 7 ms. copy “Orthodox Reflections...” and Elias Hicks's reply 7 Scrapbook of reviews. 7 Moses Sheppard, Quaker Philanthropist of Baltimore 7 Lippincott, 1968 notes for 7 A History of Baltimore Yearly Meeting of Friends, published by the Yearly Meeting in 19721972 8

Manuscript as edited by Alfred Stefferud.

“Three Hundred Years of Quakerism in Maryland, Virginia and Central Pennsylvania” 8 “A History of Baltimore Yearly Meeting of Friends” 8 Articles, 1928-1939, n.d. “Quaker education in Maryland as found in the discipline” 1928 9

A term paper for Johns Hopkins.

“Permanent contributions of Quakerism” March 6, 1938 9

From a talk delivered at Abington Friends Meeting.

“Teuton and Semite in Germany” 1939 9 Bible study guides published by Friends General Conference A study of the Old Testament 9 The life of Jesus 9 The life and letters of Paul 9 The growth of the Bible 9 Bible study guide: The Old Testament published for Friends School, Baltimore 9 Subseries 8. Miscellaneous correspondence and papers, 1939-1976 General correspondence, 1939-1976 9 Correspondence1939-1947 9 one folder

Includes travelling minute for Bliss and Laverne Forbush to Friends Centers in Europe 1939, signed by Clarence Pickett.

1972-1976 Correspondence 9 one folder

Correspondents are Sam Legg, Carol (Albrecht) Penn, Robert W. Gibson, W. Berkeley Mann.

Papers concerning Sheppard and Enoch Pratt Hospital 1969-1976 Letter from William V. S. Tubman, President of Liberia 9 Reference material 9 Papers concerning Detroit Friends School, 1962, including: Letter from Bliss Forbush to Peter Ashurkoff 1962 9mo 11 9 Letter from Peter Ashurkoff to Bliss Forbush 1962 8mo 29 9 Draft statement of purposes, Detroit Friends School August, 1962 9 Recommendations of the Curriculum Committee 9 Recommendations of the Personnel Committee 9 Subseries 9. Memorabilia, 1949-1956, n.d.

Mostly honorary degrees and citations.

State of Maryland: Appointment as a Trustee of Morgan State College 1949 9 Picture of Board of Trustees of Morgan State College 1956 9 Baltimore Urban League: Citation 9 Encyclopaedia Britannica, Certificate as a Contributor 9 Morgan State College. Degree of Doctor of Laws 1954 9 Citation for LL.D. Morgan State College 9 Citation accompanying the degree of Doctor of Laws from Swarthmore College 9 Ser. 2. LaVerne Hill Forbush (1894-1990), 1955, n.d. Correspondence and material on the Baltimore potters 9 Manuscript of “The sufferings of Friends in Maryland” 9 Notes on Quaker china makers 9 Picture and reference material on Friends' Hymnal 1955 9 Ser. 3. William Byron Forbush (1868-1927) “Knights of King Arthur” 9

Four pamphlets of the church fraternity.

Ser. 4. Forbush Family Reference material, 1971-1973, n.d. Christmas cards 9 Table of contents of autobiography 9 Bibliography of material on Quakers and slavery in America presented to Morgan State College 9 “The Highlander Myth” by Hugh Trevor-Roper 9 Clippings 9 Checklists of material received from Bliss Forbush 1971-1973 9