Collection inventory

Overview of the Collection
Creator:	New York State Council of Churches.
Title:	New York State Council of Churches Records
Inclusive Dates:	1934-1977
Quantity:	16 linear ft.
Abstract:	Correspondence, agendas, minutes, memoranda, reports, printed material, and other papers relating to the Council's positions on such legislative issues as abortion, church and state relations, civil rights, family relations, labor, pornography, and Christian education.
Language:	English
Repository:	Special Collections Research Center, Syracuse University Libraries 222 Waverly Avenue Syracuse, NY 13244-2010 https://library.syracuse.edu/special-collections-research-center

Biographical History

The New York State Council of Churches is an outgrowth of the mid-nineteenth century State Sunday School Association which was incorporated in 1889 as the New York State Sunday School Association. In 1930, its field no longer being limited to Sunday schools, the organization's name was changed to the New York State Council of Religious Education. In the late 1930's, this group joined with a State Council of churches, then in its infancy, and after the merger in 1938 became known as the New York State Council of Churches.

Today, the New York State Council of Churches is an organization of twenty-one Protestant denominations in the state, active in the fields of Christian education, youth programs, legislation and migrant worker welfare. It serves pastors through training programs, is the recognized state agency for Protestant chaplain appointments for New York State institutions and gives aid to town and country churches in building Christian communities.

The program, budget and leadership of The Council is determined by action taken at the Annual Assembly which consists of 121 delegates from constituent denominational groups and 70 additional delegates appointed by councils of churches at the city or county level. Constituent bodies are further represented through membership on the Board of Directors and in program divisions. A staff of seven at the State Council office in Syracuse includes (1) a General Secretary, (2) an Associate General Secretary, and (3) a Director of Endowment Development and Press Secretary as well as program directors for (4) Christian Education, (5) Life and Work, (6) Church Planning and Mission and (7) Church Planning and Development, the last named office combined with that of Director of Leisure Time Commission.

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Scope and Contents of the Collection

Administrative files contain meeting minutes, mailings, notes, memos, reports, summaries, and other assorted items relating to administrative functions of the organization.

The New York State Council of Churches Records, consisting of correspondence, mimeographed material and a small number of manuscripts, is divided into three groups according to office of origin, titled Associate General Secretary's Office, Division of Christian Education and Division of Church Planning & Mission. There are also two general groups, Administrative files and Correspondence, general.

The material from the Associate General Secretary's Office includes the correspondence of Theodore L. Conklin, associate general secretary of the Council, typescript minutes of meetings, manuscripts by Theodore L. Conklin, Dean M. Kelley, Harry Confoy, Paul W. Rishell, Lewis N. Powell and Arthur Mielke, and miscellaneous mimeographed material such as memoranda, minutes, agenda, and reports. All the material is arranged alphabetically by subject and pertains to New York State legislative issues and bills, the New York State 1967 Constitutional Convention issues, annual meetings, committee meetings, staff meetings, Business Administration Commission meetings, legislative seminars, Human Rights Commission activities, Legislative Commission activities, legislative seminars, migrant ministry activities, public relations and development and related subjects. Also included are a chronological file of mimeographed material, 1966-1969, issued by The Council and a file of the State Council Reporter, 194}1968, published by the Council. Folders containing correspondence are appropriately labeled. Significant correspondents include Leon M. Adkins, Jr., 1963-1966; James E. Allen, Jr., 1963-1966; Edwin T. Dahlberg, 1959-1963; J. Ralph Davie, 1954-1958; Robert R. Douglass, 1966; James A. Farley, 1966; Lawrence J. Holt, 1964-1967; Lee A. Howe, Jr., 1960-1961; Robert F. Kennedy, 1966; John V.P. Lassoe, Jr., 1965-1967; Stuart MacMacklin, 1959-1964; Arthur Mielke, 1965-1967; Bishop Malcolm Peabody, 1956-1959; Dutton S. Peterson, 1958-1964; Fred N. Poulton, 1965; Paul W. Rishell, 1957-1966; Nelson A. Rockefeller, 1960-1967; William E. Smith, 1959-1960; Ralph W. Sockman, 1958; John H. Terry, 1966-1967; Anthony J. Travia, 1959-1966 and A. Pennington Whitehead, 1953-1954.

Correspondence, general contains general correspondence, not part of any specific department.

The Division of Christian Education material, 1954-1968, consists of mimeographed material and one letter, arranged alphabetically by subject. The subjects covered are related to the division's Adult Commission, Children's Commission, Higher Education Commission, Leadership Education Division, Youth Commission and Youth Security Commission. Memoranda, minutes of meetings and reports are included.

The Division of Church Planning Mission material, 1966-1968, consists of a small group of mimeographed reports.

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Arrangement of the Collection

Material is arranged alphabetically within each series.

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Restrictions

Access Restrictions

The majority of our archival and manuscript collections are housed offsite and require advanced notice for retrieval. Researchers are encouraged to contact us in advance concerning the collection material they wish to access for their research.

Use Restrictions

Written permission must be obtained from SCRC and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.

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Related Material

Special Collections Research Center has numerous collections relating to New York church and clergy. Please refer to the SCRC Subject Index for a complete listing.

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Subject Headings

Corporate Bodies

Subjects

Genres and Forms

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

New York State Council of Churches Records,
Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Libraries

Acquisition Information

Gift of New York State Council of Churches, October, 1968, 1970, 1977.

Finding Aid Information

Created by: MFA
Date: Mar 1969
Revision history: 27 Jul 2009 - converted to EAD (MRC); 20 Mar 2013 - index to correspondence added (MRC); 5 Jan 2017 - minor code corrections (MRC); 23 Aug 2017 - rehoused, additions, updates (MS); 27 Sep 2022 - "Voice of the Rural Church" description expanded (IRP)

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Inventory

	Administrative files
Box 1		[General] 1968-1970 Mar (6 folders)
Box 2		[General] 1970 Apr-1971 (6 folders)
Box 3		[General] 1972-1973 (7 folders)
Box 4		[General] 1974-1977 (3 folders)
Box 4		Returned mail (2 folders)

	Associate General Secretary's Office
		RESTRICTED: 1970: The collection may not be used without the written permission of the general secretary of the New York State Community of Churches (formerly the New York State Council of Churches). Any such written permission documents will be retained by SCRC.
Box 4		History and Constitution of the Council
Box 5		Abortion law 1966-1967
Box 5		Aging, problems of the 1959-1960
Box 5		Aid to education (federal) 1961
Box 5		Aid to education (state) 1961
Box 5		Air Force Manual charge 1961
Box 5		Alcoholic beverage control laws 1963-1964
Box 5		Alcoholism 1953-1955
Box 5		Association of Council Secretaries 1962
Box 6		Baptist Commission on Social Relations 1954-1958
Box 6		Bingo undated
Box 6		Birth control 1959
Box 6		Boy Scouts of America
Box 6		Budget planning
Box 6		Business Administration Commission 1951-1965 (3 folders)
Box 7		Business Administration Commission 1966-1969
Box 7		Capital punishment 1934-1962 - includes statement on capital punishment by Theodore L. Conklin, typescript
Box 7		Centennial campaign
		Champlain Valley, 350th anniversary celebration
Box 7			Correspondence 1958-1960
Box 7			Miscellaneous - includes "Out of the North Country" by Lewis N. Powell, typescript copy
Box 7		Church-state parochial schools 1959-1961
Box 8		Churchmen's International Consultation 1965-1968
Box 8		Civil rights 1963
Box 8		Civilian defense chaplains 1953-1960
		Constitutional Convention Committee, New York State 1967
Box 8			Correspondence Oct 1966-Oct 1967 (3 folders)
Box 8			Minutes and meetings
Box 8			Statements by Theodore L. Conklin, Arthur Mielke and others - typescript drafts
Box 8			Position papers
Box 9			Miscellaneous (2 folders)
Box 9			News clippings
Box 9		Cooperstown proposal
		Denominational-interdenominational staff conferences
Box 9			Correspondence 1964-1966
Box 9			Miscellaneous
Box 9		Endowment campaign 1961-1962
Box 10		Equal Moral Standard Amendment 1963-1964
Box 10		Family justice 1965
Box 10		Finance promotion data 1954-1958
		Gambling
Box 10			Correspondence 1954-1962
Box 10			News clippings 1951-1965 (3 folders)
Box 10			News clippings undated
Box 11		Health and welfare
Box 11		Hospital employees 1963
		Human Rights Commission
Box 11			Correspondence 1967-1968
Box 11			Report to the governor Jan-Mar 1968 - typescript reproductions, three drafts (A, B, C)
Box 11		Keuka College National Development Program 1964-1965
		Legislative Commission
Box 11			Correspondence 1964
Box 12			Correspondence 1965-1966, undated (8 folders)
Box 13			Minutes and meetings 1966
Box 13			Miscellaneous 1966
Box 13		Legislative Commission releases 1955-1963 - typescript copies and reproductions (4 folders)
Box 14		Legislative Commission releases 1964
Box 14		Legislative seminars 1951-1964 (7 folders)
Box 15		Legislative seminars 1965
Box 15		Lisle Fellowship 1965-1966
		Lottery
			[General]
Box 15				Correspondence Jun 1965-Dec 1966 (4 folders)
Box 15				Miscellaneous, - includes "Why Take A Chance" by Paul W. Rishell; typescript and printed material, revisions
Box 16				Miscellaneous
Box 16				News clippings
			Committee of 100,000 Against the Lottery Amendment
Box 16				Correspondence 1966-1967
Box 16				Miscellaneous - includes memorandum opposing Lottery Amendment by Theodore L. Conklin, typescript
Box 16			National 1957-1958
Box 16			New York City 1966
			State Committee Against
Box 16				Correspondence 1966
Box 17				Miscellaneous
Box 17		Mass communications
Box 17		Matrimonial and family laws 1959-1963
		Meetings
Box 17			Annual Assembly 1946-1962 (3 folders)
Box 18			Annual Assembly 1963-1966 (4 folders)
Box 18			Board of Directors, Executive Committee 1966
Box 18			Staff 1963-1965 (2 folders)
Box 19			Staff 1966-1968
Box 19			Trustees 1954
Box 19		Migrant Ministry - includes photographs
Box 19		Mimeographed material Dec 1966-Jun 1967 (4 folders)
Box 20		Mimeographed material Jul 1967-Dec 1968 (7 folders)
Box 21		Mimeographed material 1969
Box 21		Narcotics 1960
Box 21		National Council of Churches 1950
Box 21		New York Board of Rabbis 1958
Box 21		New York State Assembly and Senate bills relating to labor
		New York State Assembly bills 1966
Box 21			Intro. 2-1432
Box 21			Intro. 1438-2889
Box 22			Intro. 2909-4053
Box 22			Intro. 4056-4673
		New York State Senate bills 1966
Box 22			Intro. 23-1346
Box 22			Intro. 1349-2620
Box 22			Intro. 2661-3953
Box 23			Intro. 3954-4877
		New York State Assembly and Senate joint bills 1966
Box 23			Intro. 395-4798
Box 23		New York State Legislature bill summaries 1958-1966 (9 folders)
Box 24		New York State Legislature bill summaries 1967
Box 24		New York State Women's Relief Corps Home 1959-1960
Box 24		Nominating commission 1961-1963
Box 24		Nuclear warfare
Box 24		Obscene literature 1961
Box 24		The One Hundred Club 1958
Box 24		Parental responsibility
Box 24		Penal law and criminal code
Box 24		Policy Committee 1953-1961 (2 folders)
		Prayer in the schools
Box 24			Correspondence 1963-1965
Box 24			Miscellaneous - includes "Supreme Court on Prayer - the Churches React" by Dean M. Kelley and anonymous statements, typescript
Box 25			News clippings
Box 25		Public education - clippings
		Public relations and development
Box 25			Correspondence 1955-1960
Box 25			Meetings and minutes
Box 25			Miscellaneous
Box 25		Racial discrimination and segregation 1958 - includes "One Country, One Classroom" by Harry Confoy; "Brothers," anonymous; typescripts
Box 25		Religious issue, presidential campaign 1960
		Reports
Box 26			Annual 1948, 1951-1967 (4 folders)
Box 26			Financial 1966-1967
Box 26		Right wing extremism 1960
Box 26		Roswell Park Memorial Institute 1957
Box 26		Sex education
Box 26		Staff salaries and responsibilities
Box 26		State Council Reporter 1943-1959 - many are photocopies (3 folders)
		State Council Reporter 1960-1969 - many are photocopies
			Sent to Rare Books for cataloging. Please refer to Libraries Search to locate these items.
Box 27		Stillwater First Baptist Church 1955-1961
		Study Committee
Box 23			Correspondence 1960
Box 27			Miscellaneous 1959-1961
Box 27		Sunday laws
Box 27		Syracuse University American Assembly 1967
Box 27		United Church Women of New York State
Box 25		Voice of the Rural Church 11/08/1959 - handwritten note on the sleeve: " Rev. Ted Conklin, 9 Convocations" (Lacquer disc) (ID#: nys_church_001)
Box 25		Voice of the Rural Church 01/10/1960 - handwritten note on the sleeve: " Rev. Ted Conklin, Rev. Leon Adkins, Annual Legislative Seminar" (Lacquer disc) (ID#: nys_church_002)
Box 27		Youth in the courts 1956-1958 - includes "Dealing with Juvenile Delinquency" by Theodore L. Conklin, typescript
Box 27		Miscellaneous news clippings

	Correspondence, general
Box 28		A-G (7 folders)
Box 29		H-Q (7 folders)
Box 30		R-Z (5 folders)

	Division of Christian Education 1934-1968
Box 30		General division material
Box 30		Adult Commission
Box 31		Camp and conference
Box 31		Children's Commission
Box 31		Higher Education Commission
Box 31		Leadership education
Box 31		Mentally retarded, religious training for
Box 31		Social crisis
Box 31		Vacation Church School
Box 31		Weekday religious education
Box 31		Young Citizens Camp
		Youth Commission
Box 31			Minutes of meetings
Box 31			Miscellaneous material 1964-1965
Box 31		Youth Security Commission

	Division of Church Planning and Mission 1934-1968
Box 32		Census, religious
Box 32		Federation
Box 32		Leisure time
Box 32		The rural church
			See also "Voice of the Rural Church".
Box 32		The Church Center

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Selected index to correspondence

The index below lists individuals alphabetically, followed by the name of the folder in which their correspondence, either incoming or outgoing, may be found. It is not comprehensive and does not list all persons appearing in the collection.

• Adkins, Leon M. Jr. : Legislative Commission; Legislative seminars; N.Y. Board of Rabbis
• Allen, James E. Jr. : Denominational-interdenominational staff conferences; Legislative Commission; Legislative seminars; Lottery : State Committee Against
• Armbruster, Christian H. : Legislative Commission
• Associated Executive Committee of Friends on Indian Affairs : Meetings : Annual Assembly
• Associated Industries of New York State, Inc. : Aging, problems of the
• Association for the Study of Abortion, Inc. : Legislative Commission
• Bachman, C. Charles : Roswell Park Memorial Institute
• Biederstadt, F. H. : Legislative seminars
• Bodo, John : Lottery : [General]
• Bordley, James III : Hospital employees
• Brade, Madeleine : Legislative seminars
• Bronston, Jack E. : Legislative Commission
• Brossman, Donald G. : Lottery : State Committee Against
• Brydges, Earl W. : Legislative Commission
• Burke, Rev. Carl F. : Legislative Commission
• Butler, Rix Pierce : Constitutional Convention Committee, New York State
• Carothers, J. Edward : Aging, problems of the
• Cederberg, George S. : Hospital employees
• Chinn, Harvey N. : Lottery : [General]
• Clark, Stephen C. : Cooperstown proposal
• Corbin, Sol Neil : Legislative Commission
• Cox, David F. : Lottery : [General]
• Dahlberg, Edwin T. : Champlain Valley 350th; Legislative seminars
• Davie, J. Ralph : Baptist Commission
• Debevoice, Eli Whitney : Human Rights Commission; Legislative seminars
• Dick, James M. : Constitutional Convention Committee, New York State
• Dirks, Howard M. : Finance promotion data; Public relations and development
• Douglass, Robert R. : Legislative Commission
• East Harlem Protestant Parish : Narcotics
• Edgar, Richard P. : Lottery : [General]; Lottery : Committee of 100,000 Against the Lottery Amendment
• Farley. James A. : Lottery : State Committee Against
• Flick, Hugh C. : Legislative seminars
• Fowell, Myron W. : Lottery : State Committee Against
• Gatland, Franklin Z. : Legislative Commission
• Gemmer, Robert : Lottery : State Committee Against
• Gordon, Harold : Alcoholic beverage control laws
• Greenberg, Lester : Constitutional Convention Committee, New York State
• Hale, John P. : Lottery : State Committee Against
• Harrington, Donald Szantho : Constitutional Convention Committee, New York State
• Hecht, Burton : Legislative Commission
• Hesson, Samuel M. : Constitutional Convention Committee, New York State
• Hodges, Graham R. : Constitutional Convention Committee, New York State; Legislative seminars
• Holland, Hugh P. : Legislative Commission
• Holt, Lawrence J. : Constitutional Convention Committee, New York State; Legislative Commission; Legislative seminars; Lottery : State Committee Against
• Home Advisory Council of New York, Inc. : [not given]
• Howe, Lee A. : Meetings : Annual Assembly; Study Committee
• Hughes, John H. : Alcoholic beverage control laws
• Hunter, William H. : Legislative Commission
• Hurley, Thomas F. : Civilian defense chaplains
• Isham, Howard E. : The One Hundred Club
• Javits, Jacob K. (Senator) : Meetings : Annual Assembly
• Johnson, Douglas : Public relations and development
• Joint Legislative Committee to Study the Publication and Dissemination of Offensive and Obscene Material : Legislative Commission
• Keating, Kenneth B. (Senator) : Meetings : Annual Assembly
• Kelly, H. Hugh : Constitutional Convention Committee, New York State
• Kennedy, Robert F. (Senator) : Lottery : [General]; Lottery : Committee of 100,000 Against the Lottery Amendment
• King, Martin Luther, Jr. : Legislative seminars
• Lamb, Charles F. : Prayer in schools
• Lassoe, John V. P., Jr. : Constitutional Convention Committee, New York State; Family justice; Legislative Commission
• Levitt, Arthur : Legislative seminars
• Little, M. V. : Legislative seminars
• Lombardi, Tarky Jr. : Legislative Commission
• MacMackin, Stuart : Birth control; Legislative Commission; Legislative seminars; Meetings : Annual Assembly; Obscene literature ; Prayer in schools
• Mahoney, Francis J. : Legislative Commission; Legislative seminars
• Mahoney, Walter J. : Legislative seminars; Lottery : State Committee Against
• Marshall, Thurgood : Legislative seminars
• Martin, J. Dean (Reverend) : Hospital employees
• Metcalf, George R. : Constitutional Convention Committee, New York State; Legislative seminars
• Mielke, Arthur : Constitutional Convention Committee, New York State; Legislative Commission
• Modisher, Donald E. : Constitutional Convention Committee, New York State
• Moore, Frank : Lottery : State Committee Against
• Moore, James A. G. : Aging, problems of the; Constitutional Convention Committee, New York State
• Moore, Robert E. : Legislative seminars
• Murphy, George A. : Legislative Commission
• National Council of Churches : Legislative Commission
• Nevin, Hugh G. Jr. : Legislative Commission
• New York Dept. of State, Division of Corporations : Meetings : Trustees
• New York Farm Bureau : Alcoholic beverage control laws
• New York State Congress of Parents & Teachers : Legislative Commission
• New York State Council on Crime and Delinquency : Constitutional Convention Committee, New York State
• New york State Grange : Alcoholic beverage control laws
• New York State Youth Commission : Legislative seminars
• New York Temperance Civic League, Inc. : Alcoholic beverage control laws; Legislative Commission
• Nicklas, Earle : Hospital employees
• Nixon, Allan : Constitutional Convention Committee, New York State
• Norton, F. Paul : Lottery : State Committee Against
• Peabody, Malcolm (Rt. Rev.) : Finance promotion data
• Peters, Robert F. R. : Constitutional Convention Committee, New York State
• Peterson, Dutton S. : Alcoholic beverage control laws; Legislative seminars; N.Y. Board of Rabbis; The One Hundred Club
• Poulton, Fred N. : Churchmen's International Consultation
• Powell, Lewis N. : Champlain Valley 350th
• Protestant Council of the City of New York : Legislative Commission
• Quinlivan, James J. (Dr.) : Roswell Park Memorial Institute
• Rishell, Paul W. : Lottery : [General]; Lottery : State Committee Against; Youth in the courts
• Roadarmel, Kenneth : Civilian defense chaplains
• Rockefeller, Nelson A. : Aging, problems of the; Human Rights Commission; Legislative Commission; Legislative seminars
• Ronan, William J. : Legislative seminars
• Root, Oren : Legislative seminars
• Schrock, Robert C. : Alcoholic beverage control laws
• Scott, Philip Gordon : Meetings : Annual Assembly
• Smith, William E. : Church-state parochial schools; Matrimonial and family laws
• Sockman, Ralph : The One Hundred Club
• Stevenson, Adlai E. : Legislative seminars
• Strohbeck, Charles W. : Abortion law
• Terry, John H. : Legislative Commission; Lottery : Committee of 100,000 Against the Lottery Amendment
• Tobin, Charles J. Jr. : Alcoholic beverage control laws
• Travia, Anthony J. : Legislative Commission
• Twentieth Century Fund : Public relations and development
• Wagner, Robert F. : Constitutional Convention Committee, New York State
• Ward, W. Ralph : Denominational-interdenominational staff conferences
• Webb, James M. : Legislative Commission
• Westchester Citizens' Committee of the National Council on Crime and Delinquency : Legislative Commission
• Whitehead, A. Pennington : Cooperstown proposal
• Wiediger, Edward H. : Lottery : [General]
• Wilson, Jerome L. : Legislative Commission; Legislative seminars; The One Hundred Club

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