Collection inventory

Overview of the Collection
Creator:	Peale, Ruth Stafford, 1906-2008.
Title:	Ruth S. Peale Papers
Inclusive Dates:	1950-1965
Quantity:	23.0 linear ft. (ca.)
Abstract:	Papers of the American businesswoman, writer, editor, speaker and church leader; wife of clergyman Norman Vincent Peale. Collection contains correspondence, organizational records, business and financial records, and manuscripts pertaining to the National Council of Churches, the Foundation for Christian Living, the Reformed Church in America, and other organizations. Correspondents of note include Smiley Blanton, Billy Graham, Leonard LeSourd, and Norman Vincent Peale.
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

Ruth Stafford Peale (1906-2008) was an American businesswoman, writer, editor, speaker and church leader. She was the wife of clergyman Norman Vincent Peale, and co-founder of Guideposts magazine and the Peale Center.

Born Ruth Stafford in Fonds, Iowa on September 10, 1906, she graduated from Syracuse University in 1928 and taught mathematics at Central High School. She married Norman Vincent Peale on June 20, 1930 and shortly began acting as his business manager and representing the family in committee work. She has been an active leader in denominational and interdenominational activities, including serving as vice president of the National Council of Churches and of the Board of Domestic Missions of the Reformed Church in America, as chairman of religion for the New York State Federation of Women's Clubs, as vice chairman o f the Broadcasting and Film Commission of the National Council of Churches, and chairman of the American Mothers Committee. She also appeared with her husband on the television program, "What's Your Trouble?"

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Scope and Contents of the Collection

The Ruth S. Peale Papers are divided into two series: National Council of Churches, and General File.

National Council of Churches contains correspondence, organizational records, committee reports and published material dealing with-the various activities of the National Council of Churches, for which Mrs. Peale served as vice president. Included in this file is material on such activities as. the Broadcasting and Film Commission, General Board, Finance Committee and the United Church Women.

General files contains correspondence, sermons and articles, financial reports, as well as some organizational records for both the Foundation for Christian Living and The Reformed Church in America. Among the manuscripts are articles by Mrs. Peale entitled "When My Husband Nearly Left The Church" and "Brides To Be." The correspondence contains family letters, business correspondence and social correspondence, including letters to and from Lowell Thomas, Jr., Billy Graham, Dr. Smiley Blanton, Dr. Peale and Leonard Le Sourd.

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Arrangement of the Collection

National Council of Churches material is arranged alphabetically by major departments and their subdivisions, with separate files for the following years: 1950-1953, 1954-1957, 1958-1960, and 1061-1965.

General files are arranged alphabetically by subject in two groups, 1954-1961 and 1957-1959.

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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.

Written permission of George Hart required to view materials in this collection.

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

See also the Norman Vincent Peale Papers.

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Subject Headings

Persons

Corporate Bodies

Subjects

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

Ruth S. Peale Papers,
Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Libraries

Finding Aid Information

Created by: -
Date: circa 1965
Revision history: 17 May 2010 - converted to EAD (MRC)

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Inventory

	National Council of Churches
Box 1		Analysis of memberships for major units 1952
Box 1		Board of Managers, Department of Public Relations Committee on Study and Adjustment
Box 1		General Assembly Minutes
Box 1		General Board
Box 1		General Board - Rules of Procedure
		General
Box 2			Special Committee on Policy and Strategy
Box 2			Subcommittee on Public Relations
		Broadcasting and Film Commission
Box 2			Administrative Committee
Box 2			Board of Managers
Box 2			Executive Committee
Box 2			Finance
Box 2			Miscellaneous Correspondence
Box 2			Protestant
Box 2		Migrant
Box 2		Migrant appeals
Box 3		Migrants, speaking material
		United Church Women
Box 3			Administrative Policy
Box 3			Assembly
Box 3			Board of Managers
Box 3			Executive
Box 3			Finance
Box 3			National Laywomen's and Men's Committee
Box 3			Miscellaneous (2 folders)
		1954-1957
Box 3			Reformed Church in America
Box 3			N.C.C. General (2 folders)
Box 3			N.C.C. General, Board of Domestic Missions 1955
			Business and Finance
Box 4				General (2 folders)
Box 4				Executive Committee
Box 5				Executive Committee
Box 5			Chicago Office
Box 5			Committee to restudy committed fund
Box 5			General Assembly (2 folders)
Box 5			General Board
Box 5			General Budget Committee
Box 6			General Budget Committee
Box 6			General Personnel Committee (3 folders)
Box 6			General Policy and Strategy Committee
Box 7			General Policy and Strategy Committee
Box 7			General National Lay Committee
Box 7			General Subcommittee on Publication Operations
Box 8			Washington Memos
			Broadcasting and Film Commission
Box 8				General (2 folders)
Box 8				Board of Managers (3 folders)
Box 8				Broadcast Training Committee
Box 8				Committee on Research
Box 8				Executive Committee (2 folders)
Box 9				Film Committee
Box 9				Finance Committee (2 folders)
Box 9				Joint Commission
Box 9				Radio Committee
Box 9				Special Committee of Ten
Box 9				Television Committee
			Division of Home Missions
Box 9				General (2 folders)
Box 9				Assembly
Box 9				Administrative Committee
Box 9				Executive Board
Box 10				Executive Board
				Committee on Migrant Work
Box 10					General
Box 10					Subcommittee on Finance (2 folders)
Box 10					Special Events (2 folders)
Box 10				Finance
Box 10				General Board
			Interchurch Center
Box 11				General
Box 11				Board of Trustees
Box 11				Building Committee (2 folders)
Box 11				Executive Committee of Building Committee
Box 11				Fund Raising Committee
			United Church Women
Box 11				General
Box 11				Board of Managers
Box 12				Executive Committee
Box 12				Fellowship Fund
Box 12				Finance Committee
Box 12				Joint Committee (2 folders)
Box 12				Personnel Committee
Box 12				Retirement Plan Committee
			Miscellaneous
Box 12				"Let There be Light" (2 folders)
Box 12				Little Josephine (2 folders)
		1958-1960
Box 13			General Business and Finance
Box 13			General Board (5 folders)
Box 14			General Board
Box 14			General Policy and Strategy Committee
Box 14			General Study and Adjustment Committee
Box 14			General Subcommittee on Public Relations
Box 14			General Subcommittee on Publications Operations
			Broadcasting and Film Commission
Box 14				General
Box 14				Board of Managers
Box 14				Executive Committee
Box 15				Finance Committee
			Division of Home Missions
Box 15				Administrative Committee
			Interchurch Center
Box 15				[General] (2 folders)
Box 16				Board of Trustees
Box 16				Building Committee
Box 16				Chapel Committee
Box 16				Executive Committee
Box 16				Finance
Box 16				General Business and Finance Committee
Box 16				Operating Committee
			United Church Women
Box 16				General
Box 16				Administrative Committee
Box 16				Board of Managers
Box 16				Constitution and By-Laws Committee
Box 16				Finance Committee
			Miscellaneous
Box 16				Little Josephine
		1961-1965
Box 17			General
Box 17			General Board
Box 17			General (2 folders)
Box 18			General (2 folders)
			General
Box 18				Committee on Policy and Strategy
Box 18				Emergency Commission Religion and Race
Box 19			General Board (3 folders)
			General
Box 19				Administrative and Finance Committee
Box 20				Business and Finance
Box 20				Business and Finance, Executive Committee
Box 20				Constitution and By-Laws Committee
Box 20				Nominating Committee
Box 20				Personnel Committee
Box 20				Policy and Strategy Committee
Box 21			Joint Committee on Relations
Box 21			Special Committee on Structure and Function (2 folders)
Box 21			Structures Committee 1963 (2 folders)
Box 22			Structures and Functions Committee (3 folders)
			Broadcasting and Film Commission
Box 22				Business and Finance
Box 22				Board of Managers
Box 22				Executive Committee
Box 22				Joint Committee, Board of Managers
Box 23			Division of Christian Life and Work
			Division of Home Missions
Box 23				Co-Operative Planning Board
Box 23				Department of Migrant Work
Box 23				Executive Board
Box 23				Migrants
Box 23			Interchurch Center, General
Box 23			Miscellaneous

	General Files
Box 24		A 1956-1959
Box 24		American Bible Society 1956-1965 (2 folders)
Box 25		American Bible Society (3 folders)
Box 25		American Mothers Committee
Box 25		American Mothers Committee, Board of Directors 1957-1959
Box 26		Article - "When My Husband Nearly Left the Church" 1959
Box 26		B 1957-1959
Box 26		Book of the Month Club 1957
Box 26		Brides to Be article by Mrs. Peale
Box 26		Brown, Alice
Box 26		C 1956-1959
Box 27		Christmas 1949-1956
Box 27		Christmas gifts 1958
Box 27		Cook Christian Training School
Box 27		Current Sermons
Box 27		D 1957-1959
Box 27		Dickler 1957
Box 27		E 1957-1959
Box 27		Eby, A. James
Box 27		Elizabeth
Box 27		F 1957-1959
Box 28		Farwell
		Foundation for Christian Living
Box 28			General
Box 28			Board of Directors
Box 28			Book Promotion
Box 28			Book Sales 1951
Box 28			Booklet Idea folder
Box 28			Booklets
Box 28			Financial Reports (2 folders)
Box 28			General
Box 28			General Correspondence
Box 28			Investments (2 folders)
Box 28			Look Reports (2 folders)
Box 29			Personnel (2 folders)
Box 29			Plate room
Box 29			Promotion (3 folders)
Box 29			Sermon Publications Committee
Box 29			Radio Reports
Box 29			Youth Booklet
		Friends Seminary
Box 29		G 1957-1959
Box 29		Gill 1961
Box 30		Graham, Billy
Box 30		Guideposts Article, "Supreme Court and School Prayer"
Box 30		Guideposts Editorial
Box 30		Guideposts investments (2 folders)
Box 30		H
Box 30		Hall Syndicate
Box 31		Hooven letters
Box 31		I
Box 31		Inspirational Book Service
Box 31		Interchurch Center
Box 31		Interior Decorating
Box 31		Investments
Box 32		J 1957-1959
Box 32		Japan International Christian University
Box 32		John (2 folders)
Box 32		K
Box 32		L
Box 33		Layman's Leaders Institute 1960
Box 33		Mc
Box 33		M
Box 33		Marble Collegiate Church (2 folders)
Box 33		Margaret (2 folders)
Box 33		Marquis, Sarah - travel agency
Box 34		Marquis Who's Who
Box 34		Masterpiece Treasury, Inc.
Box 34		Memo to the Board
Box 34		Murphy's Furrier
Box 34		Music Appreciation records
Box 34		N
Box 34		National Council of Churches
Box 34		National Foundation for Medical Education (2 folders)
Box 34		N.Y. State Federation of Women's Clubs (2 folders)
Box 34		O
Box 34		Orient shopping
Box 35		Pa - Pi
Box 35		Pawling Property (2 folders)
Box 35		Po - Pz
Box 35		Protestant International Chapel Fund 1959
Box 36		P.E.O. (2 folders)
Box 36		Photographs
Box 36		Preparatory schools
Box 36		Presbyterian Church of U.S.A. (2 folders)
Box 36		Protestant Council of the City of N.Y. (3 folders)
Box 36		Protestant Motion Picture ratings (2 folders)
Box 36		Q
Box 36		R
Box 37		Record Sales (2 folders)
		Reformed Church in America
Box 37			General (2 folders)
Box 37			Audio-visual committee
			Board of Domestic Missions
Box 37				[General?] 1952-1953
Box 37				Department of Evangelism
Box 37				Executive Committee
Box 37				Finance Committee
Box 38				Indian Committee
Box 38				Policy Committee
Box 38				Women's Work Department
Box 38			Visual Aid Service
Box 38		Regretted Speaking engagements
Box 38		Religion in American Life, Inc.
Box 38		Reprints of articles
Box 38		Reservation orders
Box 38		S
Box 39		Sermon Cabinet collections
Box 39		Sermons by Dr. Peale
		Sorosis
Box 39			General (2 folders)
Box 39			Anniversary Carbons
Box 39			Executive Committee
Box 39			Invitations (2 folders)
Box 40			Luncheon
Box 40		Speaking engagements
Box 40		Speeches made
Box 40		Standard Education Society
		Syracuse University
Box 40			General (2 folders)
Box 40			Board of Trustees (2 folders)
Box 41			Development Plan 1961-1963
Box 41			Youth Development Center
Box 41		1030 5th Ave. Corp. Financial Statements 1958-1959
Box 41		1025 5th Ave
Box 41		25th Anniversary invitations
Box 41		United Church Women 1959-1960
Box 41		Volk, Kurt H., Inc.
Box 41		W
		What's Your Trouble
Box 41			[General] (2 folders)
Box 42			1952-1953 (3 folders)
Box 42			Financial Statements
		1957-1959
Box 42			A-C (3 folders)
Box 42			Companion Pocket Cross
Box 42			D
Box 42			Daniels, Charles R.
Box 42			Elizabeth
Box 43			F-G (2 folders)
Box 43			General Correspondence
Box 43			H-J (3 folders)
Box 43			Johnson, Mr. and Mrs. Horace
Box 43			K-L (3 folders)
Box 44			M-P (4 folders)
Box 44			Peale, Mrs. - letters and memos
Box 44			Q-W (8 folders)
Box 45			Volk, Inc.
Box 45			Y-Z (2 folders)
Box 45			Correspondence 1957-1960 (Sep) (4 folders)
Box 46			Correspondence 1960, Oct-Dec (2 folders)

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