Church of the People records, 1925-1980

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Church of the People (Seattle, Wash.)
Title
Church of the People records
Dates
1925-1980 (inclusive)
1934-1955 (bulk)
Quantity
1.68 cubic feet (4 boxes)
Collection Number
1206 (Accession No. 1206-007)
Summary
Non-sectarian social activist Church in Seattle, founded by Fred W. Shorter in 1934; disbanded, 1956
Repository
University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections
Special Collections
University of Washington Libraries
Box 352900
Seattle, WA
98195-2900
Telephone: 2065431929
Fax: 2065431931
speccoll@uw.edu
Access Restrictions

Open to all users.

Request at UW

Languages
English

Historical NoteReturn to Top

In 1934 Reverend Fred Shorter was a pastor at Pilgrim Congregational Church in Seattle. His services were finally terminated that year over a series of controversial murals that Shorter had commissioned to be painted in the interior of the Pilgrim church sanctuary. Following this public controversy, Fred and his wife - Awilda “Billie” Shorter - founded the Church of the People. Based on the Shorters’ own ideals of fighting for social justice, upholding civil rights, Marxism, pacifism, and international and interracial brotherhood, the Church of the People was a non-sectarian institution that welcomed not only all Christians but anyone who ascribed to their principles. Besides worship services and church fellowship, the Church of the People was also involved in community programs, such as the People’s Forum, and supported various activist campaigns. In 1949 the Church founded the All People’s Student Center. This was an institution built both as lodging for international exchange students and also as a youth activity center where American and international students would have the opportunity to meet and socialize. Fred Shorter retired from the Church in 1956 after a series of illnesses. After the Shorters’ move to California, the Church suffered a crisis in leadership, being unable to hire a new permanent pastor. Lay services continued sporadically through the year, but after that year the Church fell into inactivity In 1957 Fred and Awilda Shorter founded the Shorter Trust Fund. This fund was created to provide for the Shorters’ retirement and also to manage the distribution of the estate after their death. The fund operated until 1980.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

The total size of this accession is 1.68 cubic feet. The dates of the materials range from 1925 to 1980. The bulk of the material is from the years 1934 to 1956, the period of the Church’s activity. All materials from 1957 onward are documents of the Shorter Trust Fund.

A sizeable amount of the collection consists of newsletters. The records contain an almost complete collection of all 20 volumes of the Church of the People’s newsletter, The New Religious Frontier.

Because of the Church’s involvement in social issues, the accession contains much material on various activist campaigns in the 1930s, 40s and 50s. These include: anti-war, anti-bomb, anti-draft and pacifist campaigns; materials on Marxism, socialism, communism, and Russia (though this material tapers off after the 1930’s); pro-union and pro-labor struggles, the work of civil rights campaigns, including some of the work of the American Civil Liberties Union; and various charity causes.

The writings and sermons of Fred Shorter form a significant part of the accession, both in the form of published pamphlets as well as typewritten drafts and handwritten notes for many of his speeches. Also, because of Fred Shorter’s interest in internationalism and interfaith unity, his writings include a great deal of material on other religions – particularly Asian (i.e. Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism).

The collection also contains Shorter’s notes and writings on his 1937 trip to the U.S.S.R. These writings record his observations and impressions of many aspects of life and culture in Soviet Russia. The collection also contains two items related to the 1919 Armistice Day tragedy in Centralia, Washington. These are a report published jointly by a number of national religious councils and a 1939 clipping regarding the release of one of the men charged and imprisoned for involvement in the 1919 shootings.

Most of the records on the All-Peoples Student Center are financial in nature and date from the first years of operation, 1949 and 1950.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Restrictions on Use

Creator's literary rights not transferred to the University of Washington Libraries.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Acquisition Information

Donated by Mrs. Fred W. Shorter, 3/6/1964

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

 

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
1/1 Historical Features 1944
1/2-3 Organizational Features undated
1/4-5 Incoming Letters 1934-1935
1/6 Outgoing Letters 1934, 1938
1/7 General Correspondence 1937-1954
1/8 Intraorganizational Correspondence - Mailings to Church Members 1936-1956
1/9-10 Membership Lists 1937, 1947
1/11 Church of the People Newsletter 1936
1/12-2/11 The New Religious Frontier newsletter 1937-1956
2/12 Church News and Notes newsletter 1953-1955
2/13 Newsletters of Other Organizations 1941-1949
3/1 Speeches and Writings of Rev. Fred Shorter re: Asian Religions undated
3/2 Speeches and Writings of Rev. Fred Shorter re: Church of the People 1934, 1949-1950
3/3 Speeches and Writings of Rev. Fred Shorter re: Gandhi, Mohandas (Mahatma) 1948-1950
3/4 Speeches and Writings of Rev. Fred Shorter re: Lincoln, Abraham 1946-1950
3/5 Speeches and Writings of Rev. Fred Shorter re: Marx, Communism and Christianity 1947
3/6 Speeches and Writings of Rev. Fred Shorter re: Schweitzer, Albert undated
3/7 Speeches and Writings of Rev. Fred Shorter re: Tolstoi, Leo 1947
3/8 Speeches and Writings of Rev. Fred Shorter re: Trip to Russia 1937
3/9 Speeches and Writings of Rev. Fred Shorter: Journals of Trips to Russia 1937
3/10 Speeches and Writings of Rev. Fred Shorter: Published Addresses 1940-1942
3/11-12 Speeches and Writings of Rev. Fred Shorter: Sermons 1943, 1950-1952
3/13 Speeches and Writings of Rev. Fred Shorter: Memorial for Congressman Zioncheck 1938
4/1 Speeches and Writings 1925-1955
4/2 Christian Century Pulpit publication 1935
4/3 Humanist World publication 1950
4/4 Radical Religion publication 1936
4/5 Unity publication 1935-1936
4/6 Budgets 1937, 1941, 1948
4/7 Reports 1949, 1954
4/8 Legislation - State of Washington undated
4/9 Programs 1940-1955
4/10-11 Poems and Hymns undated
4/12 Pilgrim Congregational Church Interior - photographs undated
4/13 Unidentified photographs undated
4/14 Centralia Case 1930, 1939
4/15 Evergreen Cooperative 1949-1951
4/16 Fellowship of Reconciliation 1949-1951
4/17 People's Forum Foundation undated
4/18-20 Clippings 1935-1950
4/21 Ephemera 1944
4/22 All-Peoples Student Center general correspondence 1948-1956
4/23 All-Peoples Student Center speeches and writings undated
4/24 All-Peoples Student Center financial records 1949-1950
4/25 All-Peoples Student Center inventory 1949
4/26 All-Peoples Student Center records of room occupancy 1949
4/27 All-Peoples Student Center ephemera undated
4/28 Shorter (Fred and Awilda) Trust Fund 1957-1980

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Personal Papers/Corporate Records (University of Washington)

Corporate Names

  • Church of the People (Seattle, Wash.)--Archives

Other Creators

  • Personal Names
    • Shorter, Fred W., d. 1964 (creator)