Adam and Clara Groesbeck papers , 1897-1939

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Groesbeck, Adam, 1866-; Groesbeck, Clara
Title
Adam and Clara Groesbeck papers
Dates
1897-1939 (inclusive)
Quantity
4.5 linear feet, (2 containers)
Collection Number
Ax 818
Summary
Collection comprises newsletters, church reports, personal correspondence, sermons, special interest reports, and diaries of Adam and Clara Groesbeck, Baptist missionaries in the Kwangtung province of South China from 1897-1927 and 1931-1935.
Repository
University of Oregon Libraries, Special Collections and University Archives
UO Libraries--SCUA
1299 University of Oregon
Eugene OR
97403-1299
Telephone: 5413463068
spcarref@uoregon.edu
Access Restrictions

Collection is open to the public. Collection must be used in Special Collections and University Archives Reading Room. Collection or parts of collection may be stored offsite. Please contact Special Collections and University Archives in advance of your visit to allow for transportation time.

Additional Reference Guides

Paper finding aid with additional information avialable in Special Collections & University Archives.

See the Current Collection Guide for detailed description and requesting options.

Languages
English
Sponsor
Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Historical NoteReturn to Top

Adam and Clara Groesbeck were Baptist missionaries in the Kwangtung province of South China from 1897-1927 and 1931-1935. They were first assigned to Ungkung and later to the station in Chaochowfu. They moved to their final residence in Chaoyang in 1904. Reverend Groesbeck provided religious services for a number of communities in the province and also had considerable administrative responsibilities with the South China Mission. Mrs. Groesbeck's missionary work involved teaching at the boys' school in Chaoyang.

Reverend Groesbeck was born July 23, 1866 in Iowa. He attended Rochester Theological School in Rochester, N.Y. Mrs. Groesbeck was born in N.Y. Her birthdate is not indicated. They were married on August 23, 1892. Their first child, Katherine, was born on Setember 18, 1904 at Chaochowfu and their second child, Tracy, was born July 30, 1907 at Chaoyang.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

The Adam and Clara Groesbeck papers contain a great deal of Reverend Groesbeck's work, including newsletters, church reports, personal correspondence, sermons, special interest reports, and his diaries which cover thirteen of his thirty years in China. In her diaries Mrs. Groebeck writes almost exclusively of family matters, covering a period of eighteen years. Photographs include pictures of the missions, the Chinese people and countryside and family.

The main sources of information are Reverend Groesbeck's newsletters, reports, outgoing correspondence and diaries. These provide details of the South China Mission's organization and important issues. There is statistical information on mission growth, construction, and converts. His diaries provide a more personal look at the events in China. There is some indication in the last volumes of his diaries that he questioned the presence of Americans and all foreign missionaries in China. He became a strong advocate of turning the controls of the Christian missions over to the Chinese.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Baptists--Missions--China--Guangdong Sheng
  • Missionaries--China--Guangdong Sheng
  • Missions, American--China--Guangdong Sheng
  • Missions, American--China--Photographs

Personal Names

  • Groesbeck, Clara