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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, (7 containers)
Collection Number
Ax 818
Summary
Adam and Clara Groesbeck were Baptist missionaires in the Kwangtung province of South China from 1897-1927 and 1931-1935. The collection includes correspondence, diaries, sermons, newsletters, reports, published material, and photographs.
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 available in Special Collections & University Archives.

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

Languages
English, Chinese, Japanese, Thai
Sponsor
Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
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Historical Note

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 Adam Groesbeck provided religious services for a number of communities in the province and also had considerable administrative responsibilities with the South China Mission. Clara Groesbeck's missionary work involved teaching at the boys' school in Chaoyang.

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

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Content Description

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 prints and negatives of the missions, the Chinese people and countryside, and family photographs.

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.

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Administrative Information

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Detailed Description of the Collection

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Baptists--Missions--China--Guangdong Sheng
  • International relations
  • Missionaries--China--Guangdong Sheng
  • Missions, American--China--Guangdong Sheng
  • Missions, American--China--Photographs
  • Religion
  • Women

Personal Names

  • Groesbeck, Clara

Geographical Names

  • Missionaries
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