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Robert P. Smith Papers, 1888-1950

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Smith, Robert P. (Robert Philip), 1863-1955
Title
Robert P. Smith Papers
Dates
1888-1950
Quantity
15.5 linear feet
Collection Number
Collection 522, MtBC, us (collection)
Summary
The Robert P. Smith Papers consist of personal correspondence, sermons and personal ephemera. The correspondence is primarily of a business nature as pertains to his time as president of both Kansas and Montana Wesleyan Universities and real estate investments. There are also numerous letters from other pastors and religious colleagues. His sermons cover numerous topics ranging from Agriculture to Women. Smith's non-sermon writings and personal ephemera fall into broad categories of General Biographical, Kansas Period, Montana Period, Europe 1921, Clippings Books, and Printed Ephemera. Some family pictures are also included.
Repository
Montana State University Library, Merrill G. Burlingame Special Collections
Montana State University-Bozeman Library
Merrill G Burlingame Special Collections
P.O. Box 173320
Bozeman, MT
59717-3320
Telephone: 4069944242
Fax: 4069942851
Access Restrictions

This collection is open for research.

Languages
English
Sponsor
Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities
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Biographical Note

Reverend Robert Philip Smith was born April 7, 1863 in Grove Port, Ohio. He received his advanced education from Ohio Normal University where he completed degrees in both the Liberal Arts and Science in 1886. In the following years he also earned a Doctorate of Divinity from Ohio Wesleyan University. Smith then taught for several years in the Ohio school system. He first come to Montana as a professor of Greek at Intermountain Union. From there he moved to Kansas Wesleyan where he served for seven years as President beginning in 1908. He then returned to Montana and served as pastor in Sheridan for three years, Dillion for four years, St. Paul's church in Helena for two years and finally Bozeman where he served for a total of 34 years. During his tenure in Bozeman he also served as the president of Montana Wesleyan University for five years. Although he officially retired in 1930, he remained a pastor emeritus of the Bozeman Methodist Episcopal church, served the West Yellowstone church during the summer for several years and was constantly in demand as a public speaker. Smith also traveled extensively to national church conventions, and was sent as a representative to the 1921 Rotary International Convention in Edinburgh, Scotland. He remained active in Bozeman community affairs until his death in 1945, serving on the Board of Directors of the Deaconess Hospital for 23 years, participating in the Masonic society, the Odd Fellows Club and the QK Discussion Club of which he was a founding member. Smith published numerous tracts on religion as well as several books of prose including "The Domine Goes A-Fishing". He married Jennie Patrick of Alger, Ohio in 1893. They had two daughters, Ruth (Mrs. Bertil Linfield), and Lois.

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Content Description

The Smith papers consist of personal correspondence, sermons and personal ephemera. The correspondence is primarily of a business nature as pertains to his time as president of both Kansas and Montana Wesleyan Universities and real estate investments. There are also numerous letters from other pastors and religious colleagues. Major correspondents include George Mecklenburg, Attree Smith and The Preachers Aid Society. These were received in a semi-chronological order and refoldered in chronological order except for those pertaining to business which were filed separately. His sermons cover numerous topics ranging from Agriculture to Women. These were arranged alphabetically by topic and have been refoldered in this order. Smith's non-sermon writings and personal ephemera were basically chronological in their original arrangement, and have been maintained in a similar order within broad categories of General Biographical, Kansas Period, Montana Period, Europe 1921, Clippings Books, and Printed Ephemera. Some family pictures are also included.

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Administrative Information

Arrangement

Series 1 Personal Correspondence, 1888-1945

Series 2 Sermons

Series 3 Writings, non-sermon

Series 4 Financial Papers

Subseries 1 - Insurance Papers

Subseries 2 - Real Estate Papers

Series 5 Scrapbook and Memorabilia

Subseries 1 - General Biographical

Subseries 2 - Kansas Period, 1908-1914

Subseries 3 - Montana Period, 1915-1945

Subseries 4 - Europe, 1921

Subseries 5 - Ruth Smith Linfield

Subseries 6 - Clippings Books

Subseries 7 - Printed Ephemera

Series 6 Photographs

Acquisition Information

Correspondence, publications, sermons and personal ephemera created or collected by Robert P. Smith were saved by his daughter, Ruth Linfield, and donated to the Montana State University Special Collections in two gifts, 1967 and 1972. The gifts have been processed as one set.

Processing Note

This collection was processed 2009 May 18

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Detailed Description of the Collection

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Clergy-Montana-Bozeman
  • College presidents-Kansas
  • College presidents-Montana
  • Methodist Church-Clergy
  • Methodist universities and colleges-Kansas
  • Methodist universities and colleges-Montana

Personal Names

  • Mecklenburg, Gene, 1881--Correspondence
  • Smith, Attree-Correspondence

Corporate Names

  • Kansas Wesleyan University
  • Montana Wesleyan College

Form or Genre Terms

  • Sermons

Kim Allen Scott, 2009
March 16, 2016

CC Attribution
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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