An Inventory of the Bliss Forbush Papers, circa 1915-1945
General International Standard for Archival Description
Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College. Swarthmore, Pennsylvania 19081-1399 U.S.A.
Text converted and initial EAD tagging provided by Apex Data Services, December 2000.
Encoded Archival Description
Encoded Archival Description (EAD) Version 2002
collection
Papers, circa 1915-1945
Bliss Forbush (1896-1990)
Biographical History for: Papers, circa 1915-1945
BIOGRAPHICAL AND HISTORICAL NOTE Bliss Forbush (1896-1987), Quaker educator, administrator, and author, served as the Headmaster of Baltimore Friends School, Chairman of Friends General Conference, and Executive Secretary of Baltimore Monthly Meeting. He was born in 1896, the son of William B. and Maud Forbush. He married E. La Verne Hill (1894-1990) in 1915. Most of the material in this collection is in the form of scrapbooks kept by Bliss Forbush. They record his work as Executive Secretary of Baltimore Monthly Meeting, 1921-1943, as Secretary of the Advancement Committee of Baltimore Yearly Meeting, 1928-1943, and as Instructor in Bible, 1923-1960 and later Headmaster of Friends School, Baltimore, 1943-1960. He was Chairman of Friends General Conference 1941-1949. He also served as a member of the American Section of the World Council of Churches, 1941-1950 and as a delegate to the first Assembly of the World Council of Churches in 1948. He was President of the Board of Trustees of The Sheppard and Enoch Pratt Hospital from 1961-1971. For complete biographical information see Who's Who in America v.33, 1964-65. TIME LINE OF SERVICE1921-1943Executive Secretary of Baltimore Monthly Meeting1928-1943Secretary of the Advancement Committee of Baltimore Yearly Meeting1923-1960Instructor of the Bible1941-1949Chairman of the Friends General Conference1941-1950Member of American Section of the World Council of Churches1943-1960Headmaster of Friends' School, Baltimore1948delegate to the first Assembly of the World Council of Churches1961-1971President of the Board of Trustees of The Sheppard and Enoch Pratt Hospital
SCOPE AND CONTENT OF THE RECORDS The Bliss Forbush Papers contain the papers of Bliss Forbush (1896-1987), Quaker educator, administrator and author, and reveal a detailed picture of Quaker life in Baltimore, Maryland for most of the 20th century.
Quakers -- Maryland
Maryland -- Quakers
Baltimore (Md.) -- Quakers
Baltimore (Md.) -- Education -- Schools
Quakers -- Education
Forbush, La Verne, 1894-1990
Forbush, Bliss, 1896-1990
Baltimore Yearly Meeting of Friends (Hicksite: 1828-1968)
Baltimore Monthly Meeting of Friends
Sheppard and Enoch Pratt Hospital
Friends School (Baltimore, Md.)
Friends General Conference (U.S.)
series
Ser. 1. Bliss Forbush (1896-1987); 1835-1979
Subseries 1. “A Forbush Chronicle” (autobiography of Bliss Forbush), 1896-1979
Epilogue II 1977-78
Epilogue III 1979
“Talks given home Meeting” 1931-1964
The journal contains dates, titles and subjects of talks.
Subseries 2. “The Treasure Chest,” 1915-1978
The 20 bound volumes go to 1973, additions cover 1973-1977, and family correspondence of 1978 is included. Contains much personal correspondence, but also many papers pertaining to Bliss Forbush's work as Headmaster of Friends School, Baltimore from 1943-1960.
Subseries 3. “My Baltimore Book” (scrapbooks), 1921-1943
Contains the record of Bliss Forbush's work as Executive Secretary of Baltimore Monthly Meeting, in cooperation with the Advisory Committee. Includes copies of minutes of the meetings of the Advisory Committee, programs, announcements, clippings, snapshots, etc.
Subseries 4. “Baltimore Yearly Meeting Advancement Committee,” 1928-1943
These scrapbooks contain the record of Bliss Forbush's work as Secretary of the Advancement Committee. Includes copies of the minutes of meetings of the Committee, programs, announcements, clippings, snapshots, etc.
Subseries 5. World Council of Churches, Amsterdam, 1948
Album and Program. Bliss Forbush was appointed as a representative to the Council by Friends General Conference. LaVerne Forbush also attended as an accredited visitor. Album contains clippings, photographs, and some correspondence.
Subseries 6. Album, mostly correspondence
The album was presented to honor Bliss and LaVerne Forbush when he retired as Headmaster of Friends School, Baltimore. Presented by the Parents' Auxiliary of the School.
Subseries 7. Books and articles, 1835-1972, n.d.
Elias Hicks, Quaker Liberal; 1835-1956
Published by Columbia University Press, 1956. Folder of miscellaneous papers used by Forbush in writing the book includes:
Hicks family genealogical material
Notes on photographs of persons and houses in Old Westbury and Jericho, New York
Maps and charts
Elias Hicks (bust)
Elias Hicks's home in Jericho
Elias Hicks's cherry desk
Marriage certificate of Elias Hicks and Jemima Seaman.
Biographical sketch of Elias Hicks from Hannah L.
Robbins's notebook, copied by Phebe U. Seaman, 1900 4mo 3
Account of Jemima Hicks's funeral service from newspaper 1835.
“Orthodox Reflections...” and Elias Hicks's reply
Scrapbook of reviews.
Moses Sheppard, Quaker Philanthropist of Baltimore
Lippincott, 1968 notes for
A History of Baltimore Yearly Meeting of Friends, published by the Yearly Meeting in 1972
Creation of A History of Baltimore Yearly Meeting of Friends, published by the Yearly Meeting in 1972
Time of Creation of A History of Baltimore Yearly Meeting of Friends, published by the Yearly Meeting in 1972
Manuscript as edited by Alfred Stefferud.
“Three Hundred Years of Quakerism in Maryland, Virginia and Central Pennsylvania”
“A History of Baltimore Yearly Meeting of Friends”
Articles, 1928-1939, n.d.
“Quaker education in Maryland as found in the discipline” 1928
A term paper for Johns Hopkins.
“Permanent contributions of Quakerism” March 6, 1938
From a talk delivered at Abington Friends Meeting.
“Teuton and Semite in Germany” 1939
Bible study guides published by Friends General Conference
A study of the Old Testament
The life of Jesus
The life and letters of Paul
The growth of the Bible
Bible study guide: The Old Testament published for Friends School, Baltimore
Subseries 8. Miscellaneous correspondence and papers, 1939-1976
General correspondence, 1939-1976
Includes travelling minute for Bliss and Laverne Forbush to Friends Centers in Europe 1939, signed by Clarence Pickett.
1972-1976 Correspondence
Correspondents are Sam Legg, Carol (Albrecht) Penn, Robert W. Gibson, W. Berkeley Mann.
Papers concerning Sheppard and Enoch Pratt Hospital 1969-1976
Letter from William V. S. Tubman, President of Liberia
Reference material
Papers concerning Detroit Friends School, 1962, including:
Letter from Bliss Forbush to Peter Ashurkoff 1962 9mo 11
Letter from Peter Ashurkoff to Bliss Forbush 1962 8mo 29
Draft statement of purposes, Detroit Friends School August, 1962
Recommendations of the Curriculum Committee
Recommendations of the Personnel Committee
Subseries 9. Memorabilia, 1949-1956, n.d.
Mostly honorary degrees and citations.
State of Maryland: Appointment as a Trustee of Morgan State College 1949
Picture of Board of Trustees of Morgan State College 1956
Baltimore Urban League: Citation
Encyclopaedia Britannica, Certificate as a Contributor
Morgan State College. Degree of Doctor of Laws 1954
Citation for LL.D. Morgan State College
Citation accompanying the degree of Doctor of Laws from Swarthmore College
Ser. 2. LaVerne Hill Forbush (1894-1990), 1955, n.d.
Correspondence and material on the Baltimore potters
Manuscript of “The sufferings of Friends in Maryland”
Notes on Quaker china makers
Picture and reference material on Friends' Hymnal 1955
Ser. 3. William Byron Forbush (1868-1927)
“Knights of King Arthur”
Four pamphlets of the church fraternity.
Ser. 4. Forbush Family Reference material, 1971-1973, n.d.
Christmas cards
Table of contents of autobiography
Bibliography of material on Quakers and slavery in America presented to Morgan State College
“The Highlander Myth” by Hugh Trevor-Roper
Clippings
Checklists of material received from Bliss Forbush 1971-1973