Mildred R. and James L. Gillingham New Religious Movement collection, 1925-1970

Summary

Creators:

Gillingham, Mildred R. and Gillingham, James L.

Abstract:

The collection contains ephemera, printed materials and correspondence on Hindu, Buddhism, Theosophy, new age, religious science, UFOs, Society of Friends, new thought Christian writers and related materials. Within these materials are correspondence and writings from some well known 20th century figures from related fields.

Extent:

11 boxes, 1 folio (10 linear feet)

Language:

Languages represented in the collection: English

Preferred citation:

Mildred R. and James L. Gillingham New Religious Movement collection, GTU 2008-6-02. Graduate Theological Union Archives, Berkeley, CA.

Background

Scope and content:

The collection contains ephemera, printed materials and correspondence on Hindu, Buddhism, Theosophy, new age, religious science, UFOs, Society of Friends, new thought Christian writers and related materials. Within the collection are correspondence and writings from some well known 20th century figures: Margaret Taylor Fisk (sacred dance pioneer), Cedric Wright (violinist and wilderness photographer), Ida Hagen Marshall (author), Ruth Fuller Sasaki (Zen translator) and Howard Thurman (co-minister of Church for the Fellowship of All Peoples, San Francisco). Four boxes of other correspondence (friends, acquaintances and business) have not been processed but are in the original alphabetical folder order.

Biographical / historical:

The collection includes materials and correspondence collected by Mildred Newell Rider Gillingham (1893-1984) and James Love Gillingham (1893-1970), who lived in Oakland, Alameda and Los Altos. Materials also include writings and mentions of their son, Peter Newell Gillingham, who had similar interests in alternative religious and scientific fields.

This collection supplements the GTU's other New Religious Movement collections.

Acquisition information:

Donated by Maya Gillingham Chung in June 2008.

Arrangement:

The collection is arranged as follows: Series 1. Subjects/Organizations/People; Series 2, Serials; Series 3, Pamhlets. Series 4, Family Correspondence.

Physical location:

7/J/1-5

Rules or conventions:

Finding aid prepared using Describing Archives: a Content Standard

Related resources

Separated material:

The original donation included around 700 books and four boxes of serials and pamphlets. Half of the books will be incorporated into the circulating collection. The other half, duplicates of the GTU collection, were sold at the annual book sale. Publications that supplemented existing serials were added to the periodical collection.

Additional collection guides:

See other New Religious Movements collections.

Indexed terms

Subjects:

Divination.
LSD (Drug)
New Age movement.
Parapsychology.
Society of Friends.
Unidentified flying object cults.
Zen Buddhism.

Indexes:

Names

Taylor, Margaret Fisk
Wright, Cedric
Marshall, Ida Hagen
Sasaki, Ruth Fuller, 1893-1967
Thurman, Howard, 1900-1891
Church for the Fellowship of All Peoples

Restrictions:

Collection is open for research.

Terms of access:

Copyright has not been assigned to The Graduate Theological Union. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Archivist. Permission for publication is given on behalf of The Graduate Theological Union as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by the reader.

Preferred citation:

Mildred R. and James L. Gillingham New Religious Movement collection, GTU 2008-6-02. Graduate Theological Union Archives, Berkeley, CA.

Location of this collection:

Graduate Theological Union

2400 Ridge Road

Berkeley, CA 94709, US

Contact:

(510) 649-2523/2501

archives@gtu.edu

Website