Descriptive Summary
Administrative Information
Indexing Terms
Descriptive Summary
Title: Mt. Hollywood Congregational Church Records
Dates: 1905-2012 and undated
Collection number: H.Mss.1051
Creator:
Mount Hollywood Congregational Church, United Church of Christ
Extent:
10.75 Linear Feet
(10 records boxes, 1 document box, 1 oversized folder)
Repository:
Claremont Colleges. Library. Special Collections, Honnold/Mudd Library. Claremont, CA 91711
Abstract: This collection contains information related to the operation and activities of the Mount Hollywood Congregational Church
from its founding in 1905 until 2012. Located in the Los Feliz area of Los Angeles, the church was both highly involved in
its community and concerned with larger social issues throughout its history. This collection covers the records of daily
administration and operation within the church, as well as its history, leadership groups, and publications. Some records
of note are the membership registries dating back to the church’s founding, correspondence, leadership group meeting minutes,
information on the church’s support of the Japanese American community during World War II, and lantern slides of Japanese
scenes.
Physical Location: Please consult repository.
Language of materials: Languages represented in the collection: English.
Administrative Information
Access
This collection is open for research.
Publication Rights
All requests for permission to reproduce or to publish must be submitted in writing to
Special Collections.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Mount Hollywood Congregational Church, United Church of Christ
Records (H.MSS.1051). Special Collections, Honnold Mudd Library, Claremont University
Consortium.
Provenance / Source of Acquisition
Gift of Allan Carp, member and Trustee of Mt. Hollywood Congregationalist Church, 2013.
Accruals
No additions to the collection are anticipated.
Processing Information
Collection processing included refoldering the bulk of the records, unfolding
documents, eliminating duplicates, and removing harmful fasteners. Oversized items were
moved to oversize storage. Lantern slides and VHS tapes were separated into their own, more
appropriate boxes.
Biographical / Historical
The Mount Hollywood Congregationalist Church was founded in 1905 in Los Feliz, a suburb of
Los Angeles. Besides managing the normal operations of the church, its clergy and members
have a long history of active social involvement and pacifism. In 1918 minister Rev. Edwin
Ryland came to the church after being expelled from the First Methodist Church of Hollywood
for his pacifist beliefs. Later, the church became one of the first to happily accept racial
integration in the 1930s. Pastor Allan Hunter followed Rev. Ryland, and continued the
tradition of social action by making Mt. Hollywood a safe place for conscientious objectors
and Japanese Americans. Hunter intensely protested the internment program, and when it could
not be stopped organized aid for the affected people. The church was a source of great
support for the Japanese American community during the internment program of World War II.
In 1942, when the members of the nearby Japanese American Independent Church were relocated,
Mt. Hollywood took over the care of their building for four years until the congregation
could return. From this action came their “Hiroshima Cross”. This cross, which is carved
from camphor wood charred in the atomic blast and bears the inscription “He is Our Peace”,
sits to this day on the Mt. Hollywood altar. The wood was purchased with a $100 gift from
the Independent Church members and carved by the sculptor Nashan Toor. The church states
that the cross “…represents our hope for peace and reconciliation in our neighborhood, city,
and wider world, and our commitment to work for it.”
The work of Mt. Hollywood’s leaders,
members, and organized groups has been in pursuit of social justice and peace throughout its
history. Once a congregation of over 600 members in the 1920s, the Mt. Hollywood church now
comprises of around 50 members. Its newest pastor, Anne G. Cohen, who contacted Special
Collections to donate these materials, continues the legacy of her predecessors. She is an
advocate of same-sex marriage and encourages discussion and inclusion at Mount Hollywood.
The church sold its property in 2013 due to costs and reduced membership, but still operates
in Los Angeles.
Sources:
“About Mount Hollywood,” http://www.thenewmthollywood.org/MtHCC/About_Us.html.
Nita Lelyveld, “At Mount Hollywood Congregational Church, the spirit behooves them,”
November 9, 2013, accessed December 17, 2014,
http://www.latimes.com/local/la-me-beat-mount-hollywood-church-20131110-story.html#axzz2kMfA4ERN.
Our Hiroshima Cross, Mount Hollywood Congregational Church, United Church of Christ
(H.Mss.1051). Special Collections, Honnold Mudd Library, Claremont University Consortium.
Teresa Watanabe, “Churches Relive a Victory Over Hate,” Los Angeles Times, August 13, 2001,
accessed December 17, 2014, http://articles.latimes.com/2001/aug/13/news/mn-33662.
Scope and Contents of the Collection
This collection includes records relating to the Mount Hollywood Congregational Church from
1905 to 2012. The material is arranged into Administrative, Financial, History, Leadership,
and Publication series and covers multiple functions within the church in order to operate
administrative, financial, or spiritual functions.
The Administrative series includes
material on congregational meetings from 1906 through 2012 that focused on membership and
financial concerns. Worship, women’s activities, and education efforts are covered in this
series. Additionally, internal correspondence describes the activities of committees that
installed new pastors and trustees. Finally, some material covers issues relating to the
church’s location and relationship with its immediate community.
The Financial series
contains documentation regarding the financial operations of the Mount Hollywood
Congregational Church. Included in this section are financial statements from 1914 through
2010, as well as details about the purchase of the church’s property and building.
Reflecting the congregation’s role in the community, the records also include information
about scholarships.
The History series contains material related to the Mount Hollywood
Congregational Church's history from 1905 through 2007. The records include material on
various anniversary celebrations, church registers, social justice initiatives including
relations with the Japanese-American community, efforts during the Vietnam War, and the LGBT
community. Additionally, other material relates to the church's vision and leadership,
histories on specific members throughout the years, and information regarding the
congregation's participation in the United Church of Christ denominational activities. There
are also glass lantern slides that depict Japanese-Americans.
The Leadership series contains
materials from 1907 through 1995 relating to the Mount Hollywood Congregational Church’s
leaders such as the Board of Trustees, the Council of Deacons and Deaconnesses, the Social
Concerns Committee, women’s groups, as well as other groups that help guide the
congregation. The documentation includes meeting minutes, correspondence, constitutions, and
written financial and political debates that occurred within these important groups.
The
Publications series consist of material published by the Mount Hollywood Congregational
Church to their members and the broader community from 1925 through 2012. They include
newsletters, weekly bulletins, press releases, and a cookbook.
Organization and Arrangement
This collection is organized into the following five series:
Series 1: Administration, 1906-2012
Series 2: Finances, 1914-2010
Series 3: History, 1905-2007
Series 4: Leadership, 1907-1995
Series 5: Publications, 1926-2012
Related Materials
Other collections related to the Mount Hollywood Congregational Church located in other
repositories include:
the Hunter (Allan A.) papers, 1905-2000, at the University of Southern
California
The Sunday Before Collection, at the Graduate Theological Union Archives.
For records pertaining to famous worshippers at the Mount Hollywood Congregational Church, see:
John Anson Ford Papers, 1928-1971, at The Huntington Library.
Indexing Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library’s online public access catalog.
Mount Hollywood United Congregationalist Church
Los Angeles (Calif.) -- History
Congregational churches
Church and social problems -- United States