Jerry Rushford is a historian in the fields of history, religion, and church history. He served as a minister at multiple institutions including Pepperdine University and now serves as the curator for the Churches of Christ Heritage Collection and the Rushford Center for Research at Pepperdine University. His papers contain materials from his research into the history of Pepperdine University, the Churches of Christ, and the Stone-Campbell Restoration Movement. The Jerry Rushford Papers also contain materials from his ministry, teaching, and preaching, as well as his research into hymnology.

Jerry Bryant Rushford, son of Jim and Wanda Rushford, was born in Arkansas on December 11, 1942. He moved to Detroit, Michigan when he was four years old and attended public schools there until his junior year in high school. Jerry completed high school and one year of college at Great Lakes Christian High School and College across the border in Beamsville, Ontario, Canada. For his sophomore year, Jerry transferred to Michigan Christian College (MCC), now Rochester College, and completed his AA degree. Next, he enrolled at Oklahoma Christian University and completed his bachelor's degree, majoring in both Bible and history, two disciplines that would define his life. Jerry pursued graduate studies at Abilene Christian University, where he preached part-time in Texas churches. In 1968 he was accepted for personal tutorial studies under Dr. Elton Trueblood, one of the foremost Christian scholars and authors of his day, at Earlham School of Religion in Indiana. Jerry completed both the MA in religion and the master of divinity degrees at Abilene Christian. In 1968 he was also appointed preaching minister for the Hazel Park Church of Christ in Michigan and taught Bible and church history part-time at his alma mater, Michigan Christian. In 1970 he became the basketball coach, leading the MCC Warriors to two league championships.

125 Linear Feet Textual materials, photos, audio recordings (298 Hollinger boxes, 1 map box)

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