Inventory of the Lester E. Suzuki Collection

Angela Noble
Graduate Theological Union Archives
Graduate Theological Union
2400 Ridge Road
Berkeley, California, 94709
Phone: (510) 649-2523/2501
Email: archives@gtu.edu
URL: http://gtu.edu/library/information/special-collections
© 2012
Graduate Theological Union. All rights reserved.

Inventory of the Lester E. Suzuki Collection

Collection number: GTU 2000-11-02

Graduate Theological Union Archives

Graduate Theological Union

Berkeley, California
Processed by:
Angela Noble
Date Completed:
2012
Encoded by:
Angela Noble
© 2011 Graduate Theological Union. All rights reserved.

Descriptive Summary

Title: Lester E. Suzuki collection
Dates: 1942-1995
Collection number: GTU 2000-11-02
Creator: Suzuki, Lester E.
Collection Size: 1 linear foot (1 box)
Repository: The Graduate Theological Union. Library.
Berkeley, CA 94709
Abstract: The collection consists of three drafts of his doctoral thesis Ministry in the Assembly and Relocation Centers of World War II, as well as books and other research materials donated by Suzuki. The thesis describes daily life and worship in the Japanese relocation centers. These materials were donated to the Graduate Theological Union by Seda S. Suzuki, widow of Lester E. Suzuki.
Physical location: Stored at GTU.
Languages: Languages represented in the collection: English

Access

Collection is open for research.

Publication Rights

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

Suzuki, Lester E. collection, GTU 2000-11-02. Graduate Theological Union Archives, Berkeley, CA.

Acquisition Information

The materials were donated to the Graduate Theological Union by Mrs. Seda S. Suzuki.

Biography / Administrative History

Lester Suzuki was born in Waipahu, HI in 1909. He moved to San Jose in his teens and later graduated from San Jose State University. In 1934 Suzuki met and married Seda Shizuko Ito. He went on to receive a Masters of Divinity in 1935 from Drew Seminary, New Jersey. Suzuki became one of the first Nisei Methodist ministers; his first pastorate was in Wapato, Washington.
During World War II Suzuki and his family were moved to a Japanese relocation center. One of his sermons may be found in "The Sunday Before: Sermons by Pacific Coast Pastors of the Japanese Race on the Sunday before Evacuation to Assembly Centers in the Late Spring of 1942." Suzuki was active in the Historical Society of the United Methodist church and wrote a biography on the Life of Bishop Merriman Colbert Harris.
In 1976 he received a Doctor of Ministry from San Francisco Theological Seminary in San Anselmo, his thesis was inspired by his experiences in the relocation centers was called: Ministry in the Assembly and Relocation Centers of World War II. He died in Berkeley, CA in 1999 after an extended illness.

Scope and Content of Collection

The materials were donated to the Graduate Theological Union by Mrs. Seda S. Suzuki. They contain some of Lester Suzuki's books and three drafts of his doctoral thesis.

Arrangement

The box has been arranged with research materials first followed by the three drafts of the thesis, one chapter per file.

Indexing Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.

Subjects

Japanese Americans--Religious life.
Japanese--United States--Religious life.
Japanese Americans--Evacuation and relocation, 1942-1945.

Index

Suzuki, Lester E

Bibliography

Guthrie, Clifton F. (Clifton Floyd) For all the saints c1995
Renge, Melvin Celebration, 75th anniv., 1908-1983, Japanese Congreg. Church 1984

Other Finding Aids

Japanese-American internment camp church bulletins and newsletters collection, 1942-1945, GTU 94-9-02; J. Stillson Judah: Japanese Camp Books Collection, 1942-1946 , GTU 2001-3-01.

box 1:1 - 43

Collection Contents 1942-1995

Physical Description: 43 folders
box-folder 1 : 1

Report on Tule Lake relocation center, includes maps and photos. 1991 September 27

box-folder 1 : 2

Photocopy of article in Sacramento Union, Japanese return to Tule Lake camp 1976 1976

box-folder 1 : 3

2 issues of Pacific Advance newsletter 1954, 1955 1954, 1955

box-folder 1 : 4

Ogden, Tara Keiko Masters thesis Gambarimasho! Religion among the Japanese in America during World War II 1995

box-folder 1 : 5

Scrapbook containing clippings from Tanforan newsletter, invitations, postcards and work orders 1942 1942

box-folder 1 : 6

Title Celebration, 75th anniversary, 1908-1983, Japanese Congregational Church / [co-editors, Melvin Renge, Ernest Kazato] GTU BX7255.F69 J363 1984 1984

box-folder 1 : 7

A Centennial legacy : history of the Japanese Christian missions in North America, 1877-1977 / compiled by Sumio Koga Chicago : Nobart, 1977- GTU Size 2 BV2788.J3 C46 v.1 1977

box-folder 1 : 8

Nisei Christian journey : its promise and fulfillment [Sunnyvale, Calif.] : Nisei Christian Oral History Project for the Japanese Presbyterian Conference (JPC) and the Northern California Japanese Christian Church Federation (NCJCCF), c1988-[2009] SFTS F870.J3 N556 1988 v.3 1988

box-folder 1 : 9

Eighty-fifth Anniversary of Protestant Work Among Japanese in North America 1964 1964

box-folder 1 : 10

75th Anniversary Japanese Church of Christ book 1993

box-folder 1 : 11

Suzuki, Lester E., Life of Bishop Merriman Colbert Harris, book n.d. Undated

box-folder 1 : 12

Year's Flight 1944 Butte High annual, book 1944

box-folder 1 : 13

For all the saints: a calendar of commemorations for United Methodists / Clifton F. Guthrie, editor. GTU BV4812.A1 F6 1995 v.5 1995

box-folder 1 : 14

Ministry in the Japanese Relocation Centers of World War II, Introduction, draft 1 1975

box-folder 1 : 15

Historical background of the churches and the evacuation, draft 1 1975

box-folder 1 : 16

Ministry in the Assembly Centers, draft 1 1975

box-folder 1 : 17

Manzanar Relocation Centers, draft 1 1975

box-folder 1 : 18

The Thule Lake Relocation, draft 1 1975

box-folder 1 : 19

Topas Relocation Center, or Central Utah, draft 1 1975

box-folder 1 : 20

Minidoka Relocation Center - Hunt, Idaho, draft 1 1975

box-folder 1 : 21

Granada Relocation Center - Amache, Colorado, draft 1 1975

box-folder 1 : 22

Granada Relocation Center - Amache, Colorado, draft 1 copy 1975

box-folder 1 : 23

Heart Mountain Relocation Center, draft 1 1975

box-folder 1 : 24

Colorado River or Poston Relocation Center - Arizona, draft 1 1975

box-folder 1 : 25

Gila River Relocation, draft 1 1975

box-folder 1 : 26

Rohwer Relocation Center, draft 1 1975

box-folder 1 : 27

Jerome Relocation Center - Denson, Arkansas, draft 1 1975

box-folder 1 : 28

Ministry of the Japanese Assembly Centers of World War II Introduction, draft 2 1975

box-folder 1 : 29

Historical Background of the Japanese Christian Churches, draft 2 1975

box-folder 1 : 30

Ministry in the Assembly Centers, draft 2 1975

box-folder 1 : 31

Manzanar Relocation Center, draft 2 1975

box-folder 1 : 32

Thule Lake Relocation, draft 2 1975

box-folder 1 : 33

Topaz relocation Center, or Central Utah, draft 2 1975

box-folder 1 : 34

Granada Relocation Center, Amache, Colorado, draft 2 1975

box-folder 1 : 35

Heart Mountain Relocation Center, draft 2 1975

box-folder 1 : 36

Colorado river or Poston Relocation Center, draft 2 1975

box-folder 1 : 37

Gila River Relocation, draft 2 1975

box-folder 1 : 38

Rohwer Relocation Center, Desha county Arkansas, McGhee, Arkansas, draft 2 1975

box-folder 1 : 39

Jerome Relocation Center Denson, Arkansas, draft 2 1975

box-folder 1 : 40

Reflections and Implication for the Church at Large, draft 2 1975

box-folder 1 : 41

Ministry in the Assembly and relocation Centers of World War II, draft 3 pp. 1-215 1976?

box-folder 1 : 42

Ministry in the Assembly and Relocation Centers of World War II, draft 3 pp. 215 - end 1976?

box-folder 1 : 43

Interview Report and Invitation 1975, 1976 1975, 1976