Finding Aid of the J.M. McCaleb Papers 0013

Katie Richardson

The processing of this collection and the creation of this finding aid was funded by the generous support of the National Historical Publications and Records Commission.

Pepperdine University. Special Collections and University Archives.

November 2011

24255 Pacific Coast Highway

Malibu 90263-4786

Business Number: (310) 506-4434

Fax Number: (310) 506-4117

kelsey.knox@pepperdine.edu

URL: https://library.pepperdine.edu/collections/boone-special-collections-university-archives.htm

Contributing Institution: Pepperdine University. Special Collections and University Archives.

Title: J.M. McCaleb Papers

Identifier/Call Number: 0013

Physical Description: 2 Linear Feet (2 cartons)

Date (inclusive): 1891-1995

Date (bulk): 1891-1951

Abstract: J.M. McCaleb was a Christian missionary who spent nearly fifty years of service in Japan from 1892-1941. The collection includes scrapbooks, clippings, correspondence, photos, and publications both written and compiled by McCaleb.

Physical Location: Pepperdine University. Special Collections and University Archives. Payson 260, Row 7

Language of Material: English , Japanese .

Conditions Governing Access

Advance notice required for access.

Conditions Governing Use

Permission to publish, quote, or reproduce must be secured from the repository and the copyright holder.

Preferred Citation

[Box/folder# or item name], J.M. McCaleb Papers, Collection no. 0013, Churches of Christ Heritage Collection, Special Collections and University Archives, University Libraries, Pepperdine University.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

The collection was given to Pepperdine University by Nancy Williams Burton and Henry Richard Burton on January 2, 2007.

A second accession of materials was passed to Jerry Rushford from Moto Yuki Nomura, including correspondence and photos in Box 2.

Biographical note

John Moody (J.M.) McCaleb was born on September 25, 1861, in Duck River, Tennessee, to John and Jane McCaleb. At just six months of age, McCaleb lost his father who was shot and killed by a fellow Union Army soldier during the Civil War. The incident left Jane alone to raise six boys and to manage 365 acres of farmland.

Despite the family's unfortunate circumstances, Jane taught McCaleb how to read at an early age using the family Bible. When a subscription school started roughly two miles away, Jane sent McCaleb who was six at the time. Class was in session just three months out of the year to allow the children to help out at their homes.

In 1876, at age fifteen, McCaleb was baptized. From this young age it was evident that McCaleb was destined for a career in the church. Many community members felt he would make an excellent preacher from the talks and prayers he gave around the county. In the spring of 1888, at the age of twenty-six, McCaleb enrolled at the College of the Bible (now Transylvania College) in Lexington, Kentucky. While a student, he would occasionally preach on Sundays around the community and back home in the Tennessee area.

During college, McCaleb met his first wife, Dorothy (Della) Bentley, whom he married on October 7, 1891. Around that time, W.K. Azbill was organizing a group of missionaries to go to Japan. One of the missionaries he contacted was McCaleb who after careful consideration decided to go. McCaleb and his wife set off for Japan in the spring of 1892 with three other missionaries. While in Japan, the two had three children: Lois, James, and Ruth.

Soon after their arrival in Japan, the group opened a Sunday school and a charity school. The two female missionaries and Azbill oversaw the Yotsuya Ward, while McCaleb and his wife oversaw the Kanda Ward. Not long after their arrival, a lot was secured and a house was built in the Kanda Ward for the McCalebs to live in. The building was complete in 1899.

In 1899, the McCalebs returned to the United States on furlough. That same year, missionaries Mr. and Mrs. William J. Bishop arrived in Japan without a place to live. Therefore, in the McCalebs' absence, the Kanda Ward was turned over to the Bishops. When McCaleb returned to Japan, he was asked to teach in a middle school in the city of Kanazawa where he spent three months living with a Japanese family before returning to Tokyo to teach English.

On October 1, 1907, McCaleb opened Zoshigaya Gakuin, a boarding school for young men where English and Christianity were taught. (The home is now preserved as the Zoshigaya Missionary Museum in Tokyo, Japan.) That same year, his wife and three children returned to the United States permanently for the children's schooling. McCaleb continued to teach at the school until 1923 when it was closed because of damage done by the Great Kanto Earthquake.

In the late 1920s, McCaleb set off on a journey to visit missions around the world. He visited Korea, China, the Philippines, Singapore, India, South Africa, Egypt, Palestine, England, Scotland, Ireland, and Canada. He traveled 34,114 miles before returning home to Kentucky. McCaleb wanted to observe the work that other missionaries were doing in order to improve missionary work in the future.

McCaleb returned to Japan several more times before World War II broke out, and finally returned to the United States for good on October 22, 1941. After returning to the United States, McCaleb was invited to serve as a professor emeritus at Pepperdine University. In addition to teaching Asian Religion Studies at the University, McCaleb preached at various congregations in the area and even went to Juneau, Alaska, with a group of missionaries. In 1939, McCaleb's first wife passed away. A few years later, on January 27, 1942, he married again, this time to Elizabeth Reeves. The couple had plans to go to Japan but McCaleb's health declined and he passed away on November 7, 1953.

Scope and Content

The majority of the collection documents the missionary work McCaleb did in Japan from 1892-1941. A large part of the collection consists of Christian publications and McCaleb's manuscripts. Most of his writings were later published in Christian periodicals or newspapers, some of which are part of the collection. In addition to his writings, the collection also includes biographical information on McCaleb and other prominent church leaders; correspondence between McCaleb and other missionaries and Churches of Christ followers; financial documents such as checks and budgets, as well as correspondence pertaining to donor support of missionary and other humanitarian work; article clippings and scrapbooks mentioning the work McCaleb and the missionaries did in Japan; and a small number of documents in Japanese. A second accession of materials includes correspondence and photos.

Arrangement

The collection is arranged alphabetically by folder title.

Related Materials

J.M. McCaleb, Memories of Early Days (Kinkodo, Tokyo). Pepperdine University Libraries.

Processing Information note

The collection was arranged and described by Katie Richardson in November 2011 with updates by Lucy Perrin in January 2024.

Related Materials

McCaleb's Bible (Rare BS 185 1900 .W5) is held in the rare books collection in Pepperdine Libraries Special Collections. The bible contains inscriptions from David Lipscomb to Della McCaleb (1892), from JM McCaleb to Bro. Hiratsuka (1941), from Hiratsuka to Bro. McCaleb (1952), and from James Harding McCaleb to George Pepperdine College (1953).

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Publications

Christian literature -- History

Financial records

Tokyo (Japan)

Los Angeles (Calif.) -- History

Missionaries -- Japan -- History

Restoration movement (Christianity) -- History

Clippings

Periodicals

Christianity -- Japan -- History

Correspondence

Church schools -- Japan -- History

Scrapbooks

Churches of Christ--Missions

box 1, folder 1

Autograph book 1887-1888

box 1, folder 2

Biographical Information and Family Tree- McCaleb

box 1, folder 3

Biographies- Other

Scope and Content

William Anderson, David Lipscomb, John William McGarvey, Theophilus Brown Larimore, Knowles Shaw, I. B. Grubbs, Orville T. Rodman, and Tomie Yoshi[?] are mentioned in the folder.

box 1, folder 4

Clippings 1894-1948

box 1, folder 5

Conscientious Objectors 1942-1943

box 1, folder 6, box 2, folder 2

Correspondence 1891-1951

box 1, folder 7

Doctrinal Matters 1903-1944

box 1, folder 8

Financial Records 1892-1968

box 1, folder 9

Materials in Japanese

box 1, folder 10

McCaleb's Funeral Notice (Heritage Center) 1953 November 9

box 1, folder 11

McCaleb's Passport and Visa

box 1, folder 12

McCaleb's Report Cards 1888-1891

box 1, folder 13

McCaleb's Writings 1902-1945

box 1, folder 14-15

McCaleb's Writings in Gospel Advocate 1918-1938

box 1, folder 16

McCaleb's Writings in Living Message 1924-1926

box 1, folder 17

McCaleb's Writings Missionary Methods 1902-1947

box 1, folder 18

McCaleb's Writings Selected from Various Sources

box 2, folder 1

Photos undated, 1921, 1936, 1944

box 1, folder 19

Publications- The Apostolic Times 1933

Scope and Contents

The Apostolic Times, 1933, June, Vol. 2, No. 5 The Apostolic Times, 1933, October, Vol. 2, No. 7 The Apostolic Times, 1933, November, Vol. 2, No. 8

box 1, folder 20

Publications- Christian Leader 1905, 1939-1942

Scope and Contents

The Christian Leader, 1905, August 8th, Vol. 19, No. 32 The Christian Leader, 1939, January 1st, Vol. 53, No 1 The Christian Leader, 1939, January 15th, Vol. 53, No. 2 The Christian Leader, 1939, February 1st, Vol. 53, No. 3 The Christian Leader, 1939, February 15th, Vol. 53, No. 4 The Christian Leader, 1942, January 20, Vol. 2, No. 2 The Christian Leader, 1943, January 19th, Vol. 57, No. 2 The Christian Leader, 1944, March 14th, Vol. 58, No. 6 The Christian Leader, 1944, March 28, Vol. 58, No. 7 The Christian Leader, 1944 April 11, Vol. 58, No. 8

box 1, folder 21

Publications- The Christian Unity 1943 July

Scope and Contents

The Christian Unity Quarterly, 1943, July, Vol. 1, No. 2

box 1, folder 22

Publications- Firm Foundation 1939 April 25

Scope and Contents

Firm Foundation, 1939, April 25th, Vol. 56, No. 17

box 1, folder 23

Publications- The Gospel Advocate

Scope and Contents

Gospel Advocate, 1933, April 20th, Vol. 75, No. 16 Gospel Advocate, 1940, October 10th, Vol. 82, No. 41 Gospel Advocate, 1940, December 12th, Vol. 82, No 50 Gospel Advocate, 1940, December 26th, Vol 82, No. 52 Gospel Advocate, 1941, April 10th, Vol. 83, No. 15 Gospel Advocate, 1941, January 2nd, Vol. 83, No. 1 Gospel Advocate, 1941, March 31th, Vol. 83, No. 11 Gospel Advocate, 1941, March 20th, Vol. 83, No. 12 Gospel Advocate, 1941, December 25th, Vol. 83, No. 52 Gospel Advocate, 1943, February 4th, Vol. 85, No. 5 Gospel Advocate, 1943, March 25th, Vol. 85, No. 12 Gospel Advocate, 1943, December 16th, Vol. 85, No. 50 Gospel Advocate, 1943, December 30th, Vol. 85, No. 52 Gospel Advocate, 1944, January 6th, Vol. 86, No. 1 Gospel Advocate, 1944, Februruary 3rd, Vol. 86, No. 5 Gospel Advocate, 1944, July 13th, Vol. 86, No. 28

box 1, folder 24

Publications- The Gospel Advocate (Pictures of Preachers) 1929-1932

Scope and Contents

Gospel Advocate, 1929, May 16th, Vol. 71, No. 20 Gospel Advocate, 1930, November 27, Vol. 72, No. 48 Gospel Advocate, 1931, May 7th, Vol. 73, No. 19 Gospel Advocate, 1931, May 14, Vol. 73, No. 20 Gospel Advocate, 1931, May 14th, Vol. 73, No. 20 Gospel Advocate, 1931, May 21st, Vol. 73, No. 21 Gospel Advocate, 1931, May 28th, Vol. 73, No. 22 Gospel Advocate, 1931, June 4th, Vol. 73, No. 23 Gospel Advocate, 1931, June 11th, Vol. 73, No. 24 Gospel Advocate, 1931, June 18th, Vol. 73, No. 25 Gospel Advocate, 1931, June 25th, Vol. 73, No. 26 Gospel Advocate, 1931, July 2nd, Vol. 73, No. 27 Gospel Advocate, 1931, July 9th, Vol. 73, No. 28 Gospel Advocate, 1931, July 23rd, Vol. 73, No. 30 Gospel Advocate, 1931, July 30th, Vol. 73, No. 31 Gospel Advocate, 1931, August 6th, Vol. 73, No. 32 Gospel Advocate, 1931, December 10th, Vol. 73, No. 50 Gospel Advocate, 1932, January 21st, Vol. 74, No. 3 Gospel Advocate, 1932, January 28th, Vol. 74, No. 4 Gospel Advocate, 1932, February 4th, Vol. 74, No. 5 Gospel Advocate, 1932, February 11th, Vol. 74, No. 6 Gospel Advocate, 1932, February 18th, Vol. 74, No. 7 Gospel Advocate, 1932, February 25th, Vol. 74, No. 8 Gospel Advocate, 1932, March 3rd, Vol. 74, No. 9 Gospel Advocate, 1932, March 10th, Vol. 74, No. 10 Gospel Advocate, 1932, March 17th, Vol. 74, No. 11 Gospel Advocate, 1932, March 24th, Vol. 74, No. 12 Gospel Advocate, 1932, March 31st, Vol. 74, No. 13 Gospel Advocate, 1932, April 7th, Vol. 74, No. 14 Gospel Advocate, 1932, April 14th, Vol. 74, No. 15 Gospel Advocate, 1932, June 2nd, Vol. 74, No. 22 Gospel Advocate, 1932, June 9th, Vol. 74, No. 23 Gospel Advocate, 1932, June 16th, Vol. 74, No. 24 Gospel Advocate, 1932, June 23rd, Vol. 74, No. 25 Gospel Advocate, 1932, June 30th, Vol. 74, No. 26 Gospel Advocate, 1932, July 7th, Vol. 74, No. 27 Gospel Advocate, 1932, July 21st, Vol. 74, No. 29 Gospel Advocate, 1932, July 28th, Vol. 74, No. 30 Gospel Advocate, 1932, August 4th, Vol. 74, No. 31 Gospel Advocate, 1932, August 11th, Vol. 74, No. 32 Gospel Advocate, 1932, August 18th, Vol. 74, No. 33 Gospel Advocate, 1932, August 15th, Vol. 74, No. 34 Gospel Advocate, 1932, September 1st, Vol. 74, No. 35 Gospel Advocate, 1932, September 8th, Vol. 74, No. 36 Gospel Advocate, 1932, September 15th, Vol. 74, No. 37 Gospel Advocate, 1932, September 22nd, Vol. 74, No. 38 Gospel Advocate, 1932, September 29th, Vol. 74, No. 39 Gospel Advocate, 1932, October 6th, Vol. 74, No. 40 Gospel Advocate, 1932, October 13th, Vol. 74, No. 41 Gospel Advocate, 1932, October 20th, Vol. 74, No. 42 Gospel Advocate, 1932, October 27th, Vol. 74, No. 43 Gospel Advocate, 1932, November 3rd, Vol. 74, No. 44 Gospel Advocate, 1932, November 10th, Vol. 74, No. 45 Gospel Advocate, 1932, November 17th, Vol. 74, No. 46 Gospel Advocate, 1932, November 24th, Vol. 74, No. 47 Gospel Advocate, 1932, December 1st, Vol. 74, No. 48

box 1, folder 25

Publications- Missionary Messenger 1913-1923, 1942-1944

Scope and Contents

Missionary Messenger, 1913, July 1st, Vol. 1, No. 1 Missionary Messenger, 1913, October 1st, Vol. 1, No. 4 Missionary Messenger, 1913, December 1st, Vol. 1, No. 6 Missionary Messenger, 1914, March 1st, Vol. 2, No. 3 Missionary Messenger, 1914, June 1st, Vol. 2, No. 6 Missionary Messenger, 1914, September, Vol. 2, No. 9 Missionary Messenger, 1914, December, Vol. 2, No. 12 Missionary Messenger, 1914, April 1st, Vol. 2, No. 4 Missionary Messenger, 1915, January, Vol. 3, No. 1 Missionary Messenger, 1915, February, Vol. 3, No. 2 Missionary Messenger, 1915, March, Vol. 3, No. 3 Missionary Messenger, 1915, April, Vol. 3, No. 4 Missionary Messenger, 1915, May, Vol. 3, No. 5 Missionary Messenger, 1915, June, Vol. 3, No. 6 Missionary Messenger, 1915, July, Vol. 3, No. 7 Missionary Messenger, 1915, August, Vol. 3, No. 8 Missionary Messenger, 1915, September, Vol. 3, No. 9 Missionary Messenger, 1915, October, Vol. 3, No. 10 Missionary Messenger, 1915, November, Vol. 3, No. 11 Missionary Messenger, 1915, December, Vol. 3, No. 12 Missionary Messenger, 1916, January, Vol. 4, No. 1 Missionary Messenger, 1916, February, Vol. 4, No 2 Missionary Messenger, 1916, March, Vol. 4, No. 3 Missionary Messenger, 1916, April, Vol. 4, No. 4 Missionary Messenger, 1916, May, Vol. 4, No. 5 Missionary Messenger, 1916, June, Vol. 4, No. 6 Missionary Messenger, 1916, July, Vol. 4, No. 7 Missionary Messenger, 1916, August, Vol. 4, No. 8 Missionary Messenger, 1916, September, Vol. 4, No. 9 Missionary Messenger, 1916, October, Vol. 4, No. 10 Missionary Messenger, 1916, November, Vol. 4, No. 11 Missionary Messenger, 1916, December, Vol. 4, No. 12 Missionary Messenger, 1917, January, Vol. 5, No. 1 Missionary Messenger, 1917, February, Vol. 5, No. 2 Missionary Messenger, 1917, March, Vol. 5, No. 3 Missionary Messenger, 1917, April, Vol. 5, No. 4 Missionary Messenger, 1917, May, Vol. 5, No. 5 Missionary Messenger, 1917, June, Vol. 5, No. 6 Missionary Messenger, 1917, July, Vol. 5, No. 7 Missionary Messenger, 1917, August, Vol. 5, No. 8 Missionary Messenger, 1917, September-October, Vol. 5, No. 9 Missionary Messenger, 1917, December, Vol. 5, No. 10 Missionary Messenger, 1918, January, Vol. 6, No. 1 Missionary Messenger, 1918, March, Vol. 6, No. 2 Missionary Messenger, 1918, May, June, Vol. 6, No. 3 Missionary Messenger, 1918, July, Vol. 6, No. 4 Missionary Messenger, 1918, October, Vol. 6, No. 5 Missionary Messenger, 1918, December, Vol. 6, No. 6 Missionary Messenger, 1919, February, Vol. 6, No. 1 Missionary Messenger, 1919, March, April, Vol. 6, No. 2 Missionary Messenger, 1919, May, June, Vol. 6, No.3 Missionary Messenger, 1919, July, August, Vol. 6, No. 4 Missionary Messenger, 1919, September, October, Vol. 6, No. 5 Missionary Messenger, 1919, November, December, Vol. 7, No. 5 Missionary Messenger, 1920, January, February, Vol. 8, No. 1 Missionary Messenger, 1920, March, April, Vol. 8, No. 2 Missionary Messenger, 1920, May, June, Vol. 8, No. 3 Missionary Messenger, 1920, July, August, Vol. 8, No. 4 Missionary Messenger, 1920, September, October, Vol. 8, No. 5 Missionary Messenger, 1920, November, December, Vol. 8, No. 6 Missionary Messenger, 1921, January, February, Vol. 9, No. 1 Missionary Messenger, 1921, March, April, Vol. 9, No. 2 Missionary Messenger, 1921, May, June, Vol. 9, No. 3 Missionary Messenger, 1921, July, August, Vol. 9, No. 4 Missionary Messenger, 1921, September, October, Vol. 9, No. 5 Missionary Messenger, 1921, November, December, Vol. 9, No. 6 Missionary Messenger, 1922, Januarym February, Vol. 10, No. 1 Missionary Messenger, 1922, March, April, Vol. 10, No. 2 Missionary Messenger, 1922, May, June, Vol. 10, No. 3 Missionary Messenger, 1922, July, August, Vol. 10, No. 4 Missionary Messenger, 1922, September, October, Vol. 10, No. 5 Missionary Messenger, 1922, November, December, Vol. 10, No. 6 Missionary Messenger, 1923, January, February, Vol. 11, No. 1 Missionary Messenger, 1923, March, April, Vol. 11, No. 2 Missionary Messenger, 1923, May, June, Vol. 11, No. 3 Missionary Messenger, 1942, February, Vol. 19, No. 2 Missionary Messenger, 1944, April, Vol. 21, No. 4 Missionary Messenger, 1944, August, Vol. 21, No. 8

box 1, folder 26

Publications- Truthseeker 1938

Scope and Contents

Truthseeker, 1938, April, Vol. 3, No. 11 Truthseeker, 1938, May, Vol. 3, No. 12 Truthseeker, 1938, June, Vol. 4, No. 1

box 1, folder 27

Publications- West Coast Christian 1942-1944

Scope and Contents

West Coast Christian, 1942, July, Vol. 5, No. 4 West Coast Christian, 1944, February, Vol. 7, No. 2

box 1, folder 28

Publications- Writer's Index 1982-1913

box 2

Scrapbooks 1890s-1920s

Container Summary: (4 books)