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Lewis Frederick Havermale Collection, 1916-1935
Abstract: Lewis Frederick Havermale (b. June 1886) was an American Methodist pastor from Canton, Illinois. He and his wife Clara (b. ca. 1888) served as missionaries in West China from October 1916- Spring 1922, and again from October 1923-March 1927. From 1929-1931, Havermale worked on the Religion faculty at West China Union University in Chengdu, China. Over the span of these fifteen years, the Havermales and their son Jerrold (b. May 30, 1923 in the U.S.) lived in several locations across the “Chunking district” and elsewhere, including Chengdu (written by Havermale as Chendu), Chongking (Chungking), Linxia City (Hochow), and Tzechow. The primary aspects of the Havermale’ work in West China included the establishment and development of hospitals and schools throughout the Chungking district, as well as fundraising, treasury-keeping, and the organization of social events. Lewis’s pastoral role as a self-described “circuit-rider” often took him away from home to preach and work throughout the region. In Chungking, Havermale and his family would experience the first rumblings of an ongoing civil war, as the insurrection and inter-province fighting that characterized China’s “Warlord Era” stood constantly in the background of their missionary work.
A small sample of the material contained in this collection:- An examination dating ca. 1916-1917 on the history of Christianity in China, possibly given in a missionary school by one of the Havermales. [pdf]
- Examinations dating ca. 1916-1917, on the topics of Modern Social Movements and Paul’s Life and Letters.[pdf]
- The Order of Service for Community Church in Shanghai, March 20, 1927. Lewis Havermale is listed as a guest preacher for the 5:00 Vesper service. This service would have taken place only a few weeks after the evacuation of all American missionaries from the Tzechow district. [pdf]
- Program of a 1927 U.S. Marine band concert in Shanghai. The Havermales attended the concert shortly after the evacuation of all American missionaries from the Tzechow district of West China. [pdf]
- A pamphlet on centenary evangelism in West China, c. late 1920s. Lewis Havermale is listed as one of the representatives from Tzechow. [pdf]
- An April 2, 1927 letter written by Lewis Havermale detailing the evacuation of American missionaries from Tzechow. Havermale expresses his hope that missionary work will eventually continue in West China, and characterizes the Nationalists and Cantonese as the only possible factions in the civil war that can lead to China’s “political salvation.” [pdf]
- A “mission log” compiled by Lewis Havermale containing narrative and statistical accounts of the missionary work going on in West China. It likely dates from the mid or late 1920s. [pdf]
For a complete archival record of the Lewis Frederick Havermale Collection, please consult the online finding aid.