Lecture and research notes, correspondence, and personal papers of Drew University Professor of Christian Ethics George D. Kelsey
George D. Kelsey (1910-1996) was Henry Anson Buttz Professor of Christian Ethics at Drew University, where he taught for 24 years. This is a collection of his correspondence, class and lecture notes, notes and sources for his research, and personal papers of his family.
Kelsey received his B.A. from Morehouse College (where he also taught for 10 years), a B.D. from Andover Newton Theological School, and his Ph.D. from Yale University. While teaching at Morehouse College, Kelsey became a mentor to Martin Luther King, Jr., then a student. Kelsey served as an executive with the Federal Council of Churches and the National Council of Churches. He was the author of Racism and the Christian Understanding of Man and Social Ethics Among Southern Baptists, 1917-1969, and was a frequent contributor to religious and academic journals and symposia. He was sought-after as a speaker and guest preacher, and frequently addressed the subjects of civil rights, human rights, and race relations.
The George D. Kelsey Collection consists of 18 boxes of papers, as well as 3 boxes of Kelsey's reading notes. A detailed finding aid lists the contents of each box by subject matter, and includes a bibliography of Kelsey's work.