George Noel Mayhew
Scope and Content Note

Scope and Content Note

The Papers of George Noel Mayhew date from approximately 1853 to 1965 and document his education and career as a religious scholar and businessman. The bulk of the collection dates from the 1930's to the 1960's. Extensive correspondence document Mayhew's career and his participation in the Disciples of Christ Church and his writings and business records provide insight into his many fields of interest. The papers are comprised of approximately thirteen cubic feet (40 boxes, 1 flat) of correspondence, teaching materials, Christian Church materials, and business records. The Mayhew Papers are arranged in eight series:

1. Correspondence
   
2. Personal Records
   
3. Education
   
4. Teaching Career
   
5. Writings
   
6. Christian Church
   
7. Hickman County, Tennessee
   
8. Business Records

Series Descriptions

The Correspondence series is the largest in the Mayhew Papers and ranges in date from 1921 to 1962. Included in this series are letters, postcards, telegrams, and holiday greetings. The correspondence reflects his early association with the Christian Church and youth organizations such as the Y.M.C.A. and the Christian Youth Movement. Significant correspondence with members of the Disciples of Christ Church, the Disciples Foundation at Vanderbilt University, and his family in Virginia are included. Correspondence regarding the McKibbon Universal Wrench Company are located in the Business Records series. Arranged chronologically and alphabetically.

The Personal Records series consists of biographical sketches, diaries, bills and receipts, and the wills of George Noel Mayhew. Also included in this series are wills and deeds from George Noel Mayhew's family.

The Education series documents Mayhew's scholarly career at Lynchburg College, Vanderbilt University, Yale University, and the University of Chicago. This series is primarily made up of lecture notes and papers written during his college education.

The Teaching Career materials consist of class lecture notes, quizzes, test and paperwork created while a professor at Vanderbilt University. There are reports of committees on which he served and student records from classes he taught. Of interest are files Mayhew collected during his long association with the National Council on Religion in Higher Education and his work as dean of the Disciples Foundation.

The series entitled Writings is comprised of bibliographies, articles, papers, and research done by George Noel Mayhew during his career. The main themes of these works are Orientalism, comparative religion, and the Christian Church.

The materials of the Christian Church series consist of minutes of meetings, brochures, correspondence, and ephemera associated with the three Christian Churches, although the primary focus of this series is on the Disciples of Christ Church. Membership lists and correspondence from Nashville churches are also included in this series.

The Hickman County series contains information on the history of Hickman County and the transfer of original records to microfilm. George Noel Mayhew assisted with the verification process during the microfilming of the Hickman County records. The majority of these materials are forms completed during the microfilming process.

The series of Business Records in these papers offer a glimpse into the many areas of interest of George Noel Mayhew. Three main businesses are reflected in these records: the Gladstone Apartments in Nashville, Tennessee; the Pinewood Farms in Virginia; and the McKibbon Universal Wrench Company of Chicago, Illinois. The materials consist of the financial records of these businesses and in the case of the McKibbon Company the minutes, by-laws, stock books, checkbooks, and correspondence of the company. Of interest in this series are the ledger books of Pinewood Farms from 1853 to 1914, which detail early operation of the farm.

Overview | Biography | Chronology | Scope and Content | File Listing

Special Collections | Heard Library | Vanderbilt University

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Last modified: April 10, 2008
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