Accession Number: 44
Red Bird Mission Records
Selected Records 1921-1981
Selected Photographs 1920-1985
Online Catalog Record (BANC)

Overview
History
Series Description
Part A: Selected Records
   Series I
   Series II
   Series III
      Subseries IIIa
      Subseries IIIb
      Subseries IIIc
   Series IV
   Series V
Part B: Selected Photographs

Access and Use:

Provenance: Red Bird Mission records were collected and organized in 1982. Those having administrative, legal or historical value were microfilmed at the Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives and all then returned to the Mission. The resultant microfilm master negative is owned by Berea College. A user copy is available for researchers. Selected photographs were also organized and copied. The copy negatives and a set of copy prints are owned by Berea College. A second set of copy prints and all originals were returned to Red Bird Mission.

Copyright: Berea College does not own the copyright for the manuscripts or printed documents included in this microfilm edition. Therefore, it is the researcher's responsibility to secure permission to publish from the Red Bird Mission or its successors and assigns. Permission has been granted by Red Bird Mission for Berea College to reproduce all or part of the school's photographs and to use them in slide or film presentations, display them or loan them for displays, and to allow their use by researchers for reproduction and publication.

Preferred Citation: The proper credit line for all of the above uses shall be, "Red Bird Mission Records, Berea College Special Collections & Archives, Berea, Ky."

Related Berea College Archives

Henderson Settlement School Records, 1925-1984, SAA 49

This series consists of the non-current administrative and vital records found in the office of Edward Ehresman, director of Red Bird Mission Incorporated (1973-1980s). The file contains some of the records of Reverend Ehresman's predecessor, John Bischoff, as well as documentation of Reverend Ehresman's tenure as assistant superintendent of the Red Bird Mission (c. 1968-73). While the documentation is fragmentary in places, especially with regard to correspondence files, it is nevertheless an adequate archival record that details the purpose and scope of the program at Red Bird, especially for the years 1968-78. The series is arranged into three subseries.

This subseries consists of general administrative and vital records. It documents the incorporation of Red Bird in 1968, the Board of Directors, 1968-73, finance and fund-raising efforts, 1967-78, and the Red Bird Mission Hospital, 1949-81. Also included are copies of the Kentucky Missionary and Red Bird Missionary Conference Proceedings of 1955-76.

Reel 12

1. Anniversary (25th), 1946
2. Articles of Incorporation, 1968, 1981
3. By-laws, 1968-77
4. Board of Directors: Minutes, Reports and
5. Correspondence, 1968-78
6. Contracts and Leases, 1927-70
7. Deeds, 1921-31
8. Highway Construction, Beverly-Saylor Road, 1947
9. Deeds (Highway Purposes), 1949-59, n.d.
10. Land Donation from Ford Motor Co. (Queendale Center), 1947-66
11. Leases and Deeds (Ford Motor and Fordson Coal), 1951-58, 1966

Reel 13

1. Judgement, Kentucky Court of Appeals: George S. Green Et al. Vs. Asher Coal Mining Co., 1964
2. Dillion Asher Log Cabin (Pioneer House), 1964-67, 1976
3. Construction Permits, 1973, 1976
4. Deputation, 1962-79
5. Ehresman, General Correspondence, 1967-78
6. "Evangelism in Depth," 1965-68
7. Finance and Fundraising:

• Audit Reports, 1967-78
• Budgets, 1967-69

Reel 14

1. Finance and Fundraising (Continued):

• Budgets, 1967-79
• Advance Specials, 1969-80
• Donations, Cash, and Non Cash, 1976-79

Reel 15

1. Finance and Fundraising (Continued):

• Gift Suggestions, 1976-77
• Gift Suggestions, 1977-78
• “Begging Letters”, 1968-79

2. Hospital:

• Construction, 1949, 1955-61
• Dedication, October 1959
• Committees, Minutes, and Local Board Minutes, 1961-67
• Organizational Changes, 1966
• Clinic Construction and Dedication, 1968, 1970
• By-laws and Regulations, 1966-70
• Committees and Department Heads, Minutes, 1972-73
• X-Ray Purchase, 1973
• Bridge Construction, 1976-77
• Articles of Incorporation, 1977
• By-laws and Regulations, 1977
• Board of Directors and Staff Meetings,Minutes, 1977-81
• Service Analyses and Statistics, 1974, 1977-78

Reel 16

1. KMC and RBMC: Annual Proceedings, Journals, 1955-76
2. Conference Papers, 1959-69
3. Mission Study Committee, October 1967
4. Motorola, Correspondence and Permits, 1952-82
5. Personnel:

• Policies and Manuals, c. 1967, 1970s
• Salaries, 1955-77
• Staff List, 1921-68
• Staff Directories, 1968-80
  

6. Program Relocation and Expansion, 1946-48, 1953
7. Red Bird Mission, Historical Sketches and Fact Sheets, 1960-77
8. Scholarship (College), 1953-78
9. Students, Listing of Graduates, 1926-81

This subseries documents Edward Ehresman's tenure as the director of the Mission's Resource Development Department. It includes information on the various work training, housing, farming, and craft production projects that the Mission sponsored in conjunction with other UMC institutions, the federal government, and organizations such as the Commission on Religion in Appalachia. Some of the files of M. Dwayne Yost, director of Economic Development at Red Bird prior to Edward Ehresman, are also found in this subseries.

Reel 16

11. Economic Development Department, 1961-62
12. Resource Development Department, 1968-73
13. Community Store, 1970-73
14. Craft and Rug Program, 1968-73
15. Early Childhood Development Program, 1971-78

Reel 17

1. Kindergarten Program, c. 1969, 1973-77
2. Student work Training Program, n.d.
3. Visitor Program, 1964-77
4. Work Camps, 1971, 1977
5. Community Centers, Agency Reporting Instrument, 1973-74
6. Council of Southern Mountains, 1967-70
7. Cumberland Valley Work Opportunities Council, 1967-76, 1981
8. Human / Economic Appalachian Development and Self-Help Task Force (CORA), 1971
9. Appalachian Mission Rennewal Projects Committee ( CORA), 1975-78
10. Appalachian Development Projects Committee (CORA), 1975-78
11. Commission on Religion in Appalachia Annual Report, 1976
12. Stratagy Conference on Appalachian Community
13. Development, March 1970
14. Kentucky Appalachian Development Committee 1970-72
15. Red Bird Development Corporation, 1972
16. Kentucky Mountain Housing Development Corporation, 1972-74
17. Eastern Kentucky Housing Development Corporation, c. 1972
18. Economic/Resource Development Workshops and Task Force
19. (Henderson and Red Bird), 1973
20. Goodwill Industries-RBM, Economic Development
21. Feasibility Study, 1973-74
22. COMPASS (Bell County Task Force on Human Needs), 1973
23. "Women in Rural Development:, Program Proposal, 1975-76
24. Fair Share Severence Tax Committee, 1977-78
25. Appalachian Community Development, Miscellaneous Papers, c. 1965-70

This subseries consists of applications, academic and professional credentials, and correspondence documenting Red Bird Mission staff. It is by no means a complete record of the staff for those years. (See Series II for listings of staff 1921-75.) Despite its incomplete nature, the record is interesting and useful because many of the documents - particularly the applications - reflect the philosophy, concerns and values of the Mission and national church as well as those of the prospective employee.

Reel 5

1. A-Eb

Reel 6

1. Ed-J

Reel 7

1. K-Robb

Reel 8

1. Robi-Wac

Reel 9

1. Wad-Y

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