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Carroll and Helen Yerkes Papers

 Collection
Call Number: RG 153

Scope and Contents

The Yerkes papers document the work of the Presbyterian Church in the Shandong (Shantung) Province of China from 1869-1874 when Helen Yerkes' parents were stationed in Chefoo and from 1904-1950. Although they left China in 1925, Yerkes stayed in contact with his missionary and Chinese friends. Yerkes was involved with evangelical work as well as the administrative tasks of running the station. Among his duties, he served on the China Council and acted as treasurer of the station. From 1923 until his departure from China, he worked with the American Consulate, R.P. Tenney, to secure the release of foreign captives after the wreck of the "Blue Express" on May 6, 1923 and continued to supply information about the bandit situation in his area.

Dates

  • 1869-1971

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

The materials are open for research.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gift of Elizabeth Y. Kline.

Arrangement

  1. I. Correspondence, 1870-1950
  2. II. Collected Material, 1904-1941, n.d.
  3. III. Personal Items and Memorabilia, 1904-1971
  4. IV. Photographs, ca.1870-1954

Extent

1.5 Linear Feet (3 boxes)

Language of Materials

English

Catalog Record

A record for this collection is available in Orbis, the Yale University Library catalog

Persistent URL

https://hdl.handle.net/10079/fa/divinity.153

Abstract

Letters and collected material document the work of the Presbyterian Church in Shandong (Shantung) Province, China from 1869 to the 1940s. Carroll and Helen Yerkes were American Presbyterian missionaries in Shandong (Shantung) Province from 1904 to 1925. The parents of Helen Nevius Eckard Yerkes were Presbyterian missionaries stationed in Chefoo from 1869 to 1874.

Biographical / Historical

1876 August 18
Born in Fox Chase, Philadelphia, PA
1895-1896
Attended International Conventions of Christian Endeavor at which he heard Dwight L. Moody, Robert E. Speer, Amos R. Wells and others who influenced his life.
1901
A.B. degree, Lafayette College
1903
Worked with settlers on the prairie of No. Dakota
1904
A.M. degree, Princeton Theological Seminary
1904 July 12
Married Helen Nevius Eckard (1876-1967)
1904 September 12
Arrived in Shanghai as missionary for the Presbyterian Board of Foreign Missions
1905
Opened station at Yixian, Shandong (Yihsien, Shantung Province)
1912
Furlough
1921
Honorary D.D., Lafayette
1925
Returned to U.S. because of Helen Yerkes' health
1925-1957
Served as pastor of various churches in New Jersey and Pennsylvania
1971 April 19
Died in Seattle, Washington

Processing Information

Place names were modernized in the description, with the name originally used in the collection material or in an older version of the finding aid in parenthesis: e.g. “Beijing (Peking)” or “Benin (Dahomey)”.

Title
Guide to the Carroll and Helen Yerkes Papers
Author
Compiled by Shari Laist
Date
1998
Description rules
Finding Aid Prepared According To Local Divinity Library Descriptive Practices
Language of description note
Finding aid written in English.

Part of the Yale Divinity Library Repository

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