D.T. Niles Papers

Collection

Call Number: RG 260

Scope and Contents

This collection documents the life of D.T. Niles who was a noted author, ecumenical leader, and evangelist in Sri Lanka. It is predominantly comprised of correspondence that varies from the personal to the business of leadership in ecumenical circles. The collection also features a small amount of correspondence to Niles’ wife, Dulcie Niles, and his father, W.D. Niles. The Collected materials series is comprised mostly of news clippings that document D.T. Niles’ travels and speaking engagements as an ecumenical leader and evangelist. It also includes biographical information on Niles’ grandfather, Daniel Poor Niles, obituaries, and book reviews of Niles published material.

Dates

1907-1970

Creator

Niles, D. T. (Daniel Thambyrajah), 1908-1970

Conditions Governing Access

The materials are open for research.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

The Niles papers were received with the archives of the Christian Conference of Asia. His personal papers were separated while the records relating to his leadership role in CCA remain in that collection (Record Group No. 237).

Arrangement

I. Correspondence
II. Family Papers

Extent

1.25 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.260

Additional Description

Overview

This collection documents the life of D.T. Niles (1908-1970) who was a Sri Lankan Methodist minister, ecumenical leader, and evangelist. Niles held several positions in ecumenical leadership including Chairman of the Youth Department of the World Council of Churches, Chairman of the World Student Christian Federation, and General Secretary for the East Asia Christian Conference. The collection include correspondence and collected materials relating to Niles' work and personal life.

Biographical / Historical

Chronology

1908 May 4: Daniel Thambirajah Niles was born in Tellippalai, Sri Lanka (Ceylon), the son of W.D. Niles a district judge, and comes from a long line of ministers
1933: Bachelor of Divinity from the United Theological College in India
1933-1936: Taught at Jaffna Central College
1935 December 25: Married Dulcie Solomons
1936: Ordained and appointed District Evangelist of the North District of the Methodist Church in Sri Lanka (Ceylon)
1939-1940: Evangelism Secretary of the World Alliance of YMCA in Geneva
1941-1945: Secretary of the National Christian Council of Ceylon
1950-1953: Pastor at Maradana, Colombo
1946-1950: Pastor of the Methodist Church at Point Pedro
1949-1953: First Chairman of the World Council of Churches' Youth Department
1953-1959: Executive Secretary for the Department of Evangelism of the World Council of Churches
1953-1960: Chairman of the World Student Christian Federation
1953-1961: Principal of Jaffna Central College
1957-1968: General Secretary of the East Asia Christian Conference
1959-1960: H.E. Fosdick Professor of Union Theological Seminary, New York
1964-1968: Chairman of the Methodist Churches in the northern district of Sri Lanka
1968-1970: President of the Methodist Church in Sri Lanka
1970 July 17: Niles died from cancer at the Vellore Mission Hospital in India. He was survived by his wife, Dulcie; two children Dr. Preman Niles and Rev. Wesley Dayalan Niles

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)”.