Henry David Gray Papers

In an autobiographical sketch written by Henry David Gray, he listed the major accomplishments of his life as follows:

All of these accomplishments are well documented by the Henry David Gray Papers except his work in the area of urban/regional/state planning and the activities of the Rural Resources Development Program. Gray's files relating to urban/regional/state planning have been deposited at the University of Connecticut, Portland State University, and the California Historical Society, though sufficient samples remain in this manuscript group to indicate the scope of his work.

The papers in this collection provide an extensive sampling of documentation of his many activities on the local, national and international levels. Used in conjunction with his autobiographical writings, these papers would lend themselves to a detailed biographical study of Gray. In addition, these papers provide unique and valuable documentation of the merger between Congregational Christian Churches and the Evangelical and Reformed Church to form the United Church of Christ in 1957. Gray was the only former national executive of the Congregational Churches who chose to continue as a Congregationalist rather than join the new denomination. He wrote concerning the merger-related files in this manuscript group: "My 'merger' files are the sole complete repository of the 'Polity and Unity Committee' (1950-1954) and the 'Constitutional Commission' (1954-1956) of the General Council of the Congregational Christian Churches. The 'official' records are in The Congregational Library archives. My personal files...included the most extensive survey ever made of Congregational Polity (1954 A.D.) in the basic Documents, and in Practice... Additionally I have complete files on the efforts of the 'Mediators'--the 'middle group' in the CC/ER controversy--of which I was possibly the chief leader. My book The Mediators is the only account of those who tried to reconcile the proponents and opponents of the CC/ER merger." (Letter to Martha Lund Smalley, September 13, 1985, in Special Collections donor file.)

Series I, Personal Files/Correspondence, provides an overview of Henry David Gray's life and work. Mirroring Gray's personal system of filing, the series includes both subject files and letters to or from various individuals. Extensive correspondence with young people and church members with whom Gray worked over the years document the close and warm relationships he formed and the regard in which he was held. A series of bound volumes of letters and other documents in chronological sequence supplement and overlap with the alphabetical sequence of files. Letters from individuals listed in the alphabetical sequence may also appear in the bound volumes. The files of Series I are in many cases complemented by files in other series. The file for Jordan Wen, for example, is related to material available in Series VII under the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches, Commission on Missions.

Series II, Churches Served, provides extensive documentation of the activities of the various congregations that Gray served. These files could be used as case studies of the operation of active Congregational churches in the middle years of this century.

Series III, The Christian Year, documents the method by which Gray organized his ministry in the churches he served. A summary of this method is available in Gray's Congregational Worshipbook, revised edition, 1990, p. 145 ff.

Series IV, Youth Files, documents Gray's long term and intensive involvement with Congregational youth on a local and national level. During the period when Gray served as National Secretary for youth in the Congregational fellowship, he traveled widely throughout the United States, conducting youth rallies, speaking at colleges and contributing to The Pilgrim Highroad, a monthly publication for Congregational youth. The files in Series IV are supplemented by Series V, Odyssey Files, and by Gray's writings for and about youth which are included in Series VI, Writings, Addresses, Sermons.

Series V, Odyssey Files, documents a particular facet of Gray's involvement with youth. Initiating a new form of youth work, Gray began a series of "youth odysseys" abroad in 1948. He wrote regarding the "odysseys": "The basic idea of these journeys is 'personalized internationalism.' Young people from a local community and local Church in the United States visit in the homes and institutions of young people like themselves in other lands. By personal contact with leaders, and by personal survey of economic, social, political, cultural and religious situations, the young folk come close to their numbers abroad. These Odysseys have taken youth groups to 37 different lands." This series also contains documentation relating to other church youth trips abroad that were offshoots of Gray's odyssey concept.

Series VI, Writings, Addresses, Sermons, documents in a thorough way Gray's many writings and sermons on a variety of subjects. The hundreds of sermons available in this series provide a significant sampling of the work of a Congregational minister over many years. Gray's writings related to the merger controversy in the Congregational churches were widely deseminated and very influential. Gray's writings on historical subjects, such as the Mayflower Pilgrims, are also significant.

Series VII, Congregational Records, contains some of the most interesting material in the collection. A chronological sequence of files related to Congregational polity and the merger that resulted in the formation of the United Church of Christ contains extensive and in some cases unique documentation of a turbulent period in Congregational history. These files are best used in conjunction with Gray's book The Mediators, which provides his commentary on the issues and events involved. The second section of Series VII includes documentation of a wide variety of Congregational organizations with which Gray was involved.