Council for Ecumenical Student Christian Ministry Records

The records document ecumenical student Christian work in the United States and are valuable for the way in which they complement other archival collections at the Divinity Library. Added to papers of Ruth Harris, Margaret Flory, John R. Mott, Clarence P. Shedd, Robert Wilder, Luther Wishard, Henry Burt Wright and others, as well as the archives of the World Student Christian Federation, Student Volunteer Movement, Student Christian Movement in New England, New England Commission for United Ministries in Higher Education, National Campus Ministry Association and YMCA Student Division, the CESCM archives provide a detailed picture of the development of religious work among college and university students in the United States.

Series I contains background material and documents of the predecessor organizations of the CESCM, including the National Ecumenical Student Christian Council. Series II documents the "Celebrate" conferences - ecumenical student conferences coordinated by the CESCM. See YDSL Record groups 46A anad 46B for additional documentation of the World Student Christian Federation North America Region, with which the CESCM was affiliated.

Series III contains general adminstrative records of the CESCM: committee records, financial reports, staff reports, etc. It is divided into several subseries: Subseries 1: CESCM in formation; Subseries 2: Partners group; Subseries; 3: Steering and Administrative Committees; Subseries 4: Financial Records; Subseries 5: Staff Reports; Subseries 6: Program Activities; Subseries 7: CESCM Publications; Subseires 8: Correspondence files.

There is some overlap between the various subseries because the records came from the files of different individuals, particularly Ruth Harris and Gayla Spicknall. Gayla Spicknall was the primary CESCM staff member in its New York office from 1987 until 1992, when she was stricken with cancer. Ruth Harris was a CESCM "partner" representing the United Methodist Church.