Scope and Contents
The Sailer papers document Sailer's years as a missionary/teacher at Yenching University as well as his reflections about those years in China and his continued involvement with Christianity in China and U.S./China relations throughout his life. Additional materials related to Sailer are found in YDSL Record Group No. 11, Archives of the United Board for Christian Higher Education in Asia.
The Chronological Files of Series I are divided into two sections. The section on Sailer's Yenching years includes correspondence, reports and printed material concerning his work in China. The material is sketchy for 1932-41 but the years 1941-43 and 1946-50 are documented. Much of the correspondence in the Post-Yenching section is with friends with whom Sailer served in China. The transcript of an oral history interview conducted in 1979 is included.
The original titles of the folders in Series II, Subject Files, have been maintained. The subjects of China/U.S. relations, China and Christianity, and the UBCHEA files dealing with China claims and annuities are particularly well documented. Other files relate to different interests and activities of RCS. In addition to correspondence, the files contain reports, printed material and working papers.
The Writings of Series III include one book by Sailer and one book about him. Personality and Everyday Behavior by Sailer (1935) was the text used in his Yenching courses. The Audiotapes of Series IV include an interview of Sailer by Katherine Ni, a former student who planned to write a biography of RCS.
The Chronological Files of Series I are divided into two sections. The section on Sailer's Yenching years includes correspondence, reports and printed material concerning his work in China. The material is sketchy for 1932-41 but the years 1941-43 and 1946-50 are documented. Much of the correspondence in the Post-Yenching section is with friends with whom Sailer served in China. The transcript of an oral history interview conducted in 1979 is included.
The original titles of the folders in Series II, Subject Files, have been maintained. The subjects of China/U.S. relations, China and Christianity, and the UBCHEA files dealing with China claims and annuities are particularly well documented. Other files relate to different interests and activities of RCS. In addition to correspondence, the files contain reports, printed material and working papers.
The Writings of Series III include one book by Sailer and one book about him. Personality and Everyday Behavior by Sailer (1935) was the text used in his Yenching courses. The Audiotapes of Series IV include an interview of Sailer by Katherine Ni, a former student who planned to write a biography of RCS.
Dates
- 1932-1982
Creator
Conditions Governing Access
The materials are open for research.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Agnes Sailer.
Arrangement
- I. Chronological Files, 1932-1982, n.d.
- II. Subject Files, 1950-1981
- III. Writings, 1935, n.d.
- IV. Audiotapes, 1980, 1982
Extent
2 Linear Feet (4 boxes)
Language of Materials
English
Catalog Record
A record for this collection is available in Orbis, the Yale University Library catalog
Persistent URL
Overview
Correspondence, reports, and printed material document Sailer's years as an educational missionary at Yenching University as well as his reflections about his years in China and his continued involvement with Christianity in China and U.S./ China relations. Randolph Clothier Sailer was an American Presbyterian missionary in China from 1923 to 1950, serving as a professor of psychology at Yenching University in Beijing. He taught at Forman Christian College in Lahore, Pakistan from 1953 to 1958.
Biographical / Historical
- 1898
- Born in Philadelphia, PA, son of Dr. and Mrs. T.H.P. Sailer.
- 1919
- B.A., Princeton
- 1923-1950
- Appointed by the Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. as a missionary to China; began teaching career as professor of Psychology at Yenching University in Beijing (Peking)
- 1925
- Married Louise Egbert, a graduate of Smith who in 1923 was appointed by the ABCFM to be the director of the Religion Department of Yenching Women's College. They had three surviving children; George (1926), Henry (1929) and James (1931).
- 1931
- Ph.D. in Educational Psychology at Columbia.
- 1941
- Sailer's wife and children returned to the U.S., but he was interned at Weixian (Weihsien) and the family was separated for almost three years.
- 1945
- Sailers returned to Chengdu (Chengtu).
- 1950
- Left China in August.
- 1952-1953
- Trained at Carl Rogers Counseling Center in Chicago.
- 1953-1958
- Both Louise and Randolph teaching at Forman Christian College in Lahore, Pakistan.
- 1962-1973
- Taught at Swarthmore, Morganwood, PA and Miles College, Birmingham, Alabama (1963)
- 1973
- Returned to China with Louise and son Henry for a month long visit.
- 197x
- Became involved with United Board for Christian Higher Education in Asia and United Presbyterian Church regarding annuities for Yenching teachers and the China Claims Committee.
- 1981 Jul 11
- Died at the age of 82 at the Friends House, a Quaker retirement home in Sandy Springs, MD.
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 Randolph C. Sailer Papers
- Author
- Compiled by Martha Lund Smalley
- 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