President Matthew Simpson papers

Collection

Identifier: PRE-0001-012

Scope and Contents

This collection consists of two series. The first contains three folders of original letters to Matthew Simpson. There are also miscellaneous letters in chronological order, along with addresses, articles, clippings and a handwritten diploma written by Simpson in 1843. The second series contains letters and copies of letters collected by the donor William Dugan (DePauw, class of 1960). It also contains transcripts made by William Dugan's wife, Ann (DePauw, class of 1960) and an appendix consisting of a table of contents and indexes to the letters in the second series made by William Dugan's granddaughter, Emily Curnow (DePauw, class of 2014). Lastly, there are inventories to the collections of Matthew Simpson papers at three other institutions: the Library of Congress; the General Commission on Archives and History, Drew University; and the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference Archives at Old Saint George's Church in Philadelphia.

Dates

Creation: 1837 - 2012

Creator

Simpson, Matthew, 1811-1884 (Person)

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Legal title, copyright, and literary rights reside with the Archives and Special Collections, DePauw University, Greencastle, IN. All requests to publish or quote must be submitted to Archives and Special Collections.

Biographical Note

Matthew Simpson was the first president of Indiana Asbury, now DePauw University, and later bishop of the Methodist Church. Simpson was born in Cadiz, Ohio during 1811 and was baptized by Bishop Francis Asbury. He taught school briefly, studied medicine but decided to use his preachers license rather than his medical license. He became a Pittsburgh pastor at 23, a professor of natural sciences at Allegheny College at 26, president of Indiana Asbury at 28, editor of the Western Christian Advocate at 37, and a bishop before he was 41.

Extent

1.13 Cubic Feet (3 document cases)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Related Materials

Materials relating to this collection may be found in the following collections in Archives and Special Collections, DePauw University, Greencastle, IN:

Florence Ditto letter, May 2, 1954: Florence Ditto, DePauw Alumni Vertical File

Matthew Simpson letter to Reverend J. A. Brouse, June 1841: J.A. Brouse Scrapbook, Methodist Volume 311

Henry B. Longdon letter about Simpson Chair: DC147: President Garfield Bromley Oxford papers, J-N 1935-1936 Folder

Articles:

Simpson’s call to preach, for Yale lecture Western Christian Advocate, Jan. 1, 1879 pg. 1

Bishop Simpson National Magazine 7:289-92, Oct. 1885

Bishop Simpson by H.B. Ridgaway Methodist Review 45:9-29 1885

Bishop Simpson as a Politician (Southern view) Methodist Review (South) Oct. 1890; Jan. 1891, p. 395; July 1891, p. 395

A Great Modern Preacher Andover Review 2:186-93, 1884

Northwest Christian Advocate, Jan. 5, 1898, p. 6, v. 46, no.1

Picture on front: Bishop Hughes and Simpson’s daughters; Miss Ida Simpson, Miss Elizabeth Simpson and Mrs. C. W. Buoy Zion’s Herald May 21, 1924

Bishop Matthew Simpson, the man who inspired the Emancipation Proclamation by C. T. Wilson Current History 31:99-106 1929

“Lincoln was no Ordinary Man”, from the funeral oration delivered at the grave of Abraham Lincoln, Springfield, Illinois. Times Herald 118:123-4, Feb. 7, 1940. A part of the oration may be found in Crooks “Life of Bishop Simpson”, p. 395