Preliminary
Inventory of the James T. Cleland papers,
1928-1975
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Descriptive Summary
Title
James
T. Cleland papers,
1928-1975.
Creator
Cleland, James T.
(James Tough), 1903-
Extent
50 Linear Feet,
50,000
Items
Repository
University Archives, Duke
University
Abstract
Contains personal and professional papers
relating to the life and work of James Tough Cleland,
preacher, Dean of the Duke University Chapel (1955-1973),
and Professor of Preaching in the Divinity School
(1945-1968). Materials include addresses, sermons, lecture
notes, speeches, clippings, printed materials,
correspondence, a tape recording, committee records, course
materials, photographs, subject files, a scrapbook,
diaries, and gift albums. Albums include sketches,
engravings, frontispieces, and colored illustrations from
printed materials. Major subjects include armed forces
chaplains, hospital chaplains, death and dying, euthanasia,
spirituality, Christianity, the study and teaching of the
book of Paul, the study and teaching of the Bible, study
and teaching of preaching, Duke University Chapel, Duke
University, and the Divinity School. Materials range in
date from 1825 to 1982 (bulk 1928-1975). Contains
restricted materials.
Language
English.
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Administrative Information
Access Restrictions
Patrons must sign the Acknowledgement of Legal Responsibility and Privacy Rights form before using this collection.
Portions of these materials are restricted by
donor request.
In off-site storage; 24 hours advance notice is
required for use.
Use Restrictions
Copyright for Official University records is
held by Duke University; all other copyright is retained by
the authors of items in these papers, or their descendants,
as stipulated by United States copyright law.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], James T. Cleland
papers, University Archives, Duke University.
Provenance
The James T. Cleland papers were received by the
University Archives as a transfer in 1959-1999 (59-25,
68-338, 72-4, 72-5, 72-26, 74-23, 74-103, 75-9, 79-69,
79-134, 84-87, 85-25, 87-9, 94-47, A99-50).
Processing Information
This collection is unprocessed: materials may not have been ordered and described beyond their original condition.
Encoded by Emily Glenn, April 2003
This finding aid is NCEAD compliant.
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Biographical Note
James Tough Cleland was born on July 8, 1903 in
Glasgow, Scotland to the Rev. James Cleland and Margaret
Curdie Cleland. He married Alice Mean on September 7, 1932.
Cleland earned degrees from Glasgow University (M.A., 1924
and Ecclesiastical History, with distinction, B.D., 1927)
and Union Theological Seminary, New York (S.T.M., summa cum
laude, 1928, and Th.D., 1954).
After 14 years in the religion department at
Amherst College, he arrived at Duke in 1945. At Duke,
Cleland was Professor of Preaching in the Divinity School
from 1945 to 1968. After his 1968 retirement, he became
Professor Emeritus. He was also Dean of the Duke University
Chapel from 1955 until 1973, and was the only person to
hold both positions. His honors at Duke University included
the James B. Duke professorship, Omicron Delta Kappa, Phi
Beta Kappa, Order of Red Friars, and Alpha Omega Alpha.
Cleland held many lectureships at international
pulpits. He was a guest of the United States Army, Navy,
and Air Force Chiefs of Chaplains as preacher at each of
the service academies. He also conducted worship services
at the Air Force's most northern location (Thule,
Greenland) and professional seminars for Air Force
Chaplains in Alaska, Japan, and Philippines. Additionally,
Dr. Cleland delivered the opening prayer for the U.S.
Senate (January 19, 1960) and gave sermons at debutante
balls, military chapels, college and university chapels,
and at preparatory schools. Throughout his career, he was
in constant demand by students and alumni as well as
churches, prep schools, and colleges on the east coast. One
year he preached 13 baccalaureate sermons; he preached one
sermon 86 times.
Some of Dr. Cleland's writings include a biography
of James H. Tufts,
The True and Lively
Word,
Wherefore Art Thou
Come?,
Preaching to be
Understood, and
He Died as He Lived.
He wrote three exposition sections in Volumes II and VI of
The Interpreter's
Bible. He has had sermons published in five volumes
of
Best Sermons. He has
also contributed 86 articles to "Preaching Clinic" in
The Chaplain, a
periodical for all United States Military Chaplains. His
areas of research included the Epistles of Paul, preaching
to groups, chaplain education, and interdenominational
church groups. He also consulted with chaplains and doctors
about care for terminally ill patients and death with
dignity.
The Cleland family traveled internationally,
keeping detailed journals of daily events. During
1938-1939, they traveled to Europe and the Middle East
where they recorded interactions with Nazi party members
and German Jews. The Cleland's travels to the Philippines
and Japan gives insight into the U.S. military during the
Vietnam War. The Clelands also made many trips from the
United States to Scotland and England. James Cleland was
frequently called to preach around the United States and
the Clelands made vacations of these trips.
In spring 1973, after 28 years of dedicated and
distinguished service to Duke University, Dr. Cleland
retired. He continued to serve as dean of the chapel for
several more years.
Brown House on Duke University's East Campus was
renamed "Cleland House" after Dr. James T. Cleland. Dr.
Cleland and his wife were advisors to the students of Brown
House.
When Cleland died in 1974, the James T. Cleland
Chapel Endowment Fund was established in his honor. The
fund provides for distinguished visiting preachers and
musicians, development of the choral program, and general
enrichment of Chapel worship. Cleland was further honored
by House Joint Resolution 248, "A Joint Resolution Honoring
the Life and Memory of James T. Cleland," on February 27,
1979. The ashes of James T. Cleland, and his wife, Alice M.
Cleland, are interred at the Duke University Chapel.
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Collection Overview
Contains personal and professional papers relating
to the life and work of James T. Cleland, preacher, Dean of
the Duke University Chapel (1955-1973), and Professor of
Preaching in the Divinity School (1945-1968). Types of
materials include addresses, sermons, lecture notes,
speeches, clippings, printed materials, correspondence, a
tape recording, committee records, course materials,
photographs, subject files, a scrapbook, diaries, and gift
albums. Gift albums include sketches, engravings,
frontispieces, and colored illustrations from printed
materials. Materials range in date from 1825 to 1982 (bulk
1928-1975). Box 19 contains restricted materials.
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Subject Headings
These and related materials may be accessed under
the following subject headings in the Duke University
Libraries online catalog.
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Related Material
Divinity School records.
University Archives, Duke University.
Chapel records.
University Archives, Duke University.
Chapel records. Administrative
Committee records.
University Archives, Duke University.
Chapel records. Renovation Committee
records.
University Archives, Duke University.
Chapel records. Sermons.
University Archives, Duke University.
Chapel records. Chaplain to the
University records.
University Archives, Duke University.
Cleland committee (James T. Cleland
Chapel Endowment Fund) records.
University Archives, Duke University.
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Preliminary Description of the
Collection
Container List
Box 1
Subject files A-M
Includes Alpha Omega Alpha, Davison Club,
Death and Dying course, personal and professional
correspondence, Music Building speech
Box 2
Subject files N-W
Includes Cleland Endowment Fund, Chapel
Renovation Committee (ca.
1970-1977) Phi Beta Kappa, Phi
Kappa Psi, correspondence, "Scotties and Cleland House"
(personal writings).
Warrack lectures
Preaching to be Understood
Box 3
Preaching class notes (PR 29-30, PR
181, PR 185)
Assorted subject files
Book reviews
Box 4
Preaching class notes (PR 183, PR
185 continued)
Subject files, biblical and
religious
Book reviews
Box 5
Subject files Snow Fund files
Box 6
Snow fund testimonials
Box 7
Subject files including Order of
Worship (Duke and non-Duke)
Includes church worship classes, Human
Relations Committee,
1957-1960, Lecture and
Publication Events Committee of the Divinity School,
personal counseling (L-Z), preaching awards, and the Mary
A. Poston Memorial Fund.
Box 8
Chapel budgets,
1958-1968
Chapel organ
Materials for
The Chaplain
Religion 1.15-1.16 lecture notes
General history subject files,
pre-mechanic and pre-Pauline eras
Box 9
General history subject files,
Pauline, post-Pauline
Opinion/issue files A-Bi
Box 10
Opinion/issue files Bo-E
Box 11
Opinion/issue files F-M
Box 12
Opinion/issue files N-S
Box 13
Opinion/issue files T-Z
Notes for worship classes and
public worship, materials from Austin, Texas lectures
Box 14
General subject files, ca.
1970-1972
Includes Toastmasters, debutante ball
addresses, and religious education
Box 15
General subject files, ca.
1955-1965
Includes philosophy, sermons for children,
Christian ethics, New Testament, and the Old Testament.
Box 16
Class notes,
1923-1931
General notes on criticism, study,
and teaching of Paul
Box 17
Lecture notes, Duke University, ca.
1971-1974
April 21,
1974
service notes
Bound volumes of sermons
Miscellaneous sermon
notes
Amherst College Chapel
notes
Box 18
Clippings and background material
for articles, ca.
1960-1978
Box 19
Choate chapel talks
The True and Lively
Word
Geriatrics
newsletters
Wherefore Art Thou
Come?
Lectures, ca.
1953
Personal correspondence, ca.
1924-1938
RESTRICTED
Nick Carter Travel Club, 7" reel
tape,
1964
General research materials on
attitudes toward death
Box 20
Sermon notes
Articles on preaching
Raw material for sermons on Old
Testament and New Testament
General subject files on lent,
ascension, Ash Wednesday, and Good Friday
Box 21
Miscellaneous correspondence and
paper,
1967
Thule, Greenland assignment,
1962
Dean of Chapel materials, ca.
1960-1979
Wellington Church, Glasgow,
Scotland,
1949
Letters of appreciation to Cleland,
1960-1976
Miscellaneous correspondence, ca.
1960-1979
Box 22
Minutes of Duke University Chapel,
1954-1963,
1967-1978
Duke Alumni and Medical Alumni
materials
General subject files on
spirituality, death, and dying
Box 23
Amherst lectures, 1931-1945, sermon
index
Box 24
Sermons
Sermons 1-100
Box 25
Sermons 101-189
Box 26
Sermons 190-275
Box 27
Sermons 276-350
Box 28
Sermons 351-413
Box 29
Diary/gift album of Julia Ann
Adriance
Diary/gift album of
"Thomas"
Diary/gift album of Julia Ann Price,
1825
Speeches to military chaplains
Christmas Eve sermons,
1970-1972
Speeches to military chaplains
Christmas Eve sermons,
1970-1972
Box 30
Diaries and
Correspondence
Diaries
Great Britain, Germany,
Switzerland, Italy, Egypt, Syria, Jerusalem and Palestine.
Observations of Nazi Germany,
and ordinary Germans and their attitudes toward Jews (6
volumes),
1938-1939
Operation Wellington, Trip to
Great Britain on the Queen Mary,
1949
The California Hegira of the
Clelands, Diary of trip while he was Visiting Professor of
Preaching, Pacific School of
Religion, Berkeley, California,
1951
New England and Scotland,
1952
Ireland, Scotland, and England,
1956
Scotland and England,
1960
Chicago, Stratford, Toronto,
Gaspe, Cape Breton, and Maine,
1961
England, Scotland, Germany, and
France. Warrack Lectures in Preaching, Theological
Colleges of the Four Scottish
Divinity Halls,
1964
Conducted Professional Seminar
for US Air Force Chaplains in Alaska, Japan, and the
Philippines, 1967
Correspondence
Letters to Alice M. Cleland from
Alaska, Japan and the Philippines while away on
Professional Seminar for US Air Force Chaplains,
1967
Box 31
Travel diaries, Correspondence, and
Personal Material of Alice Mead Cleland
Travel diaries
"My First Trip Abroad", Europe,
June-August,
1929
Germany, Switzerland, Italy,
Egypt, Syria, Palestine and Jerusalem,
1938-1939
Miscellaneous memorabilia and
cards from trip June-September,
1949
Florida,
1954
Ireland, Scotland, and England,
1956
Washington, Connecticut,
1958,
Vermont, 1959, Chatauqua, Toronto, and Detroit,
1958,
1959,
1969
Scotland, England, Germany, and
Austria,
1960
Great Britain during Warrack
lectureship,
1964
Great Lakes trips,
1966,
1969
Missouri, Indiana and Kentucky,
1974
Philadelphia and Bryn Mawr,
1974
Edina, Minnesota,
1974
Lake Junaluska and Roaring Gap,
North Carolina,
1974
Davidson College, then to
Oklahoma and Arizona,
1974
Philadelphia,
1974
Miscellaneous trips, daily
schedules,
1975
Great Britain,
1974
England and Scotland, including
some photographs,
1982
Correspondence,
1938-1939
Letters from Alice to her family during
her year long trip to Europe and the Middle East.
Miscellaneous personal materials
Pamphlets and brochures from
Berkshire Summer School of Art, ca.
1920-1940
Certificate of
acknowledgement
Travel summaries
Inscribed copy of Apostles
Extraordinary: A Celebration of Saints and Sinners by
Geddes MacGregor
Gift of Prayer book
Box 32
Chronology of life and work of James
T. Cleland
Books of prayers and sermons
Diaries,
1927-1928
Records of marriages in Duke
Chapel,
1943-1966
Sermons,
1955-1956
Miscellaneous writings and
correspondence
Box 33
Bound volumes of sermons
Clippings
Poems based on the
Bible
Subject files pertaining to Robert
Burns
Cleland retirement,
1979
Tribute to Cleland,
1978
Box 34
The Religious Ethics of St. Paul
(Cleland's thesis)
Seminary notes,
1937-1938
Scotland, Amherst, and Duke sermons,
1926-1943
Epistle of Galatians (Greek
vocabulary notes)
Thesis on the attitudes of the
British church on the British coal dispute of 1926,
1928
Frame's lectures on St.
Paul
Carillon chorale setting, inscribed,
1969
Scrapbook, ca.
1877-1906
Contains mostly clippings.
