Arnold S. Nash Papers Inventory (#4910)

unc seal
Manuscripts Department, Library of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Collection Information
block Descriptive Summary Including Abstract
block Administrative Information
block Online Catalog Terms
block Biographical Note
block Collection Overview
block Organization of Collection
plus Series Descriptions
Contact Information:
Manuscripts Department
CB#3926, Wilson Library
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC 27514-8890
Phone: 919/962-1345
Fax: 919/962-3594
Email: mss@email.unc.edu
URL: http://www.lib.unc.edu/mss/
Processed by:
Jennifer Rawlings
Date Completed:
June 1998
Encoded by:
Jennifer Rawlings
Back to Top

Descriptive Summary Including Abstract

Title
Arnold S. Nash Papers (#4910) 1939-1974
Creator
Nash, Arnold S. (Arnold Samuel).
Extent
About 6000 items (8.0 linear feet).
Repository
Southern Historical Collection
Abstract
Arnold Samuel Nash (1906- ) was a professor in the Department of Religion of the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill and an Anglican minister. Nash moved to the United States from his native England in 1939. His particular areas of academic interest were philosophy of science, sociology of science, and the sociology of religion. He was the author of The University and the Modern World (1944) and numerous articles. Arnold Samuel Nash's papers reflect his interests in current events and issues facing the University of North Carolina. Included are records from UNC Department of Religion; routine business papers as well as records of Nash's speaking engagements and conferences, extensive correspondence files, and subject files on current events. Most of the speech and conference materials relate to religion and the university or the university and society. In the correspondence files are letters to and from the friends he left in England; topics discussed in these letters include the experience of living in London through World War II, the Lend Lease Program, and the Speaker Ban at the University of North Carolina. Also included is a letter to Nash from Albert Einstein.
Back to Top

Administrative Information

Access
No restrictions.
Usage Restrictions
Copyright is retained by the authors of items in these papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.
Provenance
Received from the Department of Religion, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in February 1998 (Acc. 98029).
Back to Top

Online Catalog Terms

Academic freedom--North Carolina.
College teachers--North Carolina--Political activity.
Education--Religious aspects.
Education, Higher--History--20th century.
Education, Higher--North Carolina.
Einstein, Albert, 1879-1855.
Freedom of speech--North Carolina.
Lend-lease operations (1941-1945).
Nash, Arnold S. (Arnold Samuel).
North Carolina. Speaker Ban Law.
Universities and colleges--Law and legislation--North Carolina.
Universities and colleges--North Carolina--History--20th century.
University of North Carolina (1793-1962)--Faculty--History--20th century.
University of North Carolina (1793-1962). Dept. of Religion--History.
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill--Faculty--History.
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Dept. of Religion--History.
World War, 1939-1945--England.
Back to Top

Biographical Note

Arnold Nash was born in England in 1906 and was educated at the University of Liverpool, Ripon Hall, Oxford, and the London School of Economics. He held graduate degrees in chemistry, philosophy, and sociology and was a minister in the Anglican church. His particular areas of interest were philosophy of science, sociology of science, and the sociology of religion. He also studied the relationship of the university to society. In 1939, he moved to the United States and embarked on a series of guest lectureships at various universities that ended with his taking a position as professor in the Department of Religion at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill in 1947. He was the author of The University and the Modern World (1944) and numerous articles. Nash frequently lectured at other institutions, both in the United States and throughout the world. He served on many committees and in groups on campus, and his papers indicate his concern with issues that affected the University.

Nash married Ethel M. Nash in 1933 and they had two sons, Keir and David. Ethel Nash graduated from the University of Liverpool and then obtained a graduate degree in guidance and counseling from the University of North Carolina. She traveled around the country lecturing at various universities and published articles on marriage and the family.

Back to Top

Collection Overview

Arnold Samuel Nash's papers reflect his interests in current events and issues facing the University of North Carolina. Included are records from UNC Department of Religion; routine business papers as well as records of Nash's speaking engagements and conferences, extensive correspondence files, and subject files on current events. Most of the speech and conference materials relate to religion and the university or the university and society. In the correspondence files are letters to and from the friends he left in England; topics discussed in these letters include the experience of living in London through World War II, the Lend Lease Program, and the Speaker Ban at the University of North Carolina. Also included is a letter to Nash from Albert Einstein.

Back to Top

Organization of Collection

1. Biography
2. Correspondence
2.1. Correspondence 1
2.2. Correspondence 2
3. Publications
4. University of North Carolina
4.1. Department of Religion
4.2. Library
4.3. Speaker Ban
4.4. UNC Business
5. Professional Activities
5.1. Conferences
5.2. Danforth
5.3. Engagements
5.4. Miscellaneous Files
5.5. Organizations
5.6. Speaking Engagements
5.7. Subject Files
5.8. Travel
Back to Top

Series Descriptions

1. Biography, undated.

About 40 items.
Arrangement: chronological.
Various versions of Arnold Samuel Nash's curriculum vitae. Also two versions of Ethel Nash's curriculum vitae.
   Folder 1
Biography

Back to Top

2. Correspondence, 1939-1967.

About 2000 items.
Arrangement: alphabetical.
The correspondence of Arnold Samuel Nash. Nash divided his correspondence into two separate categories here labeled Correspondence 1 and Correspondence 2. The reason for the distinction remains unclear. The two sets of correspondence contain letters about similar subjects. Both contain carbon copies of Nash's outgoing letters. Unfortunately, the first half, A-I, of Correspondence 2 was destroyed by mold and mildew.
The correspondence concerns questions of the role of the university in society, the role of religion in society, and the place of religion in the university. Also included are letters from the 1930s and 1940s concerning the outbreak of World War II from the perspective of the English. One particularly striking series of letters is from Nash's friend Gilbert Russell (located in Correspondence 1 filed under R) detailing his experiences preparing for war, Russell's plea to Nash to shelter his children in America for the duration of the war, the birth of his baby in a Morrison shelter, the erroneous report of his wife's death on a ship sunk by the Germans, and the reconstruction of England after the Blitz. Another interesting letter stating a British point of view about America's Lend-Lease program is filed in Correspondence 1 under H for Hudson.
Correspondence 1 includes a letter to Nash from Albert Einstein (filed under E). The series also includes a carbon of Nash's letter to Einstein in which Nash asked Einstein about the philosophy behind science. In his response, Einstein briefly mentioned a few philosophers who influenced him.
Another topic covered sporadically in the correspondence is the Speaker Ban at the University of North Carolina in the 1960s. Nash corresponded with other academics and friends about his frustration with the North Carolina state legislature's ban on Communist Party-affliated speakers on state school campuses and Nash's own efforts to remedy the situation.
Back to Top
2.1. Correspondence 1, 1939-1955.
About 1000 items.
Arrangement: alphabetical.
   Folder 2
A
   Folder 3-4
B
   Folder 5
C
   Folder 6
D
   Folder 7
E
   Folder 8
F
   Folder 9
G
   Folder 10
H
   Folder 11
I
   Folder 12
J
   Folder 13
K
   Folder 14
L
   Folder 15
M
   Folder 16
N
   Folder 17
O
   Folder 18
P
   Folder 19-20
R
   Folder 21
S
   Folder 22
T
   Folder 23
U
   Folder 24
V-Z
   Folder 25
Unidentified Correspondents
Back to Top
2.2. Correspondence 2, 1939-1969.
About 1000 items.
Arrangement: alphabetical with frequent correspondents in their own folders at the beginning of the series.
   Folder 26
Heard, Alex
   Folder 27
Irwin, Keith
   Folder 28
Lenski, Gerhard
   Folder 29
Niebuhr, Reinhold
   Folder 30
Okun, Dan
   Folder 31
Shannon, Jones
   Folder 32
Willard, Don
   Folder 33
J
   Folder 34
M-N
   Folder 35
O
   Folder 36-38
P
   Folder 39
Q
   Folder 40
R
   Folder 41-43
S
   Folder 44-45
T
   Folder 46
U-V
   Folder 47-48
W-Z

Back to Top

3. Publications, 1949-1964.

About 100 items.
Arrangement: alphabetical by folder title then chronological within folders.
Drafts of an article by Nash and letters to The Christian Scholar, as well as minutes of editorial staff meetings, copies of Nash's articles and articles by others, and correspondence about and Nash's contribution to the book The Making of a Minister, a collection of speeches from a syposium of the same name.
   Folder 49
Christian Scholar
   Folder 50
Copies of Articles
   Folder 51
Making of a Minister

Back to Top

4. University of North Carolina, 1948-1972.

About 1000 items.
Arrangement: alphabetical.
Papers relating to Nash's work at the University of North Carolina. These subseries document the many areas of campus life in which Nash was involved. Nash was a faculty member during some very tumultuous years at UNC, and he took a great interest in the students and their problems relating to traditional curricula. The 1963-1968 Speaker Ban created much controversy on campus, and Nash was at the center of the faculty response to the ban.
Back to Top
4.1 Department of Religion, 1948-1972.
About 400 items.
Arrangement: alphabetical by folder name then chronological within the folders.
Correspondence, memos, meeting agendas, committee reports, class evaluations, and other materials, all focusing on issues facing the Department of Religion. A significant portion of the material concerns the development of a Semitic studies teaching position.
   Folder 52-54
Department of Religion
   Folder 55
Course Evaluations
   Folder 56
Departmental Meetings and Bernard Boyd
   Folder 57
Graduate School Correspondence 1948-1964
   Folder 58
Research Grant from UNC to ASN (Arnold Nash)
   Folder 59
Research Leaves
   Folder 60
Semitic Studies: Correspondence re: 1951-60
   Folder 61
Task of Religion-USA
Back to Top
4.2. Library, 1949-1963.
About 300 items.
Arrangement: alphabetical by folder name then chronological within folders.
Nash's requests for the library to purchase certain books. Also included is a copy of the Report and Recommendations of the Special Committee on Book Allocations for the UNC library.
   Folder 62
Acquisitions and Holdings
   Folder 63
Correspondence with UNC Library
Back to Top
4.3. Speaker Ban, 1963-1965.
About 100 items.
Arrangement: alphabetical by folder titles then chronological within folders.
Papers documenting the Chapel Hill student and faculty response to the Speaker Ban legislation, the opposition to the bill of the American Association of University Professors, Chapel Hill chapter, and the measures taken to influence the legislature to change the bill. In 1963, the North Carolina General Assembly had passed Bill 1395, which stated that no member of the Communist Party, anyone who was known to advocate the overthrow of the Constitution of the United States or the state of North Carolina, or anyone who pled the Fifth Amendment when asked about membership in the Communist Party was permitted to use the facilities of state colleges or universities. This law caused tremendous controversy in the state and a great deal of opposition to the bill arose at UNC. Nash was heavily involved in this controversy as president of the Chapel Hill chapter of the American Association of University Professors.
   Folder 64-65
Correspondence
   Folder 66
Correspondence with Washington
   Folder 67
Gag Law
   Folder 68
House Bill 1395
   Folder 69
Graham, John
   Folder 70
Notes and Minutes
   Folder 71
Speaker Ban
   Folder 72
Statements
Back to Top
4.4. UNC Business, 1951-1970.
About 300 items.
Arrangement: alphabetical by folder title then chronological within folders.
Collection of papers on topics relating to events and issues at the University of North Carolina. Nash was on several commitees studying ethical problems, faculty salaries and benefits relative to the rest of the country, and academic freedom in American universities. He also served on the committee formed to help organize a campus wide religion week.
   Folder 73
Chapel Hill Weekly
   Folder 74-75
Committee on Experiments on Human Beings
   Folder 76
Committee on Government
   Folder 77
Correspondence with Governor
   Folder 78
Correspondence with other Institutions NC Fringe Benefits
   Folder 79
Correspondence with State Chairmen
   Folder 80
Faculty Salaries at UNC
   Folder 81
Membership List UNC
   Folder 82
Minutes of Conference and Committee
   Folder 83
Pharmacy School
   Folder 84
Provisions Regarding Academic Freedom
   Folder 85
Religious Emphasis Week
   Folder 86
Secretary
   Folder 87
State Pension Funds

Back to Top

5. Professional Activities, 1946-1974.

About 3000 items.
Arrangement: alphabetical.
Nash's files relating to his participation in a number of professional activities, including conferences, summer teaching seminars, professional organizations, and a large number of speaking engagements. He divided his files on speaking engagements into two separate series: one series (Engagements) is arranged chronologically by date of the speech, and the other (Speaking Engagements) is alphabetical by the name of the institution.
Back to Top
5.1. Conferences, 1946-1964.
About 400 items.
Arrangement: alphabetical by folder title, chronological within folders.
Correspondence, meeting schedules, and some participant lists and transcripts of speeches relating to conferences on a variety of topics. Most of the conferences focused on issues of religion in higher education.
   Folder 88
Bob James Tour
   Folder 89
Conference of University Teachers, Swanwick
   Folder 90
Council on Christian Higher Education in Asia
   Folder 91
Dons Conference and Bossey, 1957
   Folder 92
Duke Assembly
   Folder 93
Ecumenical Institute, Bossey
   Folder 94
Faculty Conference
   Folder 95
First International Congress of Social Psychiatry
   Folder 96
International Sociological Association Congress
   Folder 97
Princeton Bicentennial
   Folder 98
Southern Sociological Society
   Folder 99
Symposium on Love
Back to Top
5.2. Danforth, 1955-1973.
About 800 items.
Arrangement: alphabetical by folder title, chronological within folders.
These papers deal with the organizational details of putting together summer seminars for college and university teachers on the Christian foundations of teaching. Nash helped to lead these conferences, which were sponsored by the Danforth Foundation and were attended by professors from many disciplines from all over the United States and the world.
   Folder 100
Acceptance
   Folder 101
Accepted Applications
   Folder 102
Advertising
   Folder 103
Applications
   Folder 104
Area Sociological Societies Secretaries
   Folder 105
Chairmen of Departments
   Folder 106
Danforth 1959
   Folder 107
Elizabeth Lam's Lists
   Folder 108
Enquiries and Invitations Not Answered
   Folder 109
First Reserves
   Folder 110
Foreign Students Advisor
   Folder 111
Inquiries Needing Further Letters From Nash
   Folder 112
Miscellaneous
   Folder 113
Publicity
   Folder 114
Rejected Invitations
   Folder 115-116
Seminar
   Folder 117
Seminar at Chapel Hill
   Folder 118
Seminars 1956: Summer
   Folder 119
Speakers
   Folder 120
Unsuccessful Applications
   Folder 121
USA Reserves
   Folder 122-123
Yale Seminar
Back to Top
5.3. Engagements, 1965-1974.
About 300 items.
Arrangement: chronological.
News releases, programs, texts of speeches, and correspondence concerning Nash's speaking engagements at various universities, colleges, and organizational meetings. Nash frequently spoke on a variety of topics, mostly dealing with religion in some fashion. This series is organized by the date of the speaking engagement.
   Folder 124-125
1965
   Folder 126-127
1966
   Folder 128-129
1967
   Folder 130
1968
   Folder 131
1969
   Folder 132
1970
   Folder 133
1971
   Folder 134
1972
   Folder 135
1973
   Folder 136
1974
Back to Top
5.4. Miscellaneous Files, 1958-1960.
5 items.
Arrangement: chronological.
Miscellaneous minutes and correspondence.
   Folder 137
Miscellaneous
Back to Top
5.5. Organizations, 1954-1964.
About 30 items.
Arrangement: alphabetical by folder name then chronological within folder.
Meeting notes, director's reports, and correspondence relating to the various organizations of which Nash was a member.
   Folder 138
American Academy of Arts and Sciences
   Folder 139
Commission on Higher Education
   Folder 140
Faculty Christian Fellowship
   Folder 141
National Association of Biblical Instructors
   Folder 142
National Council of Churches of Christ
   Folder 143
Society for the Scientific Study of Religion
Back to Top
5.6. Speaking Engagements, 1955-1964.
About 900 items.
Arrangement: alphabetical by the name of the institution.
News releases, programs, texts of speeches, and correspondence concerning Nash's speaking engagements at various universities, colleges, and organizational meetings.
   Folder 144
A-B
   Folder 145
C-E
   Folder 146
F
   Folder 147
G
   Folder 148
H-I
   Folder 149
J-L
   Folder 150
M
   Folder 151-152
N
   Folder 153
O-R
   Folder 154-155
S
   Folder 156
T
   Folder 157
U-V
   Folder 158-159
W
   Folder 160
X-Z
Back to Top
5.7. Subject Files, 1964-1971.
About 80 items
Arrangement: alphabetical by folder name then chronological inside the folders.
Files on various topics in the 1960s, including women's liberation and the Black Power Movement. Nash collected booklets, speeches, and articles on these topics.
   Folder 161
Afro-American Curriculum
   Folder 162
Black Students
   Folder 163
Churches and the Black Power Movement
   Folder 164
Ethical Responsibilities of Science
   Folder 165
New Left/Generation Gap/Women's Lib
   Folder 166
Residential College Concept
   Folder 167
ROTC
   Folder 168
Student Strikes
Back to Top
5.8. Travel, 1946-1965.
About 200 items.
Arrangement: chronological.
Correspondence, meeting agendas, and reports relating to Nash's trips around the world. Nash studied the role of religion in the lives and teaching of college and university professors in a variety of countries. Although primarily interested in Christianity, Nash also attended multifaith conferences.
   Folder 169
Asia, Africa and Australia
   Folder 170
England and Scandinavia
   Folder 171-173
Europe
   Folder 174-175
Trip to Asia

Back to Top