Guide to the William Porter Ames Collection William Porter Ames papers, 1879-1964

Guide to the William Porter Ames Collection

William Porter Ames papers, 1879-1964


COLLECTION SUMMARY
Repository:	University of Kansas Kenneth Spencer Research Library Kansas Collection 1450 Poplar Lane, Lawrence, KS 66045-7616 Phone: (785)864-4334 Fax: (785)864-5803 URL: http://spencer.lib.ku.edu Finding aid prepared by lgg, 1973 Finding aid encoded by skt, 2006
Creator:	Ames, William Porter, 1879-1964
Title:	William Porter Ames papers, 1879-1964
Dates:	1905-1964
Quantity:	405 items
Abstract:	The collection contains a chronological record of William P. Ames' career (including church bulletins, documents and correspondence), drafts of sermons, prayers and speeches, poems (primarily unpublished), a vacation scrapbook and diary, and a historical sketch of Indian education at Haskell Institute, Lawrence, KS.
Identification:	RH MS 13
Language(s):	English

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

William Porter Ames Collection , Kansas Collection, Multiple Call Numbers, Kenneth Spencer Research Library, University of Kansas Libraries

Acquisition Information

Gift, William P. Ames, 1937,1965

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Restrictions

Restrictions on Access

None

Restrictions on Use

Spencer Library staff may determine use restrictions dependent on the physical condition of manuscript materials.

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INDEX TERMS

Names:

Dale, La Vergne, jt. aut.

Organizations:

Haskell Indian Junior College, Lawrence, Kansas. History.

Subjects:

Clergy. Correspondence, reminiscences, etc.

Diaries.

Indians of North America. Education.

1886-1936.

1905-1964

1960

Congregational Church. Clergy.

Minnesota. Description and travel.

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BIOGRAPHY of William Porter Ames, 1879-1964

William P. Ames was born in Grant, Montana, in 1879 and at the age of twenty-six completed his theological studies at Bangor Theological Seminary, Bangor, Maine in 1905. On June 23d, 1909, William Ames graduated from Bates College, Lewiston, Maine, and actually began his ministerial career as a Congregational pastor. Prior to settling in Lawrence, Kansas in 1932, he held several pastorates, including assignments at Hamilton, Missouri, Beverly, Kansas, Grand Marais, Minnesota, as well as many others. From 1932 to 1952, William Ames was employed by the State Geological Survey and the University of Kansas. Upon retirement, he remained in Lawrence, Kansas, and served as Douglas County Assessor for nearly a decade. In 1962, he was appointed as a minister of visitation to the Plymouth Congregational Church, Lawrence, Kansas. In addition to his ministerial duties, Ames was well-known locally as a writer of both prone and poetry and was active in the Lawrence 'Writers Workshop. William Ames died on July 2, 1964. An obituary notice in the Lawrence Journal-World indicates William Ames was born in Marshfield, Minnesota and was a graduate of Yale University.

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COLLECTION DESCRIPTION


RH MS 13 Correspondence and memorabilia, 1905-1964 399 items
	The first portion is a chronological record of William Ames' career from his graduation in 1905 to his last ministerial duty in 1964 at Lawrence, Kansas. Included in these records are church bulletins, documents and correspondence relating to Ames' ministerial accomplishments. The latter portion of the collection contains the drafts for a number of sermons, prayers, and speeches delivered by Ames throughout his career. In addition there are miscellaneous papers on Haskell Institute and Ames' work with the Lawrence Writers Workshop.
1.	Correspondence, pamphlets, etc., Bangor Theological Seminary, Bangor, Maine.
2.	Correspondence, pamphlets, etc., Bates College, Lewiston, Maine, 1907-1909.
3.	Correspondence, pamphlets, etc., Pacific Union Church, Wesport, Massachusetts, 1908-1911.
4.	Bulletins, etc., Congregational Church, Cheney, Washington, 1916-1917.
5.	Bulletins, etc., First Congregational Church, Laurel and Red Lodge, Montana, 1918-1920.
6.	Bulletins, etc., First Congregational Church, Monticello,Iowa, 1920-1922.
7.	Bulletins, etc., Frisbie House, Iowa State College, 1922-1923.
8.	Bulletins, etc., First Congregational Church, Hamilton, Missouri, 1923-1924.
9.	Bulletins, etc., Congregational Church, hilcox, Montana, 1924-1927.
10.	Bulletins, etc., Community Church, Beverly, Kansas, 1929-1930.
11.	Bulletins, etc., Congregational Church, Grand Marais, Minnesota, 1931-1932.
12.	Employment records, State Geological Survey and University of Kansas, 1936-1952.
13.	Correspondence, pamphlets, etc., Stanley Community Church, Stanley, Kansas, 1949-1951.
14.	Records, etc., City Assessor, Lawrence, Kansas, 1955-1964.
15.	Bulletins, etc., Plymouth Congregational Church, Lawrence, Kansas, 1962-1964.
16.	Sermon, "The Serpent and the Sceptre," 1913.
17.	Sermon, "The Sparrow Life and The Eagle Life," 1913.
18.	Sermon, "Singing the Lord's Song in a Strange Land," 1915.
19.	Sermon, "The Second Chance: Hereafter," 1915.
20.	Sermon, "Memorial Day Address," 1924.
21.	Sermonette, "Golden Wedding Occasion," 1935.
22.	Sermon, "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," 1942.
23.	Sermon, "The Straight Gate and The Narrow Way," 1947.
24.	Sermon, "Our Castles in Spain," 1949.
25.	Sermon, "For their Sakes," 1950.
26.	Sermon, "A Song of Going to Church," 1951.
27.	Published sermons, 1913 and 1930.
28.	Prayers, 1915-1932.
29.	Correspondence, 1923.
30.	Correspondence, 1928.
31.	Writings and speeches, 1944-1962.
32.	Miscellaneous papers on the Bible.
33.	Haskell Institute, playbills, maps, documents.
34.	Haskell Institute, miscellaneous.


RH MS D90 A scrapbook and diary about William Ames' 1960 vacation to Lake Superior's north shore and to Grand Marais, Minnesota, ca. 1960. 31p. 26.5cm. illustrations. Typewritten, with tipped in photos, leaflets, etc. Bound in birchbark.


RH MS D120 Highlights of Haskell Institute, a brief sketch of the half century of Indian education at Haskell Institute, Lawrence, Kansas, by Rev. William P. Ames, assisted by La Vergne Dale. Lawrence, Kansas, 1936. 55 p. 29 cm. appendices. 2 copies.
	Ames historical sketch is based on the annual reports of the various superintendents of Haskell Institute, files of The Indian Leader, the student newspaper, and "various printed and verbal accounts gathered from numerous sources." Two appendices, "Superintendents of Haskell Institute" and "The Indian Reorganization Act" are appended.


RH MS C27 Birchbark and Redbuds, 1930 to 1960. 69p. 22 cm. Typewritten, with handwritten corrections and notes.
	A collection of poems, mostly unpublished, written over the years from 1930 to 1960. The volume was designed by Ames.


RH MS C29 My garden of roses. To Daisy's rose garden by William. Long poem written June, 1955. 12 p. 25 cm. Handwritten, with flower decorations cut from seed catalogs. Book designed by the author.


RH MS C28 Verses in lighter vein, 1959. 24p. 21.5 cm.
	A volume of poems written int he late 1950s and early 1960s. Most of the poems are unpublished.

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