Descriptive Summary
Harris Masterson, Jr. Papers,
1894-1920
3 linear ft.
Masterson, Harris, Jr.,
1881-1935
MS 469
Materials are in English.
Woodson Research Center, Fondren Library, Rice
University, Houston, TX
These papers cover
Houston born chaplain and educator Harris Masterson, Jr.'s life from his
schooling through his career with the YMCA. Highlights include correspondence
with family members, photographs, school materials and his career.
Biographical Note
Harris Masterson, Jr., born June 22, 1881, Brazoria, TX, was the son of
Judge Harris Masterson and Sallie Stewart Turner. A graduate of the University
of the South in Sewanee, TN (1904) and the Episcopal Theological School of
Cambridge [Harvard] (1907), Masterson began his career as chaplain of All
Saint's, Austin, TX, 1908-11. He worked with the YMCA in China (Hankow and
Wuchang, 1911-16) and the US (1916-17), and became a Red Cross chaplain in
1918. He came to Houston in 1919 to become the organizer, director and chaplain
of a community house for Rice Institute students, later known as Autry House.
Masterson was active in civic and educational affairs and served in various
positions including chairman of the Building Committee of the Houston Public
Library Board and as a Trustee for the University of the South. In 1925 he
married Elizabeth Simpkins who shared his work with Rice students. The
Mastersons moved to France to work with American students in Paris and returned
to Austin, TX in 1926 for Masterson to become Rector of All Saint's Chapel. He
resigned in Oct. 1935 and died in Austin in Nov. 1935.
Bibliography
Fish, G. Stowe (ed.). Stowe's Clerical Directory
of the American Church, 1932-33. Northfield: G. Stowe Fish, c. 1932.
Masterson and Allied Families. A Genealogical
Study with Biographical Notes. New York: The American Historical
Company, Inc., 1965.
Sewanee Alumni Directory, 1868-1909.
Sewanee: The University Press at the University of the South, 1913.
The Thresher. Houston, TX: Rice Institute,
March 13, 1925.
Ibid. Nov. 15, 1935
Scope and Contents
The collection, totaling nine document boxes, covers Harris Masterson,
Jr.'s life from his schooling through his career with the YMCA. Highlights
include correspondence with family members, photographs, school materials and
his career.
Arrangement
The Harris Masterson, Jr. Papers are arranged in four series:
- Series I: Correspondence, 1898-1920.
Arranged in two sub-series, the General sub-series includes business
correspondence from 1898 to 1914; the Family sub-series includes correspondence
from various family members from 1898-1920.
- Series II: Personal, 1894-1920. This
series includes materials from HMJr.'s schooling, essays, published works, bank
records and genealogical records.
- Series III: YMCA, 1908-1917. Arranged in
two sub-series, China-International YMCA and Army YMCA, the materials include
administrative records, correspondence and published YMCA materials.
- Series IV: Visuals, n.d. This series
includes postcards and photographs of the locations HMJr. visited and served
during his career with the YMCA and his personal life.
Access RestrictionsNo access restrictions; this material is
open for research.
Use Restrictions
Permission to publish material from the Harris Masterson, Jr. Papers
must be obtained from the Woodson Research Center, Fondren Library.
Index Terms
Personal subject:
Masterson family -
Correspondence.
Masterson family -
Portraits.
Corporate subject:
Autry House (Houston,
Tex.).
YMCA Army Educational
Commission.
International Committee of
Young Men's Christian Associations of North America.
Young Men's Christian
Association (Wuhan, China).
Subjects:
Episcopal
Church|xClergy|vCorrespondence.
Young Men's Christian
Associations of China.
FORMATS:
Correspondence.
Notes.
Postcards.
Photographs.
Processing Information
The collection originally was placed in Hollinger boxes without any
preservation or organizational efforts. Some of the collection had been wet and
mildewed; concerns have been addressed. Since the papers were subdivided from a
much larger collection, the Masterson Family Collection, information about the
Masterson family and business, cultural and social life of Houston may also be
found in complementary collections of the Judge Harris Masterson Papers MS#468
and Harris Masterson, III Papers MS#470.
Related MaterialJudge Harris Masterson Papers MS#468
Harris Masterson, III Papers MS#470
James Lockhart Autry Papers addenda MS#412
Autry House; Carroll and Harris Masterson, III; Neill T. Masterson and
Libbie J. Masterson information/vertical files, Woodson Research Center.
Preferred Citation
Harris Masterson, Jr. Papers, 1894-1920, MS 469, Woodson Research
Center, Fondren Library, Rice University
Acquisition Information
The papers originally were part of the deposit of the Masterson Family
Collection given by Harris Masterson, III (HMJr.'s nephew) in 1966. They were
separated from the original deposit in May, 1998.
Detailed Description of the Collection
1-2
Series I: Correspondence,
1898-1920
1 1-7
Subseries A: General,
1898-1917
1 1
Houston Transfer and Carriage Company,
1907-14
1 2
Houston Transfer and Carriage Company
1 3
Esther H. Sharp to HMJr.,
1900-03
1 4
J.P. Murdoch to HMJr.,
1898-1902
1 5
Nora Macclean to HMJr.,
1898-1900, n.d.
1 6
Wm. Alexander Percy,
1900-04
1 7
HMJr. letters, misc.,
1898-1917
2 1-10
Subseries B: Family,
1898-1920
2 1
Sis [Roene Masterson Cage] to
HMJr.,
1898-1902
2 2
Chaille Margaret Jones [cousin?] to HMJr.,
1900
2 3
Annie Masterson [aunt] to HMJr.,
1900
2 4
Christiana Masterson [grandmother] to HMJr.,
1898, n.d.
2 5
Mary Masterson [cousin] to HMJr.,
1898-1900
2 6
LJM [step-mother] to HMJr.,
1898-1903
2 7
Elliott Cage [brother-in-law] to HMJr.,
1899-1903
2 8
Leigh C. Masterson [cousin] to HMJr.,
1989-1903
2 9
Neill T. Masterson [brother] to HMJr.,
1898-1900, n.d.
2 10
Harris Masterson [father] to HMJr.,
1898-1920
3-4
Series II: Personal,
1894-1920
3 1
Diary,
My Thoughts,
1894-c. 1899
3 2
Logic notebook,
n.d.
3 3
Notes,
1902-04
3 4
The Parochial Register, or Rector's Private
Record,
c.1909
3 5
HMJr. published work,
An Adamite,
1912
3 6
Essays,
c. 1901-10
3 7
University of the South, Sewanee, TN, receipts/corresp.,
1899-1904
3 8
Episcopal Theological School at Harvard,
1904-06
3 9
Sermons, religious materials,
1900-1915
4 1
Misc. vouchers, receipts, checks,
1900-20
4 2
Bank records,
c. 1898-1921
4 3
Masterson and related families genealogical
materials
4 4
Misc. materials
4 5
Misc. correspondence envelopes
5-8
Series III: YMCA,
1908-1917
5-6
Subseries A: China, International YMCA
5 1-6
Sub-subseries 1. General
5 1
Reports, statements, financial,
c. 1910-14
5 2
Reports, statements, financial,
c. 1911-15
5 3
Sermons, notes, prayers,
n.d.
5 4
Published materials, newsclips,
c. 1911-16
5 5
Receipts,
1910-14
5 6
Personal,
c. 1912-14
5-6
Sub-subseries 2.: Correspondence
5 7
General
5 8
Fletcher S. Brockman to HMJr.,
1912-15, n.d.
5 9
Edward Fitzgerald to HMJr.,
1906-08
5 10
A.S. Lloyd to HMJr.,
1915-16, n.d.
5 11
Hugh A. Moran to HMJr.,
1911-14, n.d.
5 12
J.R. Mott to HMJr.,
1913-15
5 13
L.H. Roots to HMJr.,
1908-15, n.d.
5 14
Archie T.L. Tsen to HMJr.,
1914-15
5 15
James H. Wallace to HMJr.,
1914, n.d.
5 16
Ling Wei to HMJr.,
1914-15, 1917, n.d.
5 17
H.A. Wilbur to HMJr.,
1914-15
5 18
Misc. correspondence envelopes
6
Pamphlets/booklets/flyers related to China YMCA and
missionary work
7-8
Subseries B: ARMY YMCA
7 1
Administration,
c. 1916-17
7 2
Correspondence,
1915-17
7 3
Course work/lectures
7 4
Financial,
1917
7 5
Newsclips, publications
7 6
Rosters, subscriptions,
1916-17
7 7
Misc.
8
Pamphlets/booklets/flyers related to YMCA and
Army
9 1-18
Series IV: Visuals,
n.d.
9 1-11
Subseries A: Postcards
9 1
California
9 2
Cambridge, Massachusetts
9 3
East Northfield, Massachusetts
9 4
North Carolina
9 5
Texas
9 6
Mount Vernon and Alexandria, Virginia
9 7
China
9 8
Europe
9 9
Great Britain
9 10
Japan
9 11
US Army and YMCA, World War I
9 12-18
Subseries B: Photographs
9 12
YMCA and Army
9 13
School
9 14
Places
9 15
Individuals
9 16
Groups
9 17
Individuals and groups-see information
9 18
Negatives with prints made by AFM [Andrew Forest Muir],
1957