Mary Hay Ferguson Eller papers
A Guide to the Collection
Overview | ||
| Creator: | Eller, Mary Hay Ferguson | |
| Title: | Mary Hay Ferguson Eller papers | |
| Inclusive Dates: | 1897-1949 | |
| Bulk Dates: | 1906-1930 | |
| Abstract: | Mary Hay Ferguson Eller (1884-1964) was a Methodist laywoman from McKinney, Texas who served in positions of leadership within the North Texas Conference Epworth League and was founder of the Ruby Kendrick Council of Missions. This collection consists of pamphlets, programs, correspondence, minutes, photographs, newspaper and magazine articles, record books, frames, and a scrapbook created or collected by Mary Hay Ferguson Eller and reflecting her experiences in the Woman’s Foreign Missionary Society, the Woman’s Missionary Society, the Epworth League, and the Ruby Kendrick Council of Missions. | |
| Accession No: | BridArch 303.56 | |
| Extent: | 3 boxes (3 linear feet) | |
| Language: | Material is in English | |
| Repository | Bridwell Library, Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University | |
Biographical Note
Mary Hay Ferguson was born in McKinney, Texas in 1884, the daughter of Mary Phillips Ferguson and John Hay Ferguson. As a young adult, Mary Ferguson held leadership positions in the North Texas Conference Epworth League. Her work on behalf of the League included founding the Ruby Kendrick Council of Missions. The Council of Missions promoted missionary vocations and raised money in support of Methodist missions in memory of Ruby Rachel Kendrick (1883-1908). Ruby Kendrick was a young woman from Plano, Texas who died in Korea after serving less than one year in the mission field.
In 1920 Mary Hay Ferguson married banker Horace P. Eller (1878-1965) of McKinney. The Ellers moved to Dallas and joined Grace Methodist Church. Mary Eller served as an officer in the Daughters of the American Revolution, Dallas Patriotic Association, Dallas Federation of Women’s Clubs, Dallas Woman’s Forum, and Women’s Chamber of Commerce. In Dallas, H. P. Eller became a successful banker, attorney, and real estate broker.
Sources:
“Deaths and Funerals.” Dallas Morning News, July 21, 1964, 4.
“Dallas Social Affairs.” Dallas Morning News, November 24, 1920, 10.
Scope and Contents of the Collection
Through publications, correspondence, minutes, photographs, record books, and a scrapbook this collection documents Mary Hay Ferguson Eller’s participation in Methodist Episcopal Church, South-related organizations between 1900 and 1930. Items of special significance include early records of the McKinney District Epworth League and documents from the formation and work of the Ruby Kendrick Council of Missions.
Arrangement of the Collection | ||
| The collection has been arranged into four series: | ||
| Series 1: Epworth League, 1899-1949 | ||
| Series 2: Ruby Kendrick Council of Missions, 1897-1949 | ||
| Series 3: North Texas Conference Missionary Societies, 1904-1914 | ||
| Series 4: Picture Frames, circa 1908-1940 | ||
Restrictions
Access to Collection:
The collection is open for research use. Patrons must sign the Acknowledgement of Legal Responsibility and Privacy Rights form before using this collection.
Publication Rights:
Permission to publish materials must be obtained from the Director of the Bridwell Library.
Copyright Statement:
It is the responsibility of the user to obtain copyright authorization.
Access Terms | ||
| This collection is indexed under the following terms in the Southern Methodist University Libraries' online catalog. Researchers desiring related materials may search the catalog using these terms. | ||
| Eller, Mary Hay Ferguson. | ||
| Kendrick, Ruby. | ||
| Women missionaries -- Korea. | ||
| Methodists -- Texas. | ||
| Epworth League (U.S.) | ||
Related Material
|
For additional material pertaining to missionary work in Korea, see: Alfred W. Wasson papers (BridArch 105.18), Bridwell Library, Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University. For additional material pertaining to Epworth Leagues, see: Collection on the North Texas Epworth League (BridArch 302.23), Bridwell Library, Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University. Mrs. W. B. Wright scrapbook on Epworth League, 1888-1932 (A2006.0019c), DeGolyer Library, Southern Methodist University. |
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Administrative Information
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Mary Hay Ferguson Eller papers, Bridwell Library, Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University.
Acquisition Information
Acquired prior to 1994.
Processing Information
This collection was arranged and described in 2010 by Allison Osborn as the “Ruby Kendrick Council of Missions records.” The collection was reprocessed and renamed in 2012 by Timothy Binkley.
Encoded by
Lara Corazalla, 2011 and Ada Negraru, 2012.
Detailed Description of the Collection