Historical Note

The Wesleyan Bible Class was founded in 1880 by Calla Scott Willard, with twelve boys as members. Over the next sixteen years, the class was taught by six different teachers and then disbanded. In September, 1896, the class was reorganized under Frank L. Wood (1864-1945) with twenty-seven members. Wood continued to lead and teach the class until his death forty-eight years later. At its height, the class numbered some 900, although membership included persons in forty states and twelve foreign countries. Nevertheless, attendance was large, being on the average 626 per meeting in 1940. The motto of the class was "Search the Scriptures" and throughout its history the emphasis remained that of Bible study. Rather than being linked to one congregation, it was designed to serve all churches on the west side of Chicago. While Weslayen/Methodist in doctrine, the class stressed an interdenominational character. The class met on Sunday afternoons so as not to conflict with the Sunday School and Church programs of any o the congregations to which its members belonged. From its founding until 1929, the class met at the Western Avenue Methodist Episcopal Church on the Near West Side at the corner of Western Avenue and Monroe Street. When that Church building was closed, the class moved to the Olivet Methodist Episcopal Church at the corner of Adams and Keeler in the West Garfield Park neighborhood.

Following the death of Frank L. Wood in 1945, the class officially disbanded and a "Wesleyan Association" was founded to keep the members together via occasional social fellowship. But not many months had gone past before the class members had reorganized and prevailed upon the current pastor of Olivet Methodist Church to teach it. The Wesleyan Bible Class was instrumental in starting other Wesleyan classes, and in its annual "Other Class Sunday" program invited all these other classes to join it for a day, and attendance at these events often numbered 800.

Scope and Content

This collection contains primarily materials produced by the Wesleyan Bible Class to advertise its meetings. The folders are arranged alphabetically. The largest series are Anniversaries (1:1-44), Newsletters (2:10-19), and Programs and invitations (2:21-3:7). The collection documents the heavy publicity campaign which the class used to make itself known in the Church community and to the public in general.

Of particular note are programs in the Anniversaries section which are elaborate paper cuts. Included are programs in the shape of a maple leaf (1:3), a writing pen (1:6), a fishing basket with fish (1:10), a sailboat (1:11), a star of David (1:12), an American flag (1:13), a bell (1:17), the number 4 (1:18), a palette (1:19), a radio microphone (1:22), a hatchet (1:25), and a shoe (1:27).

Separation Record:
The following materials have been removed from the Collection and transferred to the locations listed below:

Transferred to the Chicago City-Wide Collection (Supplement 4)-Biography:
Gunsaulus, Frank Wakely (1856-1921)-Memorial Service program

Transferred to the Suburbia Collection:
Irving Park-Churches-Presbyterian Reformed Church-The Church Bell; July
1910

Provenance

The material in this collection was collected by Wesleyan Bible Class member Mabel Kennicott, who lived at 300 Hamilton Avenue, Chicago. Miss Kennicott spearheaded the attempt to hear from past class members for the 1951 and 1952 reunions. Additional material was originally cataloged as part of the West Garfield Park Community Collection (WGP), box 4 folder 9. Additional information on the class and class teacher Frank L. Wood is available in the West Garfield Park Community Collection, box 1 folder 15. Woods' scrapbooks are cataloged separately as the Frank L. Wood Collection (WOOD).

Processed by Galen R. Wilson, April 1993.

Access

The Wesleyan Bible Class Records are available to the public for research in the Special Collections and Preservation Division Reading Room on the 9th floor of the Harold Washington Library Center, 400 South State Street, Chicago, Illinois, 60605. The collection does not circulate although photocopy and photoreproduction services are available depending upon the condition of the original materials. First time patrons to Special Collections must present a photo identification and complete a Reader Registration Form. Telephone inquiries on this collection and other Special Collections holdings can be directed to 312-747-4875.

Box and Folder Inventory

BOX 1

1. Anniversaries--25th; 1905 [See also WBC Oversize 1]
2. Anniversaries--26th; 1906
3. Anniversaries--27th; 1907
4. Anniversaries--28th; 1908
5. Anniversaries--30th; 1910
6 . Anniversaries--31st; 1911
7. Anniversaries--32nd; 1912
8. Anniversaries--33rd; 1913
9. Anniversaries--34th; 1914
10. Anniversaries--36th; 1916
11. Anniversaries--37th; 1917
12. Anniversaries--38th; 1918
13. Anniversaries--39th; 1919
14. Anniversaries--40th; 1920
15. Anniversaries--41st; 1921
16. Anniversaries--42nd; 1922
17. Anniversaries--43rd; 1923
18. Anniversaries--44th; 1924
19. Anniversaries--45th; 1925
20. Anniversaries--47th; 1927
21. Anniversaries--48th; 1928
22. Anniversaries--49th; 1929
23. Anniversaries--50th; 1930
24. Anniversaries--51st; 1931
25. Anniversaries--52nd; 1932
26. Anniversaries--53rd; 1933
27. Anniversaries--54th; 1934
28. Anniversaries--55th; 1935
29. Anniversaries--56th; 1936
30. Anniversaries--57th; 1937
31. Anniversaries--58th; 1938
32. Anniversaries--59th; 1939
33. Anniversaries--60th; 1940
34. Anniversaries--61st; 1941
35. Anniversaries--62nd; 1942
36. Anniversaries--63rd; 1943
37. Anniversaries--64th; 1944
38. Anniversaries--66th; 1946
39. Anniversaries--67th; 1947
40. Anniversaries--68th; 1948
41. Anniversaries--69th; 1949
42. Anniversaries--70th; 1950
43. Anniversaries--71st; 1951
44. Anniversaries--72nd; 1952

BOX 2

1. Barnes, James (English visitor to WBC)-Program for reception; 1907
2. Caravans to Malden, IL (home of Frank L. Wood); 1941-42
3. Death notices and memorial services
4. Horowitz, Charles I. (President of WBC)-Send-off supper; 1914
5. Letters-Annual letters, anniversary letters, quarterly letters from Frank L. Wood; 1908-42 [See also WBC Oversize 2]
6. Newsclips-The Bible Class; 1906
7. Newsclips-The Church World; [1910s]
8. Newsclips-Our Church Paper; [1930s]
9. Newsclips-Miscellaneous
10. Newsletters-The Wesleyan Advocate; 1908 Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr
11. Newsletters-The Wesleyan Advocate; 1909 Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, June, July
12. Newsletters-The Wesleyan Advocate; 1910 Jan, Feb, Mar
13. Newsletters-The Wesleyan; 1910 May, June, Aug, Dec
14. Newsletters-The Wesleyan; 1911 Jan, Feb, Mar, June, July, Sep
15. Newsletters-The Wesleyan; 1912 Apr, May, June, July, Sep, Oct
16. Newsletters-The Vacationite; 1926 Oct 4
17. Newsletters-Olivet Methodist Episcopal Advocate; 1935 Nov, 1938 Nov
18. Newsletters-Wesleyan (v.1, n.1,2); 1939-40
19. Newsletters-Olivet Methodist Messenger; 1949 Oct
20. Olivet Methodist Church-50th Anniversary program; 1939
21. Programs and invitations-Children's Day
22. Programs and invitations-Christmas
23. Programs and invitations-Easter
24. Programs and invitations-June Recitals; 1913-20
25. Programs and invitations-Lee, Philip Yung (China missionary); 1939-44
26. Programs and invitations-Memorial Day/Armistice Day/Patriotic rallies
27. Programs and invitations-Miscellaneous
28. Programs and invitations-Mother's Day
29. Programs and invitations-Move from Western M.E. to Olivet M.E.; 1929

BOX 3

1. Programs and invitations-"Other Class Sunday"-1st -3rd ; 1927-1929
2. Programs and invitations-"Other Class Sunday"-4th-6th; 1930-32
3. Programs and invitations-"Other Class Sunday"-7th-9th; 1933-35
4. Programs and invitations-"Other Class Sunday"-11th -13th; 1937-1939
5. Programs and invitations-"Other Class Sunday"-14th-16th; 1940-42
6. Programs and invitations-Recitals
7. Programs and invitations-Thanksgiving
8. Song Sheets and poetry
9. Western trip (British Columbia and California); 1926 June-July
10. Willard, Calla Scott (Founder of WBC)-Programs honoring; 1925, 1929
11. Wood, Frank L. (WBC Teacher)-Khaki and Blue (Chicago: Abington Press, 1918)
12. Wood, Frank L.-The Layman's Galilean (Chicago: Grant's Printery, 1938)
13. Wood, Frank L.-Miscellaneous writings
14. Wood, Frank L.-Personal

OVERSIZE FOLDERS

Oversize 1 Anniversaries-25th; 1905
Oversize 2 Letters-Annual letters; 1916-1930

PHOTOGRAPHS

Photos 1.1 to 1.15 are postcards, produced in the first decade of the 20th century.

1.1 Banquet in honor of Mr. and Mrs. James Barnes, May 6, 1907
1.2 Baseball games, Desplaines camp ground, "The Victors"
1.3 The class in session, February 23, 1908
1.4 A few of its many nationalities [composite photo of class members of foreign countries]
1.5 Getting ready for an anniversary
1.6 Mr. and Mrs. James Barnes of Liverpool, England, and the "English Committee"
1.7 The old class home. Last used February 9th, 1902
1.8 Our absent members are in 42 states [map of United States]
1.9 Our only honorary members, Mr. and Mrs. James Barnes
1.10 Picnic, Forest Glen, Ill., July 4, 1907
1.11 Quarter century anniversary banquet, October 20, 1905
1.12 Reading desk presented by Mr. and Mrs. James Barnes
1.13 Sent by a visitor, framed and hung on the class room wall [plaque], 1899
1.14 Two of our absent members..Berkeley, California
1.15 [Wood, Frank L.]

Photos 2.1 to 3.9 are 3.5" x 5.5" black and white snapshots.

2.1-2.14 Caravan to Malden, Ill., 1941
3.1-3.9 Caravan to Malden, Ill., 1942 [includes photos of Frank L. Wood's boyhood home]

Photo 4.1 is a 6 ¾" x 8 ½" print

4.1 [Historical pageant] May not be the Wesleyan Bible Class; photo is unidentified.
There appear to be 45 stars on the U.S. flag which would indicate a date of prior to 1907.