Creator(s): Director of the Library, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary
Date(s): 1880 - 2013, predominant 1950-1993
Extent: 41.57 cu.ft.
Historical Note: Operating since the founding of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, the Library at Southeastern has served students and researchers by providing access to published material and archival resources. Four Directors served the Library From 1953 to 2013. The first, Edwin C. Osburn, served from 1953 to 1966. H. Eugene McLeod was the second Director, serving from 1967 to 1991. The third, Jo S. Philbeck, served from 1992 to 1993. The fourth was Shawn C. Madden, serving from 1994 to 2013. During Dr. McLeod's tenure, in 1974, a design program was put forth for the remodeling of the Library building. The Library was expanded and modified to make it more inviting, functional, and economic-friendly. One particular improvement was the creation of adequate space for archival displays, rare books, and closed shelves for special collections. In 1975, the Library presented its resources online for the first time, providing researchers with an internet database. In 1993, the Library Committee planned to designate what would become the rare book room on the second floor as the "H. Eugene McLeod Special Collections Room." The room was officially dedicated to Dr. McLeod in 1994. This room stores archival materials. During Dr. Madden's tenure the Archives and Special Collections of the Library expanded once more, and the Library added several resources, including the Francis A. Schaeffer papers and John Warwick Montgomery papers to its collection, adding valuable resources to the Archives.
Scope and Contents: This collection contains library records from 1880 to 2013. Included are correspondence, yearly expenditures, donations, academic proposals, a photo album, and newsclippings collected by Library staff. The majority of these materials were written and/or used by four Library Directors: Edwin C. Osburn, H. Eugene McLeod, Jo S. Philbeck, and Shawn C. Madden as well as Archivist James Lutzweiler. Other correspondents include previous presidents and professors of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and financial donors. Resources in this collection are in the form of text, VHS tapes, cassette tapes, CDs and photographs.
Language(s): English
Conditions Governing Access: The majority of the collection is open for research. The Shawn Madden sub-series under series "Library Director records" and the series, Archives Records, are restricted until 2033.
Custodial History: Records transferred to archives and special collections upon close of Director tenure.
Processing History: Arranged and described by Brooke Hughes, Archives Assistant, January 2019. Finding aid created by Brooke Hughes and Jonathan Lawler in January 2019.Finding aid updated with addition of "Southeastern in the News" series by Brooke Hughes and Jonathan Lawler March 2019. Folder Level descriptions added by Drew Dickerson, Assistant Archivist, in January of 2024.
Preferred Citation: Library Services records, Archives and Special Collections, Library at Southeastern, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, Wake Forest, NC.
Repository: Archives and Special Collections, Library at Southeastern, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, Wake Forest, NC
Resource Identifier: IRG.02.06.02
Subjects and Access Points:
Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary
