Skip to Main Content

Archives and Special Collections at Southeastern: Maddry, Charles E. papers

This guide is designed to introduce researchers to Archives and Special Collections at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Charles E. Maddry papers, 1902-1981 predominant 1908-1920

Creator(s): Maddry, Charles E., 1876-1962
Date(s): 1902-1981, predominant 1908-1920
Extent: 1.25 cubic feet
Biographical Note:
Charles Maddry was born April 10, 1876, in Orange County, North Carolina. He grew up in the area surrounding Hillsborough and Chapel Hill, and would attend the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, where he earned a Bachelor of Philosophy.  After UNC-CH, Maddry would attend Southern Baptist Seminary (Louisville, Kentucky). After completing his degree at seminary, and a brief stint as Superintendent of Orange County (NC) Schools, Maddry entered the ministry. His first full-time pastorate was at the First Baptist Church of Hillsborough (NC), where he would serve from 1902 to 1904. Maddry left FBC Hillsborough for College Park Baptist Church (Greensboro, NC), where he would serve from 1906-1909, before going to First Baptist Church of Statesville (NC) for two years. In 1911, Maddry relocated to Raleigh, North Carolina when he was called as pastor of Tabernacle Baptist Church.  Maddry would leave Raleigh in 1916 for Austin, Texas, where he served as pastor of University Baptist Church, and remained in Austin until 1921. While in Texas, Maddry served as the moderator of the Austin Baptist Association, and also earned a degree from the University of Texas.
In 1921, Maddry returned to North Carolina and took the position of Executive Secretary of the North Carolina State Baptist Convention. He remained in this capacity until 1932, when he relocated to Richmond, Virginia, to be the Executive Secretary of the Foreign Mission Board (modern-day International Mission Board). When he took his position at the Foreign Mission Board (FMB) the institution was in dire financial straits. Maddry worked tirelessly to improve the finances of the FMB and made great strides improving the financial compensation and security of SBC missionaries. In 1951, Maddry once again returned to North Carolina, and he also returned to FBC Hillsborough as pastor before finally retiring in 1954. During the course of his career Maddry would author five books, and numerous articles, before his death in 1962. 
Related Materials: Charles Edward Maddry papers #3593, Southern Historical Collection, The Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. https://finding-aids.lib.unc.edu/03593/# 

Scope and Contents: 
Materials in this collection predominantly represent the early years of Maddry’s ministry. The majority of materials are Maddry's sermons created between there years of 1902 and 1920. Other materials included in the collection are notes from addresses given by Maddry, church bulletins,  personal correspondence, and poems.

Language(s): English
Conditions Governing Access: This collection is open for research.
Processing History: Finding aid created by Charles Haley, Archives Assistant, October 2018.
Preferred Citation: Charles E. Maddry papers, 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: ARC 025
Subjects and Access Points:
North Carolina Baptist Convention
Foreign Mission Board
International Mission Board
North Carolina Baptists
First Baptist Church, Hillsborough, NC