Mordecai Fowler Ham papers
Abstract
Descriptive Summary
- Title
- Mordecai Fowler Ham papers
- Date
- 1940-1957 (inclusive)
- Creator
- Ham, M. F. (Mordecai Fowler), Jr.
- Extent
- 1.1 Cubic Feet
- Subjects
- Sermons.
- Baptists -- Clergy.
- Baptists -- Clergy -- Biography.
- Arrangement
- The collection is arranged by format.
- Preferred Citation
- 62m105 : [identification of item], Mordecai Fowler Ham papers, 1940-1957, University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.
- Repository
- University of Kentucky
Collection Overview
- Biography / History
- Baptist preacher, Mordecai Fowler Ham, Jr. (1877-1961) was born in Allen County, Kentucky to Tobias Ham, also a preacher. Ham atteneded Ogden College in Bowling Green, Kentucky. From 1896 until 1900, Ham lived and worked in Chicago, Illinois. An American Independent Baptist evangelist, Ham left his business career and devoted himself full-time to his ministry in 1900. He conducted tent revival meetings across the south, particularly in Texas. His most famous convert was Billy Graham, who was born again in 1934. In addition to tent revivals, Ham preached from his radio show based in Louisville and published a newspaper entitled The Old Kentucky Home Revivalist. Ham's career was hampered by his racist, anti-Catholic, and anti-Semitic rhetoric.
- Ham married Bessie Simmons in 1900. The marriage lasted until her deathin 1905. In 1907, he married Annie Laurie Smith; they had three daughters.
- Scope and Content
- The Mordecai Fowler Ham papers (dated 1940-1957; 1.1 cubic feet; 2 boxes, 1 package) consist of sermons, typescripts, newsletters, and a scrapbook, documenting Ham's career as an evangelist Baptist preacher. The sermons were written by Ham and some of them were broadcast on Ham's radio show. The Civil War scrapbook contains a Boston address directory which has newspaper clippings pasted onto the pages. The book dates are around the year 1851. The original creator of the scrapbook is unknown. The book was found, and then select pages were transcribed and put together into the transcript 'Lost and Found'. While the transcription is undated, the creator was Isabel McLennan McMeekin. The first book does not have a specific title, but the topic discussed is about the Second Coming of Christ. The second book is entitled Battle Front Messages. It is an annotated copy. The biography layout is a book that Edward Ham was writing about the life of Mordecai Ham. The layout is only of pictures and chapter pages that were to be included in the book. The newsletters are a series called Old Kentucky Home Revivalist. They were written and published by Mordecai Ham. The scrapbook has newspaper clippings from the Houston Post and the Galveston News glued onto the pages. The articles are about events in Mordecai Ham's life, they date from November 13, 1906 through January 19, 1907.
Restrictions on Access and Use
- Conditions Governing Access
- Collection is open to researchers by appointment.
- Use Restrictions
- The physical rights to the materials in this collection are held by the University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center.
Contents of the Collection
Sermons, 1940 May-June
Sermons, 1940 June-July
Sermons, 1947
Sermons, 1948
Sermons, undated
The Second Coming typescript, undated
Battle Front Messages typescript, 1950
Ham biography layout, undated
Old Kentucky Home Revivalist newsletter, 1940-1957
Scrapbook, 1906 November 13-1907 January 19
UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center is open Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 4:00pm. Appointments are encouraged but not required. Schedule an appointment here.
Researchers must have an SCRC Researcher Account to request materials. View account set-up and use instructions here.
Questions? Contact SCRC via our Contact Form.
Table of Contents
You may come across language in UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center collections and online resources that you find harmful or offensive. SCRC collects materials from different cultures and time periods to preserve and make available the historical record. These materials document the time period when they were created and the view of their creator. As a result, some may demonstrate racist and offensive views that do not reflect the values of UK Libraries.
If you find description with problematic language that you think SCRC should review, please contact us at SCRC@uky.edu.
UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center is open Monday to Friday, 9:00am to 4:00pm. Appointments are encouraged but not required. Schedule an appointment here.
Researchers must have an SCRC Researcher Account to request materials. View account set-up and use instructions here.
Questions? Contact SCRC via our Contact Form.
Requests
No items have been requested.
You may come across language in UK Libraries Special Collections Research Center collections and online resources that you find harmful or offensive. SCRC collects materials from different cultures and time periods to preserve and make available the historical record. These materials document the time period when they were created and the view of their creator. As a result, some may demonstrate racist and offensive views that do not reflect the values of UK Libraries.
If you find description with problematic language that you think SCRC should review, please contact us at SCRC@uky.edu.
