Murray Scott Frame and Alice Seymore Brown Frame papers , 1901-1916

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Frame, Alice Browne, 1878-1941; Frame, Murray Scott
Title
Murray Scott Frame and Alice Seymore Brown Frame papers
Dates
1901-1916 (inclusive)
Quantity
1.75 linear feet, (4 containers)
Collection Number
Ax 421
Summary
Murray Scott Frame (d.1918) was a Congregational missionary and teacher in Lahore, India and Beijing, China, where he witnessed the 1911 Republican Revolution. His brother, John Davidson Frame (b. 1880), was a medical missionary for the Presbyterian Church in Persia. The collection consists of correspondence from the brothers to the family, including Alice Seymour Brown Frame, Murray's wife.
Repository
University of Oregon Libraries, Special Collections and University Archives
UO Libraries--SCUA
1299 University of Oregon
Eugene OR
97403-1299
Telephone: 5413463068
spcarref@uoregon.edu
Access Restrictions

Collection is open to the public. Collection must be used in Special Collections and University Archives Reading Room. Collection or parts of collection may be stored offsite. Please contact Special Collections and University Archives in advance of your visit to allow for transportation time.

Additional Reference Guides

See the Current Collection Guide for detailed description and requesting options.

Languages
English
Sponsor
Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Historical NoteReturn to Top

Murray Scott Frame was a native of Wooster, Ohio. From 1901-1904, he was a teacher in Lahore, India; this was most likely shortly after receiving his Bachelor's degree. In 1904, he returned to the United States and studied at the Union Theological Seminary in New York. After graduating in 1907, he went to Jerusalem and studied at the American Institute of Archaeology, studying the Arabic language. Finishing his work in Jerusalem in 1908, Frame embarked to Europe, traveling through Italy and Austria, on his way to Germany. From 1908 to 1909, he studied Oriental Studies and Higher Criticism at Berlin University, as well as German, privately. In 1909, he returned to New York before embarking on his missionary career in Peking [Beijing], China for the American Board Mission. These periods of his life are marked by a youthful enthusiasm, a love of sports, travel, learning, friends and family.

Raised as a Presbyterian, Frame became a missionary in the Congregational Church. He began his missionary career by studying Chinese. Later he became a full-fledged missionary, acting as an administrator and preaching in Peking and outlying areas. Frame witnessed the Republican revolution in 1911. He married Alice Seymour Brown November 10th, 1913; she was also a missionary. They had three children, two girls, Frances and Rosamond, and a boy, Murray, Jr.; Frances and Murray, Jr. died while they were young. Murray Scott Frame died in 1918.

John Davidson Frame, Murray Scott's brother, was born June 26th, 1880. He became a Presbyterian, medical missionary in Resht, Persia, near Teheran. His letters were written sporadically from 1905 to1942, during his missionary service. He had a wife, Grace, and four children, John, Charles, Murray, who died young, and Jane. His letters reflect periods of unrest in Persia, of civil rebellion and Russian invasion.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

The Murray S. Frame and Alice S. Brown Frame Papers comprise correspondence from Murray S. Frame to his mother and his sister Margaret. It also contains correspondence written by John D. Frame to Margaret. The collection reflects the arrangement of the materials as they were received.

Outgoing Correspondence has been further subdivided into four subseries. Subseries A is Murray S. Frame correspondence that includes letters mostly to his sister, Margaret, and were written from Lahore, India, 1901-1904; New York City, 1904-1907; Jerusalem, 1907-1908; Berlin, 1908-1909; and Peking, China (American Board Mission), 1910 -1916. Some of the correspondence are also to his mother. It includes a total of 234 letters. Subseries B is Alice Brown Frame correspondence (Murray's wife) that also includes outgoing correspondence to Margaret. The letters were written between May 1913 and January 1917. Subseries C includes 94 letters between 1905-1942 from his brother, John Davidson Frame, a Presbyterian medical missionary in Persia to Margaret. Subseries D is Grace Second Frame and Adelaide Frame correspondence to Margaret and other family members. The letters are arranged chronologically within each subseries.

Photographs has only two folders; one contains a picture of Murray S. Frame and friends, and the other folder contains a picture of John D. Frame.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Congregationalists--Missions--China
  • Missionaries, Medical
  • Missionaries--China
  • Missionaries--Iran
  • Missionaries--Palestine
  • Presbyterian Church--Missions--Iran

Personal Names

  • Frame, Alice Browne, 1878-1941
  • Frame, Grace Second
  • Frame, John Davidson
  • Frame, Murray Scott
  • Hoffman, Adelaide Kibbe Frame, 1901-1986

Corporate Names

  • American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions

Geographical Names

  • China--History--Revolution, 1911-1912
  • Iran--History--20th century

Form or Genre Terms

  • Correspondence
  • Photographs