Clara Pearl Dyer papers , 1935-1941

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Dyer, Clara Pearl, 1875-
Title
Clara Pearl Dyer papers
Dates
1935-1941 (inclusive)
Quantity
0.25 linear feet, (1 containers)
Collection Number
A 198
Summary
Clara Dyer was a Methodist missionary in Ch'angli, Hopei (Hopeh) Province, northern China from the early to mid-twentieth century. The collection includes personal letters and reports that reflect her missionary work.
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

Clara Dyer (1875-1966) served as a Methodist missionary in Ch'angli, Hopei (Hopeh) Province, in northern China, during much of the first half of the twentieth century. Dyer appears to have begun missionary work in China in 1908; by 1931 she taught girls at the Alderman School in Ch'angli. As an experienced missionary, Dyer sent letters updating her friends and family approximately every six months. Dyer remained in China even after the all-out war between China and Japan began in 1937. The collection does not contain information on Dyer after 1941.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

The Clara Pearl Dyer Letters from Ch'angli, China is a slim assemblage of personal letters and reports sent by Dyer to family and supporters in the U.S. between 1931 and 1941. Letters documenting her missionary work during the preceding two decades are not a part of this collection.

Dyer served as a missionary at the Alderman School and instructed girls. Her letters offer insights into evangelical work among students and their proselytizing in local, Ch'angli communities. Dyer indicates that the Alderman School is associated with the Gamewell School in Tientsin, so researchers should look for additional information on Methodist missionary work in northern China in The Myra Jaquet Papers (A 180) and The Myra Snow Correspondence (A 186).

Because of Dyer's many years of missionary service, her 1930s letters offer some insights into how political events changed her daily routines. She described how banditry expanded after the Japanese took control of northern China-including Ch'angli-in 1931. She discussed the all-out war between Japan and China that began in 1937 and how this conflict affected their friends and converts as well as missionary activities. Dyers letters end shortly before the U.S. entry into World War II.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Brigands and robbers--China--Changli Xian
  • Evangelistic work--China--Changli Xian
  • Methodist women--China--Correspondence
  • Missions, American--China
  • Schools--China--Changli Xian
  • Sino-Japanese War, 1937-1945
  • Teachers--China--Changli Xian--Correspondence
  • Women Christian educators--China--Correspondence
  • Women evangelists--China--Changli Xian
  • Women missionaries--China--Correspondence

Corporate Names

  • Alderman School (Changli Xian, China)

Geographical Names

  • China--Politics and government--1928-1937
  • China--Social conditions--1912-1949
  • China--Social life and customs--1912-1949

Form or Genre Terms

  • Correspondence