Paul and Charlotte Reynolds Papers

This collection provides valuable detailed information about the work of missionaries in the North China Mission of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions. It complements other missionary papers available at the Yale Divinity Library, including those of Harold Matthews, Winfield McLean, Percy Watson, Ernest and Olivia Ikenberry, Earle and Thelma Ballou, and the Bright family.

Series I, Correspondence, includes letters written by the Reynolds to and from their family members in the United States as well as letters to and from missionary colleagues and friends, and circular letters.

Series II, Writings and Notes, contains articles and papers by Paul and Charlotte as well as writings of others. A series of letters written by Paul for publication in the Winnetka Weekly Talk in 1924 provide vivid and detailed descriptions of his activities in China. There are also notes and talks prepared by Paul and Charlotte relating to Fenzhou (Fenchow) and other areas where they visited, Chinese customs, as well as reports on events and meetings.

Series III, Collected Material, is largely related to the ABCFM North China mission, providing "on the ground" information about schools, buildings, conferences, etc. There is a fairly complete run of the mission publication "Fenchow" from the years when the Reynolds were in China, 1922-1936.

Series IV, Biographical Documentation, includes personal documents, autobiographical statements, and clippings. Of particular note is the extensive compilation, "Charlotte and Paul Reynolds - a Chronicle", which was prepared by Jo Reynolds, wife of the Reynolds' son Robert, in 1988. This privately published volume includes excerpts from the journal of Charlotte, excerpts from letters and talks, and editorial comment providing the context for the primary source documents.

The Photographs and Slides of Series V are well identified and provide a glimpse into the everyday life of the missionaries and the schools and hospitals with which they were involved. In addition to loose photographs, there are seven albums of photographs with extensive captions. The final box of this collection contains glass lantern slides of buildings, scenes, transportation, and people in China. These slides were used by the Reynolds when they visited churches in the U.S. to talk about their work in China.