PITTS THEOLOGY LIBRARY
ARCHIVES AND MANUSCRIPTS DEPT.

AINSWORTH, WILLIAM NEWMAN, BISHOP, 1872-1942.
Papers, 1893-1942.

MANUSCRIPT NUMBER 283

EXTENT:  2 cubic ft. (3 legal sized archives boxes and 1 oversized legal archives box)

ACCESS: Unrestricted

REPRODUCTION: All requests subject to limitations noted in departmental policies on reproduction.

COPYRIGHT: Information on copyright (literary rights) available from repository.

CITATION:  Bishop William Newman Ainsworth Papers, MSS 283, Archives and Manuscripts Dept., Pitts Theology Library, Emory University.

Biographical Note
William Newman Ainsworth was born in Camilla, Georgia on February 10, 1872. Ainsworth graduated from Emory College in 1891 and was admitted into the South Georgia Conference. At the age of 37 he accepted the position as President of Wesleyan College, where he served for three years. He was elected a Bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South in 1918 and he served until 1938. During this time he represented the church in many national and international conferences. His Episcopal duties covered Conferences and Missions in Texas, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Virginia, Georgia, Cuba, China, Japan, and Korea.

Ainsworth was married to Miss Mary Nicholson in 1893, and together they had two sons. Bishop Ainsworth died on July 7, 1942.
Scope and Content Note

This collection consists of clippings, correspondence, sermons, and papers from throughout the life and work of Bishop Ainsworth.  Included are items from his presidency at Wesleyan College in Macon, Georgia, as well as from his time as Bishop in the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. The clippings cover much of Bishop Ainsworth’s work on prohibition, including a major run-in with Mayor James L. Key of Atlanta, as well as many articles published in Christian Advocates throughout the southeast. There is a scrapbook included that mostly consists of items relating to his appointment as Bishop. The bulk of the collection consists of sermons, most of which are untitled and undated. Topics covered in the sermons include prohibition, evangelism, John Wesley, the state of the country/world, and evolution. There are also a multitude of special occasion sermons delivered at commencements, annual conferences, and various holidays. Also, included in the collection are memoirs for Bishop Ainsworth after his passing. 

CONTAINER LISTING
Box/Folder      Description                                  		Dates
1/1		Certificates and licenses				1893-1930
		Correspondence:
1/2		   General						1899-1942
1/3		   Letters to the editor(s)				1933-1938
1/4		   Mission work in Orient and Russia			1929
		Clippings:
1/5		   Christian Advocate articles by Ainsworth		1918-1941
1/6		   Christian Advocate articles by Ainsworth –
      			photocopies					1918-1941
1/7		   Mayor Key of Atlanta					1933
1/8		   Mayor Key of Atlanta – photocopies			1933
1/9		   Miscellaneous					1925-1938
1/10		   Miscellaneous – photocopies				1925-1938
1/11		   Missionary work in China				1930
1/12		   Missionary work in China – photocopies		1930
1/13		   Prohibition						1907-1933
1/14		   Prohibition – photocopies				1907-1933
		   Sermons:
1/15		      “Crises in Human Life” and “Four Great
			 Sinners”					n.d.
1/16		      “Crises in Human Life” and “Four Great
			 Sinners” – photocopies				n.d.
1/17		      “Father, Mother, Boys, and Home”			1907
1/18		      “Father, Mother, Boys, and Home” –
			 photocopies					1907
1/19		      “Four Sermons on Religious Doubt”			1906
1/20	      	      “Four Sermons on Religious Doubt” – 
			 photocopies					1906
1/21		      Miscellaneous					1908-1930
1/22		      Miscellaneous – photocopies			1908-1930
1/23		      “Sermon for Aged” and “Confederate Sermons and
			 Addresses”					1903-1906
1/24		      “Sermon for Aged” and “Confederate Sermons and
			 Addresses” – photocopies			1903-1906
1/25		      “Sermons on general themes”			1905-1907
1/26		      “Sermons on general themes” – photocopies		1905-1907
1/27		      “Sermons on politics”				1932
1/28		      “Sermons on politics” – photocopies		1932
1/29		      “Ten Commandments series”				1905-1907
1/30		      “Ten Commandments series” – photocopies		1905-1907
		Memoirs:
2/1		   Memoirs						1942
2/2		   Memoirs – clippings					1942
2/3		   Memoirs – clippings – photocopies			1942
		Scrapbook:
4/1		   Scrapbook						1899-1918
4/2		   Scrapbook – photocopies				1899-1918
4/3		   Scrapbook – loose clippings				1894-1924
4/4		   Scrapbook – loose clippings – photocopies		1894-1924
4/5		   Scrapbook – loose letters				1918
4/6		   Scrapbook – loose miscellaneous materials		1904-1938
		Sermons:
2/4		   Incomplete						n.d.
		   Scriptural:
2/5		      New Testament					n.d.
2/6		      Old Testament					n.d.
		   Series:
2/7		      “After Death – What?”				n.d.
2/8		      “What a Man Owes __________”			n.d.
		   Special Occasions:
2/9		      Addresses						n.d.
2/10		      Annual Conferences				n.d.
2/11		      Colleges and commencements			n.d.  
2/12		      Funerals/Memorial services			n.d.
2/13		      Holidays						n.d.
2/14		      Miscellaneous					n.d.
3/1		      Pastor’s school					n.d.
		   Topical:
3/2		      China						n.d.
3/3		      Christ						n.d.
3/4		      Evangelism					n.d.
3/5		      Evolution						n.d.
3/6		      John Wesley					n.d.
3/7		      Methodist Church					n.d.
3/8		      Miscellaneous					n.d.
3/9		      Prohibition					n.d.
3/10		      State of the Country/World			n.d.
3/11		      The Preacher himself				n.d.
		Miscellaneous:
3/12		   Alabama Conference of MEC, South			1928, n.d.
3/13		   Bishop James Cannon, Jr. controversy			1931
3/14		   Bishop James Cannon, Jr. controversy – 
   			photocopies 					1931
3/15		   Wesleyan College Board of Trustees			1912-1942


Last Modified: 04/01/2005