Collections : [Central Michigan University Clarke Historical Library]

The collection contains the sermons, newspaper articles, and research of The Reverend Father John H. Goodrow.

These sermons provide an interesting perspective on the ideals of the turbulent years of the 1960s and 1970s, such as discrimination, discussed in a sermon written for July 9, 1972. Such topics were also covered within articles Father Goodrow wrote for the Daily Times of Mount Pleasant, Michigan, which are in this collection. Most of the articles that could be dated within this collection were written during the 1970s and range in topics, including articles discussing South Africa and the United States (1971), community restoration (1973), President Nixon (1974), Indian discrimination (undated), and even an article on cats (undated). Father Goodrow also wrote for other publications, such as The Christian Challenge and The Living Church and local newspapers including the Morning Sun and CMLife. Materials collected to add St. John’s Episcopal Church to the National Register of Historic Places, 1981, complete the collection. For more information about the church, see the finding aid and catalog record for its collection which is also housed in the Clarke.

Processing Note: Acidic materials (1 cubic foot) were copied and the originals were returned to the donor as requested.

Papers include biographical materials, correspondence, journals, writings, including essays and poems, and item-level index cards.

The collection includes Pitezel’s correspondence mostly to family and friends (with notes and related materials), journals, and writings (essays and a poem), many of which later became books.

Most of his letters are to his mother, brother, Joshua, and sisters, Caroline and Mary. They detail his religious activities, beliefs, the people and situations in which he traveled, preached, and lived, family news, the weather, and illnesses. He was strongly anti-Catholic and reported often on Catholic missionaries and their missionary efforts. The letters are pasted together with related documents, which makes organizing them a challenge.

His journals span September 1846 through September 1851 and detail his life and work in Adrian, Marshall, Sault Ste. Marie, and at Kewanenon Mission, Michigan, and note his visits to Indian chiefs, councils, and medicine men, as well as stories told to him by Indians.

The writings include six autobiographical and religious essays.

Item-level index cards are included at the end of the collection to assist researchers.