.
By Gillian Engelbrecht '18, Emily Wieder '19, and Emily Erdlen '23
Collection Overview
Scope and Contents of the Materials
The Donald B. Kraybill Collection contains materials from 1690-2021 and spans 83 boxes donated by Kraybill between 2014 and 2022. The collection contains newspaper clippings, correspondence, primary source materials, meeting minutes, interview transcripts, and survey data. The majority of materials in this collection relate to Amish and Mennonite groups within Pennsylvania, with a focus on Lancaster County. The collection includes materials from Kraybill’s extensive research on Amish groups, including materials used in his published works. Some topics covered include legal issues, women’s health, forgiveness, and background information on many different Amish, Mennonite, and Brethren groups.
Collection Historical Note
Donald B. Kraybill, PhD was born in Mount Joy, PA in 1945, where he lived until the age of 8, when he moved to a dairy farm two miles southeast of Lancaster city. When he was sixteen, he moved to another dairy farm near the border of Berks and Chester Counties. Kraybill was raised Mennonite, although later in life he joined the Elizabethtown Church of the Brethren congregation in 1980. He graduated from Lancaster Mennonite High School in 1963. He attended Millersville University for two years and then received his BA from Eastern Mennonite University in Harrisonburg, VA in 1967. After serving with Mennonite Voluntary Service as a conscientious objector, he then received his MA and PhD in sociology from Temple University in 1971 and 1976 respectively. While still in graduate school, Kraybill accepted a full-time position teaching sociology at Elizabethtown College in 1971. Kraybill worked at Elizabethtown College until 1996 eventually becoming sociology department chair until 1989, and then director of the newly opened Young Center. In 1996, Kraybill became the provost at Messiah College, but returned to Elizabethtown College in 2002, where he served as senior fellow in the Young Center until his retirement in 2016. Throughout his career, Kraybill has written dozens of professional articles, and as of 2017, he has written, co-written, or edited 29 books, 15 of which concentrate on Plain sect communities. His works have been translated into at least eight languages. Kraybill was the academic advisor to a two-hour documentary The Amish produced by the American Experience, which aired on PBS. He also served as the expert witness for the prosecution in the 2012 Federal Hate Crimes Trial involving beard-cutting attacks in Bergholtz, OH. He is the founding series editor of Young Center books in Anabaptist and Pietist studies (2006-2016) with thirty scholarly books published by Johns Hopkins University press. He has received several grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Administrative Information
Repository:
Earl H. and Anita F. Hess Archives and Special Collections
Accruals:
Additional materials added in 2016, 2020, 2021, and 2022.
Access Restrictions:
Sub-Series A and B under Series 7: Publications, Sub-Series 33 restricted until January 1, 2025.
Use Restrictions:
All researchers must complete a privacy agreement provided by the Archivist.
Box and Folder Listing
Browse by Series:
[
Series 1: Amish Mennonite Brethren (AMB) in Lancaster, 1868-2010 (1980-1995)],
[
Series 2: Amish, 1882-2021 (1950-2021)],
[
Series 3: Lancaster County, 1880-2011 (1970-2000)],
[
Series 4: Mennonite, 1864-2016 (1970-2000)],
[Series 5: Other Groups, 1881-2011 (1970s-2009)],
[
Series 6: People, 1890-2016 (1970-2014)],
[
Series 7: Publications, 1690-2018 (1990-2009)],
[
Series 8: Young Center Office Files, 1976-2015 (1990-2010)],
[
Series 9: Surveys, 1986-2009],
[
All]
- Series 5: Other Groups, 1881-2011 (1970s-2009)
- This series spans 5 boxes and contains materials from 1881-2011. Materials present in this series include newsletters, newspaper clippings, directories, survey data, and other primary source materials. This series contains information on numerous religious and cultural groups including Brethren, Anabaptist groups, Bruderhof, Hutterite, Charity Christian Fellowship, New Harmony, Mormon, and Moravian groups. Information on communal living and church member profiles are also within this series.
- Sub-Series 1: Brethren, 1881-2009
- Box 37
- Folder 1: Quest, 2006-2009
- Folder 2: News Clippings - Brethren
- 1984, 1987–1996, 1998, 2001, 2005
- Folder 3: News Clippings - German Baptist Brethren
- 1881, 1910, 1913, 1969, 1977, 1980, 1982-1983, 1987, 1990
- Folder 4: Learning
- Folder 5: Hymns
- Folder 6: Booklets
- Folder 7: Dedication, 1959
- Folder 8: Women's Work
- Folder 9: Old German Baptist Brethren
- Folder 10: Study Guide
- Folder 11: Family Almanac, 1990, 1993
- Folder 12: Hope Beyond Healing
- Folder 13: The Abundant Life
- Folder 14: Pacifism
- Folder 15: 250th Anniversary, 1958
- Folder 16: Moving Toward the Mainstream
- Folder 17: Spirituality
- Folder 18: Brethren Hymnal, 2004
- Folder 19: Brethren Home
- Folder 20: Princeton Meeting House, 1972
- Folder 21: Armon Snowden, 1940
- Folder 22: Development of the Church
- Folder 23: Revelation
- Folder 24: Brethren Encyclopedia
- Folder 25: Profile
- no date
- Folder 26: Statistical Chart
- no date
- Folder 27: Patriotism, 1935
- Folder 28: Secret Societies
- Folder 29: Spirituality
- Folder 30: Promotion
- Folder 31: Peace
- Folder 32: Come Let Us Reason Together
- Tobacco
- Folder 33: Brethren Adult Quarterly, 1958
- Sub-Series 2: Other Anabaptist Groups, 1984, 1990, 1994, 1997-1998, 2000
- Box 37
- Folder 34: News Clippings - Other Anabaptist Groups
- Sub-Series 3: Bruderhof, 1970-2009
- Box 37
- Folder 35: Keep in Touch Part 1, 1990-1993, 1998-2001
- Folder 36: Keep in Touch Part 2, 1992-1995
- Folder 37: Keep in Touch Part 3
- Folder 38: Bruderhof Sources - God's Revolution
- Folder 39: Bruderhof Sources - Resources
- German
- Folder 40: Bruderhof Sources - Resources Cont.
- German
- Folder 41: Bruderhof Sources - Bibliography, 2001
- Folder 42: Bruderhof Sources - Bruderhof
- Folder 43: Bruderhof Sources - Early Childhood
- Sub-Series 4: Hutterite Sources, 1970-2011
- Box 37
- Folder 44: Sources
- Folder 45: National Geographic, 1970
- Folder 46: Natural History, 1981
- Folder 47: Hutterite Way
- Folder marked as "a very important primary source"
- Folder 48: Rhodes Nightwatch
- Folder 49: Rhodes, Robert Hutterite Talks, 2001
- Folder 50: Resources
- Folder 51: Hutterite Visit David Gross, 2006, 2011
- Folder 52: Wipf, Paul
- Folder 53: Contacts
- Folder 54: Minnesota Elmendorf
- Folder 55: Census, Max Stanton, 2001, 2003, 2007
- Folder 56: General
- Folder 57: Handouts
- Folder 58: Dariusleut Hutterite
- Box 38
- Folder 1: Articles, 1956, 2003, 2009
- Folder 2: Assorted
- Folder 3: Bibliography, 2004
- Folder 4: General Articles
- Folder 5: Baptism Questions and Poems
- German
- Folder 6: Source List
- Folder 7: Boldt, Edward D.
- Folder 8: Booklets and Pamphlets
- German
- Folder 9: Glick, Ivan
- Folder 10: Colony Distribution, 1992, 1994
- Folder 11: Correspondence
- Folder 12: Cultural Diversity Booklet
- Folder 13: Directories
- Folder 14: Division of Leuts and Bruderhof
- Folder 15: Hutterites
- Folder 16: Driedger, Leo
- Folder 17: Eaton, Joseph W.
- Folder 18: Evans, S. M.
- Folder 19: Fairholme Newsletter, 2000
- Folder 20: Field Notes - Canada, May 13-17, 1994
- Folder 21: Field Notes - Manitoba, 1992
- Folder 22: Field Notes - South Dakota, July 1992
- Folder 23: Goering, Orlando
- Folder 24: Goering, Howard
- Folder 25: Hartse, Caroline
- Folder 26: Historical Materials
- German
- Folder 27: Hostetler and Huntington
- Folder 28: Hostetler Historical Documents, 1965, 1975
- Folder 29: Hostetler Research Project
- Folder 30: Huntington, Trudy
- Folder 31: Janzen, Rod
- Folder 32: Jeschke, Martin
- Folder 33: Maps
- Folder 34: Miller, Terry
- Folder 35: Misc. Notes, 1993
- Folder 36: Murphy, Patrick
- Folder 37: News Clippings, 1992-1994, 1998-1999
- Folder 38: Photos, 1998
- Folder 39: Rhodes, Robert
- Folder 40: Schism, 1993-1994
- Folder 41: Schluderman, ED
- Folder 42: Supreme Court Documents, 1992
- Folder 43: Telephone Directory Analysis, 1990-1993, 2001
- Folder 44: Winnipeg General
- Folder 45: Correspondence, 1951
- Folder 46: Hutterites News Clippings, 1974-2005
- 1974-1976, 1982, 1987-1988, 1990, 1998-1999, 2003, 2005
- Sub-Series 5: Charity Christian Fellowship Newsletters, 2000-2002
- Box 38
- Folder 47: Remnant
- Folder 48: Missions
- Sub-Series 6: New Harmony Articles
- No date
- Box 38
- Folder 39: Revival
- Sub-Series 7: Communal Living Sources, 1943, 1948, 1970-1971, 1975-1977
- Box 38
- Folder 50: Psychology
- Box 39
- Folder 1: Communal Studies Newsletter, 1975-1977
- Sub-Series 8: Church Member Profile, 2004-2010
- Box 39
- Folder 2: Project Summary
- Folder 3: Kopko Politics
- Folder 4: Computer Files Organization
- Folder 5: Carl Bowman
- Folder 6: Kanagy - Multination Anabaptist Survey, 2010
- Folder 7: Conrad Kanagy
- Folder 8: Team Meetings
- Folder 9: Dissemination Agreement
- Folder 10: Background and Proposals
- Folder 11: Budget
- Folder 12: Showalter Foundation
- Folder 13: Funding Sources
- Folder 14: Goodville Mutual Casualty Co
- Folder 15: Mennonite Church USA
- Folder 16: MC USA News, Notes, Membership
- Folder 17: MC USA Agreement/Correspondence
- Folder 18: Nofzinger, James
- Folder 19: MMA Correspondence, 2004-2005, 2007
- Folder 20: Mennonite News Release
- Folder 21: COB Contractual
- Folder 22: COB Family Stats
- Folder 23: Brethren Frequencies
- Folder 24: BIC Results, 2005-2008
- Folder 25: Burwell
- Folder 26: BIC Contractual
- Folder 27: Questionnaires
- Folder 28: Methods Summary
- Folder 29: Response Rates
- Folder 30: Weighting Procedures
- Folder 31: Participant Mailing I
- Folder 32: Coding Issues and Recoding
- Folder 33: Open Ended Coding
- Folder 34: Occupational Codes
- Folder 35: Mailing/Printing
- Folder 36: Error Rates
- Folder 37: Consultations
- Folder 38: Question Development
- Folder 39: Occupation Code Results
- Folder 40: Postcard Reminders
- Folder 41: Cover Letter
- Folder 42: Sampling Logistics
- Folder 43: Phone Survey
- Folder 44: Rice and Rice
- Folder 45: Urban
- Folder 46: MC USA R+E Congregations
- Folder 47: Louisville Institute
- Folder 48: Louisville Grant, 2007-2008, 2010
- Folder 49: MC USA Dissemination, 2006-2007
- Folder 50: Postcards
- Folder 51: BIC DVD, 2006-2010
- Folder 52: DVD MC Assessment, 2009
- Folder 53: COB DVD, 2005-2008
- Folder 54: Dissemination Evaluator Adair Lumis
- Folder 55: Dissemination DVD/CD Mennonite, 2005-2007
- Folder 56: MCC Report, 2007
- Folder 57: Peacemaking Nationalism
- Folder 58: MDS Report, 2007
- Folder 59: Comparisons
- Folder 60: PowerPoints
- Folder 61: Road Signs
- Folder 62: Portrait of a People
- Folder 63: Mennonite Book Ideas
- Folder 64: Documentation, 1972, 1975
- Folder 65: Questionnaire, 1989
- Folder 66: Labeled Frequencies
- Folder 67: Congregations
- Folder 68: Conference Leaders/District Executives
- Folder 69: Budget, 2005
- Box 40
- Folder 1: Brethren Congregational Sample
- Folder 2: Mennonite Congregational Sample
- Folder 3: BIC Congregational Sample
- Folder 4: Member Sampling
- Folder 5: Letters
- Folder 6: June Team Meeting Notes
- Folder 7: 1972 and 1989 Labeling, 1972, 1989, 2007
- Folder 8: 1972 Labels, 1972, 1991
- Folder 9: 1972 Questionnaire, 1972
- Folder 10: 1989 Questionnaire Results, 1989
- Folder 11: 1989 Labeling Proof, 1989, 2007
- Folder 12: 1989 Frequencies, 1989
- Folder 13: Operations Directory
- Folder 14: NORC 1980 Occupational Codes, 1980
- Folder 15: Contacts
- Folder 16: Profile Comparisons
- Folder 17: Projects, Activities, and Procedures
- Folder 18: COB Student Files
- Folder 19: Mennonite Student Files
- Folder 20: BIC Student Files
- Folder 21: BIC Coding
- Folder 22: COB Coding
- Folder 23: Mennonite Coding
- Folder 24: MC Long Spanish
- Folder 25: Country Codes
- Folder 26: Data Entry Instructions
- Folder 27: Blank Questionnaires
- Folder 28: Data Cleaning and Coding
- Folder 29: Frequencies, 1972
- Folder 30: Scales, 1972, 1989
- Folder 31: CD of all files
- Folder 32: 1972 Study, 1972
- Folder 33: Pre and Post Promotion
- Folder 34: Elkhart Consultation
- Folder 35: Mennonite Mosaic
- Folder 36: Mennonite Mosaic Appendix
- Folder 37: Data Tapes, 2004
- Folder 38: Anabaptists Four Centuries Later, 1975
- Folder 39: Profile II Questionnaire, 1989
- Folder 40: Attachments
- Folder 41: 1989 Codebook, 1988-1989, 1991
- Folder 42: 1989 Frequencies, 1989, 2008
- Folder 43: 1989 Instrument, 1989
- Folder 44: Command File, 1972
- Folder 45: Variable Names and Calculations
- Folder 46: Kraybill Correspondence, 1971-1972
- Folder 47: Research Methods
- Folder 48: Variable
- Folder 49: Major Dimensions of the Data Analysis
- Folder 50: Documentation
- Folder 51: Goodville Directory Meeting
- Folder 52: MCC Report, 2006-2007
- Folder 53: Landis, Karl
- Folder 54: Scholars Request
- Folder 55: Mennonite Brethren
- Folder 56: Canada - Leo Driedger
- Folder 57: Mennonite Church Canada Survey
- Box 41
- Folder 1: Reports and Data, 1972, 1989, 2006
- Folder 2: Directories, 2004
- Folder 3: Tables, 1972, 1989
- Sub-Series 9: Non-Anabaptist Groups, 1986-2006
- Box 41
- Folder 4: Mormons
- Folder 5: Moravians
- Folder 6: Moravians - "To Cover, Uncover, and Recover Theology", 1999
- Folder 7: A Place Apart, 2006
Browse by Series:
[
Series 1: Amish Mennonite Brethren (AMB) in Lancaster, 1868-2010 (1980-1995)],
[
Series 2: Amish, 1882-2021 (1950-2021)],
[
Series 3: Lancaster County, 1880-2011 (1970-2000)],
[
Series 4: Mennonite, 1864-2016 (1970-2000)],
[Series 5: Other Groups, 1881-2011 (1970s-2009)],
[
Series 6: People, 1890-2016 (1970-2014)],
[
Series 7: Publications, 1690-2018 (1990-2009)],
[
Series 8: Young Center Office Files, 1976-2015 (1990-2010)],
[
Series 9: Surveys, 1986-2009],
[
All]