By Elizabeth McIlhenney ’19
Donald F. Durnbaugh was born in Detroit on November 16, 1927, and passed away in August 27, 2005. He lived in the Raystown Lake area with his family. He and his wide, Hedwig, had three children together. He earned his bachelor's degree in history from Manchester College and earned a masters in history from the University of Michigan. In 1960, he earned his doctorate in history from the University of Pennsylvania.
In 1958 to 1963, he taught as an assistant professor at Juniata College, until he left to be associate professor of church history at Bethany Theological Seminary in 1962 until 1988. It was in 1969 that he began his tenure at Elizabethtown College as the first Carl W. Ziegler Professor of Religion and History. He began delivering public lectures in 1987, which would eventually become the Young Center for Anabaptist and Pietist Studies. He continued to present papers and lectures at academic conferences. He wrote hundreds of scholarly articles, and published or edited sixteen books, including Fruit of the Vine: A History of the Brethren. He was on the Brethren Enclyclopedia board and was also an active member of the American Society of Church History, the Brethren Journal Association, the Communcal Studies Association, the Pennsylvania German Society, and many more. Among many other awards, he was awarded an honorary doctorate in 2003 by Juniata College. From 1993 until soon before his death, Durnbaugh served as Juniata's archivist.
These are Durnbaugh’s research materials, including scans of articles, books, periodicals, and primary sources that he found on each research topic. There are also notes, letters, and records on the various subjects, as well.
Box 1: American Revolution I
Box 2: American Revolution II
Box 3: American Revolution III
Box 4: American Revolution IV
Box 5: Anabaptism I
Box 6: Anabaptism II
Box 7: Anabaptist Groups
Box 8: Anabaptists in America
Box 9: Cults I
Box 10: Cults II
Box 11: Brethren Annual Conferences
Box 12: Brethren History I
Box 13: Brethren History II
Box 14: Church of the Brethren
Box 15: Civilian Public Service
Box 16: Communalism I
Box 17: Communalism II
Box 18: Correspondence and Articles
Box 19: German Letters and Articles (1690s-1770s)
Box 20: Historic Peace Churches I
Box 21: Historic Peace Churches II (WWI and WWII eras)
Box 22: Historic Peace Churches and Intentional Communities A-C
Box 23: Intentional Communities A-F
Box 24:Intentional Communities G-I
Box 25: Intentional Communities J-M
Box 26: Intentional Communities N-S
Box 27: Intentional Communities S
Box 28: Intentional Communities S-W
Box 29: Alexander Mack, Jr.
Box 30: Miscellaneous
Box 31: Peace Conferences
Box 32: Peace Making
Box 33: Peace and Service (1940s-1950s)
Box 34: Pietism
Box 35: Prague Conferences
Box 36: Christopher Sauer
Box 37: Sauer Family
Box 38: Various Articles, Booklets, Pamphlets, Tracts