Donald B. Kraybill Collection | Earl H. and Anita F. Hess Archives and Special Collections

By Gillian Engelbrecht '18, Emily Wieder '19, and Emily Erdlen '23

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Collection Overview

Title: Donald B. Kraybill Collection

ID: MSS/MSS-0007

Primary Creator: Kraybill, Donald B.

Extent: 91.65 Linear Feet

Date Acquired: 00/00/2014. More info below under Accruals.

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 1: Amish Mennonite Brethren (AMB) in Lancaster, 1868-2010 (1980-1995)

This series spans 10 boxes and contains materials dated from 1868-2010. Materials in this series include manuscript drafts, notecards, meeting minutes, historical primary sources, meeting minutes, transcribed interviews, and interview tapes. All materials in this series relate to Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Materials in this series cover the research and writing process of Kraybill’s Who are the Anabaptists?: Amish, Brethren, Hutterites, and Mennonites (2003).

Sub-Series 1: AMB - Overview and Drafts of Chapters, 1985-2000

Box 1

Folder 1: Durnbaugh Lecture, April 2000
Folder 2: Publishing Options
Folder 3: Outline and Notes
Folder 4: NEH Proposal/Background Notes and Concepts
Folder 5: NEH Grant
Folder 6: 2nd NEH Proposal
Folder 7: NEH Summer 1990
Folder 8: NEH Fellowship
Folder 9: Lilly Grant
Folder 10: Non-NEH Grant Proposals
Folder 11: Oral History - Mennonite Historical Association
Folder 12: General Notes
Folder 13: AMB Master Files - Book outline
Folder 14: AMB Master Files - Notes/ideas
Folder 15: AMB Master Files - 1880s differences
Folder 16: AMB Master Files - AMB turning points
Folder 17: AMB Master Files - 1980s differences
Folder 18: AMB Master Files - Population changes
Folder 19: AMB Master Files - Modernization
Folder 20: AMB Master Files - Explanatory issues
Folder 21: CoB Field Notes
Folder 22: Mennonite Notes
Folder 23: Turning Points
Folder 24: Mennonite Chronology
Folder 25: Notes on Early Chapters
Folder 26: AMB 1995 version - Chapter 1
Folder 27: AMB 1995 version - Chapter 2
Folder 28: AMB 1995 version - Chapter 3
Folder 29: AMB 1995 version - Chapter 4
Folder 30: AMB 1995 version - Chapter 5
Folder 31: AMB 1995 version - Chapter 6
Folder 32: AMB 1995 version - Chapter 9
Folder 33: AMB 1995 version - Chapter 10
Folder 34: AMB 1995 version - Chapter 11
Folder 35: AMB 1995 version - Chapter 12
Folder 36: AMB 1995 version - Chapter 13
Folder 37: AMB 1995 version - Chapter 14
Folder 38: Chapter 1 (draft Jan. 25, 1995)
Folder 39: Chapter 2 (bibliography dated April 10, 1994)
Folder 40: Chapter 3 (draft Nov. 26, 1997)
Folder 41: Chapter 4 (draft Nov. 26, 1997)
Folder 42: Chapter 5 (part of a draft July 21, 1995)
Folder 43: Chapter 6 (notes)
Folder 44: Chapter 9 (notes)
Folder 45: Chapter 10 (notes)
Folder 46: Bibliography (Aug. 9, 1995 and Jan. 19, 1995)
Folder 47: Kraybill/Fitzkee Survey 1986
Folder 48: Kraybill/Fitzkee Survey PMH April 1987
Folder 49: Kraybill/Fitzkee Survey 1986 Data

Sub-Series 2: AMB - Notecards/Sources, 1869-1986

Box 2

Item 1: Chiques Council Meetings Notes, 1869-1898
Item 2: Etown CoB Council Minutes Notes, 1902-1945
Item 3: Full Report of the Proceedings of the AM of the CoB, 1909-1925
Item 4: Etown College President’s Report, 1917-1918
Item 5: Amish-Brethren Similarities
Item 6: District Meetings EPA, 1866-1959: The years 1930-1933 are missing
Item 7: Midway Church Council Minutes August 23, 1919
Item 8: Etown College Trustee Minutes, 1899-1927
Item 9: Young People’s Conference Minutes, 1928
Item 10: SS Minutes in Zug, 1921
Item 11: Minutes of the Elders Meeting CoB E. PA District, 1897-1918
Item 12: Notes from Jacob Hollinger Longenecker (1852-1938) Diary
Item 13: Conestoga Council Minutes, 1911-1919
Item 14: Misc. Notes
Item 15: Schedule: National Youth Conference (June 1986)
Item 16: Lancaster Conference
Item 17: Mennonite Identity + Lit Art
Item 18: Rod Swatsky
Item 19: Misc. Notes on People and Ideas
Item 20: Peter Nissley Diary, 1911-1921
Item 21: Location Letter
Item 22: Lancaster County Notes
Item 23: College Items
Item 24: Various Census at F&M
Item 25: More Brethren Statistics
Item 26: Lancaster Weekly Intelligencer
Item 27: Meeting Houses, 1890-1980

Sub-Series 3: AMB - Mennonite Historical Sources by Year, 1868-1990s

Box 3

Folder 1: pre-1868
Folder 2: 1869
Folder 3: 1875-1879
Folder 4: 1880s General
Folder 5: 1880
Folder 6: 1881
Folder 7: 1882
Folder 8: 1883
Folder 9: 1884
Folder 10: 1885
Folder 11: 1887
Folder 12: 1888
Folder 13: 1889
Folder 14: 1890
Folder 15: 1890 Nevin, David
Folder 16: 1891
Folder 17: 1893
Folder 18: 1893 Division
Folder 19: 1894
Folder 20: 1895
Folder 21: 1896
Folder 22: 1897
Folder 23: 1898
Folder 24: 1898 Mennonite General Conference
Folder 25: 1899
Folder 26: 1900
Folder 27: 1901
Folder 28: 1902
Folder 29: 1905
Folder 30: 1906
Folder 31: 1908
Folder 32: 1909
Folder 33: 1910
Folder 34: 1924-1925
Folder 35: 1926-1927
Folder 36: 1928-1929
Folder 37: 1930-1931
Folder 38: 1932-1933
Folder 39: 1934-1935
Folder 40: 1936-1937
Folder 41: 1938
Folder 42: 1939
Folder 43: 1940
Folder 44: 1941
Folder 45: 1942
Folder 46: 1943
Folder 47: 1945
Folder 48: 1946
Folder 49: 1947
Folder 50: 1948
Folder 51: 1949
Folder 52: 1950
Folder 53: 1951
Folder 54: 1952
Folder 55: 1953
Folder 56: 1954
Folder 57: 1955
Folder 58: 1956
Folder 59: 1957
Folder 60: 1958
Folder 61: 1959
Folder 62: 1960
Folder 63: 1962
Folder 64: 1964
Folder 65: 1965
Folder 66: 1967
Folder 67: 1971
Folder 68: 1976 Mennonites + Bicentennial
Folder 69: 1977
Folder 70: 1978
Folder 71: Lancaster Conference 1970s-1980s issues
Folder 72: Lancaster Conference Session, 1986
Folder 73: Lancaster Conference, 1990s

Sub-Series 4: AMB - Mennonite Topics, 1880-1993

Box 4

Folder 1: 1968 Division E. PA Mennonite Church
Folder 2: Attire - Dress
Folder 3: Baptism
Folder 4: Census of Religious Bodies, 1936, 1926, 1890
Folder 5: Brunk Revivals
Folder 6: Bureaucracy - Church Organization
Folder 7: Bosslers TNT, 1942
Folder 8: Bosslers Congregation Self-study, 1985
Folder 9: CMP (Church Member Profile) II + Lancaster Conference
Folder 10: Confession
Folder 11: Congregational Bible Church of Marietta
Folder 12: Covering
Folder 13: Civilian Public Service (CPS) and WWII
Folder 14: E. Chestnut - Neffsville Division
Folder 15: Early Discipline
Folder 16: Gospel Herald Xerox
Folder 17: Heistand, John
Folder 18: Individualism
Folder 19: Lancaster Conference Discipline Revisions
Folder 20: Lancaster Conference Disciplines, 1880-1903
Folder 21: Lancaster Conference Publications
Folder 22: Lancaster Conference Reports, etc., 1990-1965
Folder 23: Lancaster Conference Structure, 1986
Folder 24: Lancaster Conference Structure Study
Folder 25: Lancaster Conference Conflict, 1944
Folder 26: Lancaster County Dress
Folder 27: Lancaster County Population
Folder 28: Language
Folder 29: Life Insurance
Folder 30: Membership Charts - AMB, 1880-1980
Folder 31: Membership - Mennonite, 1880-1950
Folder 32: Mennonite/Amish Agriculture
Folder 33: Mennonite Card of Beliefs
Folder 34: Mennonite Church History, Maple Grove
Folder 35: Mennonite Education
Folder 36: Mennonite Information Center
Folder 37: Missions
Folder 38: Missions, 1934-1940
Folder 39: Missions, 1940-1960
Folder 40: Missions - EMBMC
Folder 41: Missions - Nolt Paper
Folder 42: Music
Folder 43: Newspaper Articles
Folder 44: Nonconformity Committee Minutes, 1955-1971
Folder 45: Nonconformity Issues and Papers
Folder 46: Nonconformity, 175 Items of
Folder 47: Nonresistance WWII
Folder 48: Ordination and Lot, Lancaster Conference

Box 5

Folder 1: Mennonite Topics - Pastoral Messenger, 1941-1944
Folder 2: Mennonite Topics - Photographs
Folder 3: Mennonite Topics - Professional Pastors
Folder 4: Mennonite Topics - Quilts
Folder 5: Mennonite Topics - Radio MEV
Folder 6: Mennonite Topics - Record of the Faithful 1881-1882
Folder 7: Mennonite Topics - Salvation
Folder 8: Mennonite Topics - Seating Patterns
Folder 9: Mennonite Topics - Social Change Lancaster Mennonites
Folder 10: Mennonite Topics - Social Security
Folder 11: Mennonite Topics - Sunday School
Folder 12: Mennonite Topics - Technology
Folder 13: Mennonite Topics - Telephone
Folder 14: Mennonite Topics - Television and radio
Folder 15: Mennonite Topics - Tobacco
Folder 16: Mennonite Topics - Wal-Mart
Folder 17: Mennonite Topics - Women
Folder 18: Mennonite Topics - Worship Services
Folder 19: Mennonite Topics - Youth (1968)

Sub-Series 5: AMB - Mennonite Leaders and Diaries, 1882-1989

Box 5

Folder 20: Brubaker, Jacob N.
Folder 21: Coffman, John S.
Folder 22: Coffman, John S. Correspondence
Folder 23: Funk, J.F.
Folder 24: Good, Israel B.
Folder 25: Good, Noah G.
Folder 26: Gross, Leonard
Folder 27: Krady, Daniel Stoner
Folder 28: Landis, Ira D.
Folder 29: Lutz, Henry
Folder 30: Mack, Noah
Folder 31: Nissley, Peter R. (Diary)
Folder 32: Roth, Dwight E.
Folder 33: Rutt, Martin (Bishop)
Folder 34: Schlabach, Theron
Folder 35: Thomas, David N. (Booklets)
Folder 36: Thomas, David N. (Statements and membership records), 1910-1981
Folder 37: Thomas, David N. (Mennonite Conference), 1965-1980
Folder 38: Thomas, David N. (Statements and correspondences), 1967-1969
Folder 39: Thomas, David N. (File and interview), 1980
Folder 40: Weaver, Benjamin (Diary)
Folder 41: Weaver, Benjamin (The Weaverland Mennonites)

Sub-Series 6: AMB - Brethren Topics, 1882-2008

Box 6

Folder 1: Annual Conference Papers, 1989, 1997, 2002, 2003
Folder 2: Baptism
Folder 3: Brethren Historical Documents, 1897-1976
Folder 4: Brethren Historical Documents (Booklets), 1930-1949
Folder 5: Brethren Historical Research Guides and History
Folder 6: Baugher, A.C.
Folder 7: Becker, Peter
Folder 8: Bethany Seminary, Centennial, 2004-2005
Folder 9: Bethany Seminary, Research Course Papers
Folder 10: Blue Book
Folder 11: Brethren Card
Folder 12: Brethren Church Manual, 1882
Folder 13: Brethren Revival Fellowship
Folder 14: Brethren World Assembly, 1992, 2003
Folder 15: Bucher, Caleb, 1986
Folder 16: Bucher, George, 1893-1914
Folder 17: Bucher, Rufus, 1951, 1971
Folder 18: Bucher, Rufus (Record Book), 1909-1955
Folder 19: Carper, Frank S., 1954
Folder 20: Chiques Congregation, 1904, 1955
Folder 21: Concerns, 1994
Folder 22: Conestoga Notes
Folder 23: Congregation, Meeting Houses, and Members, 1880-1980
Folder 24: Cowboys (Sea-going)
Folder 25: Dunkard Brethren, 1926-1987
Folder 26: Dunkard Brethren in Missouri, 1991
Folder 27: Dunkard life in Lebanon County, PA, 1961
Folder 28: Durnbaugh, "Sorting Brethren", 2001
Folder 29: Eastern PA District Elders' Papers, 1900-1966
Folder 30: Ephrata Cloister
Folder 31: Etown College Centennial Book, 1999
Folder 32: Etown College CoB Students, 1915-1986
Folder 33: Etown College CoB Ties
Folder 34: Etown CoB Survey Research, 1976
Folder 35: Brethren in Europe
Folder 36: Excerpts of Books
Folder 37: Fraktur, 1992
Folder 38: General Board, 1988-2001
Folder 39: Gist, 1936-1995
Folder 40: Giving - Mennonite and CoB, 1984-1986
Folder 41: Gun Control, 1978
Folder 42: Higher Education Conference, 2003
Folder 43: Identity, 1994
Folder 44: Kline, John, 1987
Folder 45: Leadership, 1995
Folder 46: Longenecker, J.H. (Diary), 1906-1913
Folder 47: Love Feast, 1996
Folder 48: Mack, Alexander
Folder 49: Meetinghouses
Folder 50: Mennonites and CoB
Folder 51: Missions and General, 1913, 1949, 1987
Folder 52: Modernity
Folder 53: Misc. A, 1990s, early 2000s

Box 7

Folder 1: Misc. B, 1990s
Folder 2: On Earth Peace, 1999
Folder 3: Origins - C. Marburger, 1995
Folder 4: Organizing, 1986
Folder 5: Peace Material, 1969-1991
Folder 6: Photographs
Folder 7: Pietism
Folder 8: Politics, 1986
Folder 9: Schwarzenauer
Folder 10: Sermons, 1980-2001
Folder 11: SS Papers, 1940
Folder 12: United Brethren and Swatara Hill, 1987
Folder 13: Universal Salvation
Folder 14: Denominational Restructuring, 1989

Sub-Series 7: AMB - Transcribed Interviews Amish, 1986

Box 7

Folder 15: Emma F. Huyard

Interviewed 2-11-1986 (Amish tape 28; includes her mother) Interviewed 3-26-1986 (Amish tapes 1A, 2, 3A and first quarter of 3B) Interviewed 4-22-1986 (Amish tape 5A)

Folder 16: Christian Beiler

Interviewed 3-26-1986

Amish tapes last three-quarters of tape 3B, all of 4

Folder 17: Emanuel B. Zook

Interviewed 3-7-1987 (first third Amish tape 6A)

Interviewed 4-9-1986 (Amish tape 15B, also copied on CD)

Folder 18: Sara E. Fisher

Interviewed 3-7 and 9-11-1987 Amish tapes: last two-thirds 6A, all 6B, all 7A

Folder 19: Levi L. Stoltzfus

Interviewed 2-7-1986 (Amish tape 8) Interviewed 2-14-1986 (Amish tape 9A and first part of 9B; the rest of 9B has Titus Hess, a Brethren)

Folder 20: Levi A. Esch

Interviewed 2-7-1986 (first quarter of Amish tape 10A) Interviewed 2-10-1986 (last three-quarters 10A, all 10B, all 11)

Folder 21: John S. Lapp

Interviewed 3-21-1986

Amish tape 12

Folder 22: Jacob M. Fisher

Interviewed 3-24-1986

Amish tape 13A

Folder 23: Samuel U. Beiler

Interviewed 2-11-1986

Amish tape 14A (grandson David Bownie/King can be heard on tape)

Folder 24: John K. Lapp

Interviewed 4-9 and 10-1986

Amish tape 15A, some on CD

Folder 25: Joseph F. Beiler

Interviewed 2-14-1986 (Amish tapes 16 and 17) Interviewed 2-21-1986 (Amish tape 18) [start of second row in the tape box] Interviewed 3-12-1986 (Amish tape 19)

Folder 26: Abner F. Beiler

Interviewed 2-12-1986 (Amish tapes 20 and 21)

Interviewed 2-19-1986 (Amish tape 22A)

Folder 27: Aaron S. Glick

Interviewed 4-2-1986

Amish tapes 22B, 23, and 24A (first part)

Folder 28: Daniel S. Glick

Interviewed 4-2-1986 (Amish tape 24A, second part)

Interviewed 4-10-1986 (Amish tape 25A)

Folder 29: Larry Dombach

Non Amish who works with Amish, interviewd 3-22-1986

No tape

Folder 30: Earl Stamn

No tape

Folder 31: Levi E. Stoltzfus (Bishop)

No tape

Folder 32: Gideon L. Fisher

No tape

Folder 33: Andrew S. Kinsinger

No tape

Folder 34: Mel Hess

No tape

Folder 35: Ben Fisher

No tape

Folder 36: Field Notes

Folder 37: Informants

Sub-Series 8: AMB - Transcribed Interviews Brethren, 1986

Box 7

Folder 38: Robert O. Hess

Interviewed 5-7-1986

Brethren tape 1

Folder 39: Joe Long

Interviewed 5-7-1986

Brethren tape 2

Folder 40: Paul Grubb

Interviewed 4-1-1986

Brethren tape 3

Folder 41: Earl Kurtz

Interviewed 5-14-1986

Brethren tape 4

Folder 42: Ann Carper

Interviewed 5-6-1986

Brethren tape 5

Folder 43: Harold Bomberger

Interviewed 5-14-1986

Brethren tape 6, 7A

Folder 44: Earl Zigler

Interviewed 5-14-1986

Brethren tapes 7B, 8A

Folder 45: Anna Hess

Interviewed 2-24-1986

Brethren tapes 9 and part of 10A

Folder 46: Harry and Ruth Wolgemuth

Interviewed 2-24-1986

Brethren tapes 10, 11

Folder 47: Abe Hess

Interviewed 5-5-1986

Brethren tapes 12, 13

Folder 48: J. Henry Long

Interviewed 5-6-1986

Brethren tapes 14, 15A

Folder 49: Jim Myer

Interviewed 5-27-1986

Brethren tapes 16, 17A

Folder 50: J. Kenneth Kreider

Interviewed 5-6-1986

Brethren tape 18A

Folder 51: Titus Hess

Interviewed 2-14-1986

Brethren tape 23A