J. Kenneth Kreider Papers, 1955-2025 | Earl H. and Anita F. Hess Archives and Special Collections

By Brooklyn Torquato '27

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Collection Overview

Title: J. Kenneth Kreider Papers, 1955-2025

ID: MSS/MSS-0034

Primary Creator: Kreider, J. Kenneth (1934-2025)

Extent: 1.25 Linear Feet

Scope and Contents of the Materials

This collection contains correspondence, personal diaries, reports, speeches, newspaper clippings, newsletters, and a photograph album relevant to Dr. John Kenneth Kreider’s personal life and work with the Brethren Volunteer Service. Personal correspondence spans from February 1955 to August 1957 and includes topics on the University Hospital in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where he was assigned to be a normal control patient by the Brethren Volunteer Service program, as well as Kreider’s return home from Ann Arbor, his personal life, and his photography hobby. Correspondents include A. Clyde Kreider (his father), Catherine Herr Neff Kreider (his mother), and John Eberly. Three diaries, which encompass the years 1955 to1957, detail Kreider's trip abroad to Europe as a member of the Brethren Volunteer Service. A booklet in German celebrates the 250th anniversary of the Church of the Brethren. Reports from September 1955 to August 1957 written by Kreider detail his work in and travels in various European countries, particularly Germany, Austria, and Italy as a Brethren Volunteer Service member, including notes on the Heifer Project Initiative. Newspaper clippings, several featuring Kreider and some written by him, comment on the aims and achievements of the Brethren Volunteer Service and Heifer Project overseas. Clippings from the Church of the Brethren’s Gospel Messenger newsletter covers the Heifer project and Brethren volunteers serving in German. An album of annotated photographs shows the Brethren volunteers in action: providing clothes, facilitating activities, and supporting refugees in West Germany. The collection also includes later correspondence and papers from the 1960s, during his time in Elizabethtown. The speeches, ranging from 1956 to 2025, cover a variety of subject matter such as the goals and beliefs of the Church of the Brethren, the Vietnam war, conflict in the Middle East, social protest, education, politics, Christianity, peacemaking, and Elizabethtown College.

Collection Historical Note

Dr. J. [John] Kenneth Kreider (April 7, 1934 - October 19, 2025), Professor of History Emeritus, taught at Elizabethtown College for 35 years, retiring in 1999. He focused on Russian and European history, and many of his publications draw on his Brethren upbringing.

Raised in Buck, Lancaster County, Kreider grew up in the Church of the Brethren. After graduating from Southern Lancaster County Joint High School, Kreider was a conscientious objector and served in alternative service for three years. He primarily worked with Heifer Project International on post-World-War-II reconstruction in Germany and Austria.

Back in the U.S., Kreider obtained an A.B. degree from Elizabethtown College (history major, political science minor, 1961) and later M.A. and Ph.D. degrees from the Pennsylvania State University. He spent his teaching career at Elizabethtown College, where he served as History Department Chair, Personnel Council Chair, and a member of the Library Committee. During the Vietnam War, he actively participated in anti-war demonstrations on campus and in the community. His wife, Carroll Kreider, also taught at the College, retiring as a Professor of Business in 1999. Both were popular teachers. In 2013 Dr. Thomas Conner (a 1972 graduate of Elizabethtown College and a current professor at Hillside College) funded the Kreider Prize endowment in their honor. The Kreider Prize for Excellence in Teaching honors both Kreiders “for their inspirational service to countless students at Elizabethtown College.”

In retirement, Kreider published the book A Cup of Cold Water: The Story of Brethren Service (Brethren Press, 2001), the autobiography From the Buck to E-town: An Awesome Journey (Brethren Press, 2010), and several articles including one in Chicken Soup for the Grandma’s Soul (Canfield, Hanser, Theiman, 2005). He frequently delivered speeches and sermons throughout his life.

For the complete autobiography from which this biographical note is taken, see box 2 folder 91. His full autobiography, From the Buck to Etown, is located in the High Library, Hess Archives, and Young Center, and details his travels to all seven continents (106 foreign countries and all 50 of the United States).

Box and Folder Listing

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Box 2

Folder 1: Service at Stevens Hill Church of the Brethren, July 29, 2001
Folder 2: "A Cup of Cold Water," Elizabethtown Church of the Brethren, Sep. 9, 2001
Folder 3: "A Peace Church," Mt. Wilson Church of the Brethren, Sep. 16, 2001
Folder 4: "Why Are They So Angry With Us?", Nov. 9, 2001
Folder 5: "Elizabethtown College and the Church of the Brethren: A Changing Partnership", Feb. 15, 2002
Folder 6: "Celebrating Individual Difference in a Democracy," Jill Bartoli's class, Elizabethtown College, Feb. 20, 2002
Folder 7: "What Would Jesus Do?", 2001
Folder 8: "Middle East," Lititz Church of the Brethren, Apr. 14, 2002
Folder 9: Article for Elizabethtown Church of the Brethren Monthly Newsletter, 2002
Folder 10: "Survivor," Melanoma Symposium, Penn State School of Medicine, Hershey, May 8, 2002
Folder 11: "What a Year!" President's Report to Elizabethtown Rotary Club, June 21, 2002
Folder 12: "Volunteer Service to Overcome Violence," Annville Church of the Brethren, July 14, 2002
Folder 13: "History and Background of the Church of the Brethren," Glenn Landes Tour, July 17, 2002
Folder 14: "Brethren Service," Mechanic Grove Church of the Brethren, Aug. 25, 2002
Folder 15: "Rotary's Final Push Against Polio," Elizabethtown Rotary Club, Nov. 1, 2002
Folder 16: Response to awarding to Carroll and Ken, "Educate for Service," Elizabethtown College, 2003
Folder 17: "Hebron Journal" by Art Gish, Elizabethtown Church of the Brethren Book Club, Mar. 3, 2003
Folder 18: "The Brethren Love Feast," Elizabethtown Church of the Brethren, Sep. 21, 2003
Folder 19: "Faith and Attitudes," Sunday School, Brethren Village, Neffsville, PA, Sep. 28, 2003
Folder 20: "Speech to Kreider Family," Camp Swatara, Dec. 28, 2003
Folder 21: "Cup of Cold Water," Adult Sunday School Class, Bridgewater Church of the Brethren, VA, Apr. 18, 2004
Folder 22: "Tales of a Tour Guide," Rotary Club, Elizabethtown, PA, June 3, 2005
Folder 23: "Rotary International's Centennial Celebration," Elizabethtown Rotary Club, Dec. 30, 2005
Folder 24: "Church of the Brethren", 2005
Folder 25: "Letter to Family and Friends", Apr. 7, 2006
Folder 26: "Celebrating Brethren in Des Moines 1906 and 2006," Church of the Brethren Annual Conference, July 2, 2006
Folder 27: "Minute for Mission," Elizabethtown Church of the Brethren, Oct. 1, 2006
Folder 28: "Fireside Chat 2," Elizabethtown Rotary Club, Oct. 24, 2006
Folder 29: "Church of the Brethren Disaster Relief Auction," Uncle Stanley's Lions Club, Wakefield, PA, Apr. 2, 2007
Folder 30: "Brethren Service," Lancaster Church of the Brethren, June 3, 2007
Folder 31: "Brethren Service II," Lancaster Church of the Brethren, June 10, 2007
Folder 32: "M.R. Ziegler and On Earth Peace," Hempfield Church of the Brethren, July 8, 2007
Folder 33: "Church of the Brethren History," Brethren Heritage Center, Brookville, Ohio, Sep. 7, 2007
Folder 34: "Origins of World War I," Elizabethtown College, Nov. 11
Folder 35: "Important Election Issues," Adult Elective Class, Elizabethtown Church of the Brethren, Mar. 2, 2008
Folder 36: Moderator of Insight Session, Church of the Brethren Annual Conference, Richmond, VA, July 14, 2008
Folder 37: "Peace Fest," St. Paul's Church, Marburg, Germany, Aug. 1, 2008
Folder 38: "How Brethren Service Shaped BVS," BVS 60th Anniversary, New Windsor, MD, Sep. 27, 2008
Folder 39: Comments given to introduce feet washing at love feast, Elizabethtown Church of the Brethren, 2008
Folder 40: "Work of the Rotary Foundation," Elizabethtown Rotary Club, Nov. 21, 2008
Folder 41: "Kreider Christmas," Camp Swatara, Dec. 28, 2008
Folder 42: "Single Payer Health Insurance," Adult Elective class, Elizabethtown Church of the Brethren, Jan. 18, 2008
Folder 43: "Israel-Palestine," Elizabethtown Church of the Brethren, Feb. 15, 2009
Folder 44: "Alternative Service," First Presbyterian Church, Bethlehem, PA, Apr. 20, 2009
Folder 45: "Brethren Heritage and Spiritual Renewal," Huntsdale Church of the Brethren, Apr. 29, 2009
Folder 46: "Address to our guests at 50th wedding anniversary party", Aug. 30, 2009
Folder 47: "Fireside Chat," primarily on polio, Elizabethtown Rotary Club, Oct. 9, 2009
Folder 48: "Congratulations," Interact Club Charter Celebration, Elizabethtown, PA, Nov. 2, 2009
Folder 49: "Elizabethtown College Emphasis on Peace in Europe During WWII," Elizabethtown College, Nov. 19, 2009
Folder 50: "Brethren Encyclopedia," Adult Elective Sunday School, Elizabethtown Church of the Brethren, Dec. 20, 2009
Folder 51: "Eulogy," for Jean Kreider Hoover, Dec. 20, 2009
Folder 52: "The Geography of our Faith," Eastern Mennonite University, Harrisonburg, VA, Jan. 11, 2010
Folder 53: "A Cup of Cold Water," Lititz Church of the Brethren Youth Sunday School, Jan. 17, 2010
Folder 54: "Elizabethtown College," Scholarship Luncheon, Apr. 10, 2010
Folder 55: "Introducing Sonia," Elizabethtown Rotary Club, May 7, 2010
Folder 56: "Melanoma Survivor," Melanoma Symposium, Hershey Medical Center, May 24, 2010
Folder 57: Worship Leader, Elizabethtown Church of the Brethren, 2010
Folder 58: "Eulogy for Wayne Zunkel," Elizabethtown Church of the Brethren, May 8, 2011
Folder 59: "Forbearance," Annual Conference, Grand Rapids, WI, July 1, 2011
Folder 60: "Human Guinea Pig," Women's Honor Society, Elizabethtown College, Oct. 17, 2011
Folder 61: "Fireside Chat on Rotary's Work on Polio and Other Humanitarian Projects", Apr. 10, 2012
Folder 62: "Christian Pacifism in the 21st Century," Church of the Apostles, Lancaster, Apr. 17, 2012
Folder 63: "History and Background of the Brethren Movement," Landes tour, Strasburg, Aug. 2, 2012
Folder 64: "The Brethren Encyclopedia," Adult Elective Class, Elizabethtown Church of the Brethren, Mar. 24, 2013
Folder 65: "Gun Control," Address to Peace Group, Elizabethtown Church of the Brethren, Mar. 25, 2013
Folder 66: "Fifth Brethren World Assembly," Discovery Sunday School, Elizabethtown, Aug. 4, 2013
Folder 67: "Sunday School Class," Lampeter Church of the Brethren, Jan. 5, 2014
Folder 68: "A Cup of Cold Water," Seekers Class, Elizabethtown Church of the Brethren, Nov. 10, 2013
Folder 69: "A Cup of Cold Water," Discovery Class, Elizabethtown Church of the Brethren, Dec. 1, 2013
Folder 70: "WWI and WWII," Seekers Class, Elizabethtown Church of the Brethren, Mar. 16, 2014
Folder 71: "Report on Cuba," Elizabethtown Rotary Club, Mar. 20, 2015
Folder 72: "Eulogy for Robert Kreider," Mechanic Grove Church of the Brethren, July 11, 2015
Folder 73: "Farm Boy Becomes Guinea Pig," Intersections SS Class, Elizabethtown Church of the Brethren, Dec. 20, 2015
Folder 74: "Anabaptist Views led me to be a Conscientious Objector," Elizabethtown College, Apr. 30, 2016
Folder 75: "Andrew's class on Germany," Latrobe, PA, May 2016
Folder 76: "Eulogy," for Wayne Hall, Hopewell, PA, June 11, 2016
Folder 77: "Travel Stories," Discovery Sunday School class, Elizabethtown Church of the Brethren, July 17, 2016
Folder 78: "Spiritual Forebears", Aug. 7, 2016
Folder 79: "Can a Christian be a Patriotic Citizen?" Lancaster Church of the Brethren, Oct. 9, 2016
Folder 80: "120th Anniversary," Brethren Village, Neffsville, PA, Jan. 4, 2017
Folder 81: "Rotary's Fight Against Polio," Elizabethtown Rotary, Jan. 16, 2017
Folder 82: "Peace and Non-Violence-Non-Resistance", Feb. 20, 2017
Folder 83: "H. McKinley Coffman," Eulogy, Westminster Church of the Brethren, MD, Mar. 4, 2017
Folder 84: "Our Trip to Dubai," Elizabethtown Rotary Club, Dec. 8, 2017
Folder 85: "Intro to a Member of E-town Church of the Brethren," Inquirers class, Oct. 27, 2018
Folder 86: "Etown College During the Vietnam War," Mountville Church of the Brethren, Feb. 10, 2019
Folder 87: "Mechanic Grove", June 26, 2022
Folder 88: "Elizabethtown College and the Vietnam War," Elizabethtown College, Sep. 11, 2024
Folder 89: "Drumore Center/Chestnut Level," Lions Club, Sep. 23, 2024
Folder 90: "Garman Stables," Elizabethtown Church of the Brethren, May 6, 2025
Folder 91: Autobiography (Obituary)
Folder 92: "HI 221 - History of Non-Violence," Elizabethtown College, Fall 1997
Folder 93: "Copy of Letter Written by Chandler Edwards to his BVS Director, Annamae Rensburger", Mar. 6 1969
Folder 94: Myrna Frantz's paper prepared for those attending the celebration of the 300th Anniversary of the founding of the Church of the Brethren, Schwarz Nau, Germany, 2008
Folder 95: News Clippings, 1955-1965

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