the martin luther king, jr. papers project 41. application for...

Feb Herskoirts, M. Life In A Haitian Valley New York, 1948 '937

Lang, Andrew Magic and Religion, London New York: 1907

Articles

Cressman "Ritual the Conserver" American journal of Sociology XXXV, 1929

Gist, N. P. "Secret Societies" The University of Missouri Studies XV 1940

Seligman &Johnson "Ritual" Encyclopedia Of Social Sciences XII14'

Simmel, George "The Sociology of Secrecy" American journal of Sociology, XI 1946

THDS. MLKP-MBU: Box I 13, folder 19.

41. Chivers wrote question marks in the margin by the first three articles and "Incomplete" at the end of the bibliography.

Application for Admission to Crozer Theological Seminary

[February 194 81 [Atlanta, Ga.]

Shortly after his nineteenth birthday, King applied for admission to Crozer Theological Seminary. His application indicates the date of his joining the church ( I May 1936), the date of his early decision to enter the ministry (summer of 1944), and his various student activities at Morehouse College. As character references King lists George D. Kelsey, Morehouse professor of religion; Lucius M . Tobin, chaplain at Morehouse; Benjamin E. Mays, Morehouse president; John Burney and Phoebe Burney, members of Ebenezer Baptist Church; and his father.

HAVING FILLED OUT TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITY THE QUESTIONNAIRE THAT

YOU FORWARDED ME A T MY OWN REQUEST, I HEREBY MAKE APPLICATION FOR

142

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Papers Project

ADMISSION TO CROZER THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY FOR THE ACADEMIC YEAR BEGIN- Feb NING Sept. 1948. 1948

SIGNATURE [signed] M. L. King Jr. DATE OF APPLICATION

ACCOMPANYING THIS APPLICATION THERE SHOULD BE:

1. A SMALL UNMOUNTED PHOTOGRAPH.

2. TRANSCRIPT OF COMPLETE COLLEGE AND GRADUATE WORK.

3. A MEDICAL CERTIFICATE OF HEALTH.

4. A LICENSE T O PREACH FROM T H E LOCAL HOME CHURCH, OR A RECOMMEN-

DATION T O STUDY FOR THE MINISTRY FROM THE HOME CHURCH OR A COPY

OF THE CERTIFICATE OF ORDINATION.

SOME OF THE QUESTIONS BELOW ARE OF A PECULIARLY PERSONAL NATURE, BUT

FRANK ANSWERS ARE SOLICITED SO THAT THE STUDENT MAY BE T H E MORE INTEL-

LIGENTLY GUIDED. NATURALLY, ANSWERS TO SUCH QUESTIONS ARE REGARDED AS

STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL.

I. PERSONAL AND FAMILY HISTORY OF THE APPLICANT:

NAME IN FULL Martin Luther King Jr PERMANENT ADDRESS 193 Boulevard N. E. PRESENT ADDRESS Same PLACE OF BIRTH Atlanta, Ga. DATE 1-15-29 RACE Negro

NATIONALITY American FATHER'S NAME M. L. King Sr.

RACE Negro NATIONALITY American EDUCATION Graduate of Morehouse OCCUPATION Minister RELIGIOUS INTERESTS AND ACTIVITIES Pastor

MOTHER'S MAIDEN NAME Alberta Williams RACE Negro NATIONALITY American EDUCATION Graduate of Spelman College RELIGIOUS INTERESTS Minister of Music in Church

ARE YOU MARRIED? NO IF SO, GIVE WIFE'S MAIDEN NAME

WIFE'S EDUCATION

WIFE'S BUSINESS EXPERIENCE TEACHING GENERAL STATE OF HEALTH

CHILDREN, IF ANY, NAMES AGES

11. GENERAL PHYSICAL CONDITION OF THE APPLICANT:

HEIGHT 5'7" WEIGHT 150 HAVE YOU EVER HAD A PROLONGED SICKNESS? NO GIVE DETAILS

HAS NERVOUS CONDITION EVER INTERFERED WITH YOUR BUSINESS OR WITH

STUDIES? NO IF SO GIVE DETAILS

HAVE YOU ANY PHYSICAL DISABILITIES THAT MIGHT INTERFERE WITH AN EFFEC-

TIVE MINISTRY? No IF SO GIVE DETAILS

GIVE LATEST DATES OF INOCULATION FOR VARIOUS PREVENTABLE DISEASES


Feb 111. RELIGIOUS ACTIVITIES AND INTERESTS OF THE APPLICANT:

1948 DATE WHEN YOU JOINED THE CHURCH May 1" 1936 PLACE Atlanta, Ga. DENOMINATION Baptist MEMBERSHIP IN OTHER CHURCHES

PRESENT CHURCH MEMBERSHIP Ebenezer Baptist SPECIFY ACTIVITIES IN VARIOUS RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS

OFFICES HELD IN SUCH ORGANIZATIONS

ARE YOU LICENSED OR ORDAINED? Yes, 1 am licensed GIVE YOUR PERSONAL REASONS FOR THE DECISION TO STUDY FOR THE GOSPEL MINISTRY My call to the ministry was quite different from most explinations Ive heard. This dicision came about in the summer of 1944 when I felt an inescapable urge to serve society. In short, I felt a sense of responsibility which I could not escape.

IV. EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENTS OF THE APPLICANT:

HIGH SCHOOL ATTENDED Booker Washington High YEAR OF ENTRANCE 1 9 4 2 DATE OF GRADUATION 1944 COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY: YEAR OF ENTRANCE 1944 DEGREES YEAR

THEOLOGICAL SEMINARIES: YEAR OF ENTRANCE

EXPLANATION OF FAILURES IN ANY COURSES IN ANY OF THE ABOVE

INDICATE COLLEGE HONORS

STUDIES MAJORED IN DURING COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY WORK Sociology SPECIAL INTELLECTUAL INTERESTS

EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES IN COLLEGE IN WHICH YOU WERE INTERESTED

Member of Glee Club-Student council-minister's union-basketball and track teams-debating team-President of sociology club.

The transcript will be [stm'keout illegible] sent by the school.

V. PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE OF THE APPLICANT:

WHAT BUSINESS EXPERIENCE HAVE YOU HAD? None WHAT TEACHING EXPERIENCE? None WHAT EXPERIENCE IN PREACHING OR IN OTHER TYPES OF RELIGIOUS LEADER-

SHIP I have served as assistant to my father for six months INDICATE THE TYPE OF RELIGIOUS WORK TO WHICH AT THE PRESENT TIME YOU

ARE MOST ATTRACTED

VI. FINANCIAL CONSIDERATIONS:

DID YOU PERSONALLY FINANCE YOUR WAY THROUGH COLLEGE? NO HAVE YOU ANY FINANCIAL OBLIGATION OTHER THAN THOSE OF THE CURRENT,

PERSONAL TYPE? IF SO INDICATE NO CAN YOU FINANCE YOURSELF IN WHOLE OR IN PART DURING YOUR SEMINARY STUDIES? In pa& {whole} IF NOT, CAN YOU ARRANGE FOR AID FROM PRIVATE SOURCES?

ESTIMATE THE POSSIBILITIES AND IF NECESSARY INDICATE YOUR FINANCIAL NEEDS

AS NEARLY AS POSSIBLE

VII. AS PERSONAL CHARACTER REFERENCES, PLEASE FILL OUT THE NAME AND

ADDRESS OF:

NAME ADDRESS


1. A PROFESSOR OF YOUR COLLEGE Dr. George Kelsey-Morehouse College Feb 2. YOUR PASTOR, OR PASTORS Rev. L. M. Tobin- 11 11 I ,

'948 3. SECRETARY OF YOUR STATE MISSION BOARD Pres. B. E. Mays " " "

{Dr. Benjamin Mays Morehouse College, Atlanta, Ga.)

4. Dr. John Burney 434 Houston St. N.E. Atlanta, Ga.

5. Dean Phoeby Burney Clark College Atlanta, Ga. 6. Rev. M. L. King Sr. 193 Boulevard N.E. Atlanta, Ga.'

7. THE FACULTY OF CROZER THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY WILL MEET TO CONSIDER

APPLICANTS FOR ADMISSION AND FOR STUDENT-AID FOR THE FOLLOWING ACA-

DEMIC YEAR. APPLICATIONS WILL BE TAKEN UP IN THE ORDER IN WHICH THEY

ARE RECEIVED. WE DESIRE SEVEN REFERENCES WITH WHOM WE MAY CORRESPOND.

YOU WILL GIVE THE NAMES OF A PROFESSOR OF YOUR COLLEGE, YOUR PASTOR,

AND FIVE OTHERS. WE SUGGEST THE PRESIDENT OF YOUR COLLEGE, LAY LEADERS

IN YOUR CHURCH, OR OTHERS WHO KNOW OF YOU AND YOUR WORK WELL ENOUGH

T O GIVE A SATISFACTORY APPRAISAL OF YOUR CHARACTER AND ABILITY.

AFrnS. CRO-NRCR

1. All six names were marked with a check by an unknown person.


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