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John Boyd Bentley collection

Guide to the John Boyd Bentley autographed letters
1932, 1936

Collection number: HMC-0797.
Creator: Bentley, John Boyd.
Title: John Boyd Bentley autographed letters.
Dates:1932, 1936.
Volume of collection: 0.02 cubic feet.
Language of materials: Collection materials are in English.
Collection summary: Letters from an Episcopal Bishop of Alaska from 1931 to 1947.

Biographical note:
John Boyd Bentley was from New York. He was a priest in the Episcopal Church, and was consecrated as the Bishop of Alaska in 1931. He served in Alaska as suffragan, bishop-in-charge, and diocesan until 1947. He also served as vice president of the National Council and director of the overseas department from 1948 to 1964. John Boyd Bentley died in Hampton, Virginia, in 1989.

Collection description:
The collection consists of two autographed letters signed by Bishop John B. Bentley. The first letter, handwritten and dated March 25, 1932, is from Bentley to a Miss Grace A. Littell of the John Gordon Wright Library, Episcopal Theological School, Cambridge, Massachusetts. It was in response to a request for a letter with his signature and includes the postmarked envelope from Nenana, Alaska. The second letter, typewritten and dating from 1936, is from Bentley to the Episcopal Theological School in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It concerns his sending issues of The Alaskan Churchman, the official news magazine of the Missionary District of Alaska, to the school. Included with the letters is a magazine clipping with Bishop Bentley’s photograph, and a page with the number 379, Bentley’s name, his diocese, and date of his consecration, September 29, 1931.

Arrangement: Letters are in chronological order.

Digitized copies: This collection has not been digitized. For information about obtaining digital copies, please contact Archives and Special Collections.

Rights note: The Archives does not own copyright.

Preferred citation: John Boyd Bentley autographed letters, Archives and Special Collections, Consortium Library, University of Alaska Anchorage.

Custodial history: It was originally part of a collection of autographed letters and images of bishops assembled by the Episcopal Theological School in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Acquisition note: The collection was purchased at internet auction the archives in 2005.

Processing information: This collection was described by Jeffrey Sinnott in 2005.

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