The Daniel J. Theron Manuscript Collection

Collection

Identifier: SCM 230

Staff Only

Scope and Content

The Daniel J. Theron Manuscript Collection consists of approximately 4 linear feet of documents, photographs, and ephemera. Inclusive dates of the collection are from 1939 to 2012, with the bulk of the collection running from 1950 to 2012. The collection is divided into 6 distinct series with associated subseries. These series are

1-Personal and/or Biographical,
2-Sermons and Writings,
3-Princeton Theological Seminary,
4-General Correspondence,
5-Organizations and Topics, and
6-Photographs and Ephemera.

This collection contains information from both the theological career of Daniel J. Theron, including his years teaching at the Princeton Theological Seminary, as well as his post PTS years as a businessman, fundraiser, community volunteer and writer. Some of the documents contained are written in the Afrikaans language, a language spoken natively in both South Africa and Namibia.

Dates

1939 - 2012

Language of Materials

English, Afrikaans

Access

The materials contained in this collection may be examined by library patrons under the normal rules and conditions of Special Collections, Princeton Theological Seminary.

Use of Materials

The following is the acceptable citation for publication: The Daniel J. Theron Manuscript Collection, Special Collections, Princeton Theological Seminary.

Chronology

1920
: Born, Senekal, Orange Free State, Union of South Africa, February 24
1941
: B.A., University of Pretoria, Union of South Africa
1944
: B.D., University of Pretoria, Union of South Africa, Theological Faculty Section B (cum laude)
1945
: M.A., University of Pretoria, Union of South Africa. Lecturer, Classics, University of Pretoria, Union of South Africa. Licensed, Dutch Reformed Church, Greylingstad, Transvaal, Union of South Africa
1946-1948
: Teaching Fellow in New Testament, Princeton Theological Seminary, Princeton, New Jersey
1948-1952
: Instructor in New Testament, Princeton Theological Seminary, Princeton, New Jersey
1950
: Th.D., Princeton Theological Seminary, Princeton, New Jersey
1952
: Ordained, Presbytery of Newark, New Jersey, February 29
1952-1958
: Assistant Professor in New Testament, Princeton Theological Seminary, Princeton, New Jersey
1955
: Married Ruth Nelson
1959-1992
: Vice President, Investments, Paine Webber Inc., Hartford, Connecticut
1980
: First wife, Ruth Nelson, dies
1982
: Married Janice Seybold Morton
1985
: Established the Theron/Niholonge fund, providing scholarships for black theological students in South Africa
1992
: Moved to Hendersonville, North Carolina

Biographical Information

Daniel Johannes Theron was born on February 24, 1920, in Senekal, Orange Free State, Union of South Africa. After becoming a member of the Dutch Reformed Church in Greylingstad in 1938, he entered the University of Pretoria. At Pretoria, he attained a Bachelor of Arts (Greek/Sociology) in 1941, a Bachelor of Divinity in 1944, and a Masters of Arts (Classics) in 1945. Theron then moved to the United States, where he attended Princeton Theological Seminary from 1946 to 1950, earning a Th.D in 1950.

He served as youth minister at the South Park Presbyterian Church, Newark, New Jersey, from 1948-1949, and was ordained a Presbyterian minister by the Presbytery of Newark, New Jersey, in February, 1952.

While attending the University of Pretoria, Theron was a student lecturer in the classics in 1945. He was also a teaching fellow in New Testament at Princeton Seminary from 1946-1948. In 1949, Theron became an Instructor in New Testament at Princeton Seminary, advancing to Assistant Professor in New Testament in 1952, where he remained until 1958.

Theron left teaching and moved to Connecticut in 1959, entered the business world, and became Vice President of Investments for Paine Webber Incorporated in Hartford, CT. While in Connecticut, he created and managed the Theron/Niholonge Fund, which provided scholarships for black theological students in the Republic of South Africa.

Upon retiring from Paine Webber in 1992, Theron and his wife Jerry moved to Hendersonville, North Carolina, where he remains active in civic and public affairs. He is a long-standing volunteer in Civitan International, an organization whose motto is "builders of good citizenship." Theron also remains a prolific writer as well as a frequent contributor to the opinions section of the local newspaper.

Extent

4 Linear Feet (8 boxes)

Additional Description

Arrangement

The Daniel J. Theron Manuscript Collection has been grouped into a logical arrangement of six major series and associated subseries, documenting his ministerial and teaching career, as well as his activities upon leaving teaching. The collection contains considerable correspondence with individuals, both in South Africa and the United States, as well as documents pertaining to Theron's ministerial, teaching, business and civic activities.

Series I: Personal and/or Biographical (Box 1)

This series contains personal files, certifications, and family correspondence, programs from preaching engagements and other programs and bulletins from churches and organizations, and clippings files from "letters to the editor" contributions.

Series II: Sermons and Writings (Boxes 1-2)

Arranged alphabetically by title, this series contains sermons written and given by Daniel Theron, as well as an original manuscript of "The Life of Christ" by Daniel Theron, written circa 1955.

Series III: Princeton Theological Seminary (Box 3)

Subseries 1 contains information about Daniel Theron's years as a teacher at the Princeton Theological Seminary, and contains correspondence and related materials from those years. Subseries 2 contains documents pertaining to the Princeton Seminary Alumni Celebration of 1998, in which Daniel Theron played a prominent role.

Series IV: General Correspondence (Boxes 4-5)

Subseries 1 is alphabetically arranged correspondence in the Afrikaans language, while Subseries 2 is alphabetically arranged correspondence in the English language.

Series V: Organizations and Topics (Boxes 5-6)

Subseries 1 pertains to Civitan International, and contains meeting prayers by Daniel Theron as well as other administrative information. Subseries 2 documents Daniel Theron's activities as on behalf of his High School, Standerton Hoerskool, including words to a song written by him entitled "O! Standerton Hoerskool." Subseries 3 contains correspondence and administrative records pertaining to the Theron/Niholonge Fund. Subseries 4 contains topical writings by others.

Series VI: Photographs and Ephemera (Boxes 7-8)

This series contains a set of Greek vocabulary cards as the words appear in the New Testament, loose photographs, and two Bibles belonging to Daniel Theron.

Related Material

See also the following materials in Special Collections:

THE EMILE CALLIET MANUSCRIPT COLLECTION

THE OTTO PIPER MANUSCRIPT COLLECTION

Processing Information

This collection was acquired in October 2012, as a result of a visit to Daniel Theron's home in Hendersonville, North Carolina, by Kenneth Henke, Reference Archivist, Special Collections.

Final processing of the collection, including the writing and publishing of a finding aid, was done by Bob Golon, Manuscript Librarian, with the assistance of Kenneth Henke, Reference Archivist.