Stewart MacMaster Robinson Papers
Scope and Contents
This collection is largely made up of personal and professional correspondence to/from SMR. It includes the correspondence from SMR to his wife during World War I, with Princeton Seminary professors after the war, and with contributors to “The Presbyterian” during his time as its editor. In addition to the letters, the collection includes sermons preached by SMR and his personal journals and records from his work as a pastor. Finally, the collection contains family history papers related to his father, William Courtland Robinson, manuscript drafts by SMR, published works by SMR, and other related materials by or about SMR.
Dates
- 1915 - 1960
Conditions Governing Use
There are no special restrictions to the access of this collection. It may be examined by library patrons under the normal rules and conditions of Special Collections.
Biographical / Historical
The Reverend Stewart MacMaster Robinson, D.D. (hereafter: SMR) was educated at Princeton University (B.A. 1915, M.A. 1918) and received his Bachelor of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary in 1918. After an expedited graduation, he was assigned to the 78th Division as Division Chaplain and Burial Officer, American Expeditionary Forces, and promoted to a senior position, all before his 25th birthday. He served in France in this capacity until his honorable discharge on March 11th, 1919. After the War, SMR embarked on a distinguished career of pastoral leadership. He pastored congregations in Cleveland, OH, Lockport, NY, and Elizabeth, NJ. He also represented his Presbyterian denomination in various capacities. Notably, as a frequent radio program preacher, editor of “The Presbyterian,” and Chief of Chaplains in the U.S. Army. Retirement saw scholarly pursuits, including a monograph on colonial clergy, until his passing in 1965 in Delhi, NY.
Chronology
- 1893 (July 21)
- Born, Manse at Clinton, New York
- 1915 (June)
- Graduated, Princeton University
- 1916 (Summer)
- Began ministry and preaching in Columbus, Ohio at the Broad Street Presbyterian Church
- 1917 (Summer)
- Served and preached at both Plymouth Congregation and Park Central Presbyterian in Syracuse, New York
- 1917 (September 4th)
- Married Anne MacGregor Payne, First Presbyterian Church of Rochester, NY
- 1918 (January)
- Ordained at First Presbyterian Church of Rochester, NY
- 1918 (March)
- Graduated Princeton Seminary (B.D.) and Princeton University (M.A.)
- 1918 (March)
- Entered Chaplains’ School, Camp Taylor, Louisville, Kentucky
- 1918 (May 29th)
- Commissioned and assigned to the 78th Division American Expeditionary Forces (AEF)
- 1918 (July 11th)
- Appointed Division chaplain
- 1919-1921
- Assistant pastor at Second Presbyterian Church, Cleveland, Ohio
- 1921 (November 18th)
- Installed as minister of First Presbyterian Church of Lockport, NY (1921-1928)
- 1929 (January)
- Appointed minister of Second Presbyterian Church of Elizabeth, NJ (1929-1961)
- 1929 (June)
- Gave commencement address at Tusculum College and was awarded Doctor of Divinity
- 1934
- Appointed as Editor in Chief of “The Presbyterian” (1934-1946)
- 1935
- Nominated Moderator of the General Assembly meeting in Cincinnati, Ohio
- 1937
- Representative of the denomination at the meeting of the Presbyterian Alliance at Montreal
- 1945
- Worked with Chief of Chaplains, United States Army, where he lobbied for rights of recognition of military chaplains through two bills (since passed) that granted the Chiefs of chaplains with ‘General’ rank (1945-1948)
- 1947 (Summer)
- By invitation of the Secretary of War, toured the occupied areas of Europe
- 1951
- Appointed chairman of the Army-Navy Chaplains Commission, visiting troops during Korean War (1951-1953)
- 1956
- Published “The Political Thought of Colonial Clergy” monograph on the American Revolution
- 1961
- Retired, Delhi (‘Cherry Hill’), NY
- 1965 (September 22)
- Passed away, Delhi, New York. Buried in Robinson family plot in Delhi Woodland Cemetery
Extent
5.22 Linear Feet (15 boxes)
Language of Materials
English
Arrangement
Series I: Correspondence
Series II: Personal Records
Sub-Series A: Journals
Sub-Series B: Planners and Records
Sub-Series C: Biographical Information
Series III: Publications and Other Writings
Sub-Series A: Sermons (by SMR)
Sub-Series B: Works (by SMR)
Sub-Series C: Works (collected by SMR)
Series IV: Audio/Visual Material
Immediate Source of Acquisition
This collection was donated to Princeton Theological Seminary’s Special Collections and Archives by J. Courtland Robinson , Nancy Robinson Becker, and David A. Robinson during the years 2019-2024.
Processing Information
This collection was fully processed and a finding aid was prepared by Joseph Torkelson, in collaboration with Brian Shetler, in May, 2024.
- Title
- Stewart Macmaster Robinson Papers
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Joseph Torkelson and Brian Shetler
- Date
- 2024
- Description rules
- Finding Aid Prepared Using Dacs
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- English
Repository Details
Part of the Princeton Theological Seminary. Library. Special Collections Repository
Princeton Theological Seminary
Wright Library
25 Library Place
Princeton NJ 08540 USA
speccoll@ptsem.edu