Mrs. W. V. Leathers Collection

This is a collection of documents from Mrs. W. V. Leathers, a prominent figure in the Southern Convention of the Christian Church and Congregational Christian Churches, as well as the United Church of Christ. Materials include meeting minutes, reports, histories, financial ledgers, programs, guidebooks, manuals, yearbooks, newspaper clippings, pamphlets, devotionals, certificates, and photographs.

Documents are related to the following organizations: Women’s Fellowship of the Eastern Virginia Conference; Women’s Missionary Conference of the North Carolina Christian Conference; Women’s Conference of the Southern Convention, Congregational Christian Church; Women’s Fellowship of Berea Church; Women’s Board of the North Carolina Christian Conference; Women’s Fellowship, Norfolk District, Eastern Virginia Conference; Women’s Missionary Board of the Southern Convention; Women’s Home and Foreign Missionary Conference of the Eastern Virginia Conference; Women’s Missionary Board of the North Carolina Congregational Christian Conference; Elon College Missionary Society; Women’s Board of Home and Foreign Missions of the Eastern North Carolina Conference; Virginia Valley Conference; and Women’s Council of the Christian Temple, Norfolk, VA.

There are several items of note in this collection, including a small scrapbook from Doshisha Women’s College in Japan, dated 1952-1954. There is also a picture of the participants of the Summer Conference of the United Church of Christ Women, held at Elon College in June 1964. This is also a portrait of a women who may be Mrs. Leathers, as well as photo labeled, “Dr. W. C. Wicker, Dept. of Education, Elon.” Finally, there is a letter written by Horace Greeley, publisher of the newspaper The Daily Tribune and nineteenth century American politician.

There are also a small number of artifacts included in the collection, including a plate from a plaque that reads: “Honoring Mrs. W. V. Leathers, Treasurer, 1941-1946, The Women’s Fellowship of the Southern Convention, Congregational Christian Churches.” Other artifacts include two small frame photographs, one of which is a daguerrotype. Each picture is of an unidentified woman. Other artifacts include a Companion Pocket Cross and booklet; a printing block with the image of a display case; and a piece of bark with a note explaining its provenance: "This piece of bark was removed from a tree in Tampa, Florida by W. H. Albright, Feb. 1926. Tradition says DeSoto stood under this tree about 400 years ago. Donated to Elon College Museum by W. H. Albright, November 1938." These artifacts are separated into the Artifact Collection, box AR611.