Mervin Monroe Deems Papers, 1928-1931 | Carleton College Archives

Deems was a Baptist minister, who served as an instructor in the History Department at Carleton from 1929 to 1931.  The record group consists primarily of his correspondence while at Carleton, although there are a small number of manuscripts, teaching materials, and miscellaneous items as well.  The bulk of the correspondence is professional in nature.  Of particular interest are those letters relating to the difficulties involved in his receipt of an Albert Kahn fellowship for study in China.  Also interesting is a series of letters dealing with a scandal in the faculty of Deems's alma mater, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Other letters and documents relate to his difficult financial situation at Carleton and to his search for teaching positions at other institutions.  There are a few manuscripts of articles dealing with Deams's area of expertise, the history of early Christianity.  Some teaching materials, such as lecture notes, reading lists, and exams for courses he taught at Carleton round out the most substantive portion of the record group.  (A handful of receipts from Northfield business may be of interest to students of the city's history.)