Rev. Samuel Huntting Sayre, Jr. Papers 1874-1989 1920-1960

Access and use

Location of collection:
College of William and Mary
Special Collections Research Center
Earl Gregg Swem Library
College of William and Mary
400 Landrum Drive
PO 8795
Williamsburg, VA 23187-8795
Contact for questions and access:
Phone: (757) 221-3090
Fax: (757) 221-5440

Summary

Extent:
6.00
Creator:
Sayre, Samuel Huntting, Jr., December 18, 1893 to after 1980 Sayre, Marjorie Renison, March 27, 1920 to unknown arrangement
Abstract:
Personal, family and ministerial correspondence of Rev. Samuel H. Sayre. His personal diaries from 1918 to 1963, his sermons and notes are included in this collection. There are family and other personal photographs and many postcard and tourist packet photographs from his trips to Europe and his automobile trips from California to Virginia. Publication material includes church bulletins, news clippings, tourist pamphlets, magazines and others. His family correspondence possibly has more personal information than his diaries. His diaries are often a day by day recap of what he did, sometimes about how he felt about people, places or things and rarely about any personal struggles. The family files contain genealogical information of the Sayre, Renison, Carmalt and Morris Families. His ministry work is detailed in his letters, diaries and other materials.
Language:
The papers are in: English

Background

Scope and content:

Personal, family and ministerial correspondence of Rev. Samuel H. Sayre. His personal diaries from 1918 to 1963, his sermons and notes are included in this collection. There are family and other personal photographs and many postcard and tourist packet photographs from his trips to Europe and his automobile trips from California to Virginia. Publication material includes church bulletins, news clippings, tourist pamphlets, magazines and others. His family correspondence possibly has more personal information than his diaries. His diaries are often a day by day recap of what he did, sometimes about how he felt about people, places or things and rarely about any personal struggles. The family files contain genealogical information of the Sayre, Renison, Carmalt and Morris Families. His ministry work is detailed in his letters, diaries and other materials.

Biographical / historical:

Samuel H. Sayre, Jr. was born in Hampton, Virginia, the son of Annie Woolsey Morris and Samuel H. Sayre, Sr. He is descended from Lewis Morris, a Signer of the Declaration of Independence. He served in the Hospital Corp Service of the Navy until August 28, 1919 when he began his studies to be an Episcopal priest. On September 18, 1919, he entered St. Stephen’s College, Annandale-on-Hudson and graduated in spring 1922. Between September 26, 1922 and spring 1925, he studied at the General Theological Seminary in New York City as a candidate for the ministry and as a postulant of Bishop Burleson, spending the summers in the Mission field of South Dakota.He served as a priest in South Dakota, Chicago, Pennsylvania, California and Virginia. He married Marjorie Mae Renison on January 13, 1934 in St. John's Church, Hampton, Virginia. His parish of St. Barnabas in Eagle Rock, Los Angeles, California was begun by his wife's Grandfather, Canon Renison, as a Mission Church and Rev. Sayre took over the Parish from his Father-in-Law, Rev. George Edward Renison. Dates and Parishes:August 2, 1925 to April 1927 St. James Mission in Mobridge, South Dakota (Rev. Sayre's first parish),April, 1927 to January 31, 1928 St. Paul’s Church in Kenwood, Chicago,April 1, 1928 to September 30, 1938 St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, Williamsport, Pennsylvania and The Church of Our Savior in Montoursville, Pennsylvania,October 1, 1938 to October 1, 1939 St. John’s Episcopal Church, Bellefonte, Pennsylvania,October 15, 1939 to January 15, 1961 St. Barnabas’ Church, Eagle Rock, Los Angeles, California,February 1, 1961 Kingston Parish, Mathews, Virginia andby April 3, 1966St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, Colonial Beach, Virginia.He is a 32nd degree Mason, member of the Royal Arcanum and Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternities. Other honors include Dean of Convocation of Pasadena, 1955-1959 andChaplain to Bishop Bloy of Los Angeles, 1951-1961. Further information about this individual or organization may be available in the Special Collections Research Center Wiki: <a href="http://scrc.swem.wm.edu/wiki/index.php/Samuel Huntting Sayre, Jr.">http://scrc.swem.wm.edu/wiki/index.php/Samuel Huntting Sayre, Jr.</a>.

Acquisition information:
The materials were acquired by Special Collections Research Center on 00/00/2007.
Arrangement:

Some of the material was already arranged by Rev. Sayre and his order was maintained. The rest of the collection was grouped into Correspondence, Family, Photographs, Travel, Personal, Ministry, Sermons and Diaries. When possible, material was organized chronologically.