Society of Inquiry Manuscript Collection

The Society of Inquiry was a student-led organization based at Princeton Theological Seminary beginning in the early 19th century. The Society served as a central point for missionary work both domestically and throughout the world, enabling Princeton Seminary students to communicate and learn from active missionaries in various fields of work. According to the organization’s Constitution, the Society of Inquiry desired to obtain “important information respecting Domestic and Foreign Missions, Revivals of Religion, and the general operations of Christian benevolence.” The Society of Inquiry was established at Princeton in 1813, one year after the Seminary opened, and was inspired by the creation of a similar institution at Andover Seminary in Massachusetts.

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Contents

The Society of Inquiry Manuscript Collection contains the official documents, correspondence, minutes, treasurer's materials, and reports related to the founding and running of the Society of Inquiry at Princeton Theological Seminary. The collection is divided into eight series:

  • Series I contains materials related to society membership, meeting minutes, and board details.
  • Series II contains accounting and treasurer records.
  • Series III contains the society's committee reports.
  • Series IV contains reports, receipts, and correspondence related to the society's reading room association.
  • Series V contains obituaries of members and correspondents.
  • Series VI contains general correspondence to/from members and those in the missionary field.
  • Series VII contains correspondence from the committee on foreign missions.
  • Series VIII contains various committee reports, minutes, and assorted correspondence.

The material within the collection covers the period of 1814-1872, with the bulk of material from the 1820s to 1840s.

Not all materials in the collection have been digitized. Some items are excluded due to copyright restrictions, privacy considerations, or physical condition. The complete collection is housed in Special Collections and Archives in Wright Library at Princeton Theological Seminary.

Manuscript Collection

Related Material

See also A statement of the origin, progress, and present design of the Society of Inquiry Respecting Missions, of the Theological Seminary established at Princeton, N.J.

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