Contents
Collection Access
Vernon Anderson papers
Descriptive Summary
- Title
- Vernon Anderson papers
- Identifier
- BMRC.NU.ANDERSON
- Repository
- Northwestern University, Melville J. Herskovits Library of African Studies
- Language
- English
- Size
- 0.83 Linear feet
- Dates
- 1921-1980
- Language of Materials note
- Collection is predominantly in English; some materials are also in French.
- Creator
- Anderson, Vernon A. (Vernon Andy), 1896-1999
Biographical note
Vernon Andy Anderson joined the American Presbyterian Congo Mission and assumed a post with that mission in the Kasai Province of the then Belgian Congo in 1921. Rev. Anderson was one of the first missionaries to work among the Baluba-lubilashi. From 1921 to 1946 Rev. Anderson lived and worked among this branch of the Baluba. In addition to his duties as a missionary, Anderson studied Baluba society, in part through the collection of primary data from living informants in villages which he visited personally. From this material he wrote a Ph. D. dissertation entitled Witchcraft in Africa: a missionary problem, and received his degree in 1942 from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Another project to engage his scholarly interest in the Baluba was the revision of an early Tshiluba-English dictionary. He served as chairman of a committee which worked seven years to update this lexicon.
Scope and Contents note
The papers which make up the Anderson collection are composed of a small amount of personal correspondence, a small amount of correspondence and reports which he received while serving on the Commission pour la protection des indigènes, a large quantity of ethnographic notes on the Baluba, field notes taken during meetings with informants in Baluba villages, detailed genealogical clan lists, typescript and photocopies of scholarly papers and articles, newspaper clippings, and notecard files.
Processing Information note
This collection was surveyed as part of the Black Metropolis Research Consortium's Survey Initiative on 2010 March 22 by Andrew Steadham and Lauren Kalal.