Walter Russell Lambuth Collection
Scope and Contents
This collection contains files related to Kwansei Gakuin University and some Japanese translated works of Walter Russell Lambuth. The Japanese translations were done by scholar Ichiro Yamauchi. There is a Japanese booklet that appears to be a biography of Lambuth written by Yamauchi. All materials are from the 1980s-1990s.
Dates
- Creation: 1980 - 1999
Conditions Governing Access
The physical materials from this collection may be viewed only in the reading room of Vanderbilt’s Special Collections and University Archives. Materials should be requested two to three days in advance to facilitate easier access. Contact specialcollections@vanderbilt.edu to schedule an appointment.
Biographical / Historical
Walter Russell Lambuth (1854-1921), son of Mary Isabella McClellan and James William Lambuth, was born on 10 November 1854 in Shanghai, China. Lambuth’s parents were pioneering missionaries in China, and he was sent to live with relatives in Tennessee and Mississippi for his early education. In 1875, Lambuth graduated from Emory and Henry College and later received theology and medical degrees from Vanderbilt University. He was appointed as the first pastor of Woodbine United Methodist Church in Nashville in 1875 but returned to China as a medical missionary in 1877. In 1899 he founded Kwansei Gakuin in the Kansai region of Japan. Later, Lambuth took charge of all Methodist missionary work and helped establish Southern Methodism in Brazil, the Belgian Congo, Poland, Siberia, Belgium, and Czechoslovakia. The former Lambuth University in Jackson, Tennessee was named in his honor. Lambuth died in Yokohama, Japan on 26 September 1921.
Full Extent
0.21 Linear Feet (1 letter half-Hollinger)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
The Walter Russell Lambuth Papers, 1980-1999, consist of Kwansei Gakuin University materials and Japanese materials relating to Methodist missionary Walter Russell Lambuth (1854-1921).
Arrangement
The collection is arranged into two series. The first series contains materials about Kwansei Gakuin University, which was founded by Lambuth. The second series contains Japanese translations and writings about Lambuth by scholar Ichiro Yamauchi. Items are arranged alphabetically in each series.
- Title
- Finding Aid for the Walter Russell Lambuth Collection
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Heath Overton
- Date
- May 2026
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Vanderbilt University Special Collections and University Archives Repository
Special Collections Library
1101 19th Ave. S.
Nashville TN 37212 United States
specialcollections@vanderbilt.edu
About this Site
This site contains collection guides, or finding aids, to the archival collections held by Vanderbilt University Special Collections and University Archives, the History of Medicine Collection, and the Scarritt Bennett Center. Finding aids describe the context, arrangement, and structure of archival materials, allowing users to identify and request materials relevant to their research.
Requesting Materials
Each finding aid contains a link to request materials from the collections. Collections can also be requested by emailing the repository directly through the library website. Each repository has its own location, hours, and contact information. Please consult the repository with questions about using the materials. Collections are non-circulating and must be used in the repository’s reading room. In many cases, the collections are stored off-site and require advance notice for retrieval.