Letters from Joseph J. France and A. Sims, 1892 January-August

File — Box: SC0011, Folder: 4300.01

Scope and Contents

From the Collection: This collection contains two letters from Jos. (Joseph?) J. France, an African student attending medical school at the University of Pennsylvania, to his benefactor Dr. Sims. There is also one letter from A. Sims to a Dr. Beckley. In the first letter from France, dated January 31, 1892, the student discusses his need for financial support and contrasts the cold reception he has received from Philadelphia's Baptist ministers with the courteous treatment from his professors. In the second letter, dated May 12, 1892, he thanks Sims for sending money and explains further his decision to leave Leonard Medical School in Raleigh, N.C., for the University of Pennsylvania. He also explains why he is attending a nearby Presbyterian church rather than a Baptist one, describing the worship at Black churches of Philadelphia and the "frigidity and indifference" he has encountered at the white Baptist churches there, and says he plans to apply for the Congo Mission of the A.B.M.U. after graduation. In the other letter, dated August 10, 1892, Sims writes from Leopoldville, the Congo Independent State, to Dr. Beckley. He praises France, calling him an "Accra African" and indicating that France was a missionary in the Congo, and asks Beckley to befriend the student in Philadelphia.

Dates

1892 January-August

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research. Researchers must register and agree to copyright and privacy laws before using this collection. Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations. Due to the nature of certain archival formats, including digital and audio-visual materials, access to certain materials may require additional advance notice.