Acknowledgments

No greater satisfaction comes to an author than to acknowledge publicly his indebtedness to those individuals and institutions whose help has made possible the final product of his years of research and writing. In a work as extensive as this, the list of those who have aided in the end results necessarily becomes lengthy. Hundreds of libraries and historical societies—city, State, and national, as well as public, institutional, denominational, and private-have freely yielded individual items during various systematic research trips throughout North America, as well as several in Great Britain, on the European Continent, and in Mexico and South America.PFF4 1205.1

Special indebtedness for the sources for Volume IV must first of all be expressed to the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., for invaluable assistance through stack access, official catalog and withdrawal privileges, together with its Inter-Library loan and photocopy facilities. Next in number of items made available come the New York City Public Library; the American Antiquarian Society of Worcester, Massachusetts; the Adventual Collection of Aurora (Illinois) College; the Widener Library of Harvard; Bates College, Lewiston, Maine; the Presbyterian Historical Society, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; the Seventh Day Baptist Historical Society, Plainfield, New Jersey; and the British Museum of London.PFF4 1205.2

To these must be added the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary, the Review and Herald, and White Publications libraries, all of Washington, B.C. Here thousands of original documents are assembled, purchased or received as gifts from friends of the enterprise, together with photostat and microfilm copies of other thousands of such items, which constitute the unique Advent Source Collection, housed in the Seminary Library, which assemblage forms the pool for the sources and authorities here used.PFF4 1205.3

Genuine pleasure is likewise afforded in thanking publicly those whose critical reading of the manuscript of Volume IV, in whole or in part, has served as a safeguard against inaccuracy, imbalance, or inadequacy of presentation. Only by access to the judgment of experts in special fields could a work as extensive as this be assured of protection against a restricted or distorted view and presentation.PFF4 1205.4

Three groups of readers have rendered invaluable aid. First, specialists who have given benefit of criticism on certain chapters or sections of the manuscript. Among these are historians Dr. Sidney E. Mead of the Divinity School of the University of Chicago, and president of the American Society of Church History, and Dr. William W. Sweet, head of the Department of Religion, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas. To these are to be added Dr. Corliss Randolph, Seventh Day Baptist historian, Dr. Ahva J. C. Bond of Alfred University, editor Francis D. Nichol of the Review and Herald, broadcaster Harold M. S. Richards of the Voice of Prophecy network, Dr. Charles E. Weniger, dean, Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary. And these must be mentioned: editors Fernando Chaij, M. I. Fayard, and R. L. Odom, of South America and Inter-America, and research specialist Alfred Vaucher of Basel, and Charles F. Taylor of Mexico City for the sections on Francisco Ramos Mexia and Jose de Rozas.PFF4 1205.5

Next come readers of the entire manuscript, with special obligation to professors emeritus the late Arthur W. Spalding of Southern Missionary College, Clifton L. Taylor of Atlantic Union College, and George McCready Price of Pacific Union College, together with Wells E. Bement of the Library of Congress, Louise C. Kleuser, associate editor of The Ministry, Dr. Adlai Esteb, editor of Go, Ralph E. Crawford, of the Faith for Today telecast, Prof. T. H. Jemison of Washington Missionary College, Dr. J. J. Short of the College of Medical Evangelists, Prof. Gerald H. Minchin of Atlantic Union College, and Evangelists George E. Vandeman of London, and Robert M. Whitsett of Washington, D.C.PFF4 1206.1

Most essential of all has been the final Authorization Committee, serving as special advisors and approving the manuscript of Volume IV for publication. Its personnel follows:PFF4 1206.2

A. V. Olson, chairman (vice-president, General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists).PFF4 1206.3

H. W. Lowe, secretary (editorial staff, Sabbath School Worker).PFF4 1206.4

R. Allan Anderson, editor, The Ministry.PFF4 1206.5

A. W. Cormack, associate secretary, General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.PFF4 1206.6

M. K. Eckenroth, instructor in Practical Theology, Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary.PFF4 1206.7

W. E. Read, chairman, Historical Research Committee.PFF4 1206.8

D. E. Rebok, field secretary, General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.PFF4 1206.9

D. E. Robinson, former instructor in Prophetic Guidance, Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary.PFF4 1206.10

J. I. Robison, late professor of Bible, Walla Walla College.PFF4 1206.11

W. Homer Teasdale, president, Home Study Institute.PFF4 1206.12

H M. Tippett, editor, Review and Herald Publishing Association.PFF4 1206.13

Arthur White, secretary of trustees, White Publications.PFF4 1206.14

As to the technical preparation, deep indebtedness is expressed to Merwin R. Thurber and Harry M. Tippett, skilled book editiors for the publishers, and to research assistant Julia R. Neuffer for meticulous checking and verification, as well as gathering and assembling research data on special chapters and appendices, particularly Appendix C, “The Development of Modern Futurist Premillennialism.”PFF4 1206.15

Back of all stand the officers and Committee of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, and the management and board of the Review and Herald Publishing Association, whose faith in this vast undertaking and whose liberal financial provision have been indispensable to its completion. The strong backing of the former made possible the securing and assemblage of the incomparable Advent Source Collection of original sources, constituting the source basis for these volumes. The latter is to be credited with producing a volume of superior mechanical excellence and impressive illustration. To both, gratitude is expressed for generous book subsidies, without which such an enterprise could neither have been launched nor brought to consummationPFF4 1207.1

Gratitude is likewise here expressed to my faithful secretary, Eunice Soper, for the typing and retyping of the original drafts, with their numerous revisions and emendations, and the really vast correspondence that goes into such a work. The Index is also her production. Obligation is here acknowledged to Charles A. Rentfro for translations from the Spanish; to Leona Running, from the Spanish and French; to Erich Bethmann, from the German; and to Julia Neuffer, from the Latin. Tribute must also be paid to art director Terrence K. Martin, for the skilled illustrative side of this volume with original drawings, photographs, title pages, and charts to illuminate the product. And finally to the unseen and too often unsung “ground crew”—copy editors, typesetters, compositors, proofreaders, pressmen, binders, and related groups—who all together helped to produce The Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers.PFF4 1207.2

Appendices