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This is a file in the correspondence of Thomas Merton under the heading: "Campbell, Will Davis".
Will Campbell was co-founder and publisher of Katallagete (Greek for "be reconciled!") along with editor Jim Holloway and the Committee of Southern Churchmen (CSC). His views in support of racial equality got him into trouble as a Baptist minister in the south and in campus ministry at the University of Mississippi. In 1956, he became Southern field director the Division of Racial and Cultural Relations for the National Council of Churches (NCC). He had some ideological differences and split with them in 1963, forming with others the Committee of Southern Churchmen from the moribund Fellowship of Southern Churchmen. (Source: Ford, Jennifer. "Will Campbell and Christ's Ambassadors: Selections from the Katallagete/James Y. Holloway Collection, Special Collections, University of Mississippi." The Journal of Southern Religion: August 2000. ‹http://jsr.fsu.edu/ford.htm›, accessed 2005/04/22.)
Please click here for general restrictions concerning Merton's correspondence.
See also the "Holloway, James" and "Egerton, John" files; and the Katallagete / James Y. Holloway Collection at the University of Mississippi.
If the person in correspondence with Merton has full text records in the Merton Center Digital Collections, there will be a numeric link to them below.
This Record Sub-Group is not divided into Series and is arranged chronologically.
Click icons for links: ✓="Published | Library Record", ✉="Scanned" | 🗷="Scanned, Viewable Only at Merton Center"
| # | Date | From/To | First Lines | Pub ✓ | Notes |
| | y/m/d | Merton | | Scan ✉ | |
| 1. |
1963/11/27 |
TLS to Merton |
The enclosed is a gift from a mutual friend, Mr. P. D. East of Hattiesburg, Mississippi who has |
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P. D. East wants Campbell to send Merton a copy of Campbell's book wherein he "seek[s] to destroy the Protestants" / likes recent Ramparts magazine article
«detailed view» |
| 2. |
1965/01/06 |
TLS to Merton |
I have communicated with you before but generally it has been such things as requesting masses |
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asking if the Committee of Southern Churchmen can have its annual meeting at Gethsemani and share discussions with Merton - "Black Revolution: Letters to a White Liberal" / Wendell Hines and William Stringfellow / John Howard Griffin / Campbell's book Race and Renewal in the Church
«detailed view» |
| 3. |
1965/01/17 |
TL[c] from Merton |
I regret the delay in answering your letter of the 6th, which I thought I had lost. Fortunately |
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Elbert Jeans / approval for meeting / Wendell Hines / John Howard Griffin
«detailed view» |
| 4. |
1965/01/26 |
TLS to Merton |
Thank you for your recent letter. I appreciate your efforts in making arrangements for the meeting |
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possibility of women using guesthouse for upcoming meeting
«detailed view» |
| 5. |
1967/08/no? |
TLS to Merton |
Except for "Ode to Billy Joe," a new song going great guns, about a girl chopping cotton |
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lyrics to "Ode to Billy Joe" by Bobbie Gentry - like Faulkner / [John?] Sorace of the Nashville police and his alleged accusation - OEO [Office of Economic Opportunity?] was teaching Negro children to "hate whitey" / publishing "Hot Summer of Sixty Seven" for Katallagete / "Maoist faction of the North Carolina Klan"
«detailed view» |
| 6. |
2013/06/04 |
other |
Rev. Will D. Campbell, Maverick Minister in Civil Rights Era, Dies at 88 BY ROBERT D. McFADDEN |
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[obituary from The New York Times]
«detailed view» |
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