Special Collections & Archives

This collection contains correspondence, professional materials, and writings of Julius H. Corpening, a graduate and employee of Wake Forest University. Corpening worked in the Office of Development from 1969 until his retirement in 2004. The collection spans from 1946 to 1969 and contains artifacts, biogrpahical information, correspondence, educational materials, sermons, subject files, and writings. Corpening died in 2014.

Livingston Johnson was a Baptist minister and editor of the . His papers contain biographical information, correspondence, photographs, news clippings, writings, and other memorabilia.

Edgar Douglas Christman was a Wake Forest University alumnus (1950, 1953 LS) and long-time University Chaplain. Jean Sholar Christman was a Wake Forest University alumna (1951) who was a teacher as well as an active member of the Wake Forest College Club (later University Club). This collection contains biographical and family materials for as well as records of the Office of the Chaplain, including chapel, memorial service, and preaching materials, course materials, and faculty and office materials. Activities are documented with audiovisual materials, awards, biographical materials, certificates, clippings, course notes and papers, meeting minutes, memorandums, personal and professional correspondence, photographs, preaching and Sunday School notes, programs, reports, and subject files.

Richard E. Groves served as pastor of the Wake Forest Baptist Church in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, from 1985-2008 and was one of the constituent members of the organizations Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, the Alliance of Baptists, and Religious Leaders for Reconciliation. This collection consists of biographical materials; correspondence with professor and liberal Baptist Stewart A. Newman and others; writings by Groves and others; materials concerning race relations in Winston-Salem; and general subject files regarding the Southern Baptist Convention, the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, the Alliance of Baptists, and other topics.

Samuel Wait (1789-1867) was a Baptist minister and first President of Wake Forest Institute, later Wake Forest University. Wait was born and raised in New England and married Sarah (Sally) Merriam in 1818. This collection includes correspondence between Samuel and Sally during his journeys; correspondence with government and church officials, family members, and others; Sally's journal (1814-1817) and Samuel's journal (1826-1833); other writings; financial, legal, and other documents relating to the Wait family, the Baptist church, and Wake Forest Institute; photographs, including portraits of Samuel and Sally; and a few personal posessions.

These biographical files are comprised primarily of newspaper clippings and materials collected by or on behalf of Wake Forest University's Special Collections and Archives department. Materials were collected to document people of note related to Wake Forest College, Wake Forest University, Baptists in North Carolina and elsewhere, and other related organizations.

William Tell Brooks (1809-1883) was a native of Chatham County, North Carolina, and an alumnus of Wake Forest College (1839). This collection contains biographical and genealogical materials, sermons, notebooks, and his student diaries.