Olin T. Binkley Papers

MS460

This collection documents Olin T. Binkley's teaching career, administrative work, and personal life, including work at Wake Forest College, Southern Seminary, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, and the American Association of Theological Schools. His endeavors as a published author and a Board of Trustees member for the Baptist Children's Home of North Carolina are also documented. Materials in this collection include correspondence, course materials, writings, event materials, subject files, photographs, books, diaries, administrative reports, speeches, and biographical materials.

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Biographical and Historical Note

Dr. Olin Trivette Binkley was born August 4, 1908, in Harmony, N.C. His father was a pastor. Binkley earned his B.A. degree from Wake Forest College in 1928. He decided to follow in his father's footsteps, earning a Th.B. degree from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, B.D. and Ph.D. degrees from Yale University. Binkley also held honorary doctoral degrees from Wake Forest College, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Campbell University in Buies Creek, N.C.

In the 1930s, Binkley pastored two churches, Calvary Baptist Church in New Haven, Connecticut, and University Baptist Church in Chapel Hill, N.C. From 1938-1944, Binkley returned to Wake Forest College as head of the religion department and dean of academics. He also taught religion classes there. From 1944-1952, he taught courses on ethics and sociology at Southern Seminary.

In 1963, Binkey became president of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. In his eleven years as president, he made radical improvements and changes to the institution. He changed the Bachelor degree of Divinity to Master and expanded the curriculum to include Master of Religious Education and Doctor of Ministry degrees.

Binkley garnered a number of honors over his career. In 1952, Binkley was listed in Who's Who in America. In 1958, Baptists who were inspired by Binkley's teachings founded Binkley Baptist Church in Chapel Hill, N.C., in his honor. In 1969, Southeastern's seminary chapel was named in his honor, a name that remains today.

Binkley served as both president and executive committee member of the Association of Theological Schools in the United States and Canada from 1964-1966 and from 1966-1972, respectively. He was also on the board of trustees for the Baptist Children's Home of North Carolina from 1961-1974 and 1981 to 1984. Binkley was also a published author. He wrote four books, including Frontiers for Christian Youth,  The Churches and the Social Conscience, and  How to Study the Bible.

Binkley died on August 27, 1999, at the age of 91. He and Pauline M. Eichmann were married for 66 years. Together, they had two daughters, Pauline Binkley Cheek and Janet Binkley Erwin, five grandchildren, and eight great grandchildren.

Sources:

  • Weeks, Lee, "Southeastern's 2nd president, Olin T. Binkley, dies at age 91," Baptist Press, 1999 August 27 http://www.bpnews.net/457/southeastern8217s-2nd-president-olin-t-binkley-dies-at-age-91
  • "History of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary," Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, https://www.sebts.edu/about/history/
  • Finn, Nathan. "The Story of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, 1950-2010 (Part One)," Between the Times, http://betweenthetimes.com/index.php/2010/12/13/the-story-of-southeatern-baptist-theological-seminary-1950-2010-part-one/
  • "The History of Olin T. Binkley Memorial Baptist Church," Binkley Baptist Church, http://www.binkleychurch.org/about/index/history

Collection Overview

This collection documents Olin T. Binkley's teaching career, administrative work, and personal life. It includes materials from Binkley's work at Wake Forest College and Southern Seminary and his presidencies of the Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and the American Association of Theological Schools. His endeavors as a published author and a Board of Trustees member for the Baptist Children's Home of North Carolina are also documented. Materials present in this collection include biographical materials, course notes, administrative reports, correspondence, faculty action materials, photos, speeches, writings, event materials, and subject files.

Speeches and writings were previously identified as such, and those identifiers were kept to honor Binkley's designation. Faculty action materials include faculty meeting minutes, memorandums, and other administration materials related to his involvement as and with faculty. Course materials include class bibliographies, outlines, lecture notes, and other materials. Event materials may include programs, proceedings, and other related documents.

Collection Arrangement

This collection is arranged alphabetically into eight series: Series 1. Artifacts; Series 2.Biographical materials; Series 3. Correspondence; Series 4. Course, lecture, and related notes; Series 5. Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary materials; Series 6. Southern Baptist Convention materials; Series 7. Speaking and event materials; and Series 8. Subject files.

Controlled Access Headings

Corporate Names

Subjects

Administrative Information

Publication Information
Processed by John Hagerty with assistance from Stephanie Bennett, 2017 April
Revision Description
Revised by Stephanie Bennett; addition of materials, 2023
Access Restrictions
This collection is open for use. 
Copyright Notice
The nature of the WFU Z. Smith Reynolds Library Special Collections and Archives means that copyright or other information about restrictions may be difficult or even impossible to determine despite reasonable efforts. The Archives and Special Collections of ZSR Library claims only physical ownership of most materials. The materials from our collections are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study, pursuant to the U.S. Copyright Law. The user must assume full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials. Any materials used for academic research or otherwise should be fully credited with the source. 
Preferred Citation
Olin T. Binkley Papers (MS460), Z. Smith Reynolds Library Special Collections and Archives, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC, USA. 

Collection Inventory

  • Artifacts
  • Biographical materials
  • Correspondence
  • Course, lecture, and related notes
  • Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary Materials
  • Southern Baptist Convention materials
  • Speaking and event materials
  • Subject files