Walter Harrelson Papers
Walter J. Harrelson was a Hebrew Bible Scholar, a dean of divinity schools and a supporter of Wake Forest University's School of Divinity. This collection consists of translations, detailed class notes and rosters, essays and scholarly works by Harrelson, books and articles in progress, and retirement letters and correspondence regarding other activities.
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Summary Information
- Repository
- Z. Smith Reynolds Library Special Collections and Archives
- Title
- Walter Harrelson Papers
- Creator
- Harrelson, Walter
- Date
- 1915-1992 (inclusive)
- Extent
- 1.89 linear feet / 4 document boxes, 1 half-document box
- ID
- MS494
Biographical and Historical Note
Walter J. Harrelson was born in Winnabow, N.C., on November 28, 1919. Before serving in the U.S. Navy during World War II, he attended Mars Hill College. A scholar of the Hebrew Bible, he received his B.A. from the University of North Carolina, and M.Div. and Th.D. degrees from Union Theological Seminary. Harrelson served on the faculty of the University of Chicago Divinity School and Vanderbilt University Divinity School from 1955 to 1990, including terms as Dean at both universities. He was also among a select group of scholars of the Hebrew Bible to produce the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible in 1990. Harrelson became a Professor of Religion at Wake Forest University in 1994. He also served as a consultant in the establishment of Wake Forest School of Divinity from 1995 to 1996, and later received Professor Emeritus status. He passed away on September 5, 2012, in Winston-Salem, N.C., at the age of 92.
Collection Overview
This collection contains work on Bible translations and research that Harrelson gathered, mainly in the form of papyri, Hebrew, and cuneiform text reproductions. The majority of the collection is comprised of writings sent to or collected by Harrelson. These primarily take the form of typescript article drafts or oral presentations, dissertations and other student assignments, book reviews, and copies of published literature. This collection consists of translations, detailed class notes and rosters, essays and scholarly works by Harrelson, books and articles in progress, and retirement letters and correspondence regarding other activities.
Administrative Information
- Publication Information
- Finding aid prepared by Processed by: John Woodard; machine-readable finding aid created by Apex, 2004
- Revision Description
- Revised by Olivia Field, 2019
- Access Restrictions
- Collection is open.
- 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
- Walter Harrelson Papers (MS494), Z. Smith Reynolds Library Special Collections and Archives, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA.