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Introductory Remarks, Heinz K. Meier

Swiss American Historical Society Newsletter

It looked for while as if I would not have enough materials for a mid-year newsletter. However, after some worrying I received enough contributions to make up an issue, even though it is somewhat shorter than most recent ones. The individuals items are self-explanatory and need no introduction.

Front Matter

Swiss American Historical Society Newsletter

No abstract provided.

The Eleventh Annual Meeting Of The Swiss American Historical Society

Swiss American Historical Society Newsletter

The eleventh annual meeting of the reactivated SAHS was held on December 28 , 1974, in Evanston , Illinois . Nine people attended the business meeting, some fifteen members were at the luncheon and at the afternoon session. The meeting was held in the pleasant atmosphere of the Orrington Hotel in Evanston, owned by the family Zweifel from New Glarus. Mr. Rolf Born, Consul General of Switzerland in Chicago, invited the assembled members to a cocktail hour before lunch which greatly added to the pleasantness of the occasion.

Glarus Swiss Make New Year's Special, Millard Tschudy

Swiss American Historical Society Newsletter

The Swiss of New Glarus, like those of Old Glarus, treated the passing of onne year to another as an event of considerable magnitude and they had a ingular routine for observing it.

Address Of The New Sahs President, Leo Schelbert

Swiss American Historical Society Newsletter

Permit me first to thank you for the expression of confidence. I will try my best to keep the SAHS active in the performance of its perhaps modest, yet not insignificant tasks.

Anabaptists Of The Old Bernese State, Delbert L. Graetz

Swiss American Historical Society Newsletter

This presentation will attempt to relate the story of the major religious group in Bernese territory that separated itself from the official state-church, called Taufer and Wiedertaufer by persons outside of their circle since they did not recognize infant baptism and because they baptized adults who might have been baptized earlier as infants. They called each other simply 'Brethren', but in more recent times for official purpos es they have used the name , Alt-evangelische Taufgesinnten. But in cormmon parlance today in Switzerland , they are Taufer to all concerned. Altlough the Emmental and the Oberland have from pre-Reformation times …

Introductory Remarks, Heinz K. Meier

Swiss American Historical Society Newsletter

With this number the Swiss American Historical Society begins the second decade of issuing a regular newsletter. Like most of its predecessors it contains a mixture of materials that should lie of interest to our members. Special attention shoultl be given to the report about the eleventh annual meeting, presented by Dr. Leo Schelbert, formerly Secretary, now President, of our society. Most of the space of this number is given to an article by Dr. Delbert Graetz on the Bernese Anabaptists which Dr. Graetz prcsentetl at the annual meeting. A couple of shorter contributions round out our offerings.

Full Issue

Swiss American Historical Society Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Dance In The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints 1830-1940, Karl E. Wesson

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to compile a history of dance in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1830 to 1940.
The following subproblems have been investigated:
1. What was the history of dance in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints?
2. What was the philosophy of dance in the LDS Church?
3. What were the dance forms, music, and attire in dance within the LDS church?
4. What was the contribution of the LDS Church towards the preservation of folk dances in America?

History Of Four Mormon Landmarks In Western New York: The Joseph Smith Farm, Hill Cumorah, The Martin Harris Farm, And The Peter Whitmer, Sr., Farm, Rand H. Packer

Theses and Dissertations

As the church returned to Western New York in the early 1900s there was much prejudice against Mormonism. The twenty-four year mission of the Willard Bean family was instrumental in establishing a friendly atmosphere in the Palmyra, New York area and in regaining four historic land marks to the ownership of the Church.

It is still uncertain if the present Joseph Smith Sr., home was completed enough for the family to live in by the time the Angel Moroni visited Joseph Smith. Since 1881 the Sacred Grove was considered the woods where Joseph Smith had his First Vision. The term …

Home Teaching: Attempts By The Latter-Day Saints To Establish An Effective Program During The Nineteenth Century, Gary L. Phelps

Theses and Dissertations

Even though home teaching is not unique with the Mormons, its present methods and utilization are unlike the teaching practices used by other churches. The purpose of this thesis is to study Mormon attempts to establish effective home teaching practices within their Church during the nineteenth century.

Conceptual Patterns Of Repetition In The Doctrine And Covenants And Their Implications, Richard Cottam Shipp

Theses and Dissertations

In laying a general foundation for this study, a brief survey of language, its origin and use by man, and its basic levels of structuring, will be presented. Patterns generated through language structuring and the inherent value of structure in language to convey meaning or esthetic qualities will also be considered. Finally, basic implications of patterns incorporated into language will be presented.

Stephen Markham: Man Of Valour, Mervin Leroy Gifford

Theses and Dissertations

This study is a biography of the life and activities of Stephen Markham, between the years of 1837 to 1878. During the Nauvoo period, Markham served as a bodyguard of Joseph Smith and held several commissioned offices in the Nauvoo Legion. He played an important role during the exodus of the Saints to the Great Basin, commanding a group responsible for providing food, lodging, and protection during the trek to the Rockies. While living in the Great Basin, he supervised the settlement of Palmyra, (located near the present site of Spanish Fork, Utah), served as a Bishop of a ward, …

For God And Country: Mormon Chaplains During World War Ii, Richard Maher

Theses and Dissertations

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon) is a lay church inasmuch as it has no professionally trained ministers. Because of this, the Chaplains Corps during World War II questioned whether members of the Mormon faith could serve effectively as chaplains. The answer to the effectiveness of Mormon chaplains is found in their performance as many received high praise from their superiors.
During the Second World War, the Mormon Church provided the military services with a total of 45 chaplains, and although only 45 served, they saw duty in all theaters of war and served at such major …

An Analysis Of The Doctrinal Teachings Of President George Albert Smith, Robert K. Mcintosh

Theses and Dissertations

George Albert Smith, Eighth President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, was a General Authority during some of the most traumatic years in world history. His teachings and doctrines were practical, rather than philosophical or theoretical, and were applicable to a time when the world needed a message of hope and love. The two key ideas of his teachings were based on the two great commandments of Christ: love of God and love of neighbor. In addition, he also gave vital messages on the importance of obedience to God's laws, the character and attributes of God, the …

The Settlement And Development Of Wayne County, Utah, To 1900, Aldus Devon Chappell

Theses and Dissertations

Although John C. Fremont had traveled through Wayne County, Utah, in the winter of 1853-54, it was not until 1874 that the first herd of cattle was introduced to Rabbit Valley. Reports soon circulated that here was a new land, conducive to the raising of livestock, and in 1876 about a dozen families entered the valley and began settlement. Families that moved into this area came from various places. Each settler came to make a new life, and came independently of the others. In 1895 the population was nearly 2,000, and by 1970 it had dropped to 1,486.

The Church …

A History Of Kirtland Camp: Its Initial Purpose And Notable Accomplishments, Gordon Orville Hill

Theses and Dissertations

This study is a history of a group of Latter-day Saints who travelled from Kirtland, Ohio to Adam-ondi-Ahman, Caldwell County, Missouri during the late summer and early autumn, 1838. The group numbered between five and six hundred when they left Kirtland and had diminished to approximately half that many at the end of their journey.

The official name, "Kirtland Camp," was adopted by the group which was originally founded and governed by seven men, i.e. the Seventies Presidency in Kirtland.

The camp was organized to assist Church members who otherwise would have been unable to escape persecutions in Ohio. Camp …

A Study Of The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints In Upper Canada, 1830-1850, Richard E. Bennett

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this thesis is to critically examine the factors contributing to the rise and subsequent decline of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Upper Canada. Although the time period of this study spans from 1830 until 1850, the principal years of activity were from 1832 until 1840. An effort is made to discuss any major location wherein the Church made substantial progress.

The major contribution of the thesis lies in the effort to stage the Mormon drama against a Canadian background of changing social factors. During the times of greatest economic stagnation, political upheaval and …

Joseph Smith The Colonizer, Brent L. Winward

Theses and Dissertations

In written history, Joseph Smith's colonizing efforts have been overshadowed by the Mormon settlement of the west. No one has really made a study of Joseph Smith as a colonizer. To this founder of the Mormon way of life, religion was more than a code of Sunday ethics. According to President Smith, man was created as an actual child of God and his Heavenly Father was concerned with providing for all his needs. Therefore, the revealed word of God in addition to listing a spiritual code of ethics, also contained provisions for the physical, social, political, economical, educational, safety needs, …

Sir Frederick Gordon Guggisberg, E. H. Bovay

Swiss American Historical Society Newsletter

In August, 1923, the then Governor of the Gold Coast (Ghana), Frederick Gordon Guggisberg, paid a visit to Switzerland. Although proud to welcome such a high dignitary, especially one with such a Bernese sounding name, the Swiss authorities were somewhat embarassed when the Governor asked to be taken to the birthplace of his ancestors. Nobody knew for certain, since the Bernese municipalities of Belp, Guggisberg, Niedermuhlern, Schwarzenburg and Zimmerwalk all claimed him as one of their sons. The origins of the Governor have been traced recently. Frederick Gordon Guggisberg's grandfather Johann (John), born in 1808 and a citizen of Belp …

Book Review: Chabag: Schweizer Kolonie Am Schwarzen Meer, Leo Schelbert

Swiss American Historical Society Newsletter

The founding of hoogeneous, ethnically defined settlements represents perhaps the most colorful aspect of migration history. The colony Chabag, located in Bessarabia where the Dnjester river flows into the Black Sea, provides a find example of such a story, traced by H. Gander-Wolf as a labor of love. The settlement, founded in 1822 by the botanist and vine-grower Louis Vincent Tardent from Vevey in French-speaking Switzerland, lasted for five generations until the turbulence of World War Two forced the inhabitants to return to their homeland. Although this study is written by a descendant of the settlers, it is remarkably free …

The Forthcoming Annual Meeting, Heinz K. Meier

Swiss American Historical Society Newsletter

1. Time and Place

This year's annual meeting of the Swiss American Historical Society will take place on Saturday, December 28, at the Orrington Hotel, 1710 Orrington Avenue, in Evanston, Illinois, in connection with the national convention of the American Historical Association in Chicago.

Other Books Received

Swiss American Historical Society Newsletter

A collection of books received.

Two Congratulatory Messages, Leo Schelbert

Swiss American Historical Society Newsletter

On August 1, 1974, Dr. med. Hans C. Syz, the noted psychiatrist and president of the Lifwynn Foundations of Westport, Connecticut, celebrated his eightieth birthday. The SAHS is privileged to extend the most cordial good wishes to its distinguished member and wishes him many more years of high accomplishment.

Full Issue

Swiss American Historical Society Newsletter

No abstract provided.

Carl Bodmer: A Biographical Sketch, Hans Läng

Swiss American Historical Society Newsletter

Almost every illustrated work on North American Indians has pictures by Carl Bodmer, the gifted Swiss painter. Experts as well as interested laymen are impressed by his excellent portrayals of various types of Indians and their world. When we look for the artist's signature, however, we often find nothing but "after Wied" under the picture or else the name of an engraver. Thieme-Becker, Benezit, Nagel, and any number of other editors of the various encyclopedias of artists, refer to Carl Brun (Schwizerisches Kunstler-Lexikon, Frauenfeld 1905), whenever they mention Bodmer. And here, too, we find precious little information about the painter.

The Passing Of Two Noted Swiss Americans

Swiss American Historical Society Newsletter

Dr. med. Karl Friedrich Meyer (1884-1974)

Karl Friedrich Meyer was born in Basel on May 19, 1884, as the son of Theodore Meyer zum Pfeil and Sophie Meyer-Lichtenhahn. After grammar school he attended the Humanistische Gymnasium of Basel and started in 1902 his graduate work in biology. Later he transferred to the University of Zurich where he studied comparative pathology and physiology and began to immerse himself in his favored field of specialization, veterinary medicine.

Book Review: Amicable Agreement Versus Majority Rule: Conflict Resolution In Switzerland, Frank Tachau

Swiss American Historical Society Newsletter

Writing a review of a book about Swiss politics for Swiss-American readers is not an easy task for a non-Swiss political scientist. Unfortunately, the Swiss political system has simply not been a very popular subject for investigation by American political scientists. Since Switzerland is the oldest and perhaps most successful multi-ethnic political system in Europe, if not the world, this lack of attention and popularity is very regrettable indeed, The appearance in English translation of this book by Jurg Steiner of the University of North Carolina (with teaching affiliations at the Universities of Zurich and Geneva as well) does a …

Sahs Meeting In Zurich, Sonja Daeniker, Lukas F. Burckhardt

Swiss American Historical Society Newsletter

On July 12, 1975, the SWAHS organiszed another summer meeting in Switzerland. Below are two reports of the meeting by particinpating members of our society, one from the Neue Zurcher Zeitung of July 19/20, 1975, and the other from the Swiss American Review of Agust 6, 1975.

Relief Society Grain Storage Program, 1876-1940, Jessie L. Embry

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis will describe and interpret the development of this Relief Society wheat storage program from its inception in 1876 to 1940 when the program was transferred to the General Church Welfare Committee. Emphasis will be placed on the sisters' attempts to store grain and the problems they encountered. The thesis will also discuss the effects of outside forces on the program and the different ways the sisters used the grain. The final chapter will deal with the relationship between the movement and the history of the Relief Society and its parent organization, the Mormon Church.