Archive of Letters to Prominent Minister and Poet Oliver Huckel

1906-1912, 1930-1933. Archive of Letters to Prominent Minister and Poet Oliver Huckel, 1906-1912, 1930-1933

Ten typed and handwritten letters, all very good or better, most slightly age toned, one with side damp stain and small tear not affecting any content, another with adhesive remnants to verso, a few with just a touch of edge wear

Oliver Huckel was born in Philadelphia in 1864. In 1887 he graduated from the University of Pennsylvania, where he had been one of the first editors of the school newspaper, Class Poet and commencement orator. He then attended seminary at Harvard and at the Andover Theological Seminary. Huckel was ordained a Congregationalist minister in 1890, earned his Master of Arts degree from Penn, and pastored at a church in Weymouth, Massachusetts while earning his Bachelor of Sacred Theology degree from Boston University. From 1894 to 1896 he studied at the University of Berlin and at Oxford, then returned to the United States and took up pastorship of the Associate Congregational Church in Baltimore, where he remained for twenty years. Huckel authored over 30 books, with titles including “Christian Science and Common Sense” (1899), “Spiritual Surgery” (1912) and “A Modern Study of Conscience” (1907). He also wrote nine books on Richard Wagner’s operas, as well as articles focusing on the religious identity of Benjamin Franklin, and served as a lecturer on Christian Ethics at Penn in 1906. In 1917, Huckel left Baltimore for the Second Congregational Church of Greenwich, Connecticut and retired in 1935 to focus on his writing. During his career, he had also served as college chaplain at Johns Hopkins, Cornell and the University of Virginia, and gave guest lectures at a number of colleges and universities. He died in Florida in 1940.

This collection includes the following letters to Huckel:

- Autograph letter signed from Dr. Howard A. Kelly regarding Mrs. Huckel’s health and a bill being sent, May 1906. Kelly ran a sanitarium in Baltimore and authored a biography of Walter Reed.

- Typed letter signed by Alfred S. Niles on Supreme Bench of Baltimore City letterhead expressing his gratitude that Huckel did not leave Baltimore, May 1908

- Typed letter from Hatchard bookstore in London regarding attempts to obtain a copy of “The History & Antiquities of Stratford on Avon” by the Rev. John Huckell, as well as other books, June 1908

- TLS from Wilbur P. Thirkield, President of Howard University, on Howard letterhead, thanking for an honorarium and with a request: “Couldn’t you and Sister Faith come over sometime and give us Parsifal? I have the pianola and could get the rolls O.K. It would be a great treat for our crowd and then it would give us a good day with you saints.” March 1910

- TLS from J.F. Huckel to “Cousin Oliver” on Fred Harvey letterhead regarding family business as well as Oliver Huckel’s lecture “Seeing America First”, February 1912

- TLS from W. H. Morriss, General Secretary of the Baltimore YMCA, trying to convince Huckel to stay in the city: “We need you in every uplifting and upbuilding work of the community and your influence has been so powerful in the past…I am sure it would be a very serious loss to our city should you go.” September 1912

- ALS from Pastor Hoffmann of Baltimore: “We are all glad that you stay with us”, September 1912

- TLS from Russell Henry Stafford, Minister of Old South Church in Boston regarding preaching the sermon for the 225th anniversary of Huckel’s church, March 1930

- TLS from Howard C. Robbins thanking him for an inscribed copy of “The New Day”, May 1933

There is also a TLS from Baltimore Mayor J. Barry Mahool to one J. Henry Baker, thanking him for a clipping from the “Baltimore American”: “In reply, desire to say I read with much pleasure the sermon delivered by my good friend, Dr. Huckel…He has certainly struck the right key and it is one in which I am deeply interested. I will be glad to co-operate in any way to carry out the ideas expressed in his sermon.” April 1910

A great collection of letters to and about an under-known but admired scholar, poet and pastor. We note some correspondence with Huckel in the Ernest A. Bell papers at the Chicago History Museum and in the Herbert Baxter Adams papers at Johns Hopkins. His widow also donated a number of rare books from his library to a few institutions. Item #1563

Price: $85.00