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C. Douglas Hostetter Papers

 Collection
Identifier: SCPC-DG-260

Scope and Contents

This collection contains the personal papers of C. Douglas Hostetter and his work from the 1960s onward. It includes biographical and family material, material on his work during the Vietnam war and afterward, work with the American Friends Service Committee, New England Regional Office in the 1980s, and other activities after that period. Files concerning Hostetter's work with the Fellowship of Reconcilation maybe found in that collection in the Peace Collection.

This collection was originally donated by Hostetter to the archives of the Mennonite Church USA. Staff there processed the majority of the collection and decided upon the various series I - V. When their collecting policies changed, it was decided by the Mennonite Church USA and Hostetter to send the collection to the Peace Collection. A small amount of reorganization was accomplished, especially on the section noted as Acc. 2015-033.

Dates

  • Majority of material found within 1959-

Creator

Language of Material

Materials are mostly in English, with some in Vietnamese and Spanish.

Limitations on Accessing the Collection

Part of this collection is restricted. Contact the Swarthmore Collected Peace Collection at peacecollection@swarthmore.edu for more information.

Physical Access Note

All or part of this collection is stored off-site. Contact Swarthmore College Peace Collection staff at peacecollection@swarthmore.edu at least two weeks in advance of visit to request boxes.

Copyright and Rights Information

None.

Biographical Note

C. Douglas Hostetter (1944 - ), has been an peace activist since the 1960s. He was a conscientious objector during the Vietnam war and performed alternative service for the Mennonite Central Committee in rural Vietnam.Following his work in Vietnam Hostetter worked for the United Methodist Church at the United Nations on international affairs. From the mid 1980s through the end of the decade Hostetter served as the executive secretary of the American Friends Service Committee in their New England regional office. He served as the Executive Secretary of the Fellowship of Reconcilation from 1987-1993. During the 1990s Hostetter was the international/interfaith secretary of the FOR and directed the Bosnian Student Project for the organization. In 2003 he was ordained as Peace Pastor at the Evanston, Illinois Mennonite Church. Since 2006 Hostetter has been the director of the Mennonite Central Committee at the United Nations. Throughout his life Hostetter has been heavily involved in reconciliation, citizen diplomacy, and people-to-people exchanges with citizens of the former USSR, Cuba, Nicaragua, Bosnia, and Israel/Palestine.

Extent

12.7 Linear Feet (12.7 linear feet.)

Abstract

C. Douglas Hostetter (1944 - ), has been an peace activist since the 1960s. He was a conscientious objector during the Vietnam war and performed alternative service for the Mennonite Central Committee in rural Vietnam.Following his work in Vietnam Hostetter worked for the United Methodist Church at the United Nations on international affairs. From the mid 1980s through the end of the decade Hostetter served as the executive secretary of the American Friends Service Committee in their New England regional office. He served as the Executive Secretary of the Fellowship of Reconcilation from 1987-1993. During the 1990s Hostetter was the international/interfaith secretary of the FOR and directed the Bosnian Student Project for the organization. In 2003 he was ordained as Peace Pastor at the Evanston, Illinois Mennonite Church. Since 2006 Hostetter has been the director of the Mennonite Central Committee at the United Nations. Throughout his life Hostetter has been heavily involved in reconciliation, citizen diplomacy, and people-to-people exchanges with citizens of the former USSR, Cuba, Nicaragua, Bosnia, and Israel/Palestine.

Arrangement

Accession 2015-025 [arranged by staff of the archives of the Mennonite Church USA] Series I: Vietnam Material, 1966-1985 Series II: General Correspondence, 1959-1986 Series III: Articles, Essays, and Publications, 1961-2007 Series IV: American Friends Service Committee, New England Regional Office Records, 1980-1986 Series V: Miscellaneous Files on Peacework, 1969-2005

Accession 2015-033 [this portion partially arranged by the staff of the archives of the Mennonite Church USA]. SCPC staff have arranged this material chronologically.

Other Finding Aids

For the catalog record for this collection and to find materials on similar topics, search the library's online catalog.

Custodial History

The Swarthmore College Peace Collection is the official repository for these papers.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Source of acquisition--Mennonite Church USA and C. Douglas Hostetter. Method of acquisition--Gift of; Date of acquisition--2015; [Acc. 2015-025, Acc. 2015-033, Acc. 2015-047]; 2016 [Acc. 2016-002, Acc. 2016-027, Acc. 2016-048]; 2017 [Acc. 2017-047]; 2018 [Acc. 2018-018]

Related Materials

  1. Fellowship of Reconciliation Records (DG 013)
  2. Oral history interview with Hostetter as part of the "Vietnam: Power of Protest" project from the Activist Video Archive

Separated Materials

  1. Slides
  2. Photographs
  3. Posters
  4. Audiovisual items
  5. Files on Hostetter's work with the Fellowship of Reconciliation, and as head of the FOR's Bosnian Student Project [removed to DG 013 FOR Records]

Legal Status

Copyright to the materials in the C. Douglas Hostetter Papers, and those items created by C. Douglas Hostetter have been transferred to the Swarthmore College Peace Collection. Copyright to all other materials is retained by the authors of items in these papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.

Processing Information

Processed by staff of the archives of the Mennonite Church USA and SCPC staff, Jocelyn Hawley, Summer 2015. This finding aid prepared by Jocelyn Hawley, August 2015; additions by Wendy Chmielewski, June 2017; updates to finding aid by SCPC staff 2017-2018.

Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Revision Statements

  • 2017: The file list was standardized in Summer 2017 by Mary Olesnavich in preparation for importing into ArchivesSpace. Tessa Chambers added the notes in Fall 2017.

Find It at the Library

Most of the materials in this catalog are not digitized and can only be accessed in person. Please see our website for more information about visiting or requesting reproductions from Swarthmore College Peace Collection Library

Contact:
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