Application for Admission to Crozer Theological Seminary The

Feb
1948
Herskoirts, M. Life In A Haitian Valley New York,
'937
Lang, Andrew Magic and Religion, London New
York: 1907
Articles
Cressman "Ritual the Conserver" American journal
of Sociology XXXV, 1929
Gist, N. P. "Secret Societies" The University of
Missouri Studies XV 1940
Seligman &Johnson "Ritual" Encyclopedia Of Social
Sciences XII14'
Simmel, George "The Sociology of Secrecy"
American journal of Sociology, XI 1946
THDS. MLKP-MBU: Box
I 13,
folder 19.
41. Chivers wrote question marks in the margin by the first three articles and "Incomplete" at
the end of the bibliography.
The Martin Luther King, Jr. Papers Project
Application for Admission
to Crozer Theological Seminary
[February 194 81
[Atlanta, Ga.]
Shortly after his nineteenth birthday, King applied for admission to Crozer
Theological Seminary. His application indicates the date of his joining the church
( I May 1936), the date of his early decision to enter the ministry (summer of
1944), and his various student activities at Morehouse College. As character
references King lists George D. Kelsey, Morehouse professor of religion; Lucius M .
Tobin, chaplain at Morehouse; Benjamin E. Mays, Morehouse president; John
Burney and Phoebe Burney, members of Ebenezer Baptist Church; and his father.
HAVING
FILLED
OUT TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITY THE QUESTIONNAIRE THAT
YOU FORWARDED ME A T MY OWN
142
REQUEST, I
HEREBY MAKE APPLICATION FOR
The Martin Luther King, Jr. Papers Project
CROZER
THEOLOGICAL
SEMINARY
FOR THE ACADEMIC YEAR
Sept. 1948.
ADMISSION TO
NING
BEGIN-
SIGNATURE[signed]M. L. King Jr.
DATEOF APPLICATION
ACCOMPANYING
THIS APPLICATION THERE SHOULD BE:
1. A SMALL UNMOUNTED PHOTOGRAPH.
TRANSCRIPT
OF COMPLETE COLLEGEAND GRADUATE WORK.
A
MEDICAL
CERTIFICATE
OF HEALTH.
3.
A
LICENSE
T
O
PREACH
FROM
T H E LOCAL HOME CHURCH, OR A RECOMMEN4.
2.
DATION T O STUDY FOR T H E MINISTRY FROM T H E HOME CHURCH OR A COPY
OF T H E CERTIFICATE OF ORDINATION.
SOMEOF THE QUESTIONS
BELOW ARE OF A PECULIARLY PERSONAL NATURE, BUT
FRANK ANSWERS ARE SOLICITED SO T H A T T H E STUDENT MAY BE T H E MORE INTEL-
LIGENTLY GUIDED. NATURALLY,
ANSWERS TO SUCH QUESTIONS ARE REGARDED AS
STRICTLY CONFIDENTIAL.
PERSONAL
AND FAMILY HISTORY OF THE APPLICANT:
NAMEIN FULL Martin Luther King Jr
PERMANENT
ADDRESS 193 Boulevard N. E.
PRESENT
ADDRESS Same
PLACE
OF BIRTH Atlanta, Ga.
DATE 1-15-29
RACE Negro
NATIONALITYAmerican
FATHER'S
NAME M. L. King Sr.
RACE Negro
NATIONALITY American
EDUCATIONGraduate of Morehouse
OCCUPATION
Minister
RELIGIOUS
INTERESTS AND ACTIVITIES Pastor
MOTHER'SMAIDEN NAME Alberta Williams
RACE Negro
NATIONALITY American
EDUCATIONGraduate of Spelman College
RELIGIOUS
INTERESTS Minister of Music in Church
AREYOU MARRIED? NO
IF SO, GIVE WIFE'S MAIDEN NAME
WIFE'SEDUCATION
WIFE'SBUSINESS
EXPERIENCE
TEACHING
GENERAL
STATE OF HEALTH
CHILDREN,
IF ANY, NAMES
AGES
I.
11.
GENERAL
PHYSICAL
HEIGHT
5'7"
CONDITION OF THE APPLICANT:
WEIGHT
150
HAVEYOU EVER HAD A PROLONGED SICKNESS? NO
HAS NERVOUS CONDITION EVER INTERFERED WITH
STUDIES?
GIVE DETAILS
YOUR BUSINESS OR WITH
NO
IF SO GIVE DETAILS
HAVEYOU A N Y PHYSICAL DISABILITIES
TIVE MINISTRY?
THAT MIGHT INTERFERE WITH A N EFFEC-
No
IF SO GIVE DETAILS
GIVELATEST DATES OF INOCULATION
FOR VARIOUS PREVENTABLE DISEASES
Feb
1948
The Martin Luther King, Jr. Papers Project
Feb
1948
RELIGIOUS
ACTIVITIES AND INTERESTS OF THE APPLICANT:
DATEWHEN YOU JOINED T H E CHURCH May 1" 1936
PLACE Atlanta, Ga.
DENOMINATION
Baptist
MEMBERSHIP
IN OTHER CHURCHES
PRESENT
CHURCH MEMBERSHIP Ebenezer Baptist
SPECIFY
ACTIVITIES I N VARIOUS RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS
OFFICES
HELD I N SUCH ORGANIZATIONS
AREYOU LICENSED OR ORDAINED? Yes, 1am licensed
GIVEYOUR PERSONAL REASONS FOR THE DECISION TO STUDY FOR THE GOSPEL
MINISTRY My call to the ministry was quite different from most explinations Ive
111.
heard. This dicision came about in the summer of 1944 when I felt an inescapable
urge to serve society. In short, I felt a sense of responsibility which I could not
escape.
EDUCATIONAL
ATTAINMENTS OF THE APPLICANT:
HIGHSCHOOLATTENDED Booker Washington High
YEAROF ENTRANCE 1 9 4 2
DATEOF GRADUATION 1944
COLLEGE
OR UNIVERSITY:
YEAR OF ENTRANCE
1944
DEGREES
YEAR
THEOLOGICAL
SEMINARIES:
YEAR OF ENTRANCE
EXPLANATION
OF FAILURES IN ANY COURSES IN A N Y OF THE ABOVE
INDICATE
COLLEGE HONORS
STUDIES
MAJORED IN DURING COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY WORK Sociology
SPECIAL
INTELLECTUAL INTERESTS
EXTRA-CURRICULAR
ACTIVITIES I N COLLEGE I N WHICH YOU WERE INTERESTED
IV.
Member of Glee Club-Student council-minister's union-basketball
teams-debating team-President of sociology club.
and track
The transcript will be [stm'keout illegible] sent by the school.
PRACTICAL
EXPERIENCE OF THE APPLICANT:
WHATBUSINESS EXPERIENCE HAVE YOU HAD? None
V.
WHAT TEACHING EXPERIENCE?
None
WHAT EXPERIENCE IN PREACHING OR IN OTHER TYPES OF RELIGIOUS LEADERSHIP
I have served as assistant to my father for six months
INDICATE
THE
TYPE OF RELIGIOUS WORK TO WHICH AT THE PRESENT TIME YOU
ARE MOST ATTRACTED
FINANCIAL
CONSIDERATIONS:
DID YOU PERSONALLY FINANCE YOUR WAY THROUGH COLLEGE? NO
HAVEYOU A N Y FINANCIAL OBLIGATION OTHER THAN THOSE OF THE CURRENT,
PERSONAL TYPE? IF SO INDICATE
NO
CANYOU FINANCE YOURSELF I N WHOLE OR I N PART DURING YOUR SEMINARY
VI.
STUDIES?
In pa& {whole}
IF NOT, CAN YOU ARRANGE FOR AID FROM PRIVATE SOURCES?
ESTIMATE
THE POSSIBILITIES A N D IF NECESSARY INDICATE YOUR
FINANCIAL NEEDS
AS NEARLY AS POSSIBLE
VII.
AS
PERSONAL CHARACTER REFERENCES, PLEASE FILL O U T T H E NAME AND
ADDRESS OF:
NAME
ADDRESS
The Martin Luther King, Jr. Papers Project
1.
A
2.
YOUR PASTOR,
Dr. George Kelsey-Morehouse College
11 11
Rev. L. M. TobinOF YOUR STATEMISSIONBOARD Pres. B. E. Mays " " "
3. SECRETARY
{Dr. Benjamin Mays Morehouse College, Atlanta, Ga.)
4. Dr. John Burney 434 Houston St. N.E. Atlanta, Ga.
5. Dean Phoeby Burney Clark College Atlanta, Ga.
6. Rev. M. L. King Sr. 193 Boulevard N.E. Atlanta, Ga.'
PROFESSOR OF YOUR COLLEGE
I,
OR PASTORS
7.
THEFACULTY
OF CROZER
THEOLOGICAL
SEMINARY
WILL
MEET TO CONSIDER
APPLICANTS FOR ADMISSION AND FOR STUDENT-AID FOR T H E FOLLOWING ACA-
DEMIC YEAR.
APPLICATIONS
WILL BE TAKEN
WE DESIRE SEVEN REFERENCES
ARE RECEIVED.
YOU WILL
U P IN THE ORDER I N WHICH THEY
WITH WHOM WE MAY CORRESPOND.
GIVE T H E NAMES OF A PROFESSOR OF YOUR COLLEGE, YOUR PASTOR,
AND FIVE OTHERS.
WE SUGGEST
THE PRESIDENT OF YOUR COLLEGE, LAY LEADERS
IN YOUR CHURCH, OR OTHERS WHO KNOW OF YOU AND YOUR WORK WELL ENOUGH
T O GIVE A SATISFACTORY APPRAISAL OF YOUR CHARACTER AND ABILITY.
AFrnS. CRO-NRCR
1.
All six names were marked with a check by an unknown person.
Feb
'948
The Martin Luther King, Jr. Papers Project
The Martin Luther King, Jr. Papers Project
The Martin Luther King, Jr. Papers Project
The Martin Luther King, Jr. Papers Project