Shoemaker (Rev.), Samuel. Papers

PP-00-R0101

The Archives of the Episcopal Church

Shoemaker (Rev.), Samuel. Papers

• 1913-1963 (Creation)

56 cu.ft. (56 boxes)

Samuel Shoemaker began his ministry in Beijing, China, teaching and doing missionary work. While there, he met a mentor in Frank N. D. Buchman, a Pietist Lutheran preacher and activist who would go on to found the Oxford Group. Shoemaker was ordained a priest in 1921 and in 1924 accepted a call as rector of Calvary Church in New York City. He established a rescue mission on the Lower East Side, ministering to men with addictions, including William Wilson, the founder of Alcoholics Anonymous. Wilson later described Shoemaker’s ministry as the “spiritual keys” upon which AA was based. Shoemaker’s literary output typically consisted of personal narratives centered on religious experience and transformation.

The archive comprises Samuel Shoemaker’s personal and professional correspondence, writings and publications, printed sermons, and documentation of his broadcasting work and speaking engagements. A substantial portion of the correspondence consists of letters regarding his Oxford Group connections and those from the general public in reaction to his publications, broadcasts, and speaking engagements. Shoemaker’s publishing career is extensively documented in his writings, letters from readers, and correspondence with publishers, including Harper Brothers, Fleming Revell, Dutton, and over sixty magazines and periodicals.

General Correspondence, 1913-1963
Writings, Audiovisual Materials, and Artifacts, 1913-1962
Sermons, 1920-1962
Speaking Engagements and Invitations, 1936-1963

Access to Episcopal Church records is governed by the Archives Public Access Policy. Research requests must be submitted in writing.

The Archives is able to respond to limited requests for reproductions subject to copyright restrictions, internal policy, and the condition of the source documents.

• English

• Alcoholism
• Addiction
• Calvary Church, NYC
• Moral Re-armament movement
• Oxford Group
• Radio ministry
• Substance abuse

• Baltimore, Maryland
• Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

• Buchman, Frank (Subject)
• Shoemaker, Samuel Moor (Subject)