The Ellen Sitgreaves Vail Motter Manuscript Collection consists primarily of the correspondence of Bishops Samuel Bowman and Thomas Hubbard Vail. The vast majority of the material falls between the dates 1840-1886. Earlier collected material, especially the letters of William White, dates from as early as 1822. Additional letters, photographs, and printed material illuminate the bishops’ ministries, the development of the Diocese of Kansas, and the relationships among other bishops and church leaders. Several prominent Episcopal bishops are represented in the collection including Thomas Clark, George Doane, Alexander Griswold, Jackson Kemper, Alonzo Potter, Benjamin Bosworth Smith, William White, and William Whittingham.