Restrictions
Because of the fragile nature of the letters in folder 1-6, researchers must use the photocopies in
folder 1-7 instead.
Biographies
Elisabeth Alden Scott was born in Albion, MI to Dr. Charles Ernest and Clara Heywood Scott on February 22, 1906. Her father was a Presbyterian minister. Six months after her birth, the family sailed to China as missionaries. Elisabeth was to be the eldest of five children. Her siblings were Beatrice (later to marry Theodore Stevenson, a missionary to China), Helen (later to marry George Gordon Mahy, a teacher), Francis and Kenneth. The family was based during Elisabeth's childhood in Tsingtao [Pinyin romanization: Qingdao] in the province of Shantung [Pinyin romanization: Shandong]. Later, after Elisabeth went to boarding school at Tungchow [Pinyin romanization: Tongzhou], near Beijing, the family moved to Tsinan [Pinyin romanization: Jinan]. From an early age she was in the habit of writing verse about her feelings and the world around her. At the age of seventeen, her parents took their furlough and traveled with the family back to the United States (by way of Palestine, Egypt, Greece, Italy, France and England). While in the States, Elisabeth was finishing up her last year of high school when she contracted a severe case of inflammatory rheumatism, from which it took her months to recover. In 1923 she enrolled in Wilson College in Pennsylvania. She was active in a variety of college activities including student government and the literary society. In 1925, while attending a Keswick conference in NJ, she rededicated her life to Christ and felt the call to be a missionary to China. Upon graduating from Wilson with a bachelor's degree in 1928, she decided to attend Moody Bible Institute in Chicago for further practical training in Christian work. It was while she was at Moody, serving on the executive committee of the school's Missionary Union, that she first met her future husband, John.
John Cornelius Stam was born January 18, 1907 in Paterson, NJ to Peter and Amelia Williams Stam. He was one of nine children, his siblings including Peter, Clazina, Amelia (nicknamed Babe), Jake, Neill, Harry, Paul, and Henry. Peter Sr. was a building contractor. The parents and later the children were also very active in Christian work in Paterson, eventually leading to the founding of the Star of Hope Mission. John, along with his brothers and sisters attended the Christian Grammar School near their home. After John finished his secondary education he attended business school for two years and planned to go into business. After attending an evangelistic meeting at the mission led by Thomas Houston on May 28, 1922, John gave his life to Christ. He graduated from school and spent the next six years in office jobs in Paterson and New York. At the end of this time he resolved to enter full-time Christian work and went to Chicago in September, 1929 where he enrolled in Moody Bible Institute. While at Moody he received the call to be a missionary and met Elisabeth.
Their friendship gradually grew, although much of John's time was taken up with a rural church two hundred miles from Chicago which he was leading. Elisabeth graduated in 1931 and sailed to China as a worker with China Inland Mission. John planned to go out to China the next year, also as a CIM worker. They had an informal understanding that if after they had worked as missionaries for a year or two in China as single people they still felt the same and it was the Lord's will, they would marry. On arriving in China, Elisabeth was assigned to Fowyang in the province of Anwhei [Pinyin romanization: Anhui]. John was formally accepted by CIM in July 1932 and sailed for China on September 24. When he reached Shanghai on October 12, he met Elisabeth who was in the city to meet her family and for medical care for her tonsils. John and Elisabeth then became formally engaged.
Elisabeth returned to Fowyang and John traveled to Anking [Pinyin romanization: Anqing] for language school. Upon completing the course in the summer of 1933, he went to the CIM station in Suancheng [Pinyin romanization: Xiancheng] to assist the Birches who worked there and run the mission station during their vacation. He continued his language study and began holding Bible classes. In the fall he traveled to Jinan, where he and Elisabeth were married on October 25, 1933 by Rev. R. A. Torrey Jr.
After a brief honeymoon in Qingdao, the couple returned to Xiancheng. There Elisabeth completed her language study and they both assisted missionaries and Chinese Christians in evangelistic
work. John led several meetings in Kinghsein, drawing on messages he had heard given shortly
before by evangelist James R. Graham Jr. In 1934, the couple traveled sixty miles southwest to
investigate Tsingteh [Pinyin romanization: Jingde], which was to be their station. They were to
be in charge of the mission station there in the absence of Mr. and Mrs. S. J. Warren, who were
going on furlough. In September of that year, Elisabeth went to the Methodist hospital in Wuhu,
where the Stam's daughter, Helen Priscilla, was born. John was distributing famine relief funds and
planning a unified evangelism effort with Erwin A. Kohfield, who was at the station in nearby
Tunki. They met with local government officials to find out if the area would be safe for
missionaries, in view of the continuing fighting between Communist and government forces
nearby. The district magistrate in Jingde, Mr. Peng, told John that there was a good deal of
bandit activity in the area and agreed with him when John said perhaps they should not return for
awhile. But the magistrate also personally guaranteed their safety from Communist attack.
Aware that a large body of government troops had been moved to Xiancheng, John and Kohfield
agreed that they could return to their stations. The Stams left Wuhu on November 13 and were
soon back in Jingde. On December 6, the city fell to a sudden, unexpected attack by the
Communist forces led by Lo Ping-hui and Fang Chi-min. First John and then Elisabeth were
taken hostage, after money had been extorted from them. The Red army took the Stams (who
were allowed to take their baby) and many Chinese captives with them to nearby Miaosheo. John
was allowed to write a letter to the CIM headquarters, saying they would be released in exchange
for $20,000. He closed the letter, "God give you wisdom in what you do and give us grace and
fortitude. He is able." John and Elisabeth were executed by decapitation the next day, shortly
before the Communist army left Miaosheo. Helen was left behind and found by a Chinese
evangelist and friend of the Stams, Lo Ke-chou. She was then taken to her grandparents in Jinan.
The Stams death shocked and stirred American Fundamentalists and was later cited as many by
the event that caused them to become missionaries.
Scope and Content
[Note: The notation "Folder 2-1" means "Box 2, Folder 1.]
This collection consists of correspondence, photos, newspaper clippings, a film, reports, newsletters, poems, clippings, John Stam's will, his college notebook and a few odds and ends such as a bank book and an insurance application. The Archives received the materials from various members of the Stam family. The order and arrangement of the items was determined by the archivist. The files are arranged by typed of document and in alphabetical order. Within each folder, the items are arranged chronologically. Some newspaper clippings were returned to the donor after they had been photocopied
There are three main themes to be found in these documents. The first is attitudes toward missions and missionary service. John's speeches and testimony found in folders 1-11 and 1-16 and Elisabeth's poems in folder 1-15 reflect their belief in and acceptance of salvation from Christ and the commitment to full time Christian worker which, for them, naturally followed from that belief. Of special note in folder 1-15 is the poem "Afraid" by E.H. Hamilton, a favorite of Elisabeth and John's, which was publicized at the time of their deaths. Folder 2-2 contains a notebook of John Stam's filled with notes from classes he took at Moody Bible Institute. Many of the notes regard necessary skills and training for Christian service, including leadership organization, evangelism, teaching, Sunday School administration, etc. There are also many comments in the correspondence in folders 1-3 and 1-5 which describe common Fundamentalist attitude toward the imperative purpose of foreign mission. Also of interest are John's comments on Christian marriage which can be found in his letter and diary (folders 1-3 and 1-10).
The second major them is China and China missions as seen through the eyes of John and Elisabeth. The correspondence in folder 1-3 contains detailed descriptions of urban and rural scenes from Chinese life, including information on travel, the conflict between Communist and the Kuomintang forces, a typical missionary day, a worship service, meals, medical care, evangelistic meetings, and responses to the Gospel. John and Elisabeth sent these letters to his family in the United States who would then make a typed copy of the letter and send it to family and friends. Most of the correspondence in this folder are the typed copies, although there are a few handwritten letters. John's diary in Folder 1-10 contains much description of his work as missionary, language study, etc. Other information on missions in China, especially those of the China Inland Mission, can be found in folders 1-1, 1-5, 1-8, and 1-9. These folders contain letters from other missionaries (including Elisabeth's father Charles) in which they describe their work. Scenes of Chinese street traffic can be seen, very briefly, in the video, V1.
The third major theme is the story of the murder of the Stams and its effect on Christians in China and the United States. Folder 1-7 contains letters by Secretary of State Cordell Hull, Representative Hamilton Fish and other government officials describing what they had been able to find out about the circumstances of the deaths. Enclosed with these letters are several translations of affidavits given by Chinese who were on the scene. These include information on how Lo Ke-chou found Helen Stam. These documents also contain some incidental information about life in China, social structure, the Chinese government, the conflict between the Communists and Kuomintang, attitudes toward the Communists, and the beliefs of Chinese Christians. Some of the reactions to the death, including newspaper stores, memorial booklets, and letters of condolence can be found in folders 1-1, 1-5 and 1-8. OS 14 contains newspaper clippings regarding the kidnaping and murder of the Stams from 1934 to 1936. Photocopies of these clippings can be found in folder 2-1. Duplicates of many, but not all, of these clippings can also be found in another OS folder in OS 14. Folder 1-4 contains correspondence and a telegram from CIM head Robert Glover about John and Elisabeth's deaths and the memorial service and more letters from treasurer William Embery about the disposition of John and Elisabeth's personal effects. The transcript of the memorial service held in Paterson, New Jersey is in folder 1-14. The death of the Stams became quite well known among American Fundamentalists and influenced many people who later became missionaries. Of interest is a program in folder 1-13 from a Christian Endeavor club for young people in a New Jersey church.
Provenance
The materials in this collection were given to the Archives by members of the Stam family from 1990 to 2002. Some orginals of newspaper clippings from accession 90-114 were returned to the donor.
Accession: 90-114, 90-117, 91-50, 91-79, 91-84F1 - A 16mm silent b/w home movie with scenes from the Stams' wedding (performed by R. A. Torrey Jr.) in Jinan, Shandong in 1933 as well as scenes of foot and horse traffic on a Chinese city street, probably Shanghai. This film was possibly taken by registered nurse Hilma [?] Madelaire, a missionary in Jinan and probably a guest at the wedding. 3 minutes. USE V1 INSTEAD OF THIS FILM.
The following items are located in the NEGATIVE FILE; request by Folder Titles at the
beginning of each entry below.
STAM, ELISABETH AND JOHN. Portrait photos of John, ca. 1932; portrait photo of Elisabeth, ca. 1931; the Stam wedding party in Jinan on October 25, 1933, including John, Elisabeth, R. A. Torrey Jr., Katherine Dodd, Percy Bromley, Margaret Luce, Charles Scott, Clara Scott, and Nancy Rogers (two copies of the same negative); coffins of John and Elisabeth being moved by truck to Wuhu General Hospital, December 1934; tombstone of the Stams (probably in Wuhu). 6 b&w negatives. All are copy negatives made by the BGC Archives.
STAM, ELISABETH AND JOHN. Portrait photos of John, ca. 1932; portrait photos of Elisabeth, ca. 1931; the Stam wedding party in Jinan on October 25, 1933, including John, Elisabeth, R. A. Torrey Jr., Katherine Dodd, Percy Bromley, Marguerite Luce, Charles Scott, Clara Scott, and Nancy Rogers; baby Helen Priscilla Stam, as she was found in December 1934; Helen Priscilla Stam, with Pastor and Mrs. Lo among others, in the rice basket in which she was carried to safety, December 1934; snapshot of baby Helen Priscilla Stam, 1937; coffins of John and Elisabeth being moved by truck to Wuhu General Hospital, December 1934; tombstone of the Stams (probably in Wuhu). 11 b&w.
V1 - Copy of film F1, a 16mm silent b/w home movie with scenes from the Stams wedding
(performed by R. A. Torrey Jr.) in Jinan, Shandong in 1933 as well as scenes of foot and
horse traffic on a Chinese city street, possibly Jinan. This film was possibly taken by registered nurse Hilma [?] Madelaire, a missionary in Jinan and probably a guest at the
wedding. 3 minutes.
| Container List | |||
| Box | Folder | Folder Title | |
| 1 | 1 | Articles and clippings; 1935-1940 | |
| 1 | 2 | Bankbook; 1932-1934 | |
| Correspondence | |||
| 1 | 3 | 1931-1934 | |
| 1 | 4 | China Inland Mission; 1934-1935 | |
| 1 | 5 | Condolences; 1934-1937 | |
| 1 | 6 R | Government officials about the murders; 1934-1935 | |
| 1 | 7 | Government officials about the murders (copies); 1934-1935 | |
| 1 | 8 | Scott, Charles Ernest; 1933-1935 | |
| 1 | 9 | Smith, Daniel; 1936? | |
| 1 | 10 | Diary (John Stam); 1932-1933 | |
| 1 | 11 | Graduation speech (John Stam); 1932 | |
| 1 | 12 | Insurance application (John Stam); 1923 | |
| 1 | 13 | John and Betty Stam Christian Endeavor Society Program; 1939 | |
| 1 | 14 | Memorial service transcript; 1935 | |
| 2 | 1 | Newspaper clippings (copies); 1934-1936 | |
| 2 | 2 | Notebook (John Stam); 1929-1930, n.d. | |
| 1 | 15 | Poem (Elisabeth Stam); 1926-1929; n.d. | |
| 1 | 16 | Testimony (John Stam); 1932 | |
| 1 | 17 | Will (John Stam); 1932 | |