The Rev. Dr. Frederick K. Wentz Collection

Collection

Identifier: ULS-MS-100

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

This collection documents the activities of the Rev. Dr. Frederick K. Wentz, particularly his career in ministry from ordination in 1945 to death in 2014.

The records are arranged in 14 series. Series include:

Series 1: First Degree Education (pre-1945)

Series 2: Culver City Years (1945-1948)

Series 3: Yale and Hartwick Years (1948-1953)

Series 4: Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary Professorship (1953-1955)

Series 5: Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg Professorship (1956-1966)

Series 6: Hamma School of Theology Years (1966-1976)

Series 7: Chicago Cluster of Theological Schools Years (1976-1982)

Series 8: Kansas City Years (1982-1987)

Series 9: Gettysburg Retirement Years (1987-2014)

Series 10: Personal Papers

Series 11: Miscellaneous Lectures and Notes

Series 12: Photographs and Audio-Visual Materials

Series 13: Certificates and Awards

Series 14: Objects

Series 15: Accruals

The contents of each series are arranged chronologically by era of the Rev. Dr. Wentz’s life. The contents of each folder maintain the creator’s original order.

Dates

Existence: 1932-2014

Creator

Wentz, Frederick K., Rev. (Person)

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for research

Biographical / Historical

The Reverend Doctor Frederick Kuhlman Wentz was born in the Schmucker House of Gettysburg Theological Seminary on January 21, 1921 to the Reverend Doctor Abdel Ross Wentz and Mary Edna (Kuhlman) Wentz. He grew up on the seminary campus where his father served as professor and president. He graduated from Gettysburg High School in 1938. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Gettysburg College in 1942, a Bachelor of Divinity from Gettysburg Seminary in 1945, studied Psychology at the University of Southern California from 1945 to 1947, and received a Doctor of Philosophy in church history from Yale University in 1954. Later, he also received two honorary doctorates, one from Thiel College in 1967 and an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree from Hartwick College in Oneonta, New York in 1972.

The Rev. Dr. Wentz was licensed in the Central Pennsylvania Synod in 1944 and ordained in the California Synod in 1945. His first call was mission developer and pastor of Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church in Culver City, California, from 1945 to 1948. As he continued his studies, he served as pastor to Lutheran students at Yale University from 1948 to 1949 and from 1950 to 1951. He also served as chaplain to the college and assistant professor of religion at Hartwick College from 1951 to 1953. He married Marion Jean Benson on January 20, 1951 in New Haven Connecticut and they had three children: Lisa Jean, Theodore Valentine, and Melanie Kuhlman.

Continuing to serve in theological education, the Rev. Dr. Wentz taught as a professor at the Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary from 1953 to 1955 and then at the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg (in the areas of Lutheran Confessions, Christian ethics, and American church history) from 1956 to 1966. He was granted a one-year leave of absence to undertake a special archives project for the National Lutheran Council in New York City from 1964 to 1965, about which he later wrote The Story of the National Lutheran Council. In 1966, he became president of the Hamma School of Theology at Springfield, Ohio and served there as president until 1973 and on the faculty until 1976. Next, he served as Director of the Chicago Cluster of Theological Schools from 1976 to 1982. Finally, he pastored First Lutheran Church in Mission Hills, Kansas from 1982 until his retirement in 1987. The Rev. Dr. Wentz died on October 24, 2014.

Other noted accomplishments include the editing or publishing of 12 books, editing The Lutheran Quarterly from 1966 to 1970, introducing the motion that opened the possibility of women’s ordination in the Lutheran Church in America (LCA) in 1970, serving on the LCA Board of Foreign Missions, chairing the LCA Management Committee of the Division of World Mission and Ecumenism, chairing the Accrediting Commission of the Association of Theological Schools, and developing the “Candlelight at Christ Church” and “Historic Church Walking Tours” programs in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.

Extent

26 Linear Feet (48 regular archival boxes and 3 over-sized archival boxes)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Custodial History

This collection was received by Archives & Special Collections as a donation from Frederick K. Wentz

Accruals

Further accruals are expected.

Related Materials

Published Materials located in A.R. Wentz Library

Boyle, Marjorie O-Rourke. “Cusanus at Sea: The Topicality of Illuminative Discourse.” Journal of Religion. 71.2 (1991): 180-201.

Cues, Nikolaus von. Schriften des Nikolaus von Cues. Volumes 1, 10, 12, 13, 14. Leipzig: Felix Meiner, 1936-2014.

Cues, Nikolaus von. Von Gottes Sehen. Translated by E. Bohnenstaedt. Hamburg: Felix Meiner, 1944.

Cusa, Nicolai de. Opera Omnia. Volumes 1-5, 8, 11.1, 11.2, 14, 16, 17, 19. Hamburg: Felix Meiner, 1932-2014.

Cusa, Nicolas de. De La Docte Ignorance. Translated by L. Moulinier. Paris: Librairie Felix Alcan, 1930.

Cusani, Nicolai. De Docta Ignorantia, Testo Latino con note di Paolo Rotta. Bari: Gius. Laterza & Figli, 1913.

Cusano, Nicolo. La Dotta Ignoranza: Le Congetture. Edited by G. Santinello. Milan: Rusconi, 1988.

Cusano, Nicolo. Opere Filosofiche. Edited by G. Federici-Vescovini. Turin: Unione Tipgrafico-Editrice Torinese, 1972.

Cusano, Nicolo. Scritti Filosofici. Edited by G. Santinello. Volume 1. Bologna: Zanichelli.

Cusanus, Nicolaus. Of Learned Ignorance. Translated by G. Heron. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1954.

Cusanus, Nicolaus. “Ubi est qui natus est rex Iudaeorum?” Epiphany sermon in Brixen, January 6, 1456. Translated by Maurice Ritchie. Spring 1963.

Cusanus-Texte. Edited by Gerhard Kallen. Volume 1 (“De auctoritate presidendi in concilio generali”). Heidelberg: Carl Winters Universitatsbuchhandlung, 1935.

Cuse, Nicolas de. La Vision de Dieu. Translated by E. Vansteenberghe. Brussels, Editions du Museum Lessianum, 1925.

The Fullness of Life: Aging and the Older Adult. Edited by Cedric W. Tilberg. Lutheran Church in America Division for Mission in North America, 1980.

Goebbel, A. Roger with Donald N. and Elaine C. Matthews. On the Glorious Hill: A Short History in Word and Picture of the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg. Enlarged edition. Gettysburg, PA: Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg, 1990.

James, Barbara and Bush. Mere Reflections: A Unique Journey through Historic Eagles Mere. Montoursville, PA: Paulhamus Litho, Inc., 1988.

Myers, Betty Dorsey. Segregation in Death: Gettysburg’s Lincoln Cemetery. Gettysburg, PA: Lincoln Cemetery Project Association, 2001.

Verzeichnis der Handschriften-Sammlung des Hospitals zu Cues bei Bernkastel a. Mosel. Berbeitet von J. Marx. Trier: Verlagsanstalt Schaar & Dathe, Komm.-Ges. A Akt., 1905.

“Where in the World… A Book of Dramas.” Ministry in Daily Life Series. Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

Working: Making a Difference in God’s World. Curriculum binder with two audiocassettes. Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, 1995.

Published Materials Located in Other Library Collections

My Job and My Faith: Twelve Christians Report on their Work Worlds. Ed. Frederick K. Wentz. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1967.

Reumann, John. Henry Melchior Muhlenberg and the Evangelical Lutheran Ministerium of Pennsylvania and the Adjacent States. Compiled by John Reumann, John Peterson, Darren Poley, and Frederick Wentz.

Schmucker, Samuel S. Fraternal Appeal to the American Churches. Ed. Frederick K. Wentz. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1965.

Wentz, Frederick K. “Evidence of Crowd Phenomena at Pentecost.” Bachelor of Divinity thesis, Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg, 1946.

Wentz, Frederick K. Expanding Horizons for America’s Lutherans: the Story of Abdel Ross Wentz. Gettysburg, PA: Seminary Ridge Press, 2008.

Wentz, Frederick K. Getting Into the Act: Opening Up Lay Ministry in the Weekend World. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1978.

Wentz, Frederick K. “Gettysburg Seminary Tradition.” Ernst Lewis Hazelius faculty lecture series 1.1. Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. 1993. 1 audiocassette.

Wentz, Frederick K. The Layman’s Role Today. Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1963.

Wentz, Frederick K. “Lutherans and Other Denominations.” LCA Sunday church school series. Ed. Philip R. Hoh. Illustrated by Harry Eaby. Philadelphia: Lutheran Church Press, 1964.

Wentz, Frederick K. Lutherans in Concert: The Story of the National Lutheran Council, 1918-1966. Minneapolis: Augsburg Publishing House, 1968.

Wentz, Frederick K. and Robert H. Witmer. “The Problem of Abortion.” New York: LCA Board of Social Ministry, 1967.

Wentz, Frederick K. “The Reaction of the Religious Press in America to the Emergence of Nazism.” Doctor of Philosophy thesis. Yale University, 1954.

Wentz, Frederick K. “Rededication of the Abdel Ross Wentz Library.” October 31, 1991. 2 audiocassettes.

Wentz, Frederick K. “Set Free for Others.” LCA Sunday church school series. Drawings by Edith Aberle. New York: Friendship Press, 1969.

Wentz, Frederick K. The Times Test the Church. Philadelphia: Muhlenberg Press, 1956.

Witness at the Crossroads: Gettysburg Lutheran Seminary Servants in the Public Life. Ed. Frederick K. Wentz. Gettysburg, PA: Seminary Ridge Press, 2001.

Numerous articles and lectures

Bibliography

“Frederick K. Wentz.” Gettysburg Times. October 28, 2014. Accessed March 11, 2018. http://www.gettysburgtimes.com/obituaries/article_e4183842-81d0-53ba-8a0b-6ec999a164ac.html.

Gettysburg Lutheran Theological Seminary Alumni Record, Volume 2. Compiled and edited by Abdel Ross Wentz. Harrisburg, PA: The Evangelical Press, 1964.