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Melvin C. Gingerich served as archivist of the Mennonite Church Archives, 1947-70, and editor of the Mennonite Historical Bulletin, 1945-70. He was professor of history, first at Washington (Iowa) Junior College, 1930-41, then at Bethel College, North Newton, Kansas, 1941-47. Later he taught at Goshen College, Goshen, Indiana 1949-55, 1959-61.
Gingerich was research director of the Mennonite Research Foundation, 1947-55, 1957-59, was managing editor of The Mennonite Encyclopedia, 1948-55, and managing editor of the Mennonite Quarterly Review, associate editor of Mennonite Life, and editor of Mennonite Historical Bulletin. He also was author of Mennonites in Iowa, Service for Peace, Mennonite Attire Through Four Centuries and other books and articles.
Gingerich's lifetime of service to the church was manifest in many ways over the years. In 1969 he traveled to Mennonite communities in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Melvin served with Mennonite Central Committee from 1947-49 and 1955-58. He wrote Service For Peace which was published by MCC in 1949.
Nelson P. Springer, a colleague on the Goshen College campus wrote of Gingerich, "Theologically he was conservative but not Fundamentalist, politically he was liberal but not leftist."
Melvin Gingerich graduated from Goshen College in 1926 and received a Ph.D. from State University of Iowa, 1938. He married Verna Roth in 1925. He was originally from Kalona, Iowa.
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3/16" stack. Melvin Gingerich was a historian from Iowa who taught at Bethel College in Kansas (1941-1947) and at Goshen College (1949-1970) and was Archivist of the Mennonite Church Archives at Goshen from 1947-1970. Letters begin when he (a Goshen College graduate) was a student at State University of Iowa and with request for help with Goldsmith family history; later, further correspondence on that subject, and a Goldsmith family tree. Beginning 1929 they are about Gingerich’s research for history of Mennonites in Iowa (mention of Henry Weber), and include a multilithed questionnaire cover letter; letter on S. D. Guengerich’s [Simon D. Guengerich’s] historical work. Historical documents were flowing back and forth between Gingerich and Bender.