File Folder 4 - Horst, Irvin B

BOX 34 FOLDER 4 Irvin B. Horst Irvin B. Horst (1915-2011) was a scholar of Anabaptist history, known also as a great collector of books in the field. Some letters in the folder have to do with purchase of specific old books, or more often publication of books. For Horst's biography, see GAMEO (Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online), from which much of the following, including whole phrases, is taken. Horst’s undergraduate work was at Eastern Mennonite School [EMS, later EMC (Eastern Mennonite College), later Eastern Mennonite University (EMU)]. Thereafter he worked under Mennonite Central Committee in Europe, particularly in Holland, and studied at various universities, including the University of Amsterdam. In 1966 that university awarded him a Th.D. based on his dissertation titled "Anabaptism and the English Reformation to 1558." From 1955 to 1966 Horst taught Mennonite history and English literature at Eastern Mennonite College, and while there was a major influence in developing the collection and policies of the college's Menno Simons Historical Library. Then from 1967 to 1985 he was the professor of Mennonite history at the University of Amsterdam. {1} Irvin Horst to Bender, June 21, 1958 [stationery of Mennonite Historical Bulletin; Irvin B. Horst, at Eastern Mennonite College, Harrisonburg Virginia, as Editor]: planning to meet Bender at Schwenkfelder library on June 27––Bender en route to Waynesboro [? Virginia ?] . {2} Bender to Irvin Horst, June 24, 1958 [to Irvin B. Horst c/o Leon Horst at Quakertown Pennsylvania]: thank you, etc. {3} Irvin Horst to Bender and Ira D. Landis, July 5, 1958 [stationery of Mennonite Historical Bulletin; Irvin B. Horst, at Eastern Mennonite College, Harrisonburg Virginia, as Editor; Ira Landis at Bareville Pennsylvania]: happy to be with you two at Schwenkfelder library to “examine the various 16th century imprints”; idea of compiling a list of Anabaptist and Mennonite holdings [apparently for an auction].... {4} Irvin Horst to Reverend B. R. White, September 1, 1958 [Irvin B. Horst at Eastern Mennonite College; White at Abingdon Pennsylvania]: Bender had sent some correspondence with White; reference to “England” article in Mennonite Encyclopedia––and that the article was based much on Horst’s dissertation; about the dissertation; if White had more questions, Horst would gladly take them; remarks about White’s own thesis topic [undesignated]. cc: Bender. {5} FIVE ENTRIES Irvin Horst to Bender, October 7, 1958 [stationery of Mennonite Historical Bulletin; Irvin B. Horst, at Eastern Mennonite College, Harrisonburg Virginia, as Editor]: had heard that, to the “Historical Committee”, Bender had proposed a translation of “Van der Zijpp’s Geschiedenis der Doopsgesinden in Nederland” [likely Nanne Van der Zijpp], and was thinking that he (Horst) might do the translation; about conversation about this with John A. Hostetler; more.... cc: John Hostetler. P.S. the Mennonite Historical Fellowship wished to have Bender as speaker. • • • CONTIGUOUS, copy, John A. Hostetler to Irvin Horst, October 10, 1958 [John Hostetler at Scottdale, Pennsylvania, to Irvin B. Horst at Eastern Mennonite College]: the book approving committee [likely of Mennonite Publishing House] agreed to “discuss... an English translation of Zijpp’s history of the Mennonites in the Netherlands”; but it thought that right now “the Menno Simons project” was as much as it could do; encouraged Horst to do research on that biography; Mennonite Publishing House would not be interested in printing the biography in the Netherlands, where costs were likely higher for a production of that size; re Catherine Drinker Bowen’s writings about writing biography; mention biography of Rufus Jones [Rufus M. Jones], by Elizabeth Gray Vining. • • • CONTIGUOUS, Bender to Irvin Horst, October 16, 1958 [to Irvin B. Horst at Eastern Mennonite College]: happy to endorse Horst’s proposal to translate Nanne Van der Zijpp’s history...; elaborated; also happy to speak to Mennonite Historical Fellowship.... cc: John A. Hostetler. • • • REPLY, Irvin B. Horst to Bender, November 1, 1958 [from Eastern Mennonite College Historical Library]: the Mennonite Historical Fellowship met monthly; could be flexible re scheduling Bender; wanted him to speak with “college students in general” as audience. // Re van der Zijpp book, could work “off and on”...; a bit more. cc: C. K. Lehman [Chester Lehman, Chester K. Lehman]; Milton Lehman [for the fellowship]. • • • CONTIGUOUS, copy of Irvin B. Horst to N. Van der Zijpp, November 1, 1958 [from Eastern Mennonite College; to Nanne van der Zijpp at Rotterdam, The Netherlands]: response to the idea of publishing your book was favorable, but scheduling problems; passing on your request that Bender write the foreword; re translation, Horst would send you several chapters.... cc: Bender, Hostetler. {6} Irvin B. Horst to Bender and Cornelius Krahn, December 1, 1958 [stationery of Eastern Mennonite College]: re formats for “short title list of certain holdings at the Schwenkfelder Library”; mention Pilgram Marpeck, Pilgram Marbeck. {7} TW0 ENTRIES Bender to Irvin Horst, March 26, 1959 [to Irvin B. Horst at Eastern Mennonite College]: about securing “the folio 1527 edition of the Denck-Hoetzer translation of the Prophets, which you purchased from Gerhard Rosen of Berlin [likely Hans Denck]; summary about “our relation to this book”. • • • REPLY, Irvin B. Horst to Bender, April 3, 1959 [stationery of Eastern Mennonite College; from its Historical Library]: had purchased the book for EMC’s library; both its committee and Horst wanted it to stay there. {8} Irvin Horst to Bender and to John A. Hostetler , June 13, 1959 [stationery of Mennonite Historical Bulletin, Irvin B. Horst its Editor; to Bender as Chairman of the (MC) Mennonite General Confernce’s Historical Committee, John Hostetler at Mennonite Publishing House]: Horst sending first two chapters of his translation of [Nanne Van der Zijpp’s] Geschiedenis der Doopsgesinden in Nederland”; Horst had been to The Netherlands recently and had shown the translation to Van der Zijpp, who was pleased with it and had suggested only “a few changes ...[for] an American audience”; and wanted Bender to write an introduction; the publisher was ready to cooperate with Mennonite Publishing House [elaborated]. {9} THREE ENTRIES Bender to Irvin Horst, November 19, 1959 [to Irvin B. Horst at Eastern Mennonite College]: had a letter from Jan Gleysteen [likely Jan Gleysteen Sr. Alternative spelling in Holland was Jan Gleijsteen.Sr.]; he had just bought “a 1580 edition of ‘Het Offer des Heeren’”; it might be available [to EMC’s library] for $60.... • • • REPLY, Irvin B. Horst to Bender, November 27, 1959 [stationery of Eastern Mennonite College]: since Goshen’s copy was incomplete, Horst assumed Goshen might want the copy from Gleysteen; in that case, send more information on the incomplete copy, as Eastern Mennonite College might want it. • • • REPLY, Bender to Irvin Horst, December 9, 1959 [to Irvin B. Horst at Eastern Mennonite College]: expected Het Offer des Heeren to have arrived by now, but it had not; the copy at Goshen was fairly good, and would have photocopies of the missing parts. {10} Irvin B. Horst to Bender, February 5, 1960 [stationery of Mennonite Historical Bulletin, Horst the Editor]: from “Brother Chester” [C. K. Lehman] had heard Bender would visit Eastern Mennonite College in February; hoped he would speak to its Mennonite Historical Fellowship––on a topic of Bender’s choice, but Chester had suggested it be about “The Anabaptist Vision” in relation to Mennonite life, or further thinking on that Vision; Horst was also suggesting remarks on present development of “South German Anabaptist studies (Marpeck, etc.)” [Pilgram Marpeck, Pilgram Marbeck). // What was the state of the Het Offer des Heeren matter? cc: Chester Lehman, Chester K. Lehman. {11} Irvin B. Horst to Bender, April 25, 1960 [stationery of Mennonite Historical Bulletin, Horst the Editor; to Bender as Chairman of the Historical Committee {likely of (MC) Mennonite General Conference}]: for annual meeting of the Historical Committee in June, favored Ira Landis [Ira D. Landis] giving a full report “of the Historical Society of the Lancaster Mennonite Conference”, and speak also about “Eastern Mennonite Associated Historical Libraries and Archives; re recent historical meeting at Weaverland meetinghouse, Christian Kurtz of Morgantown had spoken of 300th anniversary of Martyrs’ Mirror; ? suggestions for Mennonite Historical Bulletin? cc: Ira Landis. {12} Postcard, Irvin B. Horst to Bender, May 16, 1960 [postmarked Harrisonburg]: about sending a book-auction catalogue. {13} THREE ENTRIES Irvin B. Horst to Bender, February 11, 1961 [stationery of Eastern Mennonite College]: re thinking in the Netherlands about Menno Simons matters; Professor Oosterbaan seemed much interested in “contacts with American Mennonites”, and had delivered an excellent address on Menno’s theology [likely Johannes A. Oosterbaan, Hans Oosterbaan]; Cornelius Krahn wanted the address published; reference to Bender’s Conrad Grebel lectures at Eastern Mennonite College. • • • REPLY, Bender Irvin Horst, February 18, 1961 [to Irvin B. Horst at Eastern Mennonite College]: sending copy of letter that Bender had written to Oosterbaan; invited Horst to speak on April 21 at “our Menno Simon’s [sic] celebration” at the Mennonite Historical Society meeting. • • • CONTIGUOUS, Bender to Irvin Horst, March 16, 1961 [to Irvin B. Horst at Eastern Mennonite College]: sorry Horst could not speak at the Menno Simons meeting; but input from Franklin Littell speaking on “Menno’s contribution to Christendom” [Franklin H. Littell] had been good; and Bender had spoken, and [J. C. Wenger[John C. Wenger] on Menno’s life. // Suggestions about producing that translation; for “the scholarly world”; agreed it should be published. {14} Bender to Irvin Horst, August 17, 1961 [to Irvin B. Horst at Eastern Mennonite College]: had “missed each other in Amsterdam; still wanted “your review of Meihuiizen” and would gladly “have your review of the Kuiper-Bremer book”, also one of Kuiper-van der Zijpp [likely Frits Kuiper, Nanne van der Zijpp]. {15} Irvin B. Horst to Bender, October 6, 1961 [stationery of “SIGNAL BOOKS / THE SIXTEENTH AND SEVENTEENTH CENTURIES / Harrisonburg Virginia ]: thanks for an order; offering 30% discount on “Camphuysen items”. {16} TW0 ENTRIES Bender to Irvin Horst, November 18, 1961 [to Irvin B. Horst at Eastern Mennonite College]: on Albert Peel, A Conscientious Objector of 1575..., re a debate between and English Anabaptist and a Puritan’ ... interesting about ‘relation of English and Continental Anabaptists”, with bibliography. // ... “we wished to “buy a copy of your Menno Simons bibliography.... • • • REPLY, Irvin B. Horst to Bender, November 21, 1961 [stationery of “SIGNAL BOOKS / THE SIXTEENTH AND SEVENTEENTH CENTURIES / Harrisonburg Virginia ]: thanks for the Peel reference.... // The bibliography would be ready about December 15, and Horst would gladly give a copy to Mennonite Historical Library.... {17} Irvin B. Horst to Bender, March 21, 1962 [stationery of “SIGNAL BOOKS / THE SIXTEENTH AND SEVENTEENTH CENTURIES / Harrisonburg Virginia ]: was applying for a summer Fellowship at Folker Shakespeare Library––was asking Bender for a reference.... {18} Bender to Irvin Horst, June 11, 1962 [to Irvin B. Horst at Eastern Mennonite College]: had been checking page proof of “Hans Hillerbrand’s Bibliography of Amsterdam”; checking it against Horst’s bibliography had been a large, time-consuming task; elaborated...; some questions, and asking Horst to answer before Bender wrote a review.... {19} SEVEN ENTRIES Irvin Horst to Bender, June 16, 1962: had read Bender’s comments on Horst’s Menno Simons bibliography; Bender needed clarification on some comments; 7 numbered paragraphs of such clarification; a bit of comment about copyright. • • • CONTIGUOUS, Bender to B. de Graaf, June 20, 1962 [to The Netherlands]: compliments on quality of printing and binding of Horst’s A Bibliography of Menno Simons; had a review copy, review would be in July Mennonite Quarterly Review. asked for permission to use some items in Hans Hillerbrand’s A Bibliography of Anabaptism.... • • • REPLY, Bender to Irvin Horst, June 21, 1962 [to Irvin B. Horst at Eastern Mennonite College]: comments on some points of Horst’s June 16 letter • • • CONTIGUOUS, typed draft of the Bender review of Horst’s bibliography. • • • CONTIGUOUS, a note (one short, typed paragraph) headed “Insert in Review of Horst’s book”, further CONTIGUOUS, handwritten, longer version of the note. • • • CONTIGUOUS, document, one-sheet, handmarked “From I. B. Horst” and “1960-62”, and headed “PROSPECTUS: BIOGRAPHY OF MENNO SIMONS” • • • CONTIGUOUS, document, one-sheet, headed “TENTATIVE TITLE AND TABLE OF CONTENTS” / “NOT ABOVE HIS LORD / The Life of Menno Simons, 1496-1561”.