TABLE OF CONTENTS

Descriptive Summary

Biographical Note

Scope and Contents

Arrangement

Restrictions

Administrative Information

Related Material

Index Terms

Detailed Description of the Collection

Series 1: Sermons, 1905-1918

Series 2: Subject Files, 1898-1905; 1931-1936; 1946-1948

Series 3: Correspondence, 1905-1964

Series 4: Publications, 1918-1954

Series 5: Oversize, n.d.

John Montgomery Cooper

An inventory of The John Montgomery Cooper Papers at The American Catholic History Research Center and University Archives

Mailing Address: The Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C. 20064

Telephone: 202-319-5065

Email: archives@mail.lib.cua.edu

URL: http://libraries.cua.edu/achrcua/index.html

Biographical Note

Born in Rockville, Maryland in 1881, the son of James Joseph and Emma Lillie Tolou Cooper, John Montgomery Cooper distinguished himself as a professor, administrator, theologian, and anthropologist. He was ordained in 1905, named domestic prelate in 1940, and died in 1949.

In 1897, Cooper enrolled in Saint Charles College in Ellicott City, Maryland, to begin his studies for the priesthood. Two years later, he attended the North American College in Rome, where he completed his Ph.D. in 1902 and his Doctorate of Sacred Theology in 1905. While in Europe Cooper developed an interest in Archaeology. While assistant pastor of Saint Matthews in Washington between 1905 and 1918, he worked with anthropologists at the Bureau of American Ethnology at the Smithsonian Institution and by 1914 published his first anthropological study, Analytical and Critical Bibliography of the Tribes of Tierra del Fuego. From that time on, Cooper wore the hats of anthropologist, sociologist, religious educator and sacred theologian.

Cooper's Intellectual range and organizational abilities attracted the attention of John Burke and members of The Catholic University of America (CUA) faculty. From 1909, Cooper taught courses in Sacred Theology at CUA. Between 1918 and 1920, Cooper worked as both director of camp and community activities and Secretary of the Committee on Women's Activities for the National Catholic War Council (NCWC). After completing his work with the NCWC, CUA invited him to teach in the Department of Sacred Theology. By 1923, Cooper began teaching in the Sociology Department as well where he taught not only courses in sociology but also introduced anthropology to the curriculum as well. Cooper's anthropological studies shaped his religion courses. The religious practices of non-literate peoples increasingly informed his presentation within his theology and religion courses. Ultimately, Cooper led in the establishment of the Department of Religious Education in 1929, the first to grant graduate degrees in religion. Cooper chaired this department until 1938.

By the mid-1920s. Cooper decided to concentrate his energies upon Anthropology. In 1926, he founded the Catholic Anthropological Conference (CAC) to promote Anthropology among Catholic missionaries who, in turn. collected ethnological objects for him. He edited its publications including the serial Primitive Man and special reports. Two years later, CUA recognized the importance of his work by establishing the Department of Anthropology and appointing him Professor and Chair. Between 1925 and 1940, he took thirteen field trips to study the Native American tribes in northern Ontario, Canada. During this time, he developed an especially close collaboration with one of his students-turned-colleague, Regina Flannery Herzfeld. After suffering a major heart attack in 1941, he discontinued his field studies and dedicated himself to the Anthropology Department which he chaired until his death in 1949.

Cooper published extensively. His publications included a four volume series designed for Religious Education entitled "Religion", several articles in "Primitive Man", and other articles on sociology, apologetics, religious studies, and anthropology. He achieved recognition for his work as an Anthropologist. In 1940, he was elected President of the American Anthropological Association. In 1941, Villanova University awarded him the Mendel Medal for his contributions to science and religion.

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Scope and Contents

These papers contain sermons; articles in anthropology, sociology, sacred theology, and religious studies; correspondence arranged by subject and correspondent; and personal correspondence. Series 1 contains sermons addressed to Saint Matthew's Church between 1907-1918. Sermons covered include: Humility, Charity in Speech, Purity, Peace Among Nations, Thy Kingdom Come, Way of the Cross, Be Not Solicitous, Contrition, Faith and Conduct, A Redeemer Promised, Perfect Love, Gratitude, Pharisee and Publean, Guardian Angels, The Good Shepherd, Rash Judgment, Spiritual Growth, Hail Mary, Forgiveness, Salvation, Compassion, Christian Sympathy, Divine Grace, Necessity of Prayer, Thy Will Be Done, Divinity of Jesus Christ,

The correspondence includes some of his letters written as a student to his parents; as editor and organizer of the Catholic Anthropological Conference to missionaries; as anthropologist to contacts who facilitated field trips and to professional organizations; and to leaders of the Catholic Church. Subjects addressed within these letters include several folders on II Poverello House, a settlement house organized by Paul Furfey. Some folders, notably on CUA Press, contain correspondence from Regina Fannery Herzfeld. Also, there is a correspondence file with Sister M. Inez, O.S.B., a teacher from St. Benedict's College, St. Joseph, Minnesota, who was the first woman to be officially admitted as a student to regular classes at Catholic University. Subjects covered in the publications series include birth control, sex education, and social hygiene.

These papers support the museum collection of anthropological objects collected by Cooper during his field trips and missionaries participating in the Catholic Anthropological Conference.

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Arrangement

The John Montgomery Cooper Papers consists of five series:

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Restrictions

Restrictions on Access

None.

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Administrative Information

Acquisition Information

The John Montgomery Cooper Papers were donated by Regina Flannery Herzfeld in the early 1950s, in 1967, and on May 5, 1970.

Processing Information

Processing completed in April 1996 by Tom Greene and Josh Sakolsky. Additional processing completed in April 2006 by Cathey Dugan. EAD markup completed in April 2006 by Cathey Dugan.

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Related Material

The CUA Archives also contains:

Henri Hyvemat Papers

John Augustine Ryan Papers

Peter Guilday Papers

Paul Furfey Papers

William J. Kerby Papers

John Montgomery Cooper and Regina Flannery Herzfeld field notes

Records of the National Catholic War Council (Cooper was in charge of their camp and community work, 1918-1920)

At other institutions:

John Montgomery Cooper Papers, The National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution

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Index Terms

This record series is indexed under the following controlled access subject terms.

Persons:

Organizations:

Subjects:

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Detailed Description of the Collection