Murray Scott Frame was a native of Wooster, Ohio. From 1901-1904, he was a teacher in Lahore, India; this was most likely shortly after receiving his Bachelor's degree. In 1904, he returned to the United States and studied at the Union Theological Seminary in New York. After graduating in 1907, he went to Jerusalem and studied at the American Institute of Archaeology, studying the Arabic language. Finishing his work in Jerusalem in 1908, Frame embarked to Europe, traveling through Italy and Austria, on his way to Germany. From 1908 to 1909, he studied Oriental Studies and Higher Criticism at Berlin University, as well as German, privately. In 1909, he returned to New York before embarking on his missionary career in Peking [Beijing], China for the American Board Mission. These periods of his life are marked by a youthful enthusiasm, a love of sports, travel, learning, friends and family.
Raised as a Presbyterian, Frame became a missionary in the Congregational Church. He began his missionary career by studying Chinese. Later he became a full-fledged missionary, acting as an administrator and preaching in Peking and outlying areas. Frame witnessed the Republican revolution in 1911. He married Alice Seymour Brown November 10th, 1913; she was also a missionary. They had three children, two girls, Frances and Rosamond, and a boy, Murray, Jr.; Frances and Murray, Jr. died while they were young. Murray Scott Frame died in 1918.
John Davidson Frame, Murray Scott's brother, was born June 26th, 1880. He became a Presbyterian, medical missionary in Resht, Persia, near Teheran. His letters were written sporadically from 1905 to1942, during his missionary service. He had a wife, Grace, and four children, John, Charles, Murray, who died young, and Jane. His letters reflect periods of unrest in Persia, of civil rebellion and Russian invasion.
From the guide to the Murray Scott Frame and Alice Seymore Brown Frame papers, 1901-1916, (Special Collections and University Archives, University of Oregon Libraries)
