This series comprises the personal papers of the Rev. Henry F. Schuh, pastor and president of the American Lutheran Church from 1950-1961. Records date from 1913-1965 and include handwritten and typewritten sermons and addresses, handwritten and typewritten business and personal correspondence, news articles, newspapers clippings, minutes, reports, agenda and exhibits, circular letters, typewritten and handwritten family histories, pamphlets, orders of service, and one photograph. The series is divided into the following subseries. Sermons during liturgical year. Records in this subseries comprise the bulk of this personal papers collection. They date from the 1919-1931, which comprises most of the years that Pastor Schuh was a pastor at St. Paul's, Toledo. This subseries does not have sermons for his first years as a pastor, 1915-1919. There are undated sermons at the end of the subseries, so it is possible that these are from his first years as a pastor, but this is not known. There are handwritten and typewritten sermons that are arranged by the liturgical year. For most sermons, there is an English version and a German version. For each sermon, Pastor Schuh noted which Sunday it was in the liturgical year and the location and year it was preached. For many of these sermons he also includes a notation indicating which commentaries he used when writing the sermon, e.g. Lenksi Free Texts, Eisenach Epistles. These records are arranged chronologically. Catechism sermons. This subseries comprises undated sermons apparently used by Pastor Schuh for catechetical teaching that is, to explain particular religious doctrines by focusing on aspects of the church, Scripture, and other theological topics. These sermons are typewritten and all but two have an English and German version. This subseries is arranged alphabetically by sermon topic. Sermons by topic or event. These are sermons dating from 1916-1962 that are arranged by topic. Pastor Schuh noted on the original folder in which he kept the sermon what the topic was or at what event he preached the sermon. Events include Mission Sunday, Festival of the Dead, preaching at the Northern District, anniversaries, dedications, Thanksgiving, and Thankoffering Sunday. This subseries also includes folders that were marked "sermons," or "special events." It also includes funeral sermons Pastor Schuh preached. He divided these types of sermons into funerals for "old persons" "middle age persons", "young persons." There is also one folder of unidentified sermons for which an event, liturgical date, or sermon topic could not be ascertained. This subseries is arranged primarily alphabetically by topic or event. Addresses. This personal papers collection also includes addresses and remarks Pastor Schuh gave on various topics or at particular meetings. These records are from 1917-1963 with the bulk dating from 1920-1950. There are also several undated records. These are typewritten or handwritten remarks that were given at various functions including the young ladies bible club, women's missionary society, and a memorial service for President Harding. There are also remarks that were given on particular topics including advertising, inner missions, methods for raising money, the funeral of a non-member, the pastor's role in Sunday School, and the purpose of Rally Day. Records. This subseries include correspondence, news clippings, pamphlets, programs, printed speeches, a printed family history of the Schuh family, and notebooks of printed liturgies Pastor Schuh used when installing officers. While many of these records are undated, the remainder date from 1927-1960. The records in this subseries represent those that were in Pastor Schuh's papers that did not fit into one of the other subseries. There is also one large, sepia-toned photograph of the Rev. Lewis H. Schuh and his family, dated c. 1903. This appears to be a formal portrait taken in a studio setting. Family members are identified in the photograph. Post-president records. Records in this subseries comprise material that Pastor Schuh generated and retained in his years after leaving office while continuing in an informal capacity as "honorary president" of The American Lutheran Church (TALC). The predominant record type is handwritten and typewritten correspondence that is divided either by subject or by first letter of the correspondent's last name. Many of the folders are marked with a letter that represents either the first letter in the correspondent's last name or the first letter of the subject heading of material in the folder. Subject matter includes Pastor Schuh's records sent to the archives, appointments, a trip to New Delhi, India, invitations, and addresses. There are several folders of material pertaining to Pastor Schuh's involvement as a representative to a consultation on church-state relations. These records include correspondence, minutes, agenda, exhibits, and resource material used for meeting preparation. Records in this subseries date from 1960-1965.
