William Luther White, Works from 1955-2015

Collection

Identifier: 14-3: White, William Luther

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The William Luther White collection consists of sermons, speeches and other public talks, published and unpublished writings, personal and professional correspondence, self-evaluations and IWU course materials.

The collection is organized into the following series:

1. Biographical Information

2. Unpublished Writings, 1957-72

3. Published Writings, 1966–95

4. Sermons, Meditations & Chapel Services, 1955–2015

5. Non-Sermon Speeches & Public Talks, 1964–2015

6. IWU Courses: Syllabi & Notes, 1965–96

7. Personal and Professional Correspondence, 1962–99

8. Vocational Work, 1971–2001

Dates

Works from 1955-2015

Biographical / Historical

The Rev. Dr. William Luther White was born in Brazil, IN, on July 7, 1931. White was a member of the First United Methodist Church in Normal, IL, and served as chaplain for Illinois Wesleyan University for 33 years. Rev. White passed away on June 28, 2015, in Bloomington, IL, at the age of 83. His oral history can be found here: https://digitalcommons.iwu.edu/oral_hist/38/.

In 1953, William White received his undergraduate degree from DePauw University, where he had a Rector scholarship. He went on to complete his master of divinity at Garrett Theological Seminary in Evanston, IL, and a Ph.D. in theology and English literature at Northwestern University.

Rev. White was ordained an elder in the Indiana Conference of the Methodist Church in 1957. He served churches in Chicago, IL, and Evansville, IN, before his appointment as chaplain and professor of religion at Illinois Wesleyan University. Dr. White served in that role from 1963 to 1996. Among the courses taught by Dr. White were Christian Thought; Introduction to Christian Ethics; Christian Social Ethics; Sex and Love in Contemporary Protestantism; Christian-Marxist Dialogue; Christian Ethics and Nuclear War; Christianity and the Arts; and, Christianity and Contemporary Literature.

Rev. White had an interest in Russian religious beliefs and led several IWU student seminars to Russia in the 1970s and 1980s. Additionally, he was a C.S. Lewis Scholar and his book, The Image of Man in C.S. Lewis, was a Pulitzer Prize nominee in 1969. He also received a Community Leadership award at his 55th DePauw University reunion in 2008.

White studied and presented lectures on the role of Christian values in obtaining global peace. His concerns over the threat of nuclear war led to his serving on the national advisory boards of the Citizens Exchange Council, Christians Associated for Relations with Eastern Europe, and the McLean County Association for the United Nations. He was also one of the founders of the Vladimir/Canterbury Sister City Association of Bloomington-Normal.