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Edman, V. Raymond (Victor Raymond), 1900-1967.

 Person

Dates

  • Existence: 1900 - 1967

Biographical Statement

Victor Raymond Edman was born in 1900 to Swedish immigrant parents and one of six children. He left home in 1918 to join the army and served for one year, spending much of that time in Allied-occupied Germany. After returning home, he attended college and became a missionary to the Quichua Indians in Ecuador from 1923 to 1928. During this time he married Edith Olson, whom he had met in the United States. He came to Wheaton College in 1936 as an associate professor of history and became the college’s fourth president in 1940, a position he held until he became chancellor in 1965.

During his term as president, the College expanded its financial endowments, its enrollment, and its campus. Fourteen major buildings were erected during his twenty-five year presidency. Buildings included Centennial Gymnasium, Memorial Student Center, Old Dining Hall, Smith Hall, Breyer Science Building, McAlister Conservatory, Health Center, Nicholas Library and Edman Chapel, named by the Trustees in his honor. During this time the College also acquired land for the Black Hills Science Station in South Dakota and HoneyRock Camp in Wisconsin.

Over the years Dr. Edman had a number of serious health problems: typhoid fever (from which he nearly died while in Ecuador), cataracts, gallstones, and ever-increasing heart attacks. One of these attacks, which finally proved fatal, occurred on September 22, 1967, while he delivered a chapel message entitled, “In the Presence of the King.”

Dr. Edman had been a very active public speaker with engagements in Africa, Europe, the Far and Near East, South America, and, of course, all over the United States. He authored nineteen books and numerous articles, most of them devotional in nature. Many were translated into several foreign languages. His correspondence often gave personal counsel and advice and reached thousands. He was a personal friend of Billy Graham and often worked with him on his crusades.

Found in 5 Collections and/or Records:

Collection 260 Oral History Interviews with Jeannette Thiessen

 Collection
Identifier: CN 260
Scope and Contents Oral history interviews with Jeannette Louise Martig Thiessen (1927-2014) in which she discusses her family life in Illinois, favorite professors and her education at Wheaton College, nurses' training, and years in India (1952-1974) working with her husband under the sponsorship of the Mennonite Mission to the Lepers and American Leprosy Mission. Other topics discussed include: the Indian caste system, Indian politics, economics, literacy, hospital work with lepers, the Indian church,...
Dates: Created: 1983

Collection 290 Oral History Interview with Merle A. Steely

 Collection
Identifier: CN 290
Scope and Contents Oral history interviews with Merle Ashel Steely, who worked as a missionary with Sudan Interior Mission between 1951 and 1977 in Liberia and Nigeria. Topic discussed include: Steely's conversion while in military service, education and employment at Wheaton College (including the 1950 revival there), his missionary work in Liberia at radio station ELWA and with Sudan Interior Mission in Nigeria, teaching in mission and government schools, evangelism and church planting, Billy Graham's 1960...
Dates: Created: 1984

Collection 317 Oral History Interview with Ian H. and Ruth E. Cook

 Collection
Identifier: CN 317
Scope and Contents Oral history interviews with Ian Harper Cooke and Ruth Eileen (Witmer) Cook, in which Ian describes his childhood and education in South Africa, college education at Wheaton College, training for missionary work, medical missions work in South Africa with The Evangelical Alliance Mission (TEAM), the Zulus, apartheid, and the national church; and Ruth describes her childhood, conversion, and intention to become a missionary nurse, education at West Suburban Hospital and Wheaton College,...
Dates: Created: 1985

Collection 325 Oral History Interview with Donald W. Berry

 Collection
Identifier: CN 325
Scope and Contents Oral history interview in which Berry discusses his conversion, education at Wheaton College, and his work as a pilot and administrator for Mission Aviation Fellowship in Honduras and Southeast Asia. Other topics discussed include. Berry’s service in the Army during World War II, his views on pacifism, the origins of Mission Aviation Fellowship, challenges of MAF, and the effect of life on the mission field on Berry’s family.Donald Berry was interviewed by Robert Shuster on...
Dates: Created: 1986

Collection 607 Oral History Interviews with Herbert and Frieda Atkinson

 Collection
Identifier: CN 607
Scope and Contents Oral History Interviews with Dr. Herbert Andrew Atkinson (1931-2009) and his wife, Frieda Elizabeth (Paul) Atkinson (1930- ), missionaries with Africa Inland Mission (AIM) in the Belgian Congo. Dr. Atkinson discusses his family background, conversion, Wheaton College, influence of his roommate Bill Kornfield and Dr. V. Raymond Edman, God's provision for his entering medical school, ministry in Oicha, obstacles in communication with the Congolese, lessons learned on the mission field. Frieda...
Dates: Created: 1988

Filtered By

  • Subject: Evangelistic work X
  • Subject: Missionaries -- Appointment, call, and election. X
  • Subject: Worship. X

Additional filters:

Subject
Missions, Medical. 4
Missions. 4
Women missionaries. 4
Christianity and culture. 3
Church and state. 3
∨ more
Culture shock. 3
Education 3
Language in missionary work. 3
Medical care 3
Missionaries -- Training of. 3
Missions -- Finance. 3
Revivals -- Wheaton. 3
Revivals. 3
Worship. 3
Animism. 2
Bible colleges 2
Boarding schools. 2
Catholic Church -- Protestant churches. 2
Catholic Church. 2
Children of missionaries -- Education. 2
College students in missionary work. 2
College students. 2
Evangelicalism. 2
Indigenous church administration 2
Intercultural communication. 2
Interdenominational cooperation. 2
Marriage. 2
Missions -- Honduras. 2
Moravian Church -- Missions. 2
Sex role. 2
Soldiers 2
Tribes. 2
Women 2
Women -- Religious life. 2
Aeronautics in missionary work. 1
Alcoholism -- United States 1
Alcoholism. -- United States -- Diplomatic and consular service 1
Alcoholism. -- United States -- Diplomatic and consular service -- Nigeria. 1
Animism -- Nigeria. 1
Animism -- South Africa. 1
Apartheid. 1
Arminianism -- United States 1
Arminianism. 1
BGEA: South Africa Tour -- 1960 1
Belief and doubt. 1
Bible colleges -- India. 1
Bible colleges -- Nigeria. 1
Boarding schools -- Nigeria. 1
Boarding schools -- South Africa. 1
Calvinism -- United States 1
Calvinism. 1
Caste -- India. 1
Caste. 1
Catholic Church -- Missions. 1
Catholic Church. -- Missions -- South Africa. 1
Catholic Church. -- South Africa. 1
Church and social problems -- Nigeria. 1
Church and social problems. 1
Church and state -- India. 1
Church and state -- Nigeria. 1
Church and state -- United States. 1
Church development, New. 1
Church discipline. 1
Church growth -- India. 1
Church growth. 1
Church schools 1
Church schools -- Nigeria. 1
Church work with military personnel. 1
Church work with women. 1
College students -- Religious life. 1
College students -- United States 1
College students -- United States -- Religious life. 1
Communication in organizations -- United States 1
Communication in organizations. 1
Congo (Democratic Republic) -- History 1
Congo (Democratic Republic) -- History -- Civil War, 1960-1965. 1
Demoniac possession 1
Demoniac possession -- Nigeria. 1
Discrimination -- South Africa. 1
Discrimination. 1
Education -- India. 1
Education -- Nigeria. 1
Education -- South Africa. 1
Evangelicalism -- South Africa. 1
Evangelicalism -- United States. 1
Evangelistic work -- Congo (Democratic Republic) 1
Evangelistic work -- Honduras. 1
Evangelistic work -- India. 1
Evangelistic work -- Nigeria. 1
Evangelistic work -- South Africa. 1
Family. 1
Fula (African people) 1
Great Britain 1
Great Britain -- Colonies -- Africa. 1
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