Harry L. Cox Oral History Interviews
Scope and Contents
Oral history interviews with Harry Luther Cox (1906-2004) in which he describes his youth and family, conversion and spiritual growth, call to missionary work, service with Sudan Interior Mission in Nigeria, relations with and evangelism among Muslims, tribal characteristics, Kano, language study, establishing a leprosy station, medical missions, the Magazawa and Fulani peoples, raising a family on the mission field, furloughs, death of his sons, World War II, animists, children of missionaries, Evangelical Church of West Africa and its mission board, Great Britain's colonial administration of Nigeria, national church leadership and ministry, E.J. Cummins. The time period covered by the interviews is 1918 to 1995.
Harry Luther Cox was interviewed by Paul A. Ericksen on January 25 and 26, 1995 at his home in Sebring, Florida.
Dates
- Created: 1995
Creator
- Cox, Harry Luther. (Person)
Conditions Governing Access
There are no restrictions on the use of this collection.
Biographical Information
Full Name: Harry Luther Cox
Birth: August 26, 1906, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Death: March 31, 2004
Family:
Parents: Luther E. and Esther J. Cox
Siblings: Two younger brothers: Paul and Elsworth
Marital Status: Married Cornelia “Cora” Renkema, March 23, 1937, at Moody Church, Chicago
Children: Peter (1940- ), Paul (1941-1947), Murray (1946-1994)
Conversion: Public confession at age 14
Education:
1924 -Graduated from high school with a third class certificate
1929 - Graduated from a high school in Quarryville, Pennsylvania with a first class certificate
1929-1932 - Graduated from the missionary medical course at Moody Bible Institute (MBI)
1934 - Language school
ca. 1936 - Northern Baptist Seminary (one term)
Career:
1924-1928 - Work on his father’s farm
1929 - Called to mission work
May 1933 - Accepted by Sudan Interior Mission (SIM)
Dec. 1933 - Sailed to Africa
1934-1975 - Missionary with SIM to Nigeria in Kano, Katsina, and Jos doing evangelism, church planting, and teaching
1948 and 1953-1956 - Interim pastor at Black Rock Congregational Church, Bridgeport, Connecticut (1953-1956 he was on furlough in the United States with non-infectious leprosy)
1975- (several years) - Minister of visitation at Black Rock Congregational Church
ca. 1980s - Moved to SIM Retirement Village in Sebring, Florida
Other significant information:
1933 - First missionary to be supported by Black Rock Congregational Church
1947 - Death of son Paul, age six, by drowning in a well at Matazu, Nigeria
Extent
6 Audio Tapes
372 Minutes
Language of Materials
English
Custodial History
Accession: 95-20
Provenance
The materials in this collection were given to the Billy Graham Center Archives by Harry Luther Cox in February 1995.
- AIDS (Disease)
- Animism -- Nigeria.
- Children of missionaries.
- Christian life.
- Conversion -- Christianity.
- Evangelical Churches of West Africa.
- Evangelistic work -- Niger.
- Families.
- Fula (African people)
- Great Britain -- Colonies -- Africa.
- Great Britain -- Colonies.
- Homosexuality -- Religious aspects -- Christianity.
- Indigenous church administration -- Nigeria.
- Islam -- Relations -- Christianity.
- Kano (Nigeria)
- Language in missionary work.
- Leprosy.
- Maguzawa (African people)
- Missionaries -- Appointment, call, and election.
- Missionaries -- Leaves and furloughs.
- Missions -- Nigeria.
- Missions -- Rural work -- Nigeria.
- Missions to Muslims -- Nigeria.
- Missions, Medical -- Nigeria.
- Muslims -- Nigeria.
- SIM (Organization)
- Sudan Interior Mission.
- Tribes -- Nigeria.
Creator
- Cox, Harry Luther. (Person)
- Ericksen, Paul. (Person)
- Title
- Collection 512 Oral History Interview with Harry L. Cox
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Roman Script
Repository Details
Part of the Evangelism & Missions Archives Repository