Skip to main content

Collection 139 Oral History Interview with Frances Rader Longino

 Collection
Identifier: CN 139

Scope and Contents

Oral history interview with Frances Rader Longino (1909-1996) in which she recounts memories of evangelists Billy Sunday, Mel Trotter, Homer Rodeheaver, and her uncle, Paul Rader. Other topics include: city mission work and the Chicago Gospel Tabernacle, Pacific Garden Mission, Winona Lake, and Cedar Lake Conference Grounds. Also included are reminiscences of Rader's reaction to Aimee Semple Mc Pherson, the formation of Scripture Press, Billy Graham's early preaching and crusades, and some of her Salvation Army activities as a musical evangelist. The time period covered by the interviews is 1909-1950.

Frances Longino was interviewed by Robert Shuster on September 11, 1980.

Dates

  • Created: 1980

Conditions Governing Access

There are no restrictions on the use of this collection.

Biographical Information

Frances Rader Longino was born August 22, 1909, in Chicago, Illinois, to Dr. Lyell M. Rader and Jennie Mabel Campbell Rader. The Raders had six children; two other daughters, Josephine and Eugenia, who died in infancy, and three boys, Lyell, Jr., Daniel M. and Paul Orville.

Because of her father's occupation as a consultant chemist, Frances and her family moved frequently, and she often received her schooling from tutors and in private schools. She did some work at Taylor University, and took courses and seminars whenever the opportunity arose. Three writers' courses from Christian Life magazine provided the training to produce over one hundred articles written during her career for Moody Monthly, War Cry, and Christian Life.

Paul Rader, her uncle, was an important influence in her family and early childhood. Frances' father was converted at a revival meeting held by his brother in Pittsburgh. As a result, he made the first contribution to a slum mission in that city. All the rest of his family was converted at its first meeting. The Bible teaching of Dr. G. Campbell Morgan and other leading Bible teachers who visited the Rader home also laid a life-long pattern for Bible study. The family regularly attended Cedar Lake Conference Grounds, where Paul Rader was an evangelist, and Winona Lake, Indiana, where another family friend and evangelist, Mel Trotter, conducted services.

The Rader family formed an evangelistic team, and moved to the New York area on invitation of the greater New York Council of Churches. Dr. Rader's background included singing in opera and vaudeville, and the Rader children received excellent musical training which was used in evangelistic meetings. Mrs. Longino was taught piano by Dr. Lance B. Latham, pianist for Paul Rader's crusades, and Dr. A. Verne Westlake, head of the music Department at Nyack Missionary Institute. Her brothers were trained under associates of Dr. Westlake, who did their hymn arrangements.

Early in the 1920s, both Frances and Lyell Rader entered the Salvation Army as a result of their father's admiration for an officer, Col. Stephen Marshall. Lyell Rader later became one of the Army's most outstanding open-air evangelists. In 1928, Frances married Ensign Frank Longino, editorial staff member of War Cry, and member of the National Staff Band under Commander Evangeline Booth. The Longinos had two children, Frank Jr., and Josephine Ann. Both married, and the Longinos had eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

As a musical, Bible-teaching team, the Longinos were stationed in Canada, the Bahamas, and Caribbean, and Mexico. They also served as Divisional Commanders in Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana, responsible for all Salvation Army operations in those states. Both retired from active Army service in 1968, but continued in active Christian service in Tampa, Florida, where they lived. Mrs. Longino was an organist and Sunday School teacher and also conducted a Bible study class for alcoholics in a local rehabilitation center, as well as teaching music to thirty students. She died in 1980.

Extent

1.00 Audio Tapes

66 Minutes

Language of Materials

English

Accruals and Additions

Accession 80-117

January 11, 1982

Frances L. Brocker

Hugh Bartlett

J. Nasgowitz

Title
Collection 139 Oral History Interview with Frances Rader Longino
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
Undetermined
Script of description
Code for undetermined script
Language of description note
English

Repository Details

Part of the Evangelism & Missions Archives Repository

Contact:
501 College Avenue
Wheaton IL 60187 US
630-752-5910