Scope and Content Note
The papers of Elizabeth Lee Abbott span the years 1855-2006, with the bulk of the material dating between 1972 and 1986. The collection documents Abbott's academic writings and interests during her career as a social worker and later as an archivist for religious organizations. The papers are primarily in English with some Chinese. The papers are organized into two sections: Abbott's writings and printed matter she collected. The writings section includes "Chinese Pilgrims and Presbyterians in the United States, 1851-1977," an article Abbott published with her husband, Kenneth A. Abbott, and a speech she delivered in 1979 at the Second Annual Meeting of the Asian Assembly for Policy Research titled "Liberation of the Past, Liberation by the Past." This section also includes unpublished writings, such as a school term paper and a paper on affirmative action. The printed matter section features research material on the Asian American experience with a specific focus on Chinese Americans and Chinese American theology. Also included is a book about the Japanese American internment during World War II and a copy of the first issue of the Anglo-Chinese newspaper The Oriental: or, Tung-Ngai San-Luk, published in San Francisco in 1855.