Call Number:

02

Repository:

African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas

Extent:

3.33 linear feet

Language:

English

Date:

1970-1991 (inclusive)

Creator:

Forrester, Elizabeth J., 1916-1991

Abstract:

Elizabeth J. Forrester (1916-1991) was a community leader active in the Episcopal Church. For most of her career she worked in the Philadelphia area as a social worker and as a director of community improvement projects; she also served on the Boards of numerous charitable, health and educational organizations. Deeply involved with her congregation, the African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas, Forrester became the first African-American president of the Episcopal Church Women in the Diocese of Pennsylvania. The Elizabeth J. Forrester papers on Episcopalianism, 1970-1991, consist of papers accumulated by Forrester on Episcopalianism, church issues, Episcopal organizations with which she was involved (principally the African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas and Episcopal Church Women), and other Episcopal congregations. Included are pamphlets, newsletters, and other printed ephemera; correspondence; handwritten notes; and a few photographs.

"Elizabeth J. Forrester, [1916-1991], known as Bette to her friends and the wider community, was the eldest daughter of the late Louise Peyton and Arthur Johnson. Born in Staunton, Virginia at her mother's ancestral home, she grew up in Ardmore, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Staunton where she received her formal schooling through the teacher training level.

"For many years, Mrs. Forrester worked as a Social Worker in the Philadelphia area and was widely known during her ten year tenure as the first Executive Director of the Neighborhood Gardens Association, a community improvement project begun by the late Mrs. Louise Bush-Brown, the renown[ed] horticulturalist and widely publicized through the beautification campaign of Mrs. Lady-Bird Johnson during President Johnson's White House years.

"Her efforts on behalf of her community were most strongly felt in her acts of Christian mission, through her involvement in the parish of Historic St. Thomas' Episcopal Church, and in the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania, where she served as the first African-American president of the Episcopal Church Women.

"Over the years, Mrs. Forrester served as a valued member of the Board of numerous charitable, health and educational organizations, including the Philadelphia Association of Settlements and Neighborhood Centers, the Planned Parenthood Association, Personnel Resources, Inc., the United Way of Pennsylvania and the Philadelphia Center for older people. For these efforts, she received many honorary awards and citations.

"In her retirement, Mrs. Forrester continued to devote her energies to the community. She instituted the Historical Society of St. Thomas' Church, the oldest Black Episcopal religious institution in America. She also remained a consultant for urban beautification programs and developed and implemented travel groups desired to enrich family unity."

Bibliography:

Quoted text from: Obituary in Elizabeth J. Forrester memorial program, St. Thomas' Episcopal Church, June 14, 1991. Document found in collection, June 2014.

This collection consists of papers accumulated by Elizabeth J. Forrester on Episcopalianism, church issues, Episcopal organizations with which she was involved (principally the African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas and Episcopal Church Women), and other Episcopal congregations. Included are pamphlets, newsletters, and other printed ephemera; correspondence; handwritten notes; and a few photographs.

A large portion of this collection is material on the African Episcopal Church of St. Thomas, of which Forrester was an active member. Administrative records, such as correspondence, financial records, and vestry minutes; documentation of church programs, including the Emergency Food Cupboard and Music Committee; and research on notable people associated with the church, such as clergyman Absalom Jones and composer Francis Johnson; can be found amongst these materials. There is also a significant quantity of records of the Episcopal Church Women (of which Forrester was the first African-American president), including mailings from the parent group and newsletters/ephemera from other Episcopal churches.