• About Me

Kevin M. Watson

Kevin M. Watson

Tag Archives: Perkins School of Theology

The Integration of Perkins School of Theology

11 Tuesday Jun 2013

Posted by Kevin M. Watson in Methodist History

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

integration, James V. Lyles, Joe Perkins, Lois Perkins, Merrimon Cuninggim, Perkins School of Theology

During my time as a PhD student at Southern Methodist University, I had the privilege of researching the history of the integration of Perkins School of Theology (the seminary at SMU). The story of the integration of Perkins is fascinating and has been largely untold. It is particularly surprising that this story is not better known because Perkins was integrated in the fall of 1952, which was two years before Brown v. the Board of Education of Topeka. It was also more than a decade before Candler School of Theology at Emory University (another Methodist seminary) integrated their student body.

It was interesting to learn more about the role of Joe and Lois Perkins, whom the School of Theology was named after as the result of a substantial financial gift. Joe Perkins was at times explicitly against the integration of the school, while Lois was at times a key voice in favor of integration. Merrimon Cuninggim’s role as the dean of the school was also intriguing. The highlight of my work on this history was by far the captivating phone conversation I had with James V. Lyles, who was one of the five African-American students who integrated Perkins. I can still hear his voice.

I was first able to present my research as a paper at the 2010 meeting of the American Academy of Religion. However, because of the demands of finishing my dissertation and beginning to teach at Seattle Pacific University, I had to put the paper aside for a few years. Last summer I was able to work on revisions and the paper was recently published in Methodist History. You can read the entire paper here.

I would also highly recommend Joseph L. Allen’s recent full history of Perkins, Perkins School of Theology: A Centennial History (Southern Methodist UP, 2011).

Kevin M. Watson is Assistant Professor of Historical Theology & Wesleyan Studies at Seattle Pacific University. You can keep up with this blog on twitter @kevinwatson or on facebook at Vital Piety.

Can You Help?

13 Tuesday Jul 2010

Posted by Kevin M. Watson in Methodist History, Uncategorized

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Boston University School of Theology, Civil Rights, Methodist Seminaries, Perkins School of Theology, Wesley Theological Seminary

I am working on a paper I will give at the upcoming meeting of the American Academy of Religion. The title of the paper is, “In the Shadows of Segregation: Methodist Seminaries and the Civil Rights Movement.”

I am generally focusing on Wesley Theological Seminary, Boston University, and Perkins School of Theology. One of the things I am trying to do in this paper is to talk to as many people as possible who were at these three institutions during the Civil Rights era, either as students or faculty/staff.

Here is where you can help: Do you know someone who was at one of these institutions during this period who would be willing to talk with me about their experience? If so, I would be grateful if you would contact me and let me know who the person is I should contact, what institution they were at and how they were involved in issues related to Civil Rights, as well as how I can get in contact with them.

You can email me directly at deeplycommitted at gmail dot com.

The paper is off to a good start. In fact, I had a great conversation with Dr. Phil Wogaman today who was at BU as both a Masters and PhD student in the mid to late 50s and then was subsequently on the faculty at Wesley in the mid 60s, becoming the academic dean in 1972. I am soliciting your help because you may have a connection or know something that I have missed so far. I figure this is just one more way I can cover as many angles as possible.

Blog at WordPress.com.

  • Follow Following
    • Kevin M. Watson
    • Join 356 other followers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • Kevin M. Watson
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar