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George Stob Collection, 1914-1981

Collection Overview

Title: George Stob Collection, 1914-1981

ID: COLL/247

Creator: Stob, George (1907-2002)

Extent: 3.0 Boxes. More info below.

Arrangement: Folder level description

Scope and Contents of the Materials

Minister of the Christian Reformed Church and co-editor of The Reformed Journal. The collection includes articles written for The Reformed Journal, including "The Years of the Journal" dealing with the history of The Reformed Journal, and "Gijsbert Haan and the Secession of 1857;" thesis papers; lecture notes; correspondence; an overture; a protest; papers on Janssen case; and Back to God Hour sermons

Biographical Note

George Stob was born in Chicago, Illinois on May 19, 1907. Stob enrolled at Calvin College and Seminary to pursue a career in ministry. He graduated from the Seminary in 1936 earning his Th.B. Shortly after graduation, Stob accepted the call from the Sumas CRC in Sumas, Washington. During this time Stob married Joan H. Dahm. By 1940 the young couple moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan where Stob became the pastor for the Burton Heights CRC. When World War II broke out, Rev. Stob became a chaplain for the U.S. Army and served the troops in France.

After his three-year service as chaplain, Stob enrolled at Princeton Theological Seminary with the aid of his GI Bill. During his time at Princeton, he also temporarily served as the pastor for Preakness CRC in Preakness, New Jersey. In 1947 Rev. Stob returned to his alma mater, Calvin Theological Seminary. This time not as a student, but rather as a member of their faculty.

Stob proved to be an effective teacher. Lewis Semdes described his former teacher as “a person of rock-like integrity.”  However, his call of the duty at the Seminary came to an end in 1952 and he returned to ministry. He went on to serve the congregations of Richfield in Clifton, New Jersey (1953-1962); Wheaton, Illinois (1962-1967) and Washington, DC (1967-1974). In October of 1974, Rev. Stob retired.

Besides being known as a minister of the CRC and a professor, Stob is also known as one of the founders of the theological magazine, The Reformed Journal. Even in retirement he continued to write, study, and volunteer. On September 17, 2002 Rev. George Stob passed away due to a brain concussion from a fall. He was survived by his wife, Joan, and their children.


Box and Folder Listing

Series 1: Thesis Papers and Cards
Box 1: Cards; quotations, notes, references in preparation for writing thesis
Folder 1: Biographical notes on R. Janssen from his son, Andrew, in conversation with E. Ellens; in letter to Harry Boer --- 1973
The Banner 7/9/1914
Folder 2: Correspondence on ThD thesis --- 1953-1963
Folder 3: Thesis: mimeographed copy of chapter three: Christian Education in the Dutch Colony, undated
Folder 4: Thesis: mimeographed copy of chapters three and four; table of contents and bibliography, undated
Series 2: Thesis Papers and Lecture Notes
Box 2
Folder 1: Thesis:  Christian Reformed Church and Her Schools, Mimeographed copy of Chapters 1-8 --- 1955
Folder 2: Thesis:  Christian Reformed Church and Her Schools, Mimeographed copy of Chapters 9-11 --- 1955
Folder 3: Thesis:  Christian Reformed Church and Her Schools, Mimeographed copy of Chapters 12-16 --- 1955
Folder 4: Thesis:  Outline of projected thesis on the Christian Reformed Church and her schools, undated
Folder 5: Wisconsin Overture on the Lodge question in the Reformed Church, 1868-1884, undated
Folder 6: Writing Catechism book for the CRC Correspondence --- 1962
Folder 7: Protest tegen het besluit van de Synode van 1922 inzake de afzetting van Dr. Janssen --- 1922
Folder 8: Lecture notes, "Medieval Church History" --- 1949
Folder 9: Lecture notes, "Medieval Church History" --- 1949
Series 3: Miscellaneous
Box 3
Folder 1: Articles for The Reformed Journal --- 1951-1981
Folder 2: Back to God Hour sermons --- 1949 July, 1955 December
Folder 3: Correspondence with Quirinius Breen --- 1959
Folder 4: The Reformed Journal, an evaluation --- undated
Folder 5: Why the Christian School for Our Children? --- 1942