M. Howard Rienstra Collection, 1949-1987 | Heritage Hall, Hekman Library

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Collection Overview

Title: M. Howard Rienstra Collection, 1949-1987

ID: COLL/203

Primary Creator: M. Howard Rienstra (1931-1986)

Extent: 39.0 Boxes

Arrangement: Folder level description

Abstract

Professor of history at Calvin College; director of the H. Henry Meeter Center for Calvin Studies; city commissioner for Grand Rapids, Michigan; chairman of the Michigan Advisory Committee; and service commissioner. The collection includes lecture notes and outlines; papers on medieval history, the Renaissance, Western Civilization, Russian history and philosophy of history; speeches; addresses; commencement addresses; chapel talks; essays; articles; correspondence; book reviews; student papers; Michigan Consortium of Medieval and Early Modern Studies records, 1976-1977; reprints of articles regarding John Calvin; Calvinism and Racism Conference paper and materials; Grand Rapids City Commission records, 1970-1983; Community Action Program materials; Michigan Advisory Committee on Civil Rights records, 1975-1984; Christian Reformed Race Commission records, 1961-1971; and scrapbooks on the Urban League and city commissioner activities. [See also the Campus Titles Database.]

Biographical Note

M. Howard Rienstra (1931-1986) was born in Warren Point, New Jersey, orphaned at age five and adopted at age ten. Rienstra was educated in the Christian schools of Paterson, New Jersey, Calvin College, and the University of Michigan. His area of specialization was the Italian Renaissance, which drew him on several scholarly ventures to Italy. However, his intellectual travels as reflected in his papers were universal indeed. Thus, his papers contain valuable insights into the activities of Calvin College during his tenure in the history department from 1957 to 1986. A large portion of the collection reveals his intense involvement in civic affairs during his thirteen-year stint as Commissioner in the city of Grand Rapids. Moreover, because of his keen interest in civil rights, the Rienstra papers bring together not only his contributions to the Michigan Advisory Committee to the United States Commission on Civil Rights but also many significant articles and papers on this subject. His own articles and speeches cover topics as varied as the “Christian Philosophy of History” to “Racism in Grand Rapids.” As the first director of the H. H. Meeter Calvinism Research Center (1983-1986), Rienstra brought together his linguistic talent, his love for John Calvin, his historical sensitivity, his administrative ability, and his dream of building a Calvin collection par excellence.

In sum, the Rienstra collection mirrors the sobriquet “A Renaissance Man” often given him on the Calvin College campus. The papers reveal admirably the life and work of a man dedicated to God and the service of man.

M. Howard Rienstra passed away due to cancer. He died on June 16, 1986. His wife, Mary, and their seven children survived him.

Box and Folder Listing

Browse by Series:

[Series 1: Reels in Audio Visual Collection, 1985],
[Series 2: Personal Materials, 1949-1983],
[Series 3: Correspondence and History Teaching Material, 1960-1986],
[Series 4: History Teaching Material, 1957-1983],
[Series 5: History Department, 1954-1986],
[Series 6: History Materials, 1955-1981],
[Series 7: Philosophy of History Academic Affairs, 1963-1984],
[Series 8: Student Papers, 1964-1984],
[Series 9: Card Indexes, Microfilm of G. Della Porta's De Distillations Liber 13, Datebooks, 1970-1986],
[Series 10: Writings, 1953-1986],
[Series 11: Speeches, 1959-1984],
[Series 12: Meeter Center, 1971-1987],
[Series 13: Sabbatical in Italy, 1969],
[Series 14: Correspondence as City Commissioner, 1970-1983],
[Series 15: Grand Rapids City Commission Materials, 1961-1986],
[Series 16: Housing in Grand Rapids, 1963-1968],
[Series 17: Kent Community Action Program (CAP), 1972-1985],
[Series 18: Michigan Advisory Committee on Civil Rights to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, 1975],
[Series 19: Michigan Advisory Committee (MHR secretary) on Civil Rights (MHR), 1970-1984],
[Series 20: Michigan Advisory Committee on Civil Rights to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, 1977-1984],
[Series 21: CRC Race Commission, 1950-1972],
[Series 22: Miscellaneous Items, 1962-1969],
[Series 23: Selected Books, 1950-1983],
[Series 24: Miscellaneous Material, 1968-1986],
[Series 25: Addenda and Varia, 1975-1987],
[Series 26: Calvinism and Racism International Conference, January 28-30, 1985, 1978-1985],
[All]

Series 11: Speeches --- 1959-1984

Box 15

Folder 1

Item 1: "A Christian Pattern for History"given for Protestant Reformed Teachers' Institute --- October 1963
Item 2: "Theory of history and teaching of history"given at Carnegie-Mellon University --- December 1967
Item 3: "World Views and scientific history - an historical perspective"Given for the West Michigan
Item 4: Chapter of the American Scientific Affiliation --- 5/1964
Item 5: "Restructuring Society to Eliminate Racism"Given at a meeting of Classis G.R. West --- 5/1972

Folder 2

Item 1: "Books and Bread"for the Calvin College Centennial Conference, William Spoelhof - some celebrative Considerations." --- October 1975
Item 2: "Calvinism and Higher Education" Outline only --- undated

Folder 3

Item 1: "Fools and Scholars"Calvin College Honors Convocation --- 5/1979
Item 2: Comments on "Civil Religions"at some unidentified conference --- October 1974
Item 3: Chapel speech on Matthew 7:21-23 --- February 1959
Item 4: "The Point of it"Honors Convocation speech --- April 1982

Folder 4

Item 1: "Varieties of ignorance"Calvin Commencement speech --- 5/1983
Item 2: Report on a keynote speech of MHR given at Trinity Christian College, Reformation day Rally --- November 1977
Item 3: "Idealism vs. Realism"at Faculty Board conference --- September 1984
Item 4: "Grand Rapids, Present"A political perspective --- April 1980
Item 5: Outline of a lecture for Grand Rapids Junior College series: "The Prostitute and the City," --- 1980

Folder 5: "Local Politics and Public Justice."Given at the 2nd International Political Conference at Dordt College --- 1978

Folder 6: "Christian City Management" --- undated

Folder 7

Item 1: "Capital Punishment in Historical Perspective"- Park Congregational Church --- 5/1977
Item 2: "Crime and Punishment: Medieval and Modern" --- undated
Item 3: "City-Suburban Relation, a Grand Rapids Perspective" --- January 1983
Item 4: Lenten Lecture series at Central Reformed Church --- 1964

Folder 8

Item 1: "The Lynceograhum - Constitution of the World's first Scientific Society"- Duquense --- November 1972
Item 2: Talk and materials on Christian Education in Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada --- November 1963