John R. Sampey

John R. Sampey (1863-1946) served as the fifth president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (1929-1942) and taught Old Testament at the seminary from 1885 till his retirement in 1942. Sampey also was the second seminary librarian, serving from 1894 to 1928. Sampey was actively involved in a variety of activities, particularly the international Sunday school movement, serving as chairman of the International Sunday School Lesson Committee in 1921. He was also passionate about foreign missions, taking several trips to Brazil. But above all, Sampey’s chief contribution was saving the seminary from ruin in the Great Depression, paying off its enormous debt incurred from building the Lexington Road campus.

The Sampey Papers contain 26 boxes, for which the archives staff has prepared a partial online finding aid. The collection, which has also been microfilmed, includes sermons, presidential papers, and a great deal of correspondence related to foreign missions.

The Archives also holds one box of John R. Sampey Sermons, which also has an online finding aid.

Location: Archives (Manuscript collection, Rare Book Room, and Founders Collection Storage Area)