Collection Timeline

1939 to 2012

1939
Typescript of Wilfred Tidmarsh's diary of his first voyage to Ecuador, February 1939. Begins February 3rd in Liverpool, England and ends February 21st as his ship began to near port in Panama. 8 pages.

1945
Copies of ethnological notes on the Waorani people living in the Nushiño River basin from Dr. Wilfred Tidmarsh, compiled and retyped by Rachel Saint in the mid-1950s. Notes gathered from the experience and observations of Joaquina Grifa, a Quichua speaking girl who lived among the Waorani for a year in 1944.
Ed McCully's 1945 application to Wheaton College.
Ed McCully's three-page autobiography written to accompany his application to Wheaton College in 1945.
On New Year's Eve 1944, Saint read an article about the Christian Airmen's Missionary Fellowship's (CAMF) plans to provide aviation services to foreign missions and he subsequently wrote to CAMF to express his desire to join them. CAMF soon became Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) and Saint flew for them in Mexico and Ecuador. Handwritten and signed letter. Paper, 5" x 7", 5 pages.
Jim Elliot’s application for admission to Wheaton College with handwritten responses, 1945. Paper, 2 pages on single sheet. 6” x 9”.
Jim Elliot submitted this handwritten autobiography, written in the third person, as part of the application process to Wheaton College. He recounts his childhood and early conversion to Christ, his Christian experience in high school, and his interest in aviation and missionary activity. Paper, 2 pages on single sheet, 7” x 10”.
Photograph of Nate Saint with beard sent along with his application to Wheaton College. Handwritten on the back of the photo: “The beard was ‘made in Mexico' and will not be brought to Wheaton, if I’m fortunate as to be accepted.” Black and white photograph, 3-1/2” x 2-1/4”.

1946
Fleming gave the speech as valedictorian of his high school graduating class at Queen Anne High School, Seattle, Washington. Paper, typed copy with handwritten notation, 2 pages.
Nate Saint’s testimony submitted with his application to Wheaton College. He describes his upbringing in a Pennsylvania home, where despite “careful Christian home training” he associated with rough groups. Then, as the result of “a weary mother’s prayers and father’s careful training” he converted to Christ. Handwritten testimony on onionskin paper. 8-1/2” x 11”, three pages, one side each.
Nate Saint’s application for admission to Wheaton College with handwritten responses. Asked about his attitude toward Jesus, he replies, “The attitude that would be expected from a hell-deserving sinner, pardoned, forgiven, justified by a wonderful savior. I lack comprehension of such love!” Paper, 6” x 9”, 2 pages on single sheet.

1948
Wheaton College film featuring Jim Elliot
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1949
Photo of Ed McCully (second from right) receiving prize. Discovering his oratorical talent in high school, McCully received several prizes in oratorical competitions.

1950
Article in <i>Power</i> magazine by Larry Ward and Henry Pucek that offers a detailed overview of McCully’s life, highlighting his gifts not only as orator, but also in football and track. A complacent Christian in his youth, McCully's faith was energized at Wheaton and by fellowshipping with others believers in the Navy. Winning one speech contest, McCully stood before the stunned audience, declaring: “I want to give credit to One who is far greater than any earthly individual—my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”
Image of Roger Youderian in suit with fall scene in background. Frame from <i>Mid-Century Martyrs</i> filmstrip developed by HCJB, Mission Aviation Fellowship, and the five widows in 1956.
Conquering Jungle Barriers

1951
First photograph of Jim Elliot and Elisabeth Howard together in the United States before he left for Ecuador in 1952. Elisabeth also traveled to Ecuador later that same year. Color slide, 35mm, 2" x 2" frame.
Page 153 of the 1951 edition of <i>The Scroll</i>, the yearbook of Northwestern Schools in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The page includes the entry for Roger Youderian, who graduated that year from the Missionary Medicine program. The previous year he had graduated from their undergraduate program.

1952
Letter from Ed McCully to J. Grady Parrott, president of Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF), dealing with the transport of a radio transceiver unit to Ecuador and McCully's travel plans, c. 1952.
Snapshot of Jim Elliot and Peter Fleming in Los Angeles, 1952. Elliot and Fleming were in the city to board the ship that would take them to Ecuador.
Snapshot of Ed McCully, Jim Elliot and Peter Fleming in Los Angeles, c. 1952. Elliot and Fleming were in the city to board the ship that would take them to Ecuador. Ed and Marilou McCully were taking a course in missionary medicine at the Bible Institute of Los Angeles. 
Peter Fleming’s letter to the people of Hope Hall, a Brethren Assembly group, thanking them for their gifts and hospitality and describing his plan with Jim Elliot for mission work in Ecuador. Paper, 6-1/4" x 10", 2 pages.
Announcement of new missionaries Peter Fleming, Jim Elliot, and Bill and Irene Cathers, from page 7 of the January edition of <i>The Fields</i>, magazine of Plymouth Brethren mission work. The announcement describes Elliot and Fleming’s plans to sail to Ecuador. They actually left a little over two weeks after the date in the announcement. Paper, 6" x 9".
Letter from Nate Saint to MAF central office about his experiments with a new method for establishing contact with the ground while flying using what he called a "bucket drop," December 1952.
Image of Peter Fleming tutoring one of his Quichua students at Shandia or Puyupungu. Frame from <i>Mid-Century Martyrs</i> filmstrip developed by HCJB, Mission Aviation Fellowship, and the five widows in 1956.
Eight typed excerpts from the diary of Peter Fleming featuring his written desire to reach the Waorani with the gospel and the development of plans to contact the Waorani. Entries began in March 1952 and end in October with Nate Saint's first sighting of the Waorani settlement that the missionaries named "Terminal City."

1953
Image of Roger Youderian in suit with fall scene in background. Frame from <i>Mid-Century Martyrs</i> filmstrip developed by HCJB, Mission Aviation Fellowship, and the five widows in 1956.
Quichua Indians pictured at Shandia, the mission station where the Elliots, the McCullys, and Peter Fleming all lived and worked at various times, c. 1953. Color slide, 35mm, 2" x 2" frame.
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Jim Elliot’s letter to "Virgil" and others at the Williams Community Church of William, Oregon, who gave financial support to his mission work. Elliot describes the current situation of the Quichua Indians and the expected future plans of ministry. Typed letter. Paper, 8.5" x 11".
Letter from Peter Fleming to his family in the United States, November 26, 1953, describing his current activities preparing the Shandia site for purchase as a mission station and catching up on his correspondence, as well as responding to reports of the activities of other family members. Paper, typed, 8-1/2" x 11", 2 pages.

1954
Jim Elliot plays records for his Quichua students, possibly at Puyupungu or Shandia, c. 1954. Color slide, 1x1 in.
Article by Peter Fleming from <i>The Fields</i>, the magazine of Plymouth Brethren mission work, pages 267-269. Fleming described the goals of the boys boarding school in Shandia for which he, Jim Elliot, and Ed McCully were responsible. Paper, 6" x 9", 3 pages.
Prayer letter sent by Nate and Marj Saint to the supporters of their ministry. Most missionaries sent these out regularly, sometimes monthly. This letter is unusual in being almost completely graphic, showing Nate’s increased flying hours. Paper, 8.5" x 11", 1 page.

1955
Image of Peter Fleming tutoring one of his Quichua students at Shandia or Puyupungu. Frame from <i>Mid-Century Martyrs</i> filmstrip developed by HCJB, Mission Aviation Fellowship, and the five widows in 1956.
Eight typed excerpts from the diary of Peter Fleming featuring his written desire to reach the Waorani with the gospel and the development of plans to contact the Waorani. Entries began in March 1952 and end in October with Nate Saint's first sighting of the Waorani settlement that the missionaries named "Terminal City."
Letter from Marilou McCully to Jim and Betty Elliot and Pete and Olive Fleming with report of recent flight by Nate Saint and Ed McCully over the Waorani settlement and other news about plans for direct contact with the Waorani, c. late 1955.
Pages 220, 221, and 222 from Jim Elliot’s journal: He describes seeing Waorani for the first time as he flew over Terminal City with Nate Saint and Ed McCully; also his efforts to pick up some Wao words from Dayuma, October 1955. Three pages from a journal, handwritten text of green and blue ink on lined paper. 7.5" x 9.5".
Image of Ed McCully, Peter Fleming, and Jim Elliot with parrot received from Waorani after one of Nate Saint's gift drops. Frame from <i>Mid-Century Martyrs</i> filmstrip developed by HCJB, Mission Aviation Fellowship, and the five widows in late 1956.
Image of Marilou McCully conducting literacy class with Quichua women at Arajuno. Frame from <i>Mid-Century Martyrs</i> filmstrip developed by HCJB, Mission Aviation Fellowship, and the five widows in 1956.
Two pages from Olive Fleming's notebook of Christian hymns in Quichua copied and developed by her and her husband Peter Fleming during language studies in Quito, Shandia, and Puyupungu, c. 1954-1955.
Photograph of Ed McCully in front of Nate Saint's Piper Cub with bucket used in the "bucket drops" over the Waorani settlement. Frame from <i>Mid-Century Martyrs</i> filmstrip developed by HCJB, Mission Aviation Fellowship, and the five widows in 1956.
Image of Olive and Peter Fleming at the mission station in Puyupungu, c. 1955. Frame from <i>Mid-Century Martyrs</i> filmstrip developed by HCJB, Mission Aviation Fellowship, and the five widows in 1956.
Marjorie Saint with her three children, Kathy, Steve, and Philip, c. 1955.
Black and white photograph of Ed and Marilou McCully with their two oldest children, Steve and Mike McCully, c. 1955.
Image of Catherine Peeke and Rachel Saint working with Dayuma on early translation efforts for the Waorani language. Frame from filmstrip "Unforgettable Friday," which tells the story of Nate Saint and his family, missionary work with Mission Aviation Fellowship, and involvement in Operation Auca. Filmstrip was developed by Marj Saint and MAF in late 1956.
Typed newsletter from Rachel Saint, February 1955, with handwritten note to Dr. V. Raymond Edman. Letter traces the history of missionary outreach to the Waorani and the current efforts of Saint and the Summer Institute of Linguistics to study the Waorani language in hopes of future contact.
Prayer letter sent by Rachel Saint, a translator with Wycliffe Bible Translators, to her supporters in the United States, describing her perception of the life of Dayuma up to the end of 1955, including her flight from her Waorani community and the development of her friendship with Saint. She also described what she (Saint) had learned about the culture of the Waorani (who she called Aucas). This letter was written without any knowledge of the plans that her brother and others were developing for direct contact with the Waorani.
Journal titled, “A Record,” kept by Ed McCully from the time he sailed to Ecuador until shortly before he left to help set up the camp on Palm Beach. There are relatively few entries, only 41 pages in the front and three additional pages (200, 298, 299). The bulk of the entries (pages 17 through 41) cover McCully’s descriptions of his flights with Nate Saint (and sometimes Jim Elliot) over the collection of Waorani huts that Saint had discovered; also described is their use of the bucket drop and other means to establish contact. Five pages from an account book, green, lined paper written with blue ink, December 10, 1952 through December 16, 1955.
Missionary Home Movie
Peter and Olive Fleming; Ed, Marilou, and Mike McCully; Elisabeth, Jim, and Valerie Elliot, December 1955.
Prayer letter sent by Ed and Marilou McCully to the supporters of their ministry, detailing their literacy work with the Quichua near Arajuno, December 1955. Most missionaries sent prayer letters out regularly, sometimes monthly.
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Photograph of Barbara Youderian with her two children, Beth and Jerry, circa 1955-1956.
Two pages of notes on the structure of clauses in Wao tededo, c. 1955-1958. No author is identified, but much of the earliest language work on Wao tededo was completed by Rachel Saint, Mary Sargent, and Elisabeth Elliot through work with Dayuma and her two aunts, Mintaka (Mintaca) or Mankamo (Maengamo).

1956
Photograph of Barbara Youderian with her two children, Beth and Jerry, circa 1955-1956.
Letter from Edman thanking donors to the Five Missionary Martyrs Fund. The Fund was created under the auspices of the Evangelical Foreign Missions Association and administered by Edman, Clyde Taylor, and others to be used for immediate and emergency needs of the mothers and children of the men who were killed at Palm Beach, and for the college educations of the children. Paper, 8-1/2" x 11", printed.
Program for the memorial service for Jim Elliot, probably held in his home congregation in Portland, Oregon, c. January 1956. Paper, 8" x 12-1/4" sheet folded into a four page printed program.
Image of unidentified man holding a wooden spear recovered from Palm Beach. Frame from <i>Mid-Century Martyrs</i> filmstrip developed by HCJB, Mission Aviation Fellowship, and the five widows in 1956. Along with the earlier frame which pictured Marj Saint and Steve Saint at the radio in Shell Mera, the accompanying audio or transcript read: "Five days later the rescue squad located their bodies that had been pierced by the long Auca spears on the shore of the Curaray River, deep in Auca territory."
Audio recording for Unforgettable Friday
Image of Nate Saint's personal items recovered from Palm Beach. One frame from filmstrip <i>Unforgettable Friday</i>, created by Mission Aviation Fellowship in late 1956. Accompanying narration from Marjorie Saint for the frame: "The men of the ground party arrived back in Shell Mera and gave to each of us five wives the things they had found on the bodies of our husbands. I looked at Nate's camera, his airplane keys, the compass, his watch stopped at twelve minutes past three, then his tiny notebook used as a diary during those days and the little black New Testament and Psalms."
Image of Marjorie Saint at short wave radio in Shell Mera. Marjorie Saint oversaw the radio operations for Nate Saint's flights across the Ecuadorian Amazon. Frame from <i>Mid-Century Martyrs</i> filmstrip developed by HCJB, Mission Aviation Fellowship, and the five widows in 1956.
Image of Marjorie Saint in recording studio for HCJB, the missionary radio station based in Quito, Ecuador. After leaving Shell Mera in 1956, Marjorie worked for HCJB for several years.
Script with timestamps for <i>Mid-Century Martyrs</i> filmstrip. The filmstrip was also eventually accompanied by a recorded soundtrack on cassette tape. This script includes a cover letter from Robert Savage, of HCJB, with instructions for use and thanks to MAF, HCJB, and the five widows for supplying resources and materials.
Photograph of the MAF base at Shell Mera from above, including part of the airstrip and the home of Nate and Marj Saint. Image used in filmstrip <i>Unforgettable Friday</i>, which tells the story of Nate Saint and his family, missionary work with Mission Aviation Fellowship and involvement in Operation Auca. Filmstrip was developed by Marj Saint and MAF in late 1956.
Clipping from <i>The Seattle Times</i>, January 11, 1956. Article titled "Parents Pray for Lost Missionary," reporting on the disappearance of the men and the sighting of the wrecked plane, with comments from Fleming's parents about their hope for his safety. Paper. 5-1/2" x 11."
"Operation Auca" Footage
Four page typed document with title "Letters to HCJB Concerning Auca Incident," containing excerpts from listener response letters to HCJB's radio broadcasts concerning the death of the five missionaries over the course of January 1956. This copy was given to Olive Fleming Liefeld, wife of Peter Fleming.
Color image of Olive Fleming, Elisabeth Elliot, Barbara Youderian, Marilou McCully, and Marj Saint with some of the U.S. Army, Navy, and Air Force personnel who had helped with the search efforts, c. January 12-14, 1956. Frame from <i>Mid-Century Martyrs</i> filmstrip developed by HCJB, Mission Aviation Fellowship, and the five widows in 1956.
Color image of radio missionary and HCJB co-founder Clarence Jones at microphone in HCJB radio station, Quito, Ecuador. Jones reported the public first announcement of the missing missionaries over HCJB on Monday night, January 9, 1956. Frame from <i>Mid-Century Martyrs</i> filmstrip developed by HCJB, Mission Aviation Fellowship, and the five widows in 1956.
Newspaper article in the <i>Chicago Daily News</i>, January 12, 1956. Clipping of the article "Tell Missionaries’ Last Jungle Days / Wheaton Kin Reveal Radio Reports of 5" on the sudden lack of contact with the five missionaries. The article mentions the Chicago-area connections of some of the missing missionaries and was largely based on reports from Gerald and Jane Hawthorne (Jim Elliot's sister) in Wheaton, Illinois. The clipping also includes a photograph of Roger and Barbara Youderian with their two children and an incomplete article about a reported sighting of two of the men alive by a U.S. Air Force helicopter, a report later proved to be erroneous. Paper, 6" x 18".
Portion of last prayer letter from Ed and Marilou McCully, c. January 1956. Includes photograph of Ed and Marilou McCully with their two oldest children, Steve and Mike.
January 2, 1956 letter from Elisabeth Elliot to her mother detailing the beginning of efforts by her husband Jim and four other missionaries to initiate direct contact with the Waorani.
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Naenkiwi inspects model of Nate Saint's plane during visit to five missionaries at Palm Beach, January 6, 1956. One frame from filmstrip titled "Unforgettable Friday," which tells the story of Nate Saint and his family, missionary work with Mission Aviation Fellowship and involvement in Operation Auca. Filmstrip was developed by Marj Saint and MAF around 1956.
Proof sheet of black and white photographs, January 6, 1956. Photos, probably shot by Ed McCully, of the visit of Guiimadi (called Delilah by the men), Naenkiwi (called George by the men), and Mintaka (woman with no earplug) to the camp at Palm Beach. Also seen in the pictures are Nate Saint (light crew-cut hair), Roger Youderian (with some kind of belt over his shoulder), Peter Fleming (glasses), and Jim Elliot (in shorts). Paper, 13" x 10", with the individual 3" x 3" images.
One page letter from Elisabeth Elliot to her mother, January 6, 1956. In the letter, Elisabeth updates her mother on current developments on Palm Beach, including the five men's successful landing and camp preparations. Reporting on the lack of contact from any Waorani, Elisabeth recounts disagreement between Jim Elliot and Nate Saint on pursuing further contact on foot. She adds "I have been quite at peace since Jim left, more so even than on some other occasions, not nearly so 'dangerous' from the human standpoint."
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Clip of HCJB radio report on missing missionaries
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Air-Sea Rescue Flying Boat (SA-16) lands at Shell Mera to bring men and equipment to assist in the search for the five men. One frame from filmstrip titled "Unforgettable Friday," which tells the story of Nate Saint and his family, missionary work with Mission Aviation Fellowship and involvement in Operation Auca. Filmstrip was developed by Marj Saint and MAF in late 1956.
Newspaper article from the <i>Chicago American</i>, January 11, 1956. Titled "Pilots Scan Jungle for 5 Missionaries" the article reports on the early news of the five missing missionaries, as well as the U.S. Army search efforts dispatched from the Panama Canal Zone.
Newspaper article from the <i>Panama Star & Herald</i> (English language version), January 11, 1956. Titled "Five US Missionaries Believed Seized by Savages in Ecuador," the article reports on the early news of the clash between the Waorani and the five missionaries, as well as the U.S. Army search efforts dispatched from the Panama Canal Zone.
U.S. soldiers prepare helicopter for air search operations. The H-13 helicopter was piloted by Major Malcolm Nurnburg of the U.S. Air Force. The Air Force Rescue personnel were led by Major Nurnberg and Navy Captain Dewitt. Original USCARIB Central caption reads: "Making preparation for the first flight to the site of a massacre where five missionares are from left Navy Chief radioman, L. J. Moore of the Naval Mission to Ecuador, 1st Lt. James E. Claunch, 23rd Div Air Section; PFC Jerry J. Dick of 23rd Air Section and Major Malcolm Nurnberg US AF Mission to Ecuador. These were some of key personnel of the joint Army, Navy, Air Force search operation for five missionaries found murdered by the Auca Indians of Ecuador."
Newspaper article from the <i>Chicago Daily News</i>, January 13, 1956. Titled "4 missionaries found slain" the article reports on the discovery of the bodies of four of the missionaries, with Nate Saint the only missionary positively identified. The article also misidentifies the Waorani as practicing "headhunting" or creating shrunken heads of enemies, which was actually a cultural practice of the Shuar peoples of southeastern Ecuador.
Team of Ecuadorian soldiers, Quichua Indians, and missionaries conduct ground search for missionaries by canoe down Curaray River. Original USCARIB Central caption reads: "Ground party personnel, consisting of Ecuadorian soldiers, American missionaries, and friendly Indians, search along the banks of the Curaray River in the upper Amazon basin of Ecuador for the bodies of the five American missionaries murdered by savage Auca Indians. Four of the bodies were subsequently recovered and buried in a common grave beneath the tree house they had constructed alongside the sandy beach where they were murdered."
Newspaper article from the <i>Plainfield N. J. Courier-News</i>. Paper, 4" x 8". January 14, 1956. Titled "Five Missionaries Buried Close to Plane Wreckage," the article offers a very brief summary of the five men’s mission and deaths and describes the burial of the four bodies that were found. (Ed McCully’s body was not recovered but was identified from the air.) The article also points out Peter Fleming’s connection to a local Plainfield resident.
U. S. Army photograph of Nate Saint's destroyed plane. Original USCARIB Central caption reads: "Stripped and deserted is this monument to the five Missionaries who were murdered by fierce Auca Indians of Ecuador January 8. The five men were killed near the small wrecked plane on the Curaray River, after months of supposedly friendly relations and gift exchanging with the Indians. A joint Army, Navy, and Air Force search operation discovered the lance-pierced bodies of the missionaries after a short search in a U.S. Army H-13 Helicopter airlifted to Ecuador from the Canal Zone by Air Force and Navy C-47 type planes."
A compilation of five bulletins entitled “Report on an Attempt to Establish Friendly Contact with Auca Indians.” The report was prepared for the news media, missions, and other interested parties by Abe Van der Puy, field director of missionary radio station HCJB in Quito, Ecuador. The bulletins, going up to January 14, describe in detail the preparations for the contact with the Waorani, what was known of the experiences of the five men at Palm Beach and their killings, and the detailed reports of the search party that found the men’s bodies and buried them. The first bulletin (untitled) contains extensive quotes from a letter, a report from Nate Saint, and the diary of Peter Fleming. Printed copy of a typed document, 9 pages. January 1956.
The Army Hour Radio Program
Clipping from the <i>Kansas City Tribune</i> (January 14, 1956) featuring photograph of Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Fleming with radio operator Lou Placek receiving the report of the death of their son Peter Fleming via short wave radio from Quito, Ecuador.
Newspaper article from the Spanish language newspaper <i>Diario del Ecuador</i>, January 15, 1956. Titled "¿También los Aucas fueron asesinados?" (Were the Aucas also killed?) the article explores possible explanations for the clash between the missionaries and Waorani. It questions whether the gifts dropped by the missionaries prior to contact may have contributed to the violence or whether the killings resulted from disputing factions, in which the three members of the first "friendly" Waorani group may also have been killed alongside the missionaries.
Newspaper article from the <i>New York Herald Tribune</i>, January 15, 1956. Titled "Tribute to Jungle Victims" the article reports on the burial of the five missionaries and the widows' memorial flight over Palm Beach with the U. S. Air Force.
One page letter from Abe Van Der Puy, Ecuador field director for HCJB, to home office of Mission Aviation Fellowship, January 17, 1956. In the letter, Van Der Puy introduces a book project concerning the story of "Operation Auca" and the death of the five men and asks for biographical information on MAF pilot Nate Saint.
Letter from Edman to the staff of Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) describing his initial reactions to the news of the deaths of the “three Wheaton boys who have been martyred in eastern Ecuador.” Paper, 8-1/2" x 11", typed and signed.
Transcript of Clarence W. Jones' radio address about the death of the five missionaries recorded at the HCJB radio station in Quito, Ecuador and broadcast over the <i>Word of Life Hour</i>, January 21, 1956.
First page of <i>LIFE</i> magazine article, "Go Ye and Preach the Gospel - Five Do and Die," January 30, 1956. The ten page spread featured images from photojournalist and correspondent Cornell Capa, as well as diary entries and photographs from the five missionaries. The full issue, along with most of <i>LIFE</i>'s catalog, is available <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=gT8EAAAAMBAJ&source=gbs_all_issues_r&cad=1">online</a>.
In February of 1956, the President of Ecuador, José María Velasco Ibarra, honored the widows of the five missionaries at a ceremony in Quito, attended by Olive Fleming, Marjorie Saint, Barbara Youderian and Abraham Van der Puy.
<i>The Fields</i>, February 1956 issue. <i>The Fields</i> was the magazine of Plymouth Brethren mission work, carried on by Christian Missions in Many Lands. The entire issue (numbered page 25 through 56) was devoted to the deaths of the five missionaries, with background reports by Wilfred Tidmarsh and others, an appreciation by Robert Savage, editorials, biographies of each of the men, excerpts from their letters, numerous photos, poems and more. Three of the five missionaries, along with Wilfred Tidmarsh, were Plymouth Brethren. Paper, 6" x 9", 32 pages.
David Howard reports on 'Auca Incident'
Letter from Marj Saint to family, friends, and other supporters with an update on her future plans, including a transfer to Quito to work with HCJB, as well comments on the recent publication of the "Auca story" in <i>LIFE</i> Magazine.
The President of Ecuador honored Abe Van Der Puy and HCJB for their role in coordinating communication in the remote Amazon during the search for the five missionaries. The five widows were also presented with a scroll. Left to right: Abe Van Der Puy, wearing the medal of honor, Doctor Rafael Arziga Vega, Minister of Foreign Relations, Mayor Vincente Serrano, Military Aid, President José María Velasco Ibarra, Marjorie Saint.
Issue of <i>The Echo</i>, the newsletter of The World Radio Missionary Fellowship (WRMF). Paper, 8.5" x 11", 4 pages. February 1, 1956. WRMF ran the HCJB radio station in Quito. The entire issue is devoted to the response of the mission community in Ecuador to the deaths of the five men.
<i>Sunday School Times</i>, February 4, 1956. This special issue of the Times was titled "The Story of the Martyrs in Ecuador," edited by Phillip Howard, father of Elisabeth Elliot. Through several articles, the issue summarizes the events and contains letters from friends and family responding to the men's deaths. Also included is an article from Abe Van der Puy, president of Intermission Fellowship of Ecuador and Field Director of HCJB, Quito, discussing the mission-minded motives and preparations that drove the five missionaries to their assignment on Palm Beach. Paper, 8-1/2” x 10-1/2”, 5 pages.
Article by Edman in the March 1956 issue of the <i>Bulletin of Wheaton College</i>. Edman describes his understanding of the Waorani—he calls them “Aucas”—and their need for the Gospel, as well as gives brief sketches of Jim and Betty Elliot, Ed McCully, and Nate Saint. Also featured is a photograph of Edman holding "Auca" spears along with two Wheaton students from Ecuador, Rene Padilla and Louis Rodriguez. Paper, 8-1/2" x 11", 3 pages.
<i>Wheaton Alumni Magazine</i>, Vol. 23, no.3, March 1956. Article “A Letter from Home,” describes the reaction on Wheaton College’s campus to the news of the deaths of the missionaries, especially the Wheaton alumni Jim Elliot, Ed McCully, and Nate Saint. Paper, 6-3/4" x 10", 2 pages.
Magazine issue of <i>Youth for Christ</i>, March 1956. The magazine was a publication of Youth for Christ, an organization that worked with teenagers in the United States and elsewhere. This issue was the annual issue that focused on mission activity around the world, partly to encourage readers to consider becoming missionaries. Articles about the Ecuador incident included: “Mid-Century Martyrs,” “Who They Were,” “The Months of Preparation,” “Since It Happened,” “A Father Writes,” (by T. E. McCully), “I Helped Bury Them,” and “What Means All This?”
Magazine issue of <i>Christian Life</i>, March 1956. The magazine was a popular news and business publication for evangelical Christians. The cover article, “Death Could Not Conquer,” describes the deaths of the five missionaries in Ecuador and the public reaction. 8" x 11", 3 pages.
Article in the <i>Seattle-Post Intelligencer</i>, March 3, 1956 reporting on Olive Fleming's return to Seattle two months after the death of her husband. Accompanying the article is a photograph of Olive holding two Waorani spears.
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Article titled "I Forgive My Husband's Killers" by Marilou McCully (edited by David Enlow) printed in <i>The American Weekly</i> magazine, April 22, 1956.
Letter from Barbara Youderian to Fred and Clara Elliot with news of her plans to return to her mission work in Macuma, Ecuador, as well as her reflections on viewing the film footage recovered from "Palm Beach" for the first time.
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Condensed article in <i>Reader's Digest</i> magazine. Paper, 5-1/4" x 7-1/2", 20 pages. “Through Gates of Splendor," by Abe C. Van Der Puy of the World Radio Missionary Fellowship, that appeared in the August 1956 issue of the magazine. The article is presented as a condensation from a forthcoming book by Van Der Puy, telling the story of the men’s lives, faith, death, and impact. The article was actually completely rewritten by <i>Digest</i> editor Clarence Hall, although retaining Van Der Puy’s name. Eventually, Van Der Puy was unable to complete the book and Elisabeth Elliot was asked to take over the task.
Prayer letter from Marilou McCully, September 1956, describing her plans to return to Quito, Ecuador to help run a small home for the children of missionaries. Accompanying the letter is a typed note to Fred and Clara Elliot (parents of Jim Elliot).
Letter from Elisabeth Elliot to her family, September 1956, describing her hope amidst grief for future restoration in eternity, the ongoing work on a book about the five men, and her visit with a girl who had once lived with the Waorani.
News article from unidentified publication reporting on Marilou McCully's planned return to Ecuador in November 1956 after the death of her husband, Ed McCully.
Letter to William Youderian, father to Roger Youderian, from the home office of Mission Aviation Fellowship, December 1956. The letter concerns William Youderian's desire to travel to Waorani territory and MAF's refusal to lend support due to strong concerns about the safety or efficacy of an independent attempt at contact with the Waorani people.
Photograph of Barbara Youderian, Marjorie Saint, and Olive Fleming, likely in Quito, Ecuador, c. 1956.
Page from photo album created by Olive Fleming Liefeld with three black and white photographs of the last meeting of all five widows (Elisabeth Elliot, Olive Fleming, Marilou McCullly, Marjorie Saint, and Barbara Youderian) in Quito, Ecuador, January 1957.

1957
Photo of Dayuma with son, Ignacio (center), flanked (left) by Dr. V. Raymond Edman, Lois McCully (Ed McCully's mother), and Rachel Saint, and (right) Clara and Fred Elliot (parents of Jim Elliot). During Rachel’s speaking tour around the U.S. with Dayuma, they visited with Dr. V. Raymond Edman and the parents of Jim Elliot and Ed McCully at Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois.
Letter from Gertrude Nystrom, wife of Wheaton College professor Clarence Nystrom, to Betty Elliot, May 1957. Gertude writes about response to the <i>Readers Digest</i> piece, purchasing multiple copies of <i>Through Gates of Splendor</i>, and her and her husband's reflections after finishing the book.
Letter from L. Nelson Bell to Mr. and Mrs. Philip Howard, the parents of Elisabeth Elliot. Bell was the secretary-treasurer for the <i>Southern Presbyterian Journal</i>, as well as an executive editor for <i>Christianity Today</i>, which he helped start with his son-in-law, Billy Graham. In the letter, Bell thanks the Howards for sending a copy of <i>Through Gates of Splendor</i>, adding that he plans to purchase several copies for friends.
Four page letter from Marjorie Saint to "Dear Girls," June 1957. On a brief furlough to the United States, Marjorie was acting as deputy for the four widows, along with their joint legal representative, Sam Saint. Among other business concerns related to the ongoing <i>Life</i> magazine coverage, general publicity, and legal discussions for Elisabeth Elliot's recent book <i>Through Gates of Splendor</i>, Marjorie reports on several conversations with Christian filmmakers and Hollywood studios concerning a proposed film project on their husbands and the Waorani. Saint calls for a vote from the four women on whether the project should be dramatic or documentarian in nature.
Letter from Christian M. Ravndal, American Ambassador to Ecuador, to Melvin Arnold at Harper & Brothers, which published <i>Through Gates of Splendor</i>. Ravndal thanks Arnold for a pre-publication copy of the book, writing "Harper & Brothers is to be congratulated on its bringing to the public this story of the sacrifices of the missionary youths in the jungles of Ecuador."
Page 1
Brief letter from Sharab W. Tenduf La, a Tibetan Buddhist living in India, to Elisabeth Elliot, September 1957. Tenduf La writes that he read of the death of Jim Elliot and felt "a sturdy and unbounded admiration for the manly qualities of Mr. Elliot and his companions." While of special interest to Christian and evangelical communities, especially in the United States, <i>Through Gates of Splendor</i> was printed and sold world-wide.
One page report from Hobey Lawrence, MAF pilot, on the recent Waorani raid of Wilfred Tidmarsh's new outbuilding near Arajuno, around October 1957.
Photograph of Dr. Wilfred Tidmarsh holding dictaphone to record Waorani woman's speech, likely Mintaka (Mintaca) or Mankamo (Maengamo), c. 1957. Both Waorani women came out of the rainforest near Arajuno seeking news of their lost niece, Dayuma.
Letter from Wilfred Tidmarsh to his mother with news about the recent contact with two Waorani woman. Tidmarsh also comments on ongoing tensions over publicity and access to Waorani language materials between the various missionaries and mission organizations involved in the project, especially the Summer Institute of Linguistics. Written in Quito, November 24. 1 page.

1958
Two pages of notes on the structure of clauses in Wao tededo, c. 1955-1958. No author is identified, but much of the earliest language work on Wao tededo was completed by Rachel Saint, Mary Sargent, and Elisabeth Elliot through work with Dayuma and her two aunts, Mintaka (Mintaca) or Mankamo (Maengamo).
Two pages (25-26) of Elisabeth Elliot's Wao language notebook used during her first year with the Waorani. Along with language analysis, Elisabeth also included notes on households and relationships among the Waorani kinship group. This two page selection lists the Waorani in Tewæno by group, identifying Quemo and his wife Dawa as living in "Dyuwi's [Yowe] settlement."
Photograph of Dayuma and her son Ignacio (Sam) wearing coats in a snowy landscape at the SIL retreat in Sulphur Springs, Arkansas. Photo has caption: "For Dr. and Mrs. Edman with our gratitude for sharing with us in offering the first fruits to Him who loved the Aucas and gave Himself for them. Rachel, Dayuma, and Ignacio."
Letter from Goro Nakano, Japanese journalist and historian, to Elisabeth Elliot regarding the Japanese edition of <i>Through Gates of Splendor</i>, January 1958. Nakano writes that while the book was published under Harper & Brothers' religious department, he "believe[s] it should be published in Japan not only as a religious book but as a great adventure book and sublime human document." In the years after its English release in 1957, <i>Through Gates of Splendor</i> was translated into many languages, including German, Portuguese, Russian, Turkish, Spanish, and Japanese.
Photo of Dr. V. Raymond Edman baptizing Dayuma, an early Waorani convert, at the Evangelical Free Church in Wheaton, Illinois in April 1958.
A newspaper article, "Auca Indian Dayuma Baptized into Christian Faith at Wheaton Church," on Dayuma’s baptism at the Evangelical Free Church of Wheaton, IL in April 1958. The article also provides some background on Dayuma’s early life. 
Letter from Elisabeth Elliot to "Dearest Four" (Marilou McCully, Olive Fleming, Marjorie Saint, and Barbara Youderian), May 1958. Elliot recounts news of recent travels to Shell Mera and then Guayaquil with two Waorani men, along with two paragraphs on the ongoing discussions related to an "Auca film," including Christian filmmaker Ken Anderson's involvement, as well as her dissatisfaction with the proposed dramatic or emotional tone for the film.
Letter from Elisabeth Elliot in Ecuador to her friend Carol Graham in the United States. Among other topics, she primarily writes about her study of the Wao language. She also states that she is considering living among the Waorani, and mentions that her biography about her husband, <i>The Shadow of the Almighty: The Life and Testimony of Jim Elliot</i>, is now off the presses and will be available on September 3rd. Letter on aerogram form. 8” x 9-1.2”, 2-sided. August 14, 1958.
Written record of a taped interview of Dayuma by Elisabeth Elliot on the day of Dayuma's return to Arajuno, describing her visit back to the people of her village, c. September 1958. This exceptionally brave trip laid the essential groundwork for Elisabeth Elliot and Rachel Saint to go and live among the Waorani less than a month later. The interview on the tape, both questions and answers, was in Quichua.
Letter from Elisabeth Elliot to Marj Saint and Marilou McCully apparently begun on October 13, 1958, with an additional section added October 28. Probably intended for wider dissemination, which described how she, her daughter Valerie, Rachel Saint, Dayuma, Mintaka, and Mankamo arrived in the Waorani village on the Tiwaenu River and their first days there. (Note: the Archives has another copy of this letter in folder 278-1-2, which is only three pages in length). 
Letter from Marjorie Jones Whitaker (Wheaton College, Class of 1944) to her mother, Mrs. Blanche S. Jones providing updates on the mission to the Waorani, October 1958. She describes how, more than two-and-a-half years after the deaths of the five missionaries, Dayuma returned to the Waorani settlement where her family lived. She further explains the invitation Dayuma received from her kinship group for Rachel Saint and Elisabeth Elliot to come to live among her people.
Letter sent out by Elisabeth Elliot in a mass mailing to those people who supported her work, explaining her plan to accept the invitation she and Rachel Saint received from Dayuma and her Waorani kin group to go and live among them. Paper, 8-1/2 x 11", printed. October 4, 1958.
Page 1

1959
Draft of the title, introduction, and first chapter of Elliot’s third book, which was eventually titled <i>The Savage, My Kinsman</i>. Published in 1961, the book chronicled the experience of Elliot's first year living with the Waorani.
Recording of Missionary, Gimade, and Yowe
Photograph of Yowe (Dyuwe) taken by Elisabeth Elliot after she, her daughter Valerie, and Rachel Saint, joined Dayuma and some of her kinship group at Tewæno.
Photograph of Quemo (Kimo) taken by Elisabeth Elliot during her time living with the Waorani at Tewæno, c. 1959.
Photograph of Geuquita taken by Elisabeth Elliot after she, her daughter Valerie, and Rachel Saint, joined Dayuma and some of her kinship group at Tewæno in October 1958.
Marj Saint (holding son Philip), Elisabeth Elliot (head turned to the right), and Dayuma (far right end of group in red dress) with a group of Waorani women and children being filmed by unidentified photographer.
Article, “Life in Aucaland,” from <i>The Missionary Broadcaster</i>, a publication of the Evangelical Alliance Mission (TEAM). The article describes Rachel Saint and Elisabeth Elliot going to live among the Waorani, and Dayuma’s part in evangelizing her people. Also pictured is Marjorie Saint greeting two Waorani girls in Arajuno, Ecuador.
Photograph of Marilou McCully during visit to the Waorani settlement of Tewæno, a few months after Dayuma and her kin invited Rachel Saint and Elisabeth Elliot to live in the new community, February 1959.
Recording of Dayuma speaking Wao Tededo
Missionary Updates on "The Auca Story"

1961
Recording of Geuquita speaking Wao
Yowe shakes hands with Dr. Everett Fuller after his baptism. From Caption: "Auca Baptisms. Dr. Everett Fuller of HCJB gives the hand of Fellowship to Dywui [Yowe], center, Gimari [Guiimadi] (Delilah) of the Palm Beach. Right - Oba - both of whom are Dayuma's sisters."
Clipping from unidentified newspaper titled "Fullerton Evangelical Free Church to Host Auca Jungle Missionary," c. 1961. Article describes upcoming talk from Rachel Saint and Dayuma as part of speaking tour sponsored in part by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.
Typed transcript of English translation of the events on Palm Beach and death of the five missionaries as related by Mincaye (Minkayi) in Wao tededo, May 1961.
Recording of Mincaye speaking Wao
Typed transcript of English translation of Waorani tales and legends taped by Gikita in Wao tededo, May 16, 1961.
Through Gates of Splendor (Film)

1962
Brief report on the language and literacy work among the Waorani in the Spring 1962 issue of <i>Translation</i>, the journal of the Summer Institute of Linguistics and the Wycliffe Bible Translators. Text is accompanied by reproduction of page from Waorani primer.
Page 1
Letter from Irvin S. Yeaworth of Sacred Cinema to Grady Parrott of Mission Aviation Fellowship, April 1962. Yeaworth discusses the original distribution agreement for the <i>Through Gates of Splendor</i> film, which included a direct $15.00 rental fee and no requirements for "free-will" offerings at showings. This discussion of the original agreement was in the context of making an exception for Mission Aviation Fellowship, which had asked to distribute the film amongst its MAF branches and missionaries without having to first go through Sacred Cinema.
Color slide of Elisabeth and Valerie Elliot sitting on hammock in Shandia, August 1962. Elisabeth and Valerie left the Waorani settlement in Tewæno in December 1961, but lived in Ecuador for two more years working with the Quichua people near Shandia.

1963
Four page promotional brochure with photo-illustrations for Kent Films, Inc.'s film production <i>I Saw Aucas Pray</i> (1963), which featured film of the Waorani community at Tewæno and narration from Phil and Rachel Saint. Sponsored by Wycliffe Bible Translators, it was available for rental by churches and other Christian groups for $48.00.
Article titled "Ex-Missionary Wife Builds New Life" by Lois Tenke from unidentified publication (likely the <i>Glen Cove Record Pilot</i>). Tenke reports on Olive Fleming Liefeld's life in the United States seven years after the death of Peter Fleming, including her marriage to Walter Liefeld, ministry with the Brethren Gospel Chapel in Sea Cliff, Long Island, and birth of her two children. Clipping includes of photograph of Olive with son David and daughter Beverly.

1964
"Pamphlet of the Gospel of Mark in Auca," July 1964. This pamphlet was similar to others printed by Wycliffe Bible Translators and circulated among their staff to help in linguistic work. The publication consists entirely, except for a brief introduction, of excerpts from a letter by Peeke, illustrating some of the linguistic and cultural problems involved in translating the Bible into Wao tededo and the thought she put into her work. Paper, 5” x 8", 8 pages (1 blank).

1965
Photograph of Geuquita in western clothing in front of home. Caption from V. Raymond Edman: "Gikita, the oldest of the Aucas, and his house high on the hill across the river from the Auca Village. He is the historian of the tribe with many memories of what the ancients taught and did." September 1965.
Letter from Marj Saint to family, friends, and other supporters recounting a trip to "Palm Beach" with her children, Rachel Saint, and Dayuma. After exploring the beach, there was a short service led by Rachel Saint and Kimo (Quemo) where Kathy and Steve Saint, Oncaye, and Iniwa were baptized in the river.
Rachel Saint with Dayuma and Waorani Indians in Tewæno community. Caption written on back, likely by Rachel Saint: “Oucaye, sent to us in a miraculous way from the down-river group, read her own copy—being able to half-read and half-memorize her Easter verse. Many times she has expressed her joy at having 'God’s carving' for herself, a wonderful preparation for the trip home to tell the others as God works it out." 
Photograph of Oncaye (left) and Dayuma (right) in Tewæno. Caption from V. Raymond Edman reads: "Oncaye from downriver Aucas being taught from Mark by Dayuma in Tewæno. Oncaye prays to return to her people, helped by Dywi and Tonia." While the photograph depicts Oncaye and Dayuma reviewing a print of the Gospel of Mark translated into Wao tededo, Dayuma had only limited literacy and communicated Bible stories or verses mostly from memory.
Black and white photograph of Waorani gathered in thatched structure. The reverse of the photograph includes two lengthy captions. The fist typed caption reads: "The Auca Church designed and built by themselves with a palm-thatched roof and bamboo floor. Here Dr. Edman held the first Bible Conference for these new Christians, and for the first time they celebrated the Lord's Supper. For bread they used boiled yuca (manioc or arrowroot) and for the wine they used banana drink in a gourd brought from the forest." The second handwritten caption reads: "Church designed and built by the Aucas, Tiwaeno. Bible class taught here Nov 4-5, 1965 by VRE. Mark 4 - Parable of the Sower (+ recd [?] from Ball Seed Co.). [?] meeting, Thurs. 11/4, by moonlight. Friday, 11/5, [?] on Baptism, Mark 16. 11 baptized, beginning with Dabo, and then Kimo and Dyuwi. Then the Lord's supper - first time for the Aucas - Mark 14 + 1 Cor 11, boiled [?] and banana drink. New song led by Dyuwi. The commissioning of Dyuwi and Tonia - Read Acts 13 - laying on of hand w/ Geo. M. Traber[?], Kimo, and VRE. Church lies between Rachel's and Dayuma's (background). Aucas planned church is for expansion when their [?] come to the Lord. Sept. '65."
Color slide of V. Raymond Edman with five Waorani men during visit to Tewæno for Bible Confrence in September 1965. Geuquita (Gikita) is seated below Edman, the other men are unidentified.

1966
Black and white photograph of Mincaye (on far left) with unidentified group in western dress.
Quemo and Come interviewed at Berlin World Congress on Evangelism

1967
Prayer letter from Rachel Saint to friends and supporters, August 1967. Letter includes description of traveling to the World Congress on Evangelism with Quemo (Kimo) and Come (Komi) (Dayuma's husband), Come and Mincaye's continued outreach to the "downriver" Waorani group, and intrusion by an oil company into traditional Waorani territory. A postscript also gives updates for Ethel Wallis, Catherine Peeke, and Dayuma, among others.

1973
Promotion of Ethel Emily Wallis's second book on Dayuma, <i>Aucas Downriver: Dayuma's Story Today</i>, accompanied by several paragraphs from Catherine Peeke reporting on current efforts to reach the "downriver" and "ridge" Waorani communities. Printed in the May 1973 issue of <i>Translation</i>, the journal of the Summer Institute of Linguistics and the Wycliffe Bible Translators.

1974
Two page spread from the comic book edition of Through Gates of Splendor, produced in 1974 by Spire Christian Comics, an imprint of the Fleming H. Revell Company. Adapted and drawn by Al Hartley, best known for his work on the "Archie" comic series.

1976
Elisabeth Elliot at InterVarsity Christian Fellowship's Urbana Mission Conference, December 1976. Black and white photograph, 7x5 in.
Excerpt from Friendship on Friday Radio Program #1
Excerpt from Friendship on Friday Radio Program #2

1984
Headdress with white feathers (also called a crown). Part of a small collection of Waorani artifacts that Rachel Saint gave to the Billy Graham Center Museum in 1984, which were transferred to Wheaton Archives & Special Collections in 2015.
Waorani hunting artifacts, including darts and quiver, woven bag, and piranha teeth. The woven bag was used to hold kapok that was twirled on a dart to give resistance to blow against. The piranha teeth were used to score the dart to keep it from falling out after hitting a hunted animal. Part of a small collection of Waorani artifacts that Rachel Saint gave to the Billy Graham Center Museum in 1984, which were transferred to Wheaton Archives & Special Collections in 2015.
Prayer letter from Rachel Saint to friends and supporters, February 1984. Letter describes recent visit from Barbara Youderian to the new Waorani settlement at Toñampade and "Palm Beach," along with updates on Quemo (Kimo), Dawa, and the ongoing translation work with Dayuma.

1989
Olive Fleming Liefeld with Quemo (Kimo) and his wife Dawa during Olive's 1989 visit to Ecuador, the first since her departure in December 1956. Dawa was the first Christian within the tribe after 1958; Quemo was one of the killers of the five missionaries. Both were members of the Waorani Christian community.

1992
Elisabeth Elliot on The Clip

2006
Color photograph of Waorani Christians leading memorial and baptism service near "Palm Beach" on the 50th anniversary of the death of the five missionaries. Paa (an elder in the Waorani church) is pictured with his hand on his head, holding Wao New Testament. Others are unidentified. Photograph taken during Ken Fleming's 2006 anniversary visit to Ecuador. A former missionary to Africa, Ken Fleming was the brother of Peter Fleming.
Color photograph of Bible School Institute in the Waorani village of Damointaro, developed by Renaldo Bernal and Plymouth Brethren missionary Lloyd Rogers in 2001. Photograph taken during Ken Fleming's 2006 anniversary visit to Ecuador. A former missionary to Africa, Ken Fleming was the brother of Peter Fleming.
Color photograph of Quemo (Kimo) and Brethren missionary Dan Rogers (in red) leading service of Waorani church at Toñampade. Although church buildings have been established at Toñampade and Tewæno, many Waorani Christians practice in home churches based around the traditional Waorani kinship community. Photograph taken during Ken Fleming's 2006 anniversary visit to Ecuador. A former missionary to Africa, Ken Fleming was the brother of Peter Fleming.

2012
Oral history interview excerpt with Dr. Mark Lee