Z 1837.000
FRANKS (VINCENT CHESLEY) COLLECTION


Vincent Chesley Franks was born in McKellar, Ontario, Canada, December 29, 1890, where his father, David Denton Franks, was a missionary to the Cree Indians. Franks served with the Canadian forces in World War I as a stretcher bearer in the medical corps. He came to the United States in 1922 to attend Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, and to work with Dr. Edmund Duckworth, rector of the Church of the Redeemer in St. Louis, who had been a classmate of Franks' father at the Anglican Seminary in England. Franks married Adele Cucina Eames of St. Louis, in 1926. They had two children, Adele Eleanor and David Denton Franks. Franks received his education at the Owen Sound Institute in Ontario; Washington University, St. Louis; Columbia University, New York, New York; Virginia Seminary, Alexandria; and Union Theological Seminary, New York. He was awarded a doctor of divinity degree by Washington and Lee University, Lexington, Virginia, in 1931.

Ordained in 1927, Franks began his ministry as rector of Grace Church, Berryville, Virginia. Afterwards, he was rector of the Robert E. Lee Memorial Church, Lexington, Virginia, from 1929 to 1933; Old St. Paul's Church, Norfolk, Virginia, from 1933 to 1937; St. Stephen's Church, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from 1937 to 1939; St. Paul's Church, Richmond, Virginia, from 1939 to 1947; and St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, Jackson, from 1947 to 1959. Franks was a member of the standing committee of the Episcopal Diocese of Mississippi from 1948 to 1949 and again from 1951 to 1958. He was a member of the diocesan executive committee from 1948 to 1956, a trustee of All Saints College in 1954 and 1957, and deputy to the General Convention in 1955. Franks and his wife, Adele, founded the St. Andrew's Episcopal Day School in the fall of 1947. He also published several of his sermons. He retired in Gulfport, in 1959. Franks was a supply clergyman to several churches throughout the Southeast until his death on July 9, 1974.

The collection primarily contains a voluminous number of sermons composed by Franks over his thirty-six year ministry from 1927 to 1959. The sermons are typewritten and contain the sermon title and the date and place of delivery. There are two indexes to the sermons covering the period from 1939 to 1958. Several published sermons are also included. The collection also contains the correspondence of Vincent C. Franks. It primarily concerns the recruitment of Franks by the vestry of St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, Jackson, in 1947. There are typewritten academic notes pertaining to a variety of theological subjects that were taken during his years as a seminarian. Franks also wrote church plays, poetry, and one composition entitled "George Washington: The Christian," and these are present in the collection. Included are four undated photographs of Franks, Dr. Edmund Duckworth, and others. Miscellaneous items of interest include an undated holographic biographical sketch of Franks; a description of St. Andrew's Episcopal Day School in 1948; several resolutions honoring the Franks' ministry at various churches; and several church bulletins from Franks' ministry. Perhaps the most unusual items in the collection are a series of imaginary baseball scenarios that were created by Franks in his leisure time.

Series Identification

  1. Correspondence (Incoming and Outgoing). 1931; 1946; 1950; 1957–1958; n.d. 17 items. This series contains the correspondence of Vincent C. Franks. Principal correspondents include Adele E. Franks, Harry E. Weir, Harvey Nelson, James A. Constantin, Winifred Cheney, George P. Hewes III, and Drs. O. A. Schmid, Duncan Gray, and Mollegan. The series contains letters from the vestry of St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, Jackson, to Franks concerning his call to the rectorship. In one letter written to the vestry of St. Andrew's in 1946, Franks lists the objectives that he wishes to be brought before the vestry prior to accepting the rectorship. There is also an interesting letter dated April 18, 1958, concerning the involvement of various Christian churches with civil rights issues in the South. A few letters concern Franks' resignation from St. Andrew's due to ill health in 1958. Arranged chronologically. Box 1

  2. Sermons. 1923–1958; 1960; 1969; n.d. 6 c.f. This series contains sermons delivered by Vincent C. Franks during his thirty-six year ministry. The sermons are typewritten and contain the sermon title and the date and place of delivery for each sermon. Most of the sermons were delivered more than once. The sermons cover a multitude of subjects and contain annotations. Several sermons were subsequently rewritten after Franks became rector of St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, Jackson, in 1947. Among the undated sermons, there is an encomium to Dr. Walter B. Capers, Franks' predecessor at St. Andrew's, eulogizing Capers as a spiritually great man. Arranged chronologically.

    • Box 1. 1923–1926
    • Box 2. 1927–March 1928
    • Box 3. April–December 1928
    • Box 4. January–May 1929
    • Box 5. June 1929–1930
    • Box 6. 1931–April 1932
    • Box 7. September 1932–1933
    • Box 8. 1934–1939
    • Box 9. 1940
    • Box 10. 1941
    • Box 11. 1942
    • Box 12. 1943
    • Box 13. 1944
    • Box 14. 1945–1946
    • Box 15. 1947–1952
    • Box 16. 1953–1955
    • Box 17. 1956–1957
    • Box 18. 1958; 1960; 1969; n.d.

  3. Sermon Indexes. 1939–1958. 2 items. This series contains two sermon indexes. One index lists the sermons Vincent C. Franks delivered at St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Richmond, from June 2, 1939, to January 26, 1947. The other index lists sermons he delivered at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, Jackson, from February 9, 1947, to March 2, 1958. Arranged chronologically. Box 18

  4. Published Works. 1940–1949; 1951; 1953–1955, n.d. .33 c.f. This series contains the published sermons of Vincent C. Franks including Top of the Mount, a hardbound compilation of twenty sermons. The other sermons are in pamphlet form. Arranged chronologically. Box 18

  5. Baseball Scenarios. 1927; 1937; 1948; 1967; n.d. 4 items. This series contains imaginary baseball scenarios in both holographic and typewritten form created by Vincent C. Franks in his leisure time. The scenarios contain statistics, league standings, and player descriptions. Arranged chronologically. Box 19.

  6. Plays. 1952; n.d. 3 items. This series contains three church plays written by Vincent C. Franks entitled King Jamie's Bible, 1952; A Play Commemorating the Four Hundredth Anniversary of the First Prayer Book, n.d.; and How the Episcopal Church Came to America, n.d.. The latter two were written while Franks was rector of St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in Jackson. Box 19

  7. Composition. n.d. 1 item. This series contains one composition by Vincent C. Franks entitled George Washington: The Christian. Box 19.

  8. Poetry. 1912; 1921; n.d. 5 items. This series contains several poems composed by Vincent C. Franks including one entitled "Ballad of the River" about the Mississippi River. Another poem, entitled "Dad," was composed in 1921. Arranged chronologically. Box 19.

  9. Academic Notes. 1945; 1948; n.d. .33 c.f. This series contains academic notes recorded by Vincent C. Franks when he was in seminary. The notes are typewritten and cover a variety of courses such as the English Bible; Christian theology; the early church fathers; the development of the papacy; the church and its message; and modern bearing of New Testament questions. Arranged chronologically. Box 20; Box 21.

  10. Photographs. n.d. 4 items. This series contains four photographs of Vincent C. Franks, Dr. Edmund Duckworth, and others. Box 22.

  11. Church Bulletins. 1937; 1943; 1945–1947; 1957; 1974; n.d. 12 items. This series contains bulletins from the churches Vincent C. Franks pastored or visited as an itinerant minister. Included is a bulletin from St. Peter's-by-the-Sea Episcopal Church, Gulfport, pertaining to the order for burial of Franks in 1974. Arranged chronologically. Box 22.

  12. Newspaper Clippings. 1929; 1932; 1937; 1939; 1941–1942; 1947; 1949–1950; 1953–1957; 1959; 1966; 1974; n.d. .33 c.f. This series contains newspaper clippings of articles on Vincent C. Franks' ministry in Jackson, the Franks' social life, church matters, and Frank's world travels. Most of the articles concerning his world travels were written by Franks who had been employed by the Jackson Daily News, Jackson, as a travel journalist. There are also articles about baseball personalities and league standings. Arranged chronologically. Box 22.

  13. Miscellany. 1938; 1944–1950; 1952; 1958; n.d. .33 c.f. This series contains miscellaneous items including church pamphlets; a holographic biographical sketch of Franks; a centennial souvenir of the St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Richmond, in 1945; an issue of Southern Churchmen, November 10, 1945, featuring St. Paul's Church during Franks' rectorship; a description of St. Andrew's Episcopal Day School in 1948; and resolutions honoring Franks' ministry at various churches. Arranged chronologically. Box 22