Titus, Murray and Olive
Date of creation: 1895 to 2017
Extent: 6 boxes
CCCW Catalogue: MTT
Keywords: India, Islam, comparative religions, Samuel Zwemer
Murray and Olive Titus were American Methodist missionaries in various locations in India, mainly in United Provinces (now Uttar Pradesh), from 1910 to 1951. Murray’s first appointment was at Reid Christian College in Lucknow (later Lucknow Christian College) to which after years of ‘district work’ in mission stations he returned as Principal 1941-45. During the 1920s Murray Titus met the American Islamicist Samuel Zwemer and began to study Islam. This resulted in the foundation by Titus and others of the Henry Martyn School for Islamic Studies, Lahore (since transferred to Hyderabad) and several publications relating to the topic. From 1945 Murray Titus served as executive secretary of the National Christian Council of India, Burma, and Ceylon. They lived in India during the crucial period of independence and partition before Murray Titus’ appointment in 1951 as Professor of Comparative Religions at Westminster Theological Seminary in Maryland.
The extensive collection includes letters, diaries, photographs, publications, and articles related to their missionary service and scholarship. Most of the papers were donated by their daughter Carol Pickering (1924-2017) and includes letters and diaries of her own.
Further resources:
- Carol Pickering, “Murray Titus: Missionary and Islamic Scholar,” International Bulletin of Missionary Research 19.3 (1995)
- Ian Randall, ‘Mutuality in Methodist Mission. Murray and Olive Titus in India, 1910-1951’, Wesley and Methodist Studies, xiv, 146-68 (2022) [CCCW Library Pamphlet 541]
- .pdf catalogue of this collection MTT Titus
- Contents description (only) by Carol Pickering of correspondence in MTT 9-26 MTT Titus appendix