These are the words from the first public thank-you from The Christian Science Board of Directors to 80 donors who gave original letters written by Mrs. Eddy to The Mother Church in 1917. Over the next 44 years, a total of 15 notices thanking individuals, branch churches, associations, and other institutions appeared in the Christian Science Sentinel and The Christian Science Journal, recognizing over 800 donors.
Items donated over the years have included handwritten letters, books, and a variety of historical objects documenting the life and transforming ideas of Mary Baker Eddy. Such selfless, generous, and forward-thinking gifts have greatly enriched the scope of the historical collections of The Mother Church—collections built around the core of letters and historical documentation bequeathed to the Church by Mrs. Eddy herself.
As you will recall, in the July 1999 issue of the Journal, we asked for the "opportunity to identify and examine" original materials held by individuals and institutions that document the life and works of Mrs. Eddy. The response to our request greatly exceeded our expectations. Many responded with gifts of rare books, postcards, photographs, artifacts, and manuscripts. So, you will understand that we feel impelled to continue the action, established by earlier Boards, of expressing our gratitude publicly for such gifts.
