H.M.S Richards Library Brochure
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H.M.S. Richards, pioneer religious broadcaster, Special Acknowledgements was the founder and long-time speaker of the • The family of H.M.S. Richards who generously gifted the Voice of Prophecy radio ministry. His ministry La Sierra University with the name of HMS Richards for inspired broadcasts in dozens of languages on the university’s Divinity School and with Elder Richards’ more than 1,000 stations worldwide, as well as personal library. Bible courses in some 80 languages offered by • Dr. Walt Cason, son-in-law of Elder HMS and Mabel more than 125 correspondence schools. Richards, whose vision to preserve the memory of Upon graduation from college in 1919, H.M.S. HMS Richards for the 21st century has been largely Richards served as an evangelist in various places responsible for the establishment of the library at La in the United States and Canada. In the 1920s in Sierra University and raising funds to support the California he began experimenting with radio library’s operations. announcements for his meetings. He began • Connie Lorenz, who is responsible for cataloging the regular radio broadcasts on October 19, 1929 on library collection, with the assistance of Kitty Simmons, KNX (AM) in Los Angeles. library director at La Sierra University and Christina Viramontes, technical service librarian in the university Later, Richards presented daily live broadcasts library. of The Tabernacle of the Air over KGER in Long • Tony Zbaraschuk, trained reference librarian who, along Beach, and live weekly remote broadcasts from his tabernacle to KMPC (AM) in Beverly with student Diana Delgadillo, is archiving all of HMS Hills. In January 1937 his footprint expanded Richard’s sermons and broadcast scripts and scanning over a network of several stations of the Don them in searchable format to make them accessible to Lee Broadcasting System, and the name of the students and pastors. broadcast was changed to the Voice of Prophecy. His first coast-to-coast broadcast over 89 stations of the Mutual Broadcasting System was on Sunday, January 4, 1942. H.M.S. Richards The HMS Richards Library The HMS Richards Library AT LA SIERRA UNIVERSITY AT LA SIERRA UNIVERSITY The personal collection 4500 Riverwalk Parkway of a radio religious broadcasting Riverside, CA 92515 pioneer and spiritual leader (951) 785-2041 Tel (951) 785) 2199 Fax [email protected] www.lasierra.edu/divinity/library Notes from a page in Elder Richards’ Bible These books and associated The HMS Richards Library and Study Center materials provided the wellspring The Richards library and study center also The Richards library and from which Elder Richards drew for includes complementary materials, subject study center contains the his weekly radio broadcasts. Ideas, files, sermon notes, photographs, and personal book collection of theology, illustrations and poetry all other materials documenting evangelistic arose from his constant reading. His campaigns, denominational conferences and Elder Richards, developed neighbors recall seeing him often campmeetings, along with other memorabilia. over a half-century of walking along the sidewalk—never Of particular interest are hundreds of without a book held up before stereopticon slides used in evangelistic meetings ministry, containing his eyes. and large disk recordings of his radio programs 10,000 volumes. The spanning decades and preserving the voices of The library represents his personal the King’s Heralds quartet and soloist Del Delker, collection is built around investment, built up on the slender along with that of Elder Richards himself. standard reference works: salary of an Adventist pastor. While he commanded respect as one of The research value of the HMS Richards Library the major encyclopedias, America’s earliest radio evangelists, collections for students and ministers is beyond Bible commentaries, he always lived a very simple and calculation. The library will provide a rich dictionaries, and other modest life. resource for evangelistic history and practice for years to come. sources. Additionally, the Most of these books were collection spans many purchased from used book dealers. Supporting the Work of the HMS Richards Over the years, Elder Richards Library subjects re!ecting the developed friendships with dealers Many opportunities are available for those who breadth of Elder Richards’ who knew his interests, and helped wish to honor the HMS Richards legacy, and him locate particular items. These who wish to support the important work of the interests. While strong in relationships developed into long-term library. These include contributing to the HMS homiletics, evangelism, and friendships. Richards Library Endowment, financial support radio broadcasting, it also of library operations, and creating student With one dealer in London, Elder assistantships. Estate gifts in the form of wills, has major sections of history, Richards established an informal trusts and annuities are also vital avenues of theology, and literature. “open account,” paying a few dollars long-term support. each month as he was able, while There are many biographies adding little by little to his holdings. of individuals whose life Whenever his travel assignments took Contact the HMS Richards Divinity School of!ce for him through England, he took the more information about ways to make a gift, including stories provide examples of opportunity to visit this dealer, who strategies for including philanthropy in an estate plan. faith and devotion. on occasion allowed him to spend the night among the shelves of volumes! Telephone: (951) 785-2041 E-Mail: [email protected] For the purposes of strengthening the development program at La Sierra University, !ve percent of all gifts will be used to partially defray related fund raising costs. We welcome your feedback as we steward the essential gifts necessary to fulill the mission of La Sierra University..