(CHINA - BAPTIST MISSIONARY) ROBERT THOMAS BRYAN
(1855 - 1946) Southern Baptist missionary in China for over 50 years. T.L.S. 1p. 4to., East Lake, AL, Jan. 30, 1904, to Rev. Lemuel Orah Dawson on raising money to build a college in Shanghai. In small part: "…You see from the printed statement on the back of this letter that I am authorized by the Foreign Mission Board to raise fifteen thousand dollars to erect a College in Shangai, China…Brother Crompton…enters heartily into the movement…Will you not carefully and prayerfully read the statement on the back and try to raise at least two memorial shares of two hundred dollars in your church…Perhaps you might be able to get some wealthy Baptist to take a share…Please do not take public collections for that would interfere with the regular contributions to Foreign Missions! The College Building will be erected by a Building Committee of missionaries…" Adds postscript in his hand, and signs with initials: "Wish I could come to see you again! Help me all you can! Get me $200.00! Write an article for Ala Baptist for me. R.T.B." Printed on verso are the fund raising plans to "erect a College Building in Shanghai, China, in memory of Dr. M[atthew] T[yson] Yates" Some wear, mostly at margins.