Springer, Nelson Paul (1915-2004)

Nelson P. Springer at work.
Source: Archives of the Mennonite Church HM-299 (Herald Press photos)

Nelson P. Springer, curator of the Mennonite Historical Library (MHL) in Goshen, Indiana, USA for nearly 40 years, was born on 22 August 1915, in Minier, Illinois to Ben Springer (23 August 1881-25 November 1968) and Clara Hieser Springer (11 April 1883-12 August 1968); he was the third son, and fifth child in a family of seven children. Nelson grew up in the Hopedale, Illinois community.

Following his graduation from Goshen College in 1941, Nelson worked in various positions at the college before Harold S. Bender invited him, in 1949, to become curator of the MHL—a position he held until his retirement in 1986. Springer married Betty Weber (7 February 1917-11 October 2012) on 18 August 1951, and the couple had four children, including Joseph Springer, who succeeded Nelson as curator of the MHL. Throughout his adult life, Nelson was a faithful member of College Mennonite Church. Nelson Springer died 16 June 2004 in Goshen, Indiana. His ashes were scattered at the College Mennonite Church Scattering Garden.

Nelson Springer was a gentle and modest person. While others of his generation assumed the spotlight for their contributions to Anabaptist-Mennonite studies, he was more inclined to work behind the scenes, quietly supporting the scholarship of others. During his tenure as curator of the MHL, he oversaw the steady growth of the collection as it moved from the Memorial Library to the Seminary Building to its present location on the third floor of Good Library. Springer was tireless in his pursuit of acquisitions for the MHL, and his meticulous attention to detail as a cataloger became legendary.

Along the way, he helped thousands of MHL patrons—college students, genealogists, pastors and scholars—locate sources for their projects, often pointing researchers to material they would have otherwise overlooked. His amazing memory of bibliographic references grew out of a deep love for Anabaptist-Mennonite history and a disciplined reading program that ranged across the continents and the centuries.

In addition to authoring six articles in The Mennonite Quarterly Review, Springer also served informally as the journal's fact-checker, and he carefully compiled a series of supplementary indexes that served as the foundation for the MQR Cumulative Index, 1926-2000 that appeared in 2001. Springer's foremost academic achievement, however, was his two-volume Mennonite Bibliography, 1631-1961, a monumental work containing more than 28,000 entries that will likely never be surpassed.

As a librarian, bibliographer and supporter of Anabaptist-Mennonite studies, Springer was without peer.

Bibliography

“Nelson P. Springer.” SAGA (Swiss Anabaptist Genealogical Association) Genealogical Website. Web. 14 June 2016. http://www.saga-omii.org/TNG10/getperson.php?personID=I378980&tree=Hostetler.

Roth, John D. “In Memoriam: Nelson P. Springer (1915-2004).” Mennonite Quarterly Review 79 (January 2005): 3. This GAMEO article is derived, with permission, from the MQR memorial article.

Books by Nelson Springer

Springer, Nelson P. and A. J. Klassen. Mennonite bibliography, 1631-1961, 2 vols. Scottdale, Pa. : Herald Press, 1977.

Author(s)	John D Roth
Date Published	June 2016

Cite This Article

MLA style

Roth, John D. "Springer, Nelson Paul (1915-2004)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. June 2016. Web. 22 Nov 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Springer,_Nelson_Paul_(1915-2004)&oldid=135182.

APA style

Roth, John D. (June 2016). Springer, Nelson Paul (1915-2004). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 22 November 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Springer,_Nelson_Paul_(1915-2004)&oldid=135182.

---

©1996-2024 by the Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. All rights reserved.