The Henry Luce Foundation is generously supporting the Burke Library Archives processing grant. As quoted on the press release:

"We are delighted that the Luce Foundation can play a part in The Burke Library's preservation of these important collections, so that they can be readily accessible to a wider readership," said Michael Gilligan, president of the Henry Luce Foundation. "Although these collections are distinct from our own archives, they are clearly linked to two parts of our history—Henry R. Luce's intention to honor his parents, Presbyterian missionary educators in China; and the foundation's early support for Christian ecumenism."

The Henry Luce Foundation is dedicated to encouraging the development of religious leaders through theological education, and fostering scholarship that links the academy to religious communities and other audiences.

The Missionary Research Library Archives include a number of materials that involve Luce. Among European and North American libraries and archives, only MRL at Burke holds the 10pg. ecumenical document that was authored and utilized by Henry Winters Luce in 1910 for "cooperative survey of theological and bible training schools in China." MRL offers the only copy of "Minutes, Constitution, and Reports" of the Christian Educational Association of Shantung and Honan Provinces from 1917, which was the final year of H.W. Luce's professorship at Shantung Christian University. Luce was also the traveling secretary of the Student Volunteer Movement for Foreign Missions from 1894-1895 and 1896-1897, which occurred after his two years at Union Theological Seminary.

These three examples from the life of Henry Winters Luce illustrate the unique cultural depth, geographic breadth, and historical importance of the missionary and ecumenical archives at the Burke Library. This project will allow for the provision of intellectual and physical access to two of the largest and most significant archival collections of ecumenical and missionary papers currently in existence.