- Paul B. Freeland
Paul Butterfield Freeland (
September 15 ,1904 –November 1 ,1976 ) was aPresbyterian minister,historian ,philanthropist , andgenealogist from Crowley, the seat ofAcadia Parish in southLouisiana ,United States . At his death, Freeland left a stamp collection which sold for $2 million to four Presbyterian churches. A fourth of that amount, or $500,000, was used to build alibrary annex at the Presbyterian Historical Foundation atMontreat, North Carolina . The annex was dedicated onAugust 15 ,1982 , and named the "Paul B. Freeland Hall". Freeland served on the foundation board.Freeland was born in Crowley to Charles J. Freeland, Sr., and the former Almyra Butterfield. He graduated from Crowley High School in 1921. He then attended the Presbyterian-affiliated
Davidson College inDavidson, North Carolina , from which he received hisbachelor of arts degree in 1925. He thereafter obtained a bachelor ofdivinity degree fromUnion Theological Seminary & Presbyterian School of Christian Education inRichmond, Virginia , in 1928. He did postgraduate study at New College inEdinburgh ,Scotland .He pastored Presbyterian churches in Opelousas, the seat of
St. Landry Parish ; Covington, the seat ofSt. Tammany Parish ; andDuncan, Oklahoma , the seat of Stephens County near Lawton.Freeland was also the secretary of Overseas Relief for the Presbyterian Church. In 1951, he wrote a letter to "
Time "magazine in which he decried "the forgottenArab refugee s." In remarks some might consider still relevant in the 21st century, Freeland referred to a "neglected" situation which has led to "deterioration not only in the physical and [the] moral condition of the Arab refugees but also of our international relations . . . "Freeland wrote "The First Presbyterian Church of Crowley, Louisiana, 1890-1965" and coauthored "Acadia Parish, Louisiana: A
History to 1900". His collection ofphotograph s and memorabilia of the Crowley area is located in thearchives of the Acadia Parish Library in Crowley. He also donated a collection to the Confederate Stamp Alliance.Freeland is also honored with the "Paul B. Freeland Professorship" at Davidson College. The professorships are in
biology ,philosophy , andreligion .He is interred in the Crowley Protestant Cemetery.
References
"Paul Butterfield Freeland", "A Dictionary of Louisiana Biography", Vol. 1 (1988), p. 321
http://www2.davidson.edu/academics/acad_depts/premed/contact.asp
http://www.oxfordscholarship.com/oso/public/content/philosophy/9780199259748/toc.html
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,815576,00.html
http://www.csalliance.org/csa-1.htm
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