Fred L. Steen Papers, 1925-1998, n.d.
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Administrative/Biographical History
Fred Lee Steen Sr. was born in San Antonio, Texas on 21 January 1929 to Harrison and Lorena Steen. He attended Phillis Wheatley High School in San Antonio and went on to enroll at St. Philip's Junior College there in 1946 where he was the first student to be granted the A.S. Weiner Scholarship. He graduated from St. Philip's in 1948 and then entered Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee in 1949 as a pre-med student. In his junior year he decided to pursue the Christian ministry instead of a career as a doctor. Upon earning his AB from Fisk in 1951, Steen became one of twenty-five students in the nation selected for work-study scholarships at the Oberlin College Seminary.
Though his highest aspiration had been to attend Union Seminary in New York City, Steen grew to appreciate Oberlin's cultural opportunities and diversity. During his first year, he became student pastor of the only congregation he would serve, the Mount Zion Baptist Church in Oberlin. In April of 1952, he was asked to serve as interim pastor at Mt. Zion when the regular minister, Rev. Norman C. Crosby, resigned. After just two months, the church voted unanimously to appoint him regular pastor, and in June he was ordained to the Baptist ministry at Mount Nebo Baptist Church in Nashville. Steen distinguished himself as a promising student in the Graduate School of Theology, receiving the "Thomas W. Graham Homiletics Award" in 1953 for extraordinary gifts in the art of preaching. He received the Bachelor of Divinity degree in 1955 and the Master of Sacred Theology in 1957. He did post-graduate work at the Princeton Theological Seminary, and in 1974 obtained the Doctor of Ministry from the Vanderbilt University Divinity School in Nashville. In 1967 Guadalupe College of Seguin, Texas conferred upon him an honorary doctorate in Divinity. Apart from being a talented and devoted preacher, Dr. Fred L. Steen was an accomplished musician, an impassioned advocate for social change, and a prominent community leader.
At Fisk, he was a voice student under John Conrad of the Oberlin Conservatory and a member of the eminent Fisk University Choir. He studied piano with the renowned Swedish American concert pianist Ejnar Krantz. Steen light-heartedly referred to himself as the "all-purpose pastor" because he was always ready to stand in on organ if the need arose.
Through his tireless civic involvement and his role in the pulpit as spiritual mentor and counselor, Rev. Steen addressed racial discrimination, fair housing, poverty, unemployment, welfare, and juvenile delinquency. His friendship with Martin Luther King, Jr., which began at a convention in St. Louis in 1955, was a tremendous source of inspiration. Steen was a member of the Oberlin Civil Service Commission and the Oberlin Committee on Open Housing. He contributed to the outlining of a resolution for the first ordinance prohibiting discrimination in housing. He was the first clergyman elected to the board of trustees of Allen Memorial Hospital in Oberlin and served for over seven years on the Treatment and Services Committee of Lorain County United Health Foundation. In 1972, Oberlin College formally recognized Dr. Steen's unflagging commitment, honoring him with the "Distinguished Community Service Award." Steen also gave the first Dr. Vernon N. Johns Memorial Lecture at Oberlin College (1990), and, in 1993, he delivered the Oberlin College baccalaureate speech, entitled “The Potter’s House.”
Fred L. Steen served Mt. Zion Baptist faithfully for forty-six years (1952-98), earning the respect and admiration of his followers, presiding over the expansion and remodeling of the church, and working toward the elimination of all the congregation’s debts. He was elected a trustee of the Ohio Baptist Convention in 1970, and was secretary of the publishing board of the Progressive National Baptist Convention for three years. Steen embarked on many preaching missions throughout the United States and Canada, and was invited to the White House to attend a reception for Pope John Paul II hosted by Jimmy Carter on 6 October 1979. He described greeting the Pope as “a thrilling experience and a very humbling one.”
Rev. Steen was married three times. With his third wife, Ivra Evelyn Bowen whom he wed on 4 June 1972, he had two sons, Freddie Lee Jr. and Kevin Edward, and one daughter, Erica Lorena. He died on 11 March 1998 at the age of 69, shortly before he planned to retire.
Sources Consulted
"Mt. Zion to Honor Rev. Steen, pastor of church for 25 years". Oberlin News-Tribune. 29 September 1977.
"The Pastor's Profile" in 40th Pastoral Anniversary of the Rev. Dr. Fred L. Steen, Sr. 1992.
"Rev. Dr. Fred Lee Steen Sr." [obituary] Oberlin News-Tribune. 17 March 1998.
“The Reverend Dr. Fred L. Steen.” Oberlin College Baccalaureate Service booklet, May 1993. (RG 0/00/14)
"Rev. Fred Steen Is Accomplished Musician, Singer". Elyria Chronicle-Telegram. 23 September 1953.
Bowden, Artemesia. "About Our Minister" in The Mt. Zion Baptist Church Celebrates its Golden Cornerstone Year. 1954.
Bowden, Artemesia. "High Scholastic Honors Won By Ex-San Antonian". Express & News (San Antonio, Texas). 2 May 1954.
Courtright, Debbie. "Oberlin blacks find inspiration, haven at 'Rev. Steen's Church'". Elyria Chronicle-Telegram. 8 February 1981.
Evans, Cynthia. "Steens attend big reception". Oberlin News-Tribune. 11 October 1979.
Author: Jonathan Thurn and Chris Juhasz Forms of Material (links to similar genres) Administrative Information
The papers of Fred L. Steen document his career as a minister, his social interests, and his activities. The bulk of the papers concern his lengthy position as pastor of the Mount Zion Baptist Church in Oberlin. Steen’s correspondence contains letters from various individuals relating to his involvement with the Progressive National Baptist Convention, various elected officials, and many friends. The materials provide evidence of Steen’s commitment to his pastorship at Mount Zion Baptist Church, and his role as a distinguished member of the Oberlin Community.
The Steen collection also provides evidence of his assistance to elected officials both in their campaigns and as an informal advisor of general public policy. Steen’s master’s thesis and other collected materials provide evidence of his concern for the elderly in America.
His contributions to Oberlin were recognized by his receipt of the College’s Distinguished Community Service Award, in 1972, and the efforts of his parishioners and other community members to name a street in Oberlin after him (1992), an honor which he later declined.
SERIES DESCRIPTIONS
Series I. Biographical, 1925-96, n.d. (0.2 l.f.)
This series contains biographical information relating to Fred Steen and his family. Included are various forms of Steen’s vita, information relating to his career as a pastor and community activist, his parents’ marriage certificate, and other information relating to his family. Also included are certificates received by Steen and the Mount Zion Baptist Church from various organizations as well as Steen’s Doctor of Divinity degree from Vanderbilt University (1974) and his Distinguished Community Service Award (1972).
Series II. Correspondence, 1956-98, n.d. (0.2 l.f.)
The correspondence series contains mostly incoming letters, gift cards, and postcards relating to both Steen’s personal and professional activities. Included are correspondence from Senator Howard M. Metzenbaum from Ohio (1980) eliciting Steen’s thoughts regarding public policy, Representative Andrew Young from Ohio (1972) thanking Steen for his assistance in Young’s campaign, Rev. Gardner Taylor (1967), Oberlin College President S. Frederick Starr (1987) , Representative Don Pease from Ohio (1989), and Martin Luther King, Jr. (1956). Information is also included here of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Papers Project at Stanford University (1995) and of Steen’s involvement in the Oberlin Civil Service Commission (1974).
Series III. Sermons and Talks, 1962-96, n.d. (0.05 l.f.)
This series consists of typescript sermons and talks given by Fred Steen and others to various groups of people and is accompanied by a folder of posters and bulletins announcing his talks and sermons. Some notes are also included. Among the typescript sermons and talks are ones entitled “Where on Earth is God” (1962), “Do Your Thing” (1969), and “’Jubilee Day’ Prayer” (1996).
Series IV. Writings, 1957, 1976, 1997, n.d. (0.15 l.f.)
The writings series consists of works that Fred Steen created or collected. Among these are Steen’s Oberlin Master’s Thesis, The Role of Religion in the Lives of Older People: A Study of Pastoral Care to the Aged (1957), a paper by Teresa E. Snorton entitled “The Black Elderly in America—What Are Their Real Problems?” and miscellaneous writings collected by Steen.
Series V. Mount Zion Baptist Church, 1967-97, n.d. (0.2 l.f.)
This series consists of pastorship materials relating to Mount Zion Baptist Church and Fred Steen’s involvement with the church. Included are church bulletins, one commemorating the centennial of the church’s construction (1986), and directories, that contain photographs of church members. Among the miscellaneous records Steen retained are a Constitution of the Mount Zion Church (n.d.), timelines of church history (1996, n.d.), a church newsletter (1992), and biographical information regarding Howard Thurman, one of Steen’s predecessors at Mount Zion. Also included in this series are several booklets commemorating Steen’s’ 25th, 30th, and 40th anniversary as pastor of Mount Zion Baptist Church.
Series VI. Clippings, 1972-95, n.d. (0.2 l.f.)
The clippings series contains numerous newspaper clippings (photocopies and originals) concerning Fred Steen, his family, Howard Thurman (one of Steen’s predecessors at Mount Zion Baptist Church), and the proposed renaming of Locust Street to Steen Street, 1992. The renaming file also contains the petition circulated by Steen’s parishioners and letters by Steen to the Oberlin City Council and a local newspaper. A folder containing miscellaneous clippings is also included.
Series VII. Photographs, ca. 1950s-90s (0.4 l.f.)
The photographs series consists of numerous photographs of Fred Steen, his family, and many friends and colleagues. Also included is a photographic print block of Steen used in several newspaper articles and a photographic album celebrating Fred Steen’s 35th pastoral anniversary in 1987.
INVENTORY
Series I. Biographical, 1925-96, n.d.
Box 1
Biographical, miscellaneous, 1967,
1996-97, n.d.
Biographical related to family, 1925,
1956, 1968, 1981, n.d.
Certificates and Degrees, 1969-87
Distinguished Community Service
Award, 1972
Series II. Correspondence, 1956-98, n.d.
Box 2
Correspondence, 1959-80,
1984-97, n.d. (2f)
Martin Luther King, Jr. Papers Project,
Stanford University, 1956-57, 1995
Sympathy Cards, 1998
Series III. Sermons and Talks, 1962-96, n.d.
Box 3
Posters and Bulletins re: Steen’s Sermons
and Talks, 1968-96, n.d.
Sermons and Talks, 1962-96, n.d.
Series IV. Writings, 1957, 1976, 1997, n.d.
Box 3 (cont.)
“The Black Elderly in America—What Are
Their Real Problems?,” by Teresa
A. Snorton, 1976
Master’s Thesis, The Role of Religion in the
Lives of Older People: A Study of
Pastoral Care to the Aged, by
Fred L. Steen, 1957
Miscellaneous writings, 1997, n.d.
Series V. Mount Zion Baptist Church, 1967-97, n.d
Box 4
Bulletins and Services, 1967-97
Directories, c. 1968, 1974, 1996, n.d.
Miscellaneous Records, 1969-97, n.d.
Pastoral Anniversaries, 1977, 1982, 1997
Series VI. Clippings, 1972-95, n.d.
Box 5
Fred Steen and Family, n.d.
Howard Thurman, 1981
Miscellaneous Clippings, 1972-95, n.d.
Renaming of Locust Street Proposal, 1992
Series VII. Photographs, ca. 1950s-90s
Box 6
Portraits of Fred L. Steen (prints and
one 4 ¾ x 3 ½ in. negative)
Portrait of Fred and Ivra Steen (color)
Photographs of Fred L. Steen and Family
Color Snapshots of the Steen Family
(and 35mm color negatives)
Photographs of Other Steen Family Members
Photographs taken at Oberlin
Photographs of Fred L. Steen and
Mount Zion Church
Photographs of others
“Climb ‘til Your Dreams Come True,”
collection of inspirational verses by
Helen Steiner Rice, with one color
photograph of Fred L. Steen
and others, 1966
Photograph Album Celebrating Steen’s
35th Pastoral Anniversary, 1987
Photographic print block with portrait
of Fred L. Steen