James Walton Shepherd was born near Lexington, Kentucky, on August 18, 1861. He was converted under the teaching of James A. Harding, and he attended the College of the Bible (Lexington, Kentucky). Shepherd preached in the U.S., and then engaged in mission work in Australia and New Zealand (c. 1888-1892). He later served as the librarian at Nashville Bible School, office manager of the Gospel Advocate, and editor of the Christian Leader. He published multiple books, and edited five volumes of David Lipscomb’s notes on the New Testament. He died at age 86 on July 27, 1948, in Detroit, Michigan.

This collection includes correspondence to and from Shepherd, and personal journals written by Shepherd. Two of these journals (1889 and 1891) describe Shepherd’s time as a missionary in Australia and New Zealand. There are also notes from his time as a student at the College of the Bible (Lexington, Kentucky), and biographical information. The collection also includes correspondence between Mary (Shepherd’s daughter) and Claude French, and correspondence to and from Mary concerning her father in his older age.