Conrad Press

Title: Conrad Press fonds

Dates of creation: 1970-1989

Physical description: 12 cm of textual records

Administrative history:  In 1970, Frank H. Epp, Vern Heinrichs, Jake Hildebrand and John Snyder created an informal "Canada-based Mennonite-oriented publishing group to facilitate the better and quicker and wider distribution of certain manuscripts." The press would go on to publish a total of nine books, some of them quite influential in Mennonite circles.

The first book was produced with the assistance of The Canadian Mennonite. From 1972-1984, the Mennonite Reporter was a distribution centre for Conrad Press. Ruby Weber became treasurer; Jake Hildebrand transferred his share of the Press to her in 1979. Vern Heinrichs opted out earlier. Conrad Press was never incorporated, and plans to form a working business model and enduring partnerships never materialized. Their last book was published in 1992.

Custodial history: The Conrad Press fonds came to the Archives as part of the Frank H. Epp fonds.

Scope and content: Contains minutes, reports and correspondence relating to the general operation of the press, as well as correspondence and some publicity materials for individual publications. Book orders and receipts were not kept.

Notes: For photographs related to this organization, search the Mennonite Archival Image Database.
Further materials related to this organization may be found by searching the Archives.
Copies of books published by Conrad Press are located in the Milton Good Library.
Original archival description created 2012 by Laureen Harder-Gissing.
 

File list:

Series 1: Minutes and correspondence

1. Minutes and general correspondence, 1970-1989
2. Correspondence, relationship with Herald Press
3. Minutes and correspondence, Mennonite book publishing in Canada
4. Correspondence, publisher and distributor organizations
5. Correspondence, government subsidies
6. Correspondence, unpublished manuscripts
7. Correspondence, David Waltner-Toews unpublished manuscripts

Series 2: Publication files

Note: The following Conrad Press publications do not have production files: Anabaptism : positive and negative / Walter Klaassen, 1975; On being the church : essays in honour of John W. Snyder / Peter C. Erb, John W. Snyder, 1992.

1. I would like to dodge the draft-dodgers but... / Frank H. Epp, 1970
2. The Amish of Canada / Orland Gingerich, 1972
3. Anabaptism : neither Catholic nor Protestant / Walter Klaassen, 1973, rev. 1981
4. Education with a plus : the story of Rosthern Junior College / Frank H. Epp, 1975
5. Mennonite peoplehood : a plea for new initiatives / Frank H. Epp, 1977
6. The MEDA experiment, 1953-1978 / J. Winfield Fretz, 1978
7. The heritage of the Swiss Volhynian Mennonites / Solomon Stucky, 1981