What does the K in Allan K Chalmers stand for?

Answer 1

The K stands for Knight. Allan Knight Chalmers. He published a book in 1951 titled "They Shall Be Free" about the Scottsboro case of which he led the Defense team. I work at a library that has a copy in its Special Collections. Bill Osment

KCMO More Books by Allan Knight Chalmers High wind at noon (C. Scribner's Sons, 1948) That revolutionary--Christ. (Scribner, 1957) As He passed by (The Abingdon press, 1939) Candles in the wind (C. Scribner's sons, 1941) The constant fire (C. Scribner's sons, 1944) High Wind At Noon (Kessinger Publishing, LLC, March 1, 2007) As He passed by (The Abingdon press, 1939)

A short biography of Rev. Allan Knight Chalmers, D.D.

Allan Knight Chalmers, D.D. [i] (1897- 23 January 1972)

Dr. Chalmers was born in Cleveland, OH, the son of Dr. Andrew Burns Chalmers and Lillian Mary Knight, his uncle was Rev. William Allen Knight. Two uncles on his father's side of the family were also ministers in the Congregational Church and his great-uncle, Rev. Thomas Chalmers, D.D., was the Presbyterian leader of Scotland. Allan Knight Chalmers was the second of six children. His family moved while he was quite young to Saginaw, MI and then later the New Haven, CT where he started school. His family later moved to Worcester, MA where they lived for fourteen years. He graduated high school there in 1913; he spent the next six months in England attending the Oxford summer School and matriculated to Johns Hopkins University in 1914 receiving his AB degree in 1917. He was quite athletic, participating in varsity football, lacrosse, track, and was the business manager of the baseball team, the business manager and associate editor of the university newspaper, a member of Alpha Sigma Phi fraternity, and during his junior year, he was elected to the national senior honorary fraternity Omicron Delta Kappa. In 1917 although he was an ardent pacifist, he answered the call of the French Army and for ten months served first in Verdun, France with the Foyer de Soldat and then was accepted into the Motor Transportation Corps of the US Army with the American Expeditionary Forces. For his services he was decorated with the Medaille de la Grande Guerre and the Verdun Medal. His original ambition was to become a history professor however, after his experiences during the First World War he decided that his calling was to the ministry. Initially following the war he accepted a teaching position for a year at Gilman School for Boys in Baltimore, MD teaching history. For the next three summers he was head councilor for a private boy's camp in New Hampshire, and in 1919 attend Yale Divinity school, receiving his Bachelor of Divinity in 1922. He was ordained as a minister in the Congregational Church that same year and performed the duties as assistant pastor at the Dwight Place Congregational Church in New Haven, CT during his last two years at Yale. He received his first call to the Congregational Church in West Springfield, MA where the church grew by over 200 members, then two years later he returned to New Haven, CT, this time as pastor f the Dwight Place Congregational Church. He spent the next three years there before being called the First Presbyterian Church in Buffalo, NY. His wife Frances was the daughter of James A. and Adelaide Webb Kinghorn; she died while overseas at or near London, England on or about 22 July 1957[ii]. During his time at First Presbyterian Church, Dr. Chalmers was director of many organizations including the Urban League of Buffalo, the Council of Churches, and the Church Extension Committee. He was also a member of the Buffalo Club, and the Buffalo Tennis and Squash Club where he was a member of the squash team. He at first refused the call to leave First Presbyterian Church, but later reconsidered,[iii] leaving in July 1930 to become pastor at the Broadway United Church of Christ (then called the "Broadway Tabernacle" Church) in New York City on October 1st, 1930, where he served for 17 years. While there, Dr. Chalmers formed the New York Ministers' Peace Group Meeting in Riverside Church in 1935 and served at a trustee of Talladega (AL) University, Berea, (KY) College and the Wiltwyck School of New York. He resigned from the Broadway Congregational Tabernacle Church in 1947 to become professor of preaching and applied Christianity at Boston University Divinity School from 1948 until 1962. On Sunday, 28 January 1962 Dr. Chalmers once again graced our pulpit as our guest preacher during our 150th year celebration. In 1963 he was awarded the Alper Award of the American Civil Liberties Union. Dr. Chalmers was a personal friend and mentor to Dr. Martin Luther King and following Dr. King's death in 1968, remained active in the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund and in other peace, religious, and political groups until his death. He was a past president of the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund and served as a director of the American Civil Liberties union. Until 1970 Dr. Chalmers taught part-time at St. Francis College in Biddeford, ME, and conducted seminars at the Graduate Theological Union at Berkeley, CA, he received honorary degrees from Syracuse University, American International College and the University of Vermont. Following his retirement, he lived in Kennebunkport, ME and died in Portland, ME at age 74 on January 23rd, 1972. His wife at the time of his death was the former Margaret Glenn Post.
---- [i] Information from Broadway United church of Christ website, the Dr. Martin Luther King Library website and New York Times obituary dated 24 January, 1972. [ii] Source: New York Time obit. Dated 22 July 1957.

[iii] New York Time article dated 9 June 1930.