[Material adapted slightly from the Seventh-day Adventist Encyclopedia, second revised edition (Hagerstown, Md.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1996), vol. A-L, pp. 503-506.]
The Ellen G. White Estate supports the mission of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in uplifting Jesus Christ and His Word by sharing Ellen White’s prophetic ministry and writings throughout the world.
A worldwide community of believers preparing for the soon return of Jesus in which Ellen White’s inspired messages are widely available, deeply valued, richly lived, and faithfully shared.
The Ellen G. White® Estate, Incorporated, is an organization created by the last will and testament of Ellen G. White to act as her agent in the custody of her writings, handling her properties, "conducting the business thereof," "securing the printing of new translations," and the "printing of compilations from my manuscripts." Her will, dated Feb. 9, 1912 (printed in its entirety as Appendix N in Messenger of the Lord, by Herbert E. Douglass) named five church leaders to serve as a board of trustees: Arthur G. Daniells, president of the General Conference; William C. White, her son; Clarence C. Crisler, a secretary; Charles H. Jones, manager of the Pacific Press; and Francis M. Wilcox, editor of the Review and Herald. Four of the five were members of the Executive Committee of the General Conference.
Appointment of the trustees was for life, Ellen White providing that "if a vacancy shall occur for any reason among said trustees, or their successors, a majority of the surviving or remaining trustees are hereby empowered and directed to fill such vacancy by the appointment of some other fit person"; or if this provision were to fail, the General Conference Executive Committee should appoint someone to fill such a vacancy. The will dedicated the major portion of the existing and potential royalty incomes from her books to the work of the trustees. (For additional information, see Appendix B, "The Settlement of Ellen G. White's Estate," in volume 6 of A. L. White's biography of Ellen White, Ellen G. White: The Later Elmshaven Years.)
At the death of Ellen White, July 16, 1915, this self-perpetuating board began to function. It soon sold Ellen White's real estate, consisting mainly of Elmshaven, her home property near St. Helena, California, then began the continued care of her literary properties. Under the terms of the will, such responsibilities fell into three areas: (1) possession of the copyrights to her writings and the care and promotion of her books in the English language; (2) preparation of manuscripts for, and the promotion of the translation and publication of her writings in other languages; and (3) custody of the files of manuscripts and other files, and the selection of matter from the Ellen G. White manuscript files for publication. The board now carries a fourth responsibility, which has developed naturally through the years--acquainting Seventh-day Adventists and others with Mrs. White and her work.
The Original Board:
When the board was organized in 1915, A. G. Daniells served temporarily as president, followed by F. M. Wilcox from 1915-1922. A. G. Daniells again served as president from 1922-1935. The secretaryship, after being held for a short time by C. C. Crisler, passed to W. C. White, the only member of the board devoting full time to the work of the trustees. He filled this office until his death in 1937. From 1915 to 1937 the work was carried on at Elmshaven in a rented office building with a vault that was used to house the Ellen G. White materials.
During the 19 years they worked together, the original members, in addition to routine tasks, (1) published 10 posthumous compilations (for an annotated bibliography of the Ellen G. White books, see White, Ellen G., Writings of, and Appendix D in the Comprehensive Index to the Writings of Ellen G. White); (2) produced an 865-page Comprehensive Index to the Writings of Ellen G. White, published in 1926; (3) carried forward the thorough indexing of the Ellen G. White manuscript files; and (4) in counsel with the leading officers of the General Conference in 1933 and 1934, laid the foundation for continuing the trusteeship in perpetuity. The steps taken to ensure the perpetuation of the trusteeship were: (a) in 1933 the trustees, as the constituency, formed a corporation under the laws of the state of California "to carry out and perform the provisions of the charitable trust created by the last will and testament of Ellen G. White deceased"; (b) the General Conference agreed to provide adequate financial support for the work of the trustees in the form of an annual budget; the trustees, in turn, assigned to the General Conference all royalty incomes produced by the Ellen G. White books; (c) it was agreed to move the property and work of the trustees at some appropriate future time to Washington, D.C., thus placing it close to the world headquarters of the church.
Period of Transition:
When three of the original trustees died--one in 1935 and two in 1936--the vacancies were filled in harmony with the provisions of the will and the bylaws of the 1933 corporation. The full-time secretary, W. C. White, died on Sept. 1, 1937. He was replaced by his son, Arthur L. White, who for nine years had served as his secretary and for four years as assistant secretary of the White Estate. The work of the White Estate was moved to the General Conference, Washington, D.C., in January, 1938.
Present Organization:
With the demands upon them increasing steadily with the growth of the church and numerous constituencies to be represented, in 1950 the trustees increased the board's membership from five to seven, and in 1958 amended the bylaws of the corporation to provide for a constituency and board of nine, seven to be life members and two to be elected for a term corresponding to that of General Conference elected personnel (originally four years, but now five). In 1970 the board was increased to 11; in 1980, to 13; and, in 1985, to 15. The number of life members is currently five. At quinquennial meetings the board also elects the secretary and associate secretaries, as well as officers of the corporation, as provided for in the bylaws.
Through the years a close working relationship has obtained between the White Estate trustees and the General Conference. Most of the trustees are members of the General Conference Executive Committee. Various matters, such as promoting the overseas publication of the Ellen G. White material, appropriation of funds to assist in the foreign language publication of Ellen G. White books, and overall planning of Spirit of Prophecy promotion, including preparation of materials for the annual Spirit of Prophecy Sabbath, although intimately related to the work of the White trustees, are beyond the sphere of their direct responsibility. These are handled by the General Conference Committee through a sub-committee known as the Spirit of Prophecy Committee. This committee includes several of the White trustees. The duties of this subcommittee and the working relationship between the General Conference Committee and the White Estate are currently set forth in a joint agreement adopted by the General Conference Committee and the White Estate trustees on Oct. 10, 1957. There is an interlocking and at times overlapping of responsibilities; nevertheless, a smooth and efficient working relationship between the two organizations is maintained.
Routine Work. The paid staff members: (1) safeguard and maintain the records in the custody of the trustees, and the indexes thereto, in such a manner as to serve the church; (2) handle the copyrights to the Ellen G. White works; (3) conduct such research in these works and the related historical materials as may be called for; (4) respond to questions that may be directed to the White Estate in personal interviews and in a worldwide correspondence; (5) assemble, when authorized by the trustees, materials for compilations from Ellen G. White's writings; (6) foster, in conjunction with the Spirit of Prophecy Committee, the ever-widening publication of these writings in various languages and at times make selections or abridgments as called for and authorized; (7) fill assignments in church, institutional, and field visitation as the needs and best interests of the advancing work of the church require; (8) conduct tours of historical sites of denominational interest, especially in the New England states; and (9) prepare articles, correspondence lessons, and text materials.
Productions of special value to the church include the four-volume Comprehensive Index to the Writings of Ellen G. White (1962, 1992); the six-volume facsimile reprints of the Ellen G. White Present Truth and Review and Herald articles; the four-volume Ellen G. White Signs of the Times articles; the Ellen G. White Youth's Instructor articles; the Periodical Resource Collection volumes; the six-volume biography of Ellen G. White, by A. L. White; and The Published Writings of Ellen G. White on Compact Disc (CD-ROM), a tool of inestimable value to users of computers.
During the later years of her life, Ellen G. White often drew upon her unique 50,000-page manuscript file in the preparation of published works. The White trustees have continued to draw upon this for the compilations made since her death. These manuscripts constitute an invaluable basic file of historical records and of counsel to the church. The copyright of these manuscripts resides solely with the White trustees.
While all of Ellen White's writings are available for research, the unpublished letters, manuscripts, and other materials in the Ellen G. White files do not constitute a public archive. The sacred nature of the files generally and the confidential nature of many of the communications in the files require that they be cared for and used responsibly. Even manuscripts whose primary value is historical in nature must not be used in a solely secular manner. "Spiritual things are spiritually discerned" (The Desire of Ages, p. 55; see also 1 Cor. 2:14). Because of this, during the first few decades following Ellen White's death, careful policies governing the use and release of unpublished materials were set up, ultimately resulting in the publication of 21 volumes known as Manuscript Releases. In recent years the earlier restrictive policies have been adapted to accommodate the needs of increased research, and today they may be accessed online at egwwritings.org.
The two chief officers of the board are the chair and the secretary. The secretary serves not only as secretary of the board but as president of the organization, and is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the office and staff. Beginning in 1915, when the terms of Ellen G. White's will went into effect, the White Estate has had 12 chairs and six secretaries.
Chairs: A. G. Daniells, 1915-1935; J. E. Fulton, 1935-1936; J. L. Shaw, 1936-1937; F. M. Wilcox, 1938-1944; M. E. Kern, 1944-1951; D. E. Rebok, 1952; A. V. Olson, 1952-1963; F. D. Nichol 1963-1966; W. P. Bradley, 1966-1980; Kenneth H. Wood, 1980-2008; Don C. Schneider, 2008-2013; G. T. Ng, 2014-
Secretaries: Clarence C. Crisler, 1915-1917; William C. White, 1917-1937; Arthur L. White, 1937-1978; Robert W. Olson, 1978-1990; Paul A. Gordon, 1990-1995; Juan Carlos Viera, 1995-2000; James R. Nix, 2000-2020; Merlin D. Burt, 2020-.
The White Estate maintains four branch office research centers--at Andrews University, Berrien Springs, Michigan, at Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, California, at Adventist University of Africa, Nairobi, Kenya, and at Adventist International Institute of Advanced Studies, Cavite, Philippines. These offices contain duplicates of the Ellen G. White documents and other historical materials housed in the main office at General Conference headquarters. Beginning in 1974, the White Estate also has set up Ellen G. White-SDA Research Centers on the campuses of 19 Seventh-day Adventist colleges and universities worldwide, in the countries of Argentina, Australia, Austria, Brazil, Costa Rica, England, France, India, Jamaica, Korea, Mexico, Nigeria, Peru, Puerto Rico, Russia, South Africa and the United States.
Ellen G. White® Estate
12501 Old Columbia Pike
Silver Spring, MD 20904-6600 U.S.A.
Phone: +1 301 680-6540
FAX: +1 301 680-6559
E-mail: [email protected]
United States of America
Michigan
Ellen G. White® Estate Branch Office
James White Library
Andrews University
Berrien Springs, MI 49104-1400
Director: Kevin Burton
Director Email: [email protected]
Phone: +1 269 471-3209
FAX: +1 269 471-2646
Web site: www.centerforadventistresearch.org
California
Ellen G. White® Estate Branch Office
Del E. Webb Memorial Library
Loma Linda Heritage Research Center
Loma Linda, CA 92350
Director: Theodore Levterov
Director Email: [email protected]
Phone: +1 909 558-4942
FAX: +1 909 558-0381
Web site: library.llu.edu
Kenya
Ellen G. White® Estate Branch Office
Adventist University of Africa
Private Bag; Mbagathi 00503
Nairobo, Kenya
Director: Super Moesi
Director Email: [email protected]
Phone: +254 733333451 or +254 733333452
FAX:
Web site: aua.ellenwhite.org
Philippines
Ellen G. White Research Center
Adventist International Institute of Advanced Studies
P.O. Box 038, 4118 Silang
Cavite
Philippines
Director: Reuel U. Almocera
Director Email: [email protected]
Phone: [63] (46) 414-4314; 4315; 4300
FAX: [63] (46) 414-4310; 4320
Web site: www.aiias.edu
Argentina
Ellen G. White Research Center
Universidad Adventista del Plata
25 Little de Mayo
3103 Villa Libertador San Martin
Entre Rios, Argentina
Director: Daniel Plenc
Director Email: [email protected]
Phone: (54) 343-491-8000 ext. 1450 or 1452
FAX: (54) 343-491-8001
Web site: old.uap.edu.ar/centrowhite/
Australia
Ellen G. White Research Center
Avondale College, Box 19
Cooranbong, NSW 2265
Australia
Director: Mark Pearce
Director Email: [email protected]
Phone: 61 2 4980 2138
FAX: 61 2 4980 2137
Austria
Ellen G. White Research Center
Bogenhofen 1
Sankt Peter am Hart, 4963
Austia
Director: Markus Kutzschbach
Director Email: [email protected]
Brazil
Ellen G. White Research Center
Centro Universitário Adventista de Sao Paulo
Caixa Postal 11
13165-970 Engenheiro Coelho, SP
Brazil
Director: Renato Stencel
Director Email: [email protected]
Phone: 55 (19) 3858-9033
FAX: 55 (19) 3858-9025
Web site: www.centrowhite.org.br
Ellen G. White Research Center
Faculdade Adventista da Bahia
Caixa Postal 18
44300-000 Cachoeira, BA
Brazil
Director: Gerson Rodrigues
Director Email: [email protected]
Phone: 55 (75) 3425-8311
Fax: 55 (75) 3425-8101
Costa Rica
Ellen G. White Research Center
Universidad Adventista de Centroamerica
Apartado 138-4050
La Ceiba, Alajuela 4050, Costa Rica
Director: Franz Rios
Director Email: [email protected]
Phone: (506) 2430-3329/ 2430-3300
FAX: (506) 2441-3465/ 2443-1702
England
Ellen G. White Research Center
Newbold College
St Marks Rd, Binfield
Bracknell, Berkshire RG42 4AN
England
Director:
Director Email:
Phone: 44 (1344) 407448
FAX: 44 (1344) 484993
France
Ellen G. White Research Center
Campus Adventiste du Saleve
BP 74
74165 Collonges-sous-Saleve, Cedex
France
Director: Jean-Luc Rolland
Director Email: [email protected]
Phone: 33 450 876809
Fax: 33 450 436580
Web site: www.ellenwhitecenter.org
India
Ellen G. White Research Center
Spicer Adventist University
Aundh Road, Ganeshkhind Post
Pune 411007, Maharashtra
India
Director: Jesin Israel Kollabathula
Director Email: [email protected]
Phone: 91 (20) 2580 7042
FAX: 91 (20) 2569 8418
Jamaica
Ellen G. White Research Center
Northern Caribbean University
P.O. Box 22
Mandeville, Jamaica
Director: Robert A. Wright
Director Email: [email protected]
Phone: 876 263-2446
Fax: 876 962-0075
Web site: egw-sdaresearch.ncu.edu.jm
Kenya
Ellen G. White Research Center
University of Eastern Africa, Baraton
P. O. Box 2500
Eldoret 30100
Kenya
Director: James Mutua
Director Email: [email protected]
Phone: (254) 053 52625
FAX: (254) 053 52263
Korea
Ellen G. White Research Center
Sahmyook Daehakgyo
Hwarangro 815 Nowon-go
Seoul 139-742
Korea
Director: UnBae Kim
Phone: 82 (2) 3399 3435/3436
FAX: 82 (2) 3399-3437
Web site: www.egw.or.kr
Mexico
Ellen G. White Research Center
Universidad de Montemorelos
Apartado 16
Montemorelos 67510
Nuevo Leon, Mexico
Director: Juan Jose Andrade
Director Email: [email protected]
Phone: 52 (826) 263 0900 ext. 1700/1701
FAX: 52 (826) 263 0901
Website: www.universidaddemontemorelos.com
Nigeria
Ellen G. White Research Center
Babcock University
Private Mail Bag 21244
Ikeja, Lagos State
Nigeria, West Africa
Director: Adelowo Felix Adetunji
Director Email: [email protected]
Phone: 234-037-630148 or 432799
FAX: 234-037-630532
Peru
Ellen G. White Research Center
Universidad Peruana Union
Carretera Central Km 19, Ñaña
Lima 8, Peru
Director: Cristian Gonzalez
Director Email: [email protected]
Phone: (511) 618 6300, Ext. 3153, 3157
Cell: (511) 989597383
Fax: (511) 618 6339
Web site: cia.upeu.edu.pe/centro-white/
Puerto Rico
Ellen G. White Research Center
Universidad Adventista de las Antillas
P.O. Box 118
Mayaguez, PR. 00681
Puerto Rico, United States
Director:
Phone: (787) 834-9595
Email:
Russia
Ellen G. White Research Center
Zaokskaya Dukhovnaya Akademiya
Rudneva, 43-A
Zaokski, Tula Region 301000
Russian Federation
Director: Vsevolod Andrusiak
Director Email: [email protected]
Phone: (7) (48734) 2 0410
FAX: (7) (48734) 2 0411
Web site: www.zau.ru
South Africa
Ellen G. White Research Center
Helderberg College
P.O. Box 22
Somerset West 7129, Cape
South Africa
Director: Passmore Hachalinga
Director Email: [email protected]
Phone: 27 (021) 850 7560
FAX: 27 (021) 850 7560
United States
Ellen G. White Research Center
Eva B. Dykes Library
Oakwood University
7000 Adventist Boulevard
Huntsville, AL 35896
Director: Howard Weems
Phone: +1 256 726-8423
FAX: +1 256 726-8424
E-mail: [email protected]