Biographical Sketch:
Harold Samuel Laird was born on August 8, 1891, in New Castle, Pennsylvania. His father was a faithful Presbyterian pastor who raised him in the nurture of the Lord. Harold Laird was converted at a young age and walked closely with his Lord ever afterward. Upon graduation from Lafayette College and Princeton Theological Seminary he was ordained to the Gospel Ministry and held six successful pastorates.
Harold Laird was an outstanding preacher of the Gospel, a caring pastor, a contender for the faith, and one who was vitally interested in world missions. He had a leading role in the events which led to the formation of one source of the PCA. He was a founding member of the Board of Directors of Westminster Theological Seminary, the Independent Board for Presbyterian Foreign Missions, and Faith Theological Seminary. He was willing to suffer for his convictions even to the point of being suspended from the ministry of the PCUSA and being removed as pastor of one of the most prestigous churches of Wilmington, Delaware. Wheaton College honored him with a Doctor of Divinity degree and he was elected as Moderator of the Reformed Presbyterian Church, Evangelical Synod. He also served on the Board of the Quarryville Presbyterian Home.
Dr. Laird was a man who walked with God. All who heard him pray came into the presence of God. His life verse was Matthew 6:33 and his godly spirit evidenced that he practiced it. He was completely content in the providence of God in his life. Harold Laird ran his race well and entered into glory on August 25, 1987.
[excerpted from the Minutes of Susquehanna Valley Presbytery (PCA)]
Box 360—
Box/File & Subject
ƒ01 — Finding Aid and Bibliography
ƒ02 — Laird, Harold Samuel, n.d., “The Appearances of Christ” [pamphlet, 16pp., 19cm.]
ƒ03 — Laird, Harold Samuel, undated, The Divine Income Tax, sermon tract on Malachi 3:10
ƒ04 — Laird, Harold Samuel, n.d., “The Prince of this World,” [tract, (s.l. : s.n., n.d.), 12pp.; 14 cm.]
ƒ05 — Laird, Harold Samuel, 1933, “The Minister’s Message,” [sermon preached on the occasion of the opening of his pastorate at First and Central Presbyterian Church, Wilmington, Delaware, 2 July 1933; pamphlet, 8pp.; 15.5 cm.]
ƒ06 — Laird, Harold Samuel, 1934, “Our Great Commission,” [Sermon preached on occasion of the annual Thank Offering Service of the Women’s Missionary Society, November 25, 1934; tract, (s.l. : s.n., n.d.), 11pp.; 14 cm.]
ƒ07 — Laird, Harold Samuel, 1936, Portraits of Christ. Chicago: The Moody Bible Institute. Pb, 126 p.; 18 cm.
ƒ08 — Laird, Harold Samuel, 1937, “Called Out and Cast Out” – a sermon preached in the First Independent Church of Wilmington, Delaware, on Sunday morning, 14 February 1937. [photocopy from The Christian Beacon, 2.4 (4 March 1937): 3; transcription of same. Cited in George P. Hutchinson’s work, The History Behind the Reformed Presbyterian Church, Evangelical Synod, p. 215, note 53.
ƒ09 — Laird, Harold Samuel, ca. 1940, “Why Doesn’t God Do Something About This War?” [pamphlet, 15pp.; 15 cm.]
ƒ10 — Laird, Harold Samuel, 1941, “The Most Important Question,” [Photocopy from The Christian Beacon, 6.34 (2 October 1941): 3.
ƒ11 — Laird, Harold Samuel, 1944, “The Supremacy of Christ over Creation,” in Christ and Him Crucified: Bible Messages Broadcast Over the Blue Network, February, March and April, 1944, (New York: The American Council of Christian Churches), pages 62-70.
ƒ12 — Funeral Service for Dr. Harold Samuel Laird [VHS video tape]
ƒ13 — Memorial Minute for Harold Samuel Laird
ƒ14 — Oldham, Albert W., R. Laird Harris and Anne P.K. Harris, 1991, A Book of Remembrance: 1891 – 1987 – Dr. Harold Samuel Laird (Hatfield, PA: Biblical Theological Seminary, 1991), 56pp.; 20.8cm.
ƒ15 — Photographs:
(1.) 1933 [?], Dr. Harold S. Laird and [Philip?] Howard standing together talking. Set in holder with inscription to Betty [Mrs. Laird] and signed “Alice and Anne Howard”
(2.) 1936 [?], Dr. Harold S. Laird leaving a church [First & Central?] with Bible in hand.
(3.) 1936 [?], Group setting of Jacob Sheetz, Merril McPherson, Percy Crawford, Harold S. Laird and Stan Cook standing together, occasion unknown
(4.) 1966, Reformed Presbyterian Church, Evangelical Synod, General Synod Commissioners and wives; Dr. Laird was Moderator of this Synod [Photograph by Richard Edie Photos, Colorado Springs, CO]
(5.) 1966, Reformed Presbyterian Church, Evangelical Synod, Dr. Harold S. Laird, and Dr. Elmer Smick shaking hands [No designation of photographer]
(6.) 1966, Reformed Presbyterian Church, Evangelical Synod, Dr. Harold S. Laird, Chaplain William Leonard and Dr. Elmer Smick [Photograph by Richard Edie Photos, Colorado Springs, CO]
(7.) 1968, Dr. Richard Gray, Dr. Harold S. Laird and Rev. Bob Edmiston standing outside Calvary Reformed Presbyterian Church, Willow Grove, PA, at the dedication of the new sanctuary.
(8.) 1978, Dr. & Mrs. Harold S. Laird standing in the court-yard of a home in Palm Beach, FL [Photograph by John Bolton]
(9.) 1983 [?], Dr. & Mrs. Harold S. Laird standing along a roadside with scenary in the background [Arizona or New Mexico?]
ƒ16 — Vaughn, Gerald F., “Covenanter Influence in the Fundamentalist/Modernist Controversy: The Fundamentalist Stand of Harold Samuel Laird” in Semper Reformanda, 7.1 (Spring 1998): 3-16.
ƒ17 — Vaughn, Gerald F., “Harold S. Laird and Wilmington’s Faith Theological Seminary,” Delaware History, Spring-Summer 2002, pages 49-69.
ƒ18 — Vaughn, Gerald F., 2003, Correspondence [1 p.] and biographical sketch of Dr. Harold Samuel Laird [4 p.]
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Rev. Dr. Harold Samuel Laird
