This collection covers the time period during B.B. Davis’ life in the Philippines in the 1930s to mid-1940s. The majority of the collection contains correspondence between B.B. Davis and his wife to family and friends living in and around Kalamazoo and Grand Rapids, MI, in particular Areta Williams Hibbard. Many of the letters were written to Mr. & Mrs. Ralph Lorenzo Hibbard, the latter of whom was a sister to B.B. Davis.

The letters from the 1930s give an interesting insight into the life of missionary educators in the Philippines during a period in which the institutions and civic organizations designed to facilitate Filipino aspirations for independence were being established. A number of letters elucidate B.B. Davis’ personal views regarding Filipino independence, racial equality, and colonial administration, and reflect a fairly progressive opinion regarding Filipino national aspirations. In particular, a number of letters note Davis’ disapproval of the Hare–Hawes–Cutting Act (1933), in particular, clauses that would have economically debilitated the nascent Filipino state. The collection also contains a large manuscript entitled, “65 Letters That Were Never Sent,” organized by his wife Rosella Davis following his death in February 1944, in Baguio, Philippines. The collection also contains the original letters that would later be organized by Davis’ wife into the aforementioned manuscript. The letters and manuscripts cover the period from 1941-1944, in particular the Japanese invasion and subsequent occupation of the Philippine Islands during World War II, and the condition of Americans in Japanese internment camps established in Baguio, and more generally in other Philippine cities.

The descriptions of life in the internment camps provide a nuanced and complex view of the manner in which Imperial Japanese forces treated civilian POWs. In particular Davis notes the sometimes very human interactions with guards and officers, and at other times notes increasingly worsening conditions, both inside and outside the camps, as the war dragged on.

A number of photographs contained in the collection also depict the Davis’ house in Baguio, as well as their live-in servants, along with photos of native Filipino communities living in the rural environs around Baguio. In particular a number of photos show the somewhat isolated nature of the Davis’ home and its environs. As well as photos, the collection contains a small amount of printed material related to the Philippine Union College, at which B.B. Davis was an instructor and administrator. In particular a large poster soliciting enrollment from potential Filipino students emphasizes the isolated location of the school and its activities, and its denominational roots tied to the Seventh Day Adventist church. Also included in the collection, is a letter received by Janette Hibbard, describing what appears to be an attempt to rescue a refugee from Europe during the height up World War II. The “refugee” in question, Dr. Harry Loeffler, appears to be located in London at the time the letter and accompanying paperwork were received by Janette Hibbard.

Interestingly, the collection also contains small number of artifacts from the Davis’ home and their excursions into Manila bazaars, including seeds and various plant materials mailed home, along with a collection of textiles, used by Rosella Davis to sew clothing and other items.