William R. Rathvon - Preserving The Recording

Preserving The Recording

As a Christian Science Church-authorized teacher of Christian Science, Rathvon like all Christian Science teachers was required to organize an association of his students for whose training and support his was a lifelong commitment and for whom he was required hold an annual reunion at which time he was also required to give an annual address. Also, for the sake of student independence and the avoidance of a conflict of interest, teachers of Christian Science do not directly control their own associations. Instead, the association of students organizes itself and elects its own board of directors. This is also done so that the work of the association of students can continue well after the death of its Christian Science teacher. Thus, as is the case of typical Christian Science teachers, their associations usually survive them and continue to meet annually, each year selecting a replacement annual speaker. Surviving for many years after his decease, after Rathvon died in 1939, his association of students continued to distribute copies of this recording for many years. Some recordings invariably ended up in the estates of deceased students whose families lost sight of their origin as a half century might have passed and the family typically had no information on the original source of the recording. The recording that was sent to National Public Radio was just such a recording and the family had lost track of the story behind it. All the family knew was that they had in their possession a recording by some man named Rathvon who "claimed" to have heard Lincoln give his Gettysburg Address. While one Rathvon relative, Ruth T. Carney contributed her copy of the recording to the historical Longyear Museum, knowing something of the history behind it, others in possession of the recording have no background information at all. Hence the recording continues surface from time to time and to be "rediscovered."