
Claude Elden Randolph family.
Photo courtesy of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists Archives.
Randolph, Claude Elden (1905–1989)
By Jisty Dana A. Frias
Jisty Dana A. Frias is currently a graduate student at the Adventist International Institute of Advanced Studies (AIIAS), taking Master of Arts in Education Emphasis in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (MA TESOL). She taught English to Grades 9 and 11 at the Adventist University of the Philippines (AUP) Academy from 2019 – 2020, after passing the Licensure Examination for Teachers (LET) and graduating college from AUP with the degree BSEd English in 2019.
First Published: November 17, 2020
Claude Elden Randolph was a medical doctor who worked for many years in the mission field in the Philippines.
Early Life
Claude Elden Randolph was born on November 25, 1905, in Savoy, Texas, in the United States of America, to parents Wiley B. Randolph and Daisy Collins, who both were from Missouri, United States of America, and Seventh-day Adventists. A brother of Claude’s was H. L. Randolph, who later became Dr. H. L. Randolph and resided in El Centro, California. Claude’s identified permanent homeland address was in the state of California, and his hometown was Omak in Washington State.
He spent eight years in primary school at the elementary school at Omak (1912–1920). He was baptized in either 1913 or 1914, but his parents were already Seventh-day Adventists before he was born.1
Education and Marriage
Randolph attended three years of high school at Omak from 1920 to 1923. He then graduated from high school at Yakima Valley Academy, Granger, Washington State (1924). He obtained his premedical degree at Madison College, Tennessee, after spending two years there (1926–1927). He then proceeded to his medical degree at the College of Medical Education, Loma Linda, California, from which he graduated after five years (1928–1933). He studied English for four years and finished two out of five years of a Chinese language course.
He was married to Alberta Yates Randolph in 1928 in Nevada, Iowa, in the United States of America. She was born on April 11, 1904, in Tennessee, United States of America. She spent eight years in elementary at Cross Plains, Tennessee (1910–1918); went to high school at Cross Plains and Madison College, Tennessee (1918–1922); and finished her nursing degree after four years at the same college (1924–1927). She was originally baptized into the Baptist Church around 1920 but was converted into the Seventh-day Adventist faith in either 1925 or 1926, during her time at Madison College.
Alberta also studied English and Chinese as she was already married to Claude when he began his ministry in China and she served as a doctor’s wife, not taking any job, even in Manila, Philippines. When they were assigned to the Far Eastern Division in Singapore, however, Alberta became the director of the Health and Welfare Center in 1958.2 They had one daughter named Beverly Randolph, who was born in Hong Kong, China, in 1938.3 In 1953, she permanently returned to America to continue her education there.4 She became a nurse and was serving White Memorial Hospital in 1962.5
Ministry
Randolph first worked as the medical director of North China Sanitarium and Hospital, Kalgan, China, from 1937 – 1941. He then went into ten years of private practice (1941–1951) in the United States.6 He was granted a residency in surgery at the White Memorial Hospital upon recommendation of the China Division Committee in 1945.7 Randolph was supposed to return to China in response to the request of the China Division to reopen their medical institutes there.8 However, since there were some problems regarding their travel there, Randolph and his colleagues were released from the call to return to China in 1947,9 and Randolph continued his private practice in California, U.S.A. In 1950, Dr. Randolph was assigned to serve in Japan for the Far Eastern Division for six months, assisting another missionary doctor for an emergency situation there,10 before he became a staff physician at Manila Sanitarium and Hospital, Manila, Philippines (1951 to 1952). A year later, he was assigned to be the medical director of this same hospital, where he served in 1953.11 As the medical director of Manila Sanitarium and Hospital, he resided at 2059 Donada Street, Pasay City, and was a member of the Board of Trustees of the North Philippine Union Mission.12
He then served as the medical department secretary of the Far Eastern Division, Singapore, from 1954–1958.13 Additionally, he became the director of the Taiwan Sanitarium and Hospital in 1956.14 While serving as the medical department secretary, he also wrote several articles for the Far Eastern Division Outlook magazine, participated in a capping and candle lighting ceremony of the Philippine Union College School of Nursing on July 3, 1958,15 and assisted Dr. Hamond at the Penang Sanitarium and Hospital in August 195816 before moving to the States with his wife for his new assignment.
Randolph then became part of the Medical Department Advisory Committee at Miami, Florida, for the General Conference (1958).17 During this time, he was also elected as the associate secretary in the General Conference Medical Department,18 and became the recruiter for overseas hospitals (1962–1965).19 Years later, he was then transferred to Madison Hospital as a house staff physician, as requested by the Southern Union Conference. He was already experiencing some health problems at the time and was planning to retire, and therefore could no longer be actively connected with the General Conference.
Later Life
At the General Conference Committee Meeting in March 1969, he was given a statement of appreciation by Dr. Ralph F. Weddell about his commendable work in the United States and his previous assignments overseas.20 He retired that same year and moved to Cross Plains, Tennessee, and served as the head elder of the Adventist Church in that area. Even after this retirement, he continued to serve as the house physician for the Madison Hospital Emergency Room and also tended to patients at Hillhaven Convalescent Center. Later on, he was elected mayor of the City of Cross Plains. Lastly, he organized the Kentucky-Tennessee Conference Retirees Club, and became one of its first presidents.21
Claude Elden Randolph passed away on March 14, 1989, in Madison, Davidson, Tennessee, United States of America.22 His obituary, written by Elder Herbert Hewitt, a pastor of his family during his retirement years, quotes, “This brief sketch of a life so full of active and unselfish service to others hardly does justice to the record of this earnest servant of God. His sterling character, his honesty and integrity are beyond question. His keen, sharp mind, together with a simple, childlike faith, made him a unique person.”23
Contribution
Randolph gave valuable counsel on the medical work in the union due to his many years in the mission field, and was appreciated by H. L. Dyer, the secretary-treasurer of the North Philippine Union Mission in the June 1956 issue of the Far Eastern Division Outlook.24 In the same magazine, he wrote an article entitled “Cancer of the Various Organs” for the September 1956 issue,25 which was a comprehensive essay on how the different organs of the body acquire cancer. He also wrote about the story of Pastor and Mrs. Richard C. Hall in the article “My Visit to Laos,” in which he described the condition of the country, the work of these mentioned missionaries and some common diseases there, and made an appeal to the Far Eastern Division Outlook readers to continue praying for Laos and the Adventist ministry there.26 Additionally, he wrote a featured article entitled “Cholesterol” for the Life and Health: The National Health Journal in July 1962,27 and another article about “Hansen’s Disease” in February 1965.28
Randolph also assisted T. R. Flaiz, the General Conference medical secretary, during the three-day medical council at Tokyo Sanitarium and Hospital from January 21–23, 1956, as well as various other medical councils in the mission field,29 often reminding the medical staff that aside from the physical and mental rehabilitation that patients receive, they should also be ministered to spiritually, and much medical evangelism should be focused on.30
Sources
Ancestry.com. “Historical Records and Person Search.” 2021. Accessed July 8, 2021. https://www.ancestry.com/genealogy/records/results?firstName=claude&lastName=randolph
Biographical Information Blank of Claude Elden Randolph, General Conference Archives.
Dyer, H. L. “Biennial Session of the North Philippine Union Mission.” Far Eastern Division Outlook, June 1956.
Filipino Adventist Network. “NPUM Amended Articles and Bylaws 1994.” 2011. Accessed July 8, 2021. http://filadnet.blogspot.com/search?q=randolph.
Fox, J. De Witt. “Profiles of Our Contributors.” Life and Health: The National Health Journal, July 1962.
Fox, J. De Witt. “Profiles of Our Contributors.” Life and Health: The National Health Journal, February 1965.
General Conference Committee, relevant dates. General Conference Archives, Seventh-day Adventist Church Office of Archives, Statistics, and Research.
Gonzaga, Laurentino E. “Capping and Candlelighting Ceremony.” Far Eastern Division Outlook, August 1958.
Hamlin, E. A. “Tokyo Medical Council.” Far Eastern Division Outlook, February 1956.
Hewitt, Herbert. “Claude Elden Randolph obituary.” Madison Survey and Alumni News, March 1989.
King, Tan Ah. “Initial Activities of the Health and Welfare Center.” Far Eastern Division Outlook, August 1958.
Pascoe, W. L. “Echoes of the General Conference Session.” Far Eastern Division Outlook, August 1958.
Randolph, C. E. “Cancer of the Various Organs.” Far Eastern Division Outlook, September 1956.
Randolph, C. E. “Cholesterol.” Life and Health: The National Health Journal, July 1962.
Randolph, C. E. “Hansen’s Disease.” Life and Health: The National Health Journal, February 1965.
Randolph, C. E. “My Visit to Laos.” Far Eastern Division Outlook, May 1958.
Sorensen, Chris P. “Departmental Secretaries.” Far Eastern Division Outlook, June 1956.
Sorensen, Chris P. “News from Here and There.” Far Eastern Division Outlook, August 1958.
Villanueva, L. L. “Philippine Medical Council.” Far Eastern Division Outlook, February 1956.
Notes
-
Biographical Information Blank of Claude Elden Randolph, General Conference Archives, Silver Spring, Maryland, U.S.A.↩
-
Tan Ah King, “Initial Activities of the Health and Welfare Center” Far Eastern Division Outlook, August 1958, 9.↩
-
Biographical Information Blank of Claude Elden Randolph, General Conference Archives.↩
-
General Conference Committee Meeting Minutes July 1953, Online Archives, Seventh-day Adventist Church Office of Archives, Statistics, and Research.↩
-
J. De Witt Fox, “Profiles of Our Contributors” Life and Health: The National Health Journal, July 1962, 5.↩
-
General Conference Committee Meeting Minutes June 1941, Online Archives, Seventh-day Adventist Church Office of Archives, Statistics, and Research.↩
-
General Conference Committee Meeting Minutes December 1945, Online Archives, Seventh-day Adventist Church Office of Archives, Statistics, and Research.↩
-
General Conference Committee Meeting Minutes August 1945, Online Archives, Seventh-day Adventist Church Office of Archives, Statistics, and Research.↩
-
General Conference Committee Meeting Minutes February 1947, Online Archives, Seventh-day Adventist Church Office of Archives, Statistics, and Research.↩
-
General Conference Committee Meeting Minutes November 1950, Online Archives, Seventh-day Adventist Church Office of Archives, Statistics, and Research.↩
-
Biographical Information Blank of Claude Elden Randolph, General Conference Archives.↩
-
Filipino Adventist Network, NPUM Amended Articles and Bylaws 1994, 2011, Retrieved July 8, 2021, from http://filadnet.blogspot.com/search?q=randolph.↩
-
J. De Witt Fox, “Profiles of Our Contributors” Life and Health: The National Health Journal, July 1962, 5.↩
-
Chris P. Sorensen, “Departmental Secretaries” Far Eastern Division Outlook, June 1956, 10.↩
-
Laurentino E. Gonzaga, “Capping and Candlelighting Ceremony” Far Eastern Division Outlook, August 1958, 5.↩
-
Chris P. Sorensen, “News from Here and There,” Far Eastern Division Outlook, August 1958, 12.↩
-
General Conference Committee Meeting Minutes August 1958, Online Archives, Seventh-day Adventist Church Office of Archives, Statistics, and Research↩
-
W. L. Pascoe, “Echoes of the General Conference Session” Far Eastern Division Outlook, August 1958, 1.↩
-
J. De Witt Fox, “Profiles of Our Contributors” Life and Health: The National Health Journal, February 1965, 5.↩
-
General Conference Committee Meeting Minutes March 1969, Online Archives, Seventh-day Adventist Church Office of Archives, Statistics, and Research.↩
-
Herbert Hewitt, “Claude Elden Randolph” Madison Survey and Alumni News, March 1989, 4.↩
-
Ancestry.com, Historical Records and Person Search, 2021, Retrieved July 8, 2021, from https://www.ancestry.com/genealogy/records/results?firstName=claude&lastName=randolph.↩
-
Herbert Hewitt, “Claude Elden Randolph” Madison Survey and Alumni News, March 1989, 4.↩
-
H. L. Dyer, “Biennial Session of the North Philippine Union Mission” Far Eastern Division Outlook, June 1956, 1.↩
-
C. E. Randolph, “Cancer of the Various Organs” Far Eastern Division Outlook, September 1956, 2.↩
-
C. E. Randolph, “My Visit to Laos” Far Eastern Division Outlook, May 1958, 1.↩
-
C .E. Randolph, “Cholesterol” Life and Health: The National Health Journal, July 1962, 16.↩
-
C. E. Randolph, “Hansen’s Disease” Life and Health: The National Health Journal, February 1965, 18.↩
-
E. A. Hamlin, “Tokyo Medical Council” Far Eastern Division Outlook, February 1956, 10.↩
-
L. L. Villanueva, “Philippine Medical Council” Far Eastern Division Outlook, February 1956, 14.↩