Background
Cornelsen, Rufus was born on January 29, 1914 in Colony, Oklahoma, United States. Son of Isaac and Anna (Boese) Cornelsen.
Cornelsen, Rufus was born on January 29, 1914 in Colony, Oklahoma, United States. Son of Isaac and Anna (Boese) Cornelsen.
Bachelor of Arts, Southwestern State Teachers College, Weatherford, Oklahoma, 1935; Th.B., Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, 1937; Bachelor of Divinity, Union Theological seminary, 1939; postgraduate, Columbia University, 1939-1940; postgraduate, Lutheran Theological Seminary, 1941-1942; postgraduate, Princeton Theological Seminary, 1948-1949; Doctor of Letters, Gettysburg College, 1964.
Ordained to ministry, United Lutheran Church, 1942;
pastor, Emanuel Lutheran Church, New Brunswick, New Jersey, 1942-1957;
pastor, Lutheran Student Association, Rutgers University, 1942-1957;
associate director social action, United Lutheran Church American, 1957-1958;
director social action, United Lutheran Church American, 1958-1962;
secretary for civil and economics life, Lutheran Church in American, 1962-1965;
representative to, United Nations, 1964-1965;
associate general secretary for planning and program, National Council Churches of Christ in the United States, 1965-1968;
executive director, Metropolitan Christian Council Philadelphia, 1968-1979;
director, Office of Christian-Jewish Relations, National Council Churches, 1980-1982;
chairman, National Institute on the Holocaust, since 1982. Executive secretary New Brunswick Council Churches, 1945-1946. Member social missions committee Lutheran Synod New York, 1947-1950.
Executive Board Lutheran Synod New Jersey, 1950-1952, member board social missions, 1950-1956, president, 1955-1956. Member of commission socialresponsibility United Lutheran Church, 1952-1957. Lutheran World Federation fellow study laymen's institutions, Europe, 1958.
Member board social ministry Lutheran Church American, 1966-1972, consultant division mission to, North America, 1973-1976. Board directors Union Theological Seminary, 1958-1976, Philadelphia Fellowship Commission, since 1968. Past trustee Protestant Foundation Students, Rutgers University.
Board directors National Conference of Christians and Jews, since 1982.
Member national county, national board Young Men’s Christian Association, 1967-1972, member armed services committee, 1967-1972. Board of Governors United Service Organizations. Board directors Institute for Jewish-Christian Understanding, Muhlenberg College, since 1990.
Member Urban League New Brunswick (director 1944-1968, president 1946-1948), National Council Churches (representative Latin American Conference Church and Society 1962), World Council Churches.
Married Frances Louise Deen, August 4, 1946. Children: Susan Kathleen Cornelsen France, David Alan, Sara Ann Cornelsen De Cubellis.