Indiana University Philomathean Society records, 1836-1891
A Guide to their records at the Indiana University Archives
Processed by Elizabeth Rytting
Electronic finding
aid encoded by Kristen R. Walker
Summary Information
Repository
Indiana University Archives
1320 East Tenth Street
Herman B Wells Library E460
Bloomington, IN 47405-7000
Phone: 812-855-1127
Email: archives@indiana.edu
http://www.libraries.iub.edu/archives
Creator
Philomathean Society (Indiana University)
TitleIndiana University Philomathean Society records,1836-1891
Collection No.
C221
Extent
.4 cubic feet
2 boxes
Language
Materials are in English.
Abstract
The Philomathean Society was one of two
major literary societies on campus. It was founded in 1831 and was last listed in the
university catalogue in 1893. This collection primarily consists of programs for the
group's annual Spring Exhibition with a fairly complete run between 1844 and 1886. Also
included in the collection is a series of published speeches and one partial
constitution.
Access Restrictions
This collection is open for research.
Advance notice is required.
Historical Note
The Philomathean Society, one of the two chief literary societies on campus in the
nineteenth century, was founded in 1831 by the remaining members of the older
Henodelphisterian Society following the departure of nine of its members to found the
Athenian Society in the previous year. Among these first Philomatheans were Lewis
Bollman, James D. Maxwell, P. L. D. Mitchell, and the Dunns: James W., Samuel C., and W.
McKee. The Athenian and Philomathean societies, whose creation resulted from
factionalism within the Henodelphisterian Society (in part reflecting factionalism
within the faculty), continued as rivals, albeit sometimes friendly ones, for some fifty
years or so, dominating the extra-curricular life of Indiana College/University.
Literary societies gave students practice in speaking and writing through regular
orations, essays, and debates, as well as filling a social role. Each society provided a
valedictory speaker at Commencement; this most coveted position was reserved for a
junior, who would bid goodbye to the graduating seniors. The next highest honor for an
orator was to be chosen to represent his society at the joint Washington’s birthday
celebration, followed by those orators, essayists, and debaters who would compete in the
annual contest between the two societies. Underclassmen were usually chosen to speak at
an annual public exhibition of the society, at which the entire society would march into
the hall two by two, wearing white ribbons (in the case of the Philomathean Society; the
Athenians wore blue), with the president of the University at the head of the
procession. The Philomathean Society’s motto was “Doctrina vim promovet insitam,” or
“Doctrine promotes natural vigor.”
The literary societies each had a hall and library of their own in the first college
building on Seminary Square, which was destroyed by fire in 1854, and in the replacement
building built in 1855. They were chartered directly by the General Assembly, but had
some struggles with the faculty and Board of Trustees, who attempted to exert a high
degree of control. Sometime around early 1863, the Trustees declared that the societies
must have their speeches and invited speakers approved by the faculty ahead of time. The
Philomathean society refused, saying they would stop holding public exhibitions rather
than give in. The matter eventually blew over following a Philomathean commencement
speech by the minister William Daily. Thomas D. Clark, in his history Indiana
University: Midwestern Pioneer, calls this incident “Indiana University’s first really
important test of the principle of academic freedom” (172).
James Albert Woodburn, who was an Athenian like his father while at Indiana University,
reports that in his father’s time (1838-42) the literary societies had some forty to
fifty members, and performed many of the functions that were later fulfilled by
fraternities, which began to be established about 1845. In Woodburn’s college days (in
the 1870s) the chief fraternities would attempt to dominate the literary societies and
win positions of honor within them for their members. Woodburn reports that the
fraternities later lost interest in the literary societies when independent students
were able to re-assert control of them.
However, one editorial writer for the Indiana Student perceived a decline in the
literary societies as early as 1871. Professor David Starr Jordan, a few years before
becoming president of Indiana University in 1885, contributed to this decline by giving
an address which ridiculed the artificial style and lack of original substantive ideas
of the old-fashioned college orators. As president, he led Indiana University in the
direction of becoming specialized by academic areas, which led to the creation of more
discipline-specific clubs and reinforced the dwindling of interest in the literary
societies.
Also interest seems to have been diverted into the creation of alternative literary
societies. The coed Independent Literary Society was founded in November 1885 by “Barbs”
(non-fraternity men) frustrated with the control of the fraternities, and the Union
Literary Society in the 1886-87 academic year. By March 1888 the latter had merged with
the Athenian Society under the name Union-Athenian.
The Philomathean Society appears to have made a somewhat successful attempt to revive
enthusiasm in literary societies in the late 1880s, and by December 1891 had 27 members.
One-third of these 1891 members were women, although the society appears to have been
exclusively for men for much of its earlier history; it is possible, though not certain,
that this change was made when the constitution was revised in the fall of 1890. The
resurgence was short lived and the Bloomington Telephone reported on 25 November 1892
that “On account of lack of interest (the) Philomathean society has died a natural
death.” Nevertheless, it was listed in the catalogue for the last time in 1893.
Arrangement
This collection is organized into three series: Programs, Publications, and
Administrative files.
Scope and Content Note
This small collection is organized into three series, Programs, Publications, and
Administrative Files. The Programs series consists primarily of programs for the
Philomathean Society’s annual Spring Exhibition. There is a mostly complete run of dates
from 1844 through 1886 in various conditions ranging from poor to good. Also included
are a smaller number of programs for an annual contest hosted between the Philomathean
Society and its rival the Athenian Society and one for an 1891 contest that included
several literary societies. In the Publication series there are copies of a few
addresses given to and published by the Philomathean Society and in the Administrative
series there is a partial constitution for the group.
Material in this collection was gathered from Accession 1045 and from the reference
files located in the Indiana University Archives.
Much of the material in this collection is in fragile condition. Please handle with
extra care.
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Indexing Terms
-
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in
IUCAT, the IU Libraries' online
catalog. Materials about related topics, persons or places can be found by searching the
catalog using these terms.
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Names
- Philomathean
Society (Indiana University) --History --Sources.
- Philomathean
Society (Indiana University) -- Records and correspondence.
- Indiana College
--Students --Intellectual life.
- Indiana College
--Students -- Social life and customs.
- Indiana University
--Students --Intellectual life --19th century.
- Indiana University
--Students --Social life and customs --19th century.
-
-
Topics
- Literature --Societies, etc.
--History --19th century --Sources.
- Debates and debating --Indiana
--Bloomington --Societies, etc. --History --19th century
--Sources.
- College students' writings,
American --Indiana --Bloomington.
Separated Material
One of six copies of address by Daniel Read transferred to the reference file labeled
“Read, Daniel.”
Related Material
See also
Collection C135, the Indiana University Athenian Society records.
Administrative Information
Acquisition Information
Accession 1045.
Usage Restrictions
Collection is in the public domain. For more information, please contact the Indiana University Archives staff.
Preferred Citation
[Item], Indiana University Philomathean Society records, Collection C221, Indiana University Archives, Bloomington.
Processing InformationProcessed by Elizabeth Rytting
Completed in 2003.
Series:
Programs, 1844-1891
Series:
Publications, 1836-1859
Box 1
Caldwell, Charles,
Thoughts on Popular and
Liberal Education, with some Defense of the English and Saxon Languages, in
the Form of an Address to the Philomathean Society of Indiana College;
Delivered September 28th, 1836.
Lexington, KY: Intelligencer Print,
1836
VAA2756-00008
Cross, James Conquest,
An Address on American
Literature, Delivered before the Philomathean Society of Indiana University,
at its Annual Commencement, September 25th, 1839.
Bloomington:
printed at the Equator Office, 1839
Box 1
VAA2756-00009
Box 2
Daily, Rev. William M.
The Powerful Pen and the
Eloquent Tongue: An Address to the Philomathean Society of the Indiana
University, July 12th, 1859.
Bloomington: Philomathean Society,
1859
VAA2756-00010
Dunbar, John W.
An Address on the Parties and
Politics of the Times: Delivered before the Philomathean Society of Indiana
University, at Its Annual Exhibition, March 26th, 1839.
Bloomington: printed at the Franklin Office, 1839
Box 2
VAA2756-00011
Read, Daniel.
A Memento to the Students of the
Indiana University: An Address Delivered before the Philomathean Society, at
the Annual Commencement, August 5, 1856.
Bloomington: published by
order of the society, 1856
Box 2
VAA2756-00012
Series:
Administrative, undated