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A Guide to his Papers at the Indiana University Archives

Finding aid prepared by Dina Kellams

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
Burrell, Bartholomew H., 1841-1911.

Title
Bartholomew H. Burrell letter to Mortimore Crabb, 5 February 1864

Collection No.
C486

Extent
1 item

Language
Materials are in English

Abstract
This small collection holds a single letter from Indiana University student Bartholomew H. Burrell to Mortimore Crabb, who resided in Burrell’s hometown of Brownstown, Ind. The letter, dated 5 February 1864, details difficulties the campus literary societies were having with university administration.

Access Restrictions

Collection is open for research. Advance notice required.

Biographical Note

Bartholomew H. Burrell, born March 13, 1841, in Jackson County, Ind., graduated from Indiana University with a BS in 1864. Upon graduation, he taught school and studied law with Judge Frank Emerson before returning to IU to enter the Law Department, from which he graduated in 1866. He went on to practice law with Judge Emerson and was elected and served in the state senate for two years. In 1865, he married Maggie F. Throop of Bloomington, but census data indicates they divorced sometime between 1890 and 1900. Burrell died August 23, 1911 in Vallonia, Ind.

This collection consists of a single letter written by Burrell as an IU student to Mortimore Crabb, who resided in his hometown of Brownstown, Indiana. The letter, dated February 5, 1864, tells about the difficulties the campus literary societies, the Athenians and Philomatheans, were having with university administration over the level of control administration wanted to wield over the groups. Historically, the literary society halls were places where students could, within bounds, feel free to express themselves. However, due to a series of incidents the Board of Trustees became involved and adopted resolutions stating all literary society members were required to submit any speeches they planned to give at society meetings in advance to the faculty for review. Additionally, the faculty were to approve any and all outside speakers the students wished to bring in. It was a long struggle, but the Athenians finally acquiesced. The Philomatheans, to whom Burrell probably belonged (he was not found on the Athenian membership rolls), took a different tack, however. They decided to invite former IU President William Daily to serve as their fall commencement speaker. Daily, who had resigned from his presidency in 1859 amidst a scandal, was not a welcome visitor for the faculty. They begrudgingly accepted the Philos choice, however, and this incident in the student-administration history seemed to be finished.

Arrangement

Collection consists of a single letter.

Scope and Content Note

This collection consists of a single letter written by Burrell as an IU student to Mortimore Crabb, who resided in his hometown of Brownstown, Indiana. The letter, dated February 5, 1864, tells about the difficulties the campus literary societies, the Athenians and Philomatheans, were having with university administration over the level of control administration wanted to wield over the groups.

• 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.

• • Names
  • Burrell, Bartholomew H., 1841-1911 --Archives.
  • Burrell, Bartholomew H., 1841-1911 --Correspondence.
  • Crabb, Mortimore.
  • Indiana University --Students --Intellectual life --19th century --Sources.
  • Indiana University --Students --Societies and clubs --19th century --Sources.
• • Topics
  • Male college students --Indiana --Bloomington --Societies, etc. --Sources.
  • Debates and debating --Indiana --Bloomington --Societies, etc. --Sources.

Related Material

For more information on the faculty-student conflict, see also the records of the Indiana University Athenian Society, Collection C135, and the IU Faculty minutes, Collection C236.

Administrative Information

Container List

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