All Items 2

Amherst College faculty administrative records book, 1826 to 1842

Amherst College

An administrative records book with an initial note by Edward Hitchcock, Jr. stating "at the burning of Walker Hall in 1881 the five or six volumes of strictly Faculty Records were destroyed. The makeup of this volume is a gathering of papers preserved on the files of the Secretary of the Faculty. 1827-1842." Included are documents arranged in six sections, each covering varying topics: the House of Students (also called Commonwealth of the College); the Athenian, Alexandrian, and Social Union student literary societies; student disciplinary cases; legal proceedings relating to James C. Stuart v. Theodate Corson; faculty papers, and undated papers relating to student expenses and the faculty. Among the records are student petitions, student confessions, faculty resolutions and responses, curriculum plans, committee reports, statistics on courses, student society assignments, acts, and regulations.

Amherst College faculty administrative records book, 1826 to 1842
Copy of Heman Humphrey letter to the members of the Social Union, 1834 January 1

Humphrey, Heman, 1779-1861

Heman Humphrey statement, made by vote and in behalf of the faculty, to the Social Union of Amherst College regarding anonymous compositions in literary societies. Humphrey states that, as he recently addressed the entire student body regarding the hurtful tendency of anonymous compositions in the three literary societies of the College, he will not again repeat the arguments of himself and the faculty. He discusses instead the damage to fraternal harmony of such anonymous compositions in general and the role of the faculty and trustees in relation to the College societies. Humphrey writes that the faculty wishes for the prosperity of every member of their society, but no society in the College can be allowed to defeat a measure for which the public good calls. Thus, Humphrey continues, the Social Union must give up the anonymous department as the Alexandrian and Athenian Societies have already done, and they cannot allow any more anonymous compositions to be read or spoken in their meetings. He writes that in regard to the mischief which has already been done, the faculty can only excuse themselves for not interfering sooner by saying that they had no concept of the extent and magnitude of the evil. The document is noted as "a true copy."

Copy of Heman Humphrey letter to the members of the Social Union, 1834 January 1