Beloit College Junior Exhibition Records

Collection

Identifier: AC 70

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

This collection contains programs for Junior Exhibition oration events from the 1850s to the 1890s, as well as Robert K. and Helen D. Richardson's research on the events, which are typewritten transcripts of real and mock programs, correspondence, and relevant faculty meeting minutes.

Dates

1854-1893

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open for research; however, certain materials are fragile and require Archives staff for handling, or use may be restricted altogether.

Biographical / Historical

The Junior Exhibition was a yearly oratory program given by Beloit College's junior class.

"Seems to have been another Yale custom taken over into Beloit. J. J. Bushnell's Yale Junior Exhibition oration in his handwriting is evolved in a letter of Emma Bushnell's to RKR (September 12, 1934) in this Bushnell box." [Helen Richardson note in collection]

"Public speaking was a major aspect of student life, from class recitations to festivals of oratory held before a 19th-century public conditioned to sit through lengthy speeches. The Annual Prize Declamations included, among others: “The Emancipation of the Irish Catholics” and “The Relations of Slavery to Our Nation’s Future.” Even more popular was the annual Junior Exhibition which featured Greek and Latin orations as well as many in English." [Fridays With Fred – Beloit College Register, a wartime publication, September 27, 2012]

Extent

.21 Linear Feet (1 box)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

The Junior Exhibition was a yearly oratory program given by Beloit College's junior class. This collection contains Junior Exhibition event programs from the 1850s to the 1890s, as well as Robert K. and Helen D. Richardson's research on the events, which are typewritten transcripts of other programs, correspondence, and relevant faculty meeting minutes.

Arrangement

This collection has been compiled over the years through separate accessions of various sizes from various offices and individuals, none of which has any accompanying documentation. The chronological arrangement presented here has been imposed by the College Archives staff.