Mount Vernon Literary Society records
Scope and Content Note
This collection contains records related to the Mount Vernon Literary Society at Washington College including accounts, minutes, constitutions and bylaws, as well as some publications and programs of events.
Dates
- 1875-1941
Access restrictions
Collection is open for research.
Publication rights
Copyright has been assigned to Washington College. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Archives and Special Collections. Permission for publication is given on behalf of Washington College as the owner of the physical items and as the owner of copyright in items created by the donor.
Organizational History Note
The Mount Vernon Literary Society of Washington College was organized April 26, 1847. It was conducted by students but under the supervision of faculty. It held debates and invited speakers for commencement and Washington’s Birthday celebrations. They would meet once a week and generally had three categories of students - debtors, essayists, and declaimers. In 1892 tensions between boarded students and those living in town was running high and a rival society, Philomathean Society, was formed until 1902 when it was superseded by the Adelphia Literary Society. The Mount Vernon Literary Society remained popular at Washington College until the late 1960s. In 1970 all of the colleges various literary societies were replaced by The Writer’s Union.
Extent
.84 Cubic Feet (1 box, 4 volumes)
Language of Materials
English
Physical and Technical Access Restrictions
Some minute books are fragile and require supervision.
Custodial history
Materails were in possesion of Washington College.
- Title
- Finding Aid to the Mount Vernon Literary Society Records
- Author
- L. Sheldon
- Date
- 2021
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Description is in English.
Repository Details
Part of the Washington College Archives & Special Collections Repository
300 Washington Avenue
Chestertown MD 21620