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On the 6th of March, 1857, Phi Phi Alpha was deserted by a large number of its men, members of secret fraternities, who, appropriating another hall, founded the Literary Adelphi. From that time Phi Phi Alpha gradually grew weaker until, on the Ist day of November, 1861, it expired, leaving its library and other effects to the Adelphi. Cushman K. Davis, '57, was the first President of the society. Still another literary society, Delta Nu, was founded with a large membership in 1865, but it seems not to have survived more than one year.
The exercises of the literary societies in old as in present times consisted of debates, orations, and papers. We are told that at their meetings all business was transacted with the closest reference to parliamentary law, and that questions of current inter-
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est were discussed, and, as far as possible in such forums, settled. Each society supported a monthly serial made up of carefully edited manuscripts upon almost every conceivable topic. These writings were copied into a book "to be read monthly for the edi- fication of the hearers and the glory of the writers." Phi Phi Alpha's paper was called The Castalian, Alpha Nu's The Sibyl, and Adelphi's The Hesperian. Annual debates between chosen members of the Alpha Nu and the Adelphi were collegiate events in the sixties, and in 1868 each society had in its own. membership a series of prize contests. In 1885 Alpha Nu and the Jeffersonian (law) Society had a "joint programme". This was regarded as a great innovation.
Up to 1868-69 Alpha Nu and the Literary Adelphi flourished. The former had 113 members-its largest enrolment-in 1865-66, and its rival had seventy-three at that date and eighty in 1867-68. These figures sank in 1880 to thirty-four for the Adelphi and to twenty-seven for Alpha Nu. Toward the close of the sixties the college papers began to complain that little interest was taken in the literary clubs. "The majority of the students " says The Chronicle for September 24, 1870, "never frequent these socie- ties, and never become acquainted with them ". The lack of social intercourse in the socie- ties between members of the different classes was also deplored. In May, 1871, the combined mem- bership of the two academic literary organizations was about 140, but of that num- ber barely fifty in both societies could be found at any one meeting, and adjournment for want of ENGINEERING LABORATORY. a quorum was frequent. Many students were members solely for the purpose of drawing books. Yet partly because of occasional revivals of interest, and partly because of the tendency to keep going when once started, the Alpha Nu and the Adelphi have outlived by nearly thirty years the time set for their demise. The former published in 1870 a catalogue of the 920 volumes then in its library. It had at Com- mencement in 1876 a reunion of its alumni, almost every class as
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far back as '49 being represented. In 1877 this society opened its doors to women, as its rival had done three years before. Each of the literary organizations holds, as it always has held, a room in the college buildings free of rent. In 1896 Alpha Nu's quar- ters were refurnished at an expense of $200, the proceeds of the sale to the University of its library of 1,000 volumes. Neither of the societies has published a catalogue of its members, and it is probable that a complete catalogue could not now be compiled. Alpha Nu must have admitted at least 1, 200 men, and the total membership of the Literary Adelphi is about 200 less.
For the loss of the prestige and influence formerly possessed and exerted by the literary societies blame has been attached to the secret fraternities, the Students' Lecture Association, under- graduate journalism, the Oratorical Association, and the advanced requirements of the college curriculum. Whatever the cause of the decline of interest, it is to be hoped that it will not long con- tinue, and that these ancient organizations will not be allowed to perish.
Among the prominent alumni of Phi Phi Alpha, these may be named: the late Judge Lyman Cochrane, '49; William A. Moore, '50; Henry M. Cheever, '53; Judge James B. Eldredge, '55; Duane Doty, '56; Levi T. Griffin, '57; Professor James C. Wat- son, '57; Judge Albert H. Horton, '60; and General Isaac H. Elliott, '61. Alpha Nu, of course, has a longer list, and includes such men as the late John S. Newberry, '47; Dr. Edmund Andrews, '49; O. M. Barnes, '50; Lewis R. Fiske, '50; Ashley Pond, '54; William E. Quinby, '58; Judge C. B. Grant, Dr. T. A. McGraw, and Judge A. H. Wilkinson, all of '59; Charles Kendall Adams, Byron M. Cutcheon, and Henry M. Utley, all of '61; Edwin F. Uhl, '62; Ex-Regent Levi L. Barbour, Judge O. W. Coolidge, and Dr. Henry M. Hurd, all of '63; Schuyler Grant, '64; Harry A. Conant, '65; Melvin M. Bigelow, '66; John M. Hinchman, and Professor Newton H. Winchell, both of '66; Professor George L. Maris, '67; Justin R. Whiting, '67; H. H. C. Miller, Edward C. Lovell, and William J. Stuart, all of '68; William A. Butler, Henry A. Chaney, Professor I. N. Demmon, and A. E. Wilkinson, all of '69; H. P. Davock, James D. Hawks, George H. Lothrop, and William C. Maybury, all of '70; Professor Richard Hudson, '71; Dwight C. Rexford, '72; George P. Voorheis, '72; Sidney C. Eastman, Charles B. Keeler, and Professor V. M. Spalding, all of '73; Frederick A. Maynard and Calvin Thomas, both of '74;
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Charles H. Aldrich, Judge George S. Hosmer, and Professor J. C. Knowlton, all of '75; Frederick L. Bliss, '77; E. H. Guyer, '77; and Professor G. W. Knight, '78.
Among the alumni of the Literary Adelphi are United States Senator Cushman K. Davis, '57; Jonas H. McGowan, '61; Hoyt Post, '61; Martin L. D'Ooge, '62; Judge Henry H. Swan, '62; Noah W. Cheever, '63; Seth C. Moffatt, '64; Judge E. D. Kinne, '64; Edward E. Kane, '67; Isaac M. Weston, '67; O. H. Dean, Mark W. Harrington, and Edward L. Walter, all of '68; Regent W. J. Cocker, '69; Oscar J. Campbell, '70; Acting-President H. B. Hutchins, '71; F. L. Geddes, J. J. Mapel, and W. T. Underwood, all of '72; Lawrence Maxwell, Jr., '74; and Ben T. Cable, '76.
Besides the regular literary societies there have been many ·class debating clubs, such as the Homotrapezoi and the Philo- mathean of the class of '68; the Prescott Club, the Philologoi, the Jay Club and the Panarmonian, of '69; the Aristotelian, the Huron, and the Philozetian of '70; the Excelsior Club, the Tyler Club, the Alpha Club, and the Delta Club of '71; the Frieze Club, the R. T. V. Society, the Spenser Club, and the Sophomore Society (" The Seven "), of '72; the Everett Club, the Haven Club, and the Sen- ior Forum, of '73; the Adams Club and the Morris Club, of '74; the Sumner Debating Club of '75; and the '77 Debating Club.
" The Literary Q. C." a society for women in the literary de- partment was founded November 18, 1872, and existed until 1878. It seems to have been in some respects a secret organization, and its name-supposed to stand for " Quidnunc Combination "-was the theme of much guessing and joking. In The Palladium for 1876-77 is a picture entitled "Q. C.'s Studying Art", which represents six women engaged in a lively and complicated fight with one another. A new literary society for women was started in 1897. It is called Philologia.
Literary associations have thrived in the law school. Soon after the opening of that Department a movement was set on foot to organize a club for practice in oratory and debate. That club is the present venerable and flourishing Webster Literary Society, which received its name on the 21st of October, 1859. Edward P. Clark, of '60, the first President, was killed in the bat- tle of New Orleans, July 15, 1862. An active membership of sixty-six is recorded for the Webster in The Palladium of 1860-61, and the undergraduate roll to-day includes about 150 names. As the Society has had forty-two delegations which have
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averaged about thirty-five men each, the total membership is in the neighborhood of 1,500. The Webster was incorporated May 1, 1886. Among the distinguished alumni are T. J. Anders, '61,. Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Washington; Dan H. Ball, '61, of the Marquette Bar; the late Isaac Marston, '61, Chief Jus- tice of the Supreme Court of Michigan; John Atkinson, '62, of the Detroit Bar; Edwin W. Keightley, '65, Edward P. Allen, '67, A. J. Holmes, '67, S. R. Peters, '67, Marriott Brosius, '68, W. H. Harries, '68, James Laird, '71, W. C. May- bury, '71, and R. P. Bishop, '72, Representa- tives in Congress; James L. High, '66; Allen Zollers, '66, of the Supreme Court of Indiana; Don M. Dickinson, '67, formerly Postmaster- General; Regent R. W. Butterfield, '68; Joseph N. Carter, '68, of the Supreme Court of Illi- nois; Professor M. D. Ewell, '68; LaVega G. Kinne, '68, of the Supreme Court of Iowa; J. V. Quarles, '68, of the Milwaukee ,Bar; Henry A. Chaney, '71, and Charles K. Latham, '72, of the Detroit Bar; William B. Gilbert, LEVI L. BARBOUR, '63. '72, United States Circuit Judge; John C. Shields, '72, late Chief Justice of Arizona; and William R. Day, '73, now Secretary of State.
On the 15th of December, 1869, the Webster celebrated the close of its first decade. This society began in 1868 a series of annual public exercises, the usual programme for each entertain- ment being an oration by one member and a debate between four members, two on a side.
Webster did not long remain without a rival, for the Justinian Society took the field in 1860. It had thirty-three members in 1860-61, forty-four in 1861-62, and forty-two in 1862-63. To it belonged the late Attorney-General and Regent, J. J. VanRiper, '61; Circuit Judge Levi L. Wixson; and William Story, '64, of the- Federal District Court. In March, 1864, Justinian's place was taken by the Jeffersonian, which inherited some of the members of the earlier association, and which had for its first chief executive Elijah J. Osborne of '64. J. H. O'Neall, '64, recently a member of the National House of Representatives; James H. Cartwright, '67, now of the Supreme Court of Illinois; Thomas J. Wood, '67, formerly Representative in Congress; John W .. McGrath, '68, for- merly Chief Justice of Michigan; and. J .. E. Riddick, '72, of the-
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Supreme Court of Arkansas, are a few of the many eminent Jeffer- sonians. The active membership was for a long time constitu- tionally limited to forty, and during most of its career the society has carried fewer men than the Webster. About 1, 100 members have been admitted from the thirty-eight classes, '64 to 'oI. This society gave its first public exercises in debate and oratory on the evening of St. Valentine's Day, 1872. Not long afterwards it and the Webster began a series of joint annual debates. These two asso- ciations have enjoyed a mutually beneficial rivalry for more than a third of a century, and both are very firmly rooted in student esteem. Like the academic literary societies they have not pub- lished catalogues of their members; and like those societies they have, so far as is known, neither seals nor other insignia.
A law-school society now extinct was the Douglas, which maintained an active membership of about thirty from 1865 to 1870. The Clay society, organized in 1865, reappeared as the Lincoln in 1866, and by that name survived until 1871. Other societies of law students were the Fletcher, 1868-69; the Inde- pendent Society, 1869-70; the Junior Independent Society, which carried a large membership from 1869 to 1873, and of which M. M. Boothman, '71, J. D. White, '72, and T. A. E. Weadock, '73, all representatives in Congress, and T. L. Norval, '71, Chief Jus- tice of Nebraska, were members; the Law Literary Society, 1873- 77; and the Omega Club, 1871-72. Numerous "Congresses " and " Moot Courts " have ephemerally flourished in this branch of the University. 4
Owing to the vastly increased attendance upon the law school in recent years the ancient literary societies have been unable fully to occupy the field; and a new literary society, the Sumner, and four debating societies, the Benton, the Lincoln, the Choate, and the Hamilton, have entered the Department since 1890, and are now flourishing. Of course they are too young to have emi- nent alumni.
An uninviting field for literary societies is found in the medi- cal school. Here in 1860 was started an organization called " The Serapion Society"; it had forty-two members in 1860-61, rather fewer the following year, and it died in 1862. In 1873-74 we find among the medical students a " Senior Lyceum " and, a few years later, a "Junior Lyceum "; but neither of these is mentioned in The Palladium of 1880-81. In the Homoeopathic Medical College a society called the " Hahnemannian " made its appear-
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ance about 1880, and is still in existence, being, it is said, very prosperous. It is of a literary-social character, and is represented by chapters in nearly all the Homœopathic colleges.
Deserving rank as a literary society, but doing its work by indirection rather than with the methods of the Alpha Nu, Adel- phi, Webster, and Jeffersonian, is the Students' Lecture Association, founded in October, 1854, and incorporated in 1893. It is impos- sible to overestimate the value to the University of the services of this organization. Not only are the students indebted to it for the opportunity of listening to the chief orators and lecturers of the country, but they also owe to it the supplying of the University Library for many years with magazines and newspapers. Very properly the office of President of the society is regarded as one of the most honorable positions in the gift of the student body. In May, 1881, Frank W. Davenport, a member of Psi Upsilon, and E. E. White, then a "neutral", were rivals for this coveted post, both being members of the coming senior class. In the canvass no unnecessary scruples were allowed to interfere with the prospective success of either candidate, and the zealous friends of one or the other played so strong a game that votes commanded prices unheard of up to that time. When election day arrived the college was excited as never before ; ballot followed ballot, neither side obtaining a majority, and a third (but lightly supported) candidate-believed by Davenport's supporters to be in league with the White forces-developing enough strength to prevent a choice. After a session of eight hours the meeting was compelled to adjourn until another Saturday. The schemes laid during the interval, and the inducements held out to wavering electors, are better imagined than described. At half-past ten Saturday morn- ing the voting began, and it lasted until half-past one. The first ballot showed a tie between the two principal candidates, with a few scattering votes. On the second ballot White had a plurality of two, with more scattering votes than before. Then by resolu- tion the voting was limited to the two leading candidates, and Davenport secured a plurality of three. He would have been declared elected, but for the discovery, claimed to have been made then for the first time, of a clause in the Association's fundamental law forbidding the eliminating resolve. On another trial Daven- port had a plurality of eight in a total vote much smaller than either of the preceding ballots, but on the fourth ballot his oppo- nent received of the previous "scattering" enough to elect him.
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This unprecedentedly determined and bitter struggle for place was marked by incidents which do not lead one to look with much enthusiasm for the advent of the scholar in politics. Some of Davenport's admirers claimed that his election would have been certain but for reports adverse to his good character circulated by unscrupulous adversaries in the feminine part of the electorate. Soon after the election Mr. White appeared as a Sigma Phi, and some claimed that he had been admitted into that fraternity before the election, but had kept the fact secret so as to hold " Independ- ent " votes. But this was denied. The successful candidate when some of his erstwhile supporters suggested he should resign, declined to do so. At the election for the same office held one year later, E. F. Mack, '83, a member of the fraternity to which Davenport belonged, was chosen by a large majority. By a curious turn of student interest The Chronicle in 1884 was called upon to deplore the absence of can- didates for and the indiffer- ANATOMICAL LABORATORY. ence of electors to the posi- tion so vigorously fought for in 1882. In 1891 the constitution of the Association was amended so as to render eligible as members all students purchasing season tickets. Before that time none but academic undergraduates could vote or hold office. Following is the roll as complete as the records furnish, of the Presidents of the S. L. A. :
Edwin Willits, '55,
S. H. White, '56,
G. M. Landon, '57,
C. A. Thompson, Jr., '60,
J. H. McGowan, '61,
Charles Hurd, '62,
G. S. Bishop, '77
W. S. Harroun, '63,
H. B. Walmsley, '78,
Schuyler Grant, '64,
H. W. Ashley, '79,
I. H. Bullock, '80,
W. H. Fifield, '65, J. E. McKeighan, '66, T. M. Potter, '67,
C. W. Sessions, '8r,
E. E. White, '82,
E. C. Lovell, '68,
E. F. Mack, '83,
W. C. Foote, '84,
R. F. Eldredge, '85,
O. S. Vreeland, '69, Charles Ballenger, '70, P. A. Randall, '71,
George Colt, Jr., '72,
V. M. Spalding, '73, T. H. Johnston, '74, H. C. Ford, '75, Ben Safley, '76,
H. A. Reynolds, '86,
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C. Y. Dixon, '87,
W. W. Wedemeyer, '94,
C. A. Read, '88,
J. W. Powers, '94,
A. E. Jennings, '89,
E. C. Lindley, '95,
E. M. Coolidge, '90,
E. G. Ryker, '96 l,
Thomas Kerl, '91,
H. H. Emmons, '97,
P. W. Ross, '92,
W. W. Griffin, '93,
F. P. Sadler, '98 7.
Another very important organization among the students is the Oratorical Association. In January, 1890, at the instance of Professor Trueblood, a few enthusiastic students met to establish an annual intercollegiate oratorical contest open only to under- graduates. Invitations were sent to Cornell, Northwestern, Ober- lin, and Wisconsin. Favorable replies were received from all but Cornell, which university would not join unless allowed to send as its representative a graduate student who had won the prize in oratory in 1889. The remaining colleges formed the Northern Oratorical League, and afterwards admitted the Universities of Iowa and Chicago. The constitution of the League provided for the establishment of associations in each college to form a ground- work, and so the Oratorical Association was organized here with about forty members. This society has prospered, and is the cen- tre of the efforts made to render our University successful in the annual competition with other institutions of learning. Member- ship is open to all students of the University, but the orators who are to compete in the League are by preliminary contests selected from the collegiate department and from the law school, two sen- iors, one junior, and one sophomore from the former, and two seniors, one junior, and one freshman from the latter, persons who have taken degrees being barred. Then the eight meet in a final contest, and the winner has the honor of representing Michigan in the League meeting. He who comes out second best is the alter- nate who takes the place of the winner should the latter be unable to appear in the inter-collegiate contest.
In 1894 the alumni residing in Chicago established a medal and a testimonial of seventy-five dollars to be given annually to the student winning first honor in the University contest. This offer the Oratorical Association has supplemented with a testimonial of fifty dollars for the winning of the second honor. The medal is of bronze, was designed by Louis H. Sullivan, a prominent artist of Chicago, and was executed at the United States mint. Mr. Fer- dinand W. Peck, the father of a former student at Ann Arbor, has founded prizes of one hundred dollars and fifty dollars respectively for the winners of the first and second honors in the League. 8
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At the first annual contest of the Northern Oratorical League which was held at Ann Arbor in May, 1891, the first place was taken by A. C. Gormley, '91 7, of Michigan. In the second con- test, which took place at Evanston, May 7, 1892, Wisconsin won, our representative, Jesse E. Roberts, '92 /, standing fourth among the five contestants. Every subsequent contest thus far has been won by Michigan; for this we are indebted to Linley G. Long, '93, Frank P. Sadler, '96, James H. Mays, '95 l, Fred L. Ingraham, '96 7, Bayard H. Ames, '97, and Charles Simons, '98.
The success of the oratorical contests suggested intercolleg- iate debates, and on Friday, March 31, 1893, a contest took place at Ann Arbor between three undergraduates of Michigan and a like number of students from the University of Wisconsin, in which the former were successful. Owing to a disagreement as to methods of marking the two universities did not meet again, and arrangements were made with Northwestern University for debates in 1894 and 1895. In both of these Michigan was unsuccessful. In 1896, 1897, and 1898, debating contests were held with the University of Chicago, Michigan winning the first and third, and losing the second. Up to 1896 our representatives in these de- bates were chosen in a University contest out of eight men who had survived preliminary contests in the two literary and the two law societies. Now the debates are under the control of the Ora- torical Association, and nearly one hundred men participate in the preliminaries. In 1896-97 a Central Debating League, com- posed of Michigan, Chicago, Northwestern, and Wisconsin (Minne- sota substituted in 1898), was formed and a plan was arranged by which the universities debate in semi-finals by groups, the winners of the two groups coming together in the final contest.
1893-A. W. Jefferis, '93 l, I. B. Lipson, '93 l, C. T. Purdy, '96, 1894-E. C. Lindley, '95, E. W. Marlatt, '94 l, J. H. Mays, '95 l,
1896-P. Y. Albright, '98 /, Edmond Block, '96 l, C. J. Vert, '96 l,
1897-F. X. Carmody, '97, W. M. Chandler, '97 l, J. S. Lathers, '97, 1895-C F. Kimball, '95 l, J. V. Oxtoby, '95, 1895-F. P. Sadler, '96,
1898-T. A. Berkebile, p. g., L. C. Whitman, '99 l, D. F. Dillon, '99 l,
Following are the names of those who have served as presi- dents of the Oratorical Association:
1890-91-J. L. Haner, 90, 91 l, 1894-85-J. H. Quarles, '96, 1891-92-A. J. Ladd, '94, 1895-96-B F. Deahl, '96 l, 1892-93-Milton Johnson, '93 l, 1896-97-H. G. Paul, '97,
1893-94-Gertrude Buck, '94, 1897-98-C. F. Kelley, '98 l.
CHAPTER VIII STUDENT PUBLICATIONS
As early as the college year 1843-44 an attempt, necessarily abortive, was made to establish a college paper at Ann Arbor. In July, 1853, the first number-there were but two numbers in all- of The Peninsular Quarterly and University Mag- azine, was issued in Detroit. This publication, though not pecu- liarly representative of Michigan, was largely made up of contribu- tions from professors and alumni of our Alma Mater. Postponing mention of the college annuals (which had their origin in a broad- side issued in 1856), the original effort of Michigan students in the magazine line was the University Quarterly, which was edited during 1861 by W. E. Ambruster, '62, and E. A. Fraser, '63, on behalf of the Alpha Nu literary society, and by G. A. Marr, '62, and Stephen Powers, '63, for the Literary Adelphi. The University Independent, the first number of which made its appearance in November, 1861, was the outgrowth of the bitter feel- ing which had arisen be- tween the independents and the members of the secret societies. Four numbers each of forty octavo pages, were printed. In March, 1 862, the name was changed to The University Magazine. Only one number appeared under the new title. This was edited CIVIL ENGINEERING BUILDING. by a board composed of two members of each of the four aca- demic classes, and the leading article of the number was entitled " Objections to Secret Societies Supported by the Opinions of Eminent Men." It contained also articles of a non-partisan character, and some college songs.
Five years passed before another attempt was made to start a magazine. The need of a record of current events in college life
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was recognized by three members of '68, who on the second day of March, 1867, issued the first number of The University Chronicle, a bi-weekly paper. It was a single sheet folded in eight pages, and was printed three columns to a page. The price of it was ten cents. In June, 1867, the founders turned the paper over to the incoming junior class, which adopted a constitution putting it in the exclusive control of a board of four editors (changed in 1868 to six), equally divided between the independents and the secret-society men, and chosen at the end of each year by the outgoing sophomores from their own number. The paper was a financial success the first year, but in the second year the board was obliged to omit one number at the end of the volume, and in the third year money was lost. It being clear that the students could not or would not support two magazines, a consolidation with the monthly then published by the students was effected in May, 1869, thus creating The Chronicle, which remained for many years the organ of the undergraduates. The editors of The University Chronicle, 1867-69, were these:
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