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Athenaean Society : Records, 1817-1887, n.d.
4
linear feet.
Catalog Number:
4.37
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Agency History / Biographical Note:
Begun as a rival to the Peucinian Society in 1808,
the Athenaean Society was said to have been founded by a disgruntled
Peucinian who did not graduate. The literary and debating society was
disbanded in 1811, revived in 1813, disbanded again in 1816 and revived
again in 1817. An intense rivalry existed between the Athenaean and
Peucinian Societies. Unlike the Peucinian Society, the Athenaean Society
initiated freshmen in order to attract the youngest students and initiate
them before they could be recruited by the Peucinian Society. This policy
forced the Peucinian Society to admit freshmen as well. The Athenaean
Society was the first to form its own library with books purchased from
dues paid by inducted members. The rise of Greek letter fraternities at
the end of the nineteenth and beginning of the twentieth century spelled
the end for the literary societies. After a period of relative dormancy,
the libraries of the Athenaean and Peucinian Societies were merged in
1880. Two attempts to revive the society failed. In 1886, the Athenaean
Society was granted a bequest of $1000 by Samuel Hazen Ayer, class of
1839. Since the society ostensibly had ceased to exist, the bequest formed
a book fund. The Athenaean Society had an annex scientific society, Phi
Alpha.
Scope and Content:
Records of the Athenaean Society of Bowdoin College. Catalogues of books
in the Athenaean Society library, meeting minutes, and financial records
are included.
Cite as:
Athenaean Society : Records, George J. Mitchell Department of Special
Collections & Archives, Bowdoin College Library.
Access Restrictions:
None.
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