Summary Information

Repository
George J. Mitchell Department of Special Collections & Archives, Bowdoin College Library, Brunswick, Maine 04011
Title
Bowdoin Orient: Publications and Records, 1871-
ID
4.5
Date
1871-
Extent
23.75 linear feet
Language

Preferred Citation

Bowdoin Orient Publications and Records, George J. Mitchell Department of Special Collections & Archives, Bowdoin College Library, Brunswick, Maine

Biographical/Historical Note

The Bowdoin Orient was established as the student newspaper in 1871 and has been published continuously since, though from the initial April 3, 1871 issue until April 7, 1873 it was named the Orient. Originally issued bi-weekly, it has been a weekly since April, 1899. Its higher purpose, other than providing news, is to provide a forum for carefully considered and written commentary of College life at Bowdoin. "This field requires a pure, typical college newspaper; current in news, unbiased in criticism, and accurate in representation of college policy and spirit...Bowdoin is actively progressive to-day...The Orient wishes to bind faculty and sons of Bowdoin together in this progress...all she asks is fair treatment, moral support and to be recognized as a true and representative institution of the college."Bowdoin Orient, April 19, 1899.

The paper features College and local news, alumni news, opinions, sports and activities information, and humorous commentary. It was conceived as and remains a forum for discussions of problems and issues related to College curriculum and standards; it also serves as a mirror for Bowdoin life and life at colleges with connections with or to Bowdoin.

The Bowdoin Orient is contemporaneous with the Bowdoin literary magazine, the Quill, which was first published in 1897. It operates by means of a student board which consists of editor-in-chief, managing editor, and associate editors. In early days, the Quill and Bowdoin Orient sometimes held board meetings together. Initially published in a small book-like format, the Bowdoin Orient changed to a newspaper format in 1921, conforming to the format of other "progressive" colleges of the day. Regulations in the early days of the newspaper required that three freshmen and one sophomore be elected to the board annually, and any board member absent for three months dropped from the listing in the paper; any member absent for a year be dropped from the board. Each board member was required to publish two articles each semester "or be automatically dropped from the board".

Scope and Content

The Bowdoin Orient has been published in several different formats, in volumes numbered consecutively by academic year, then issues numbered within the yearly volume. For example, the 1990-1991 issues are Volume 120 (or CXX), numbers 1-24. The Bowdoin Orient remains a primary resource for current information and commentary at Bowdoin. Also included are records of the Bowdoin Publishing Company, which handled the business management of the Bowdoin Orient from 1912 until 2002, and Bowdoin Orient correspondence and office files.

Administrative Information

Publication Information

 George J. Mitchell Department of Special Collections & Archives, Bowdoin College Library, Brunswick, Maine 04011

3000 College Station
Brunswick, Maine, 04011
(207) 725-3288
scaref@bowdoin.edu

Access Restrictions

No restrictions.

General Note

Microfilm copies available in the main library. Also available electronically. See the Bowdoin Orient online.

Collection Inventory

4.5.1: Bowdoin Orient, 1871-   22.75 linear feet

Series Description:

This series contains the Bowdoin Orient beginning with the first issue published in 1871.

Arrangement:

Arranged chronologically.

General Note:

Microfilm copies available in the main library for patron use. Effective with 2010-2011 issues, there are microfilm archival masters in the Archives.

Access Restrictions:

No restrictions.
Box Folder
1 1

Volumes 1-15 (1871-1886) 
1 2

Volumes 16-18 (1886-1889) 
1 3

Volumes 19-21 (1889-1891) 
1 4

Volumes 21-22 (1891-1893) 
1 5

Volumes 23-24 (1893-1894) 
1 6

Volumes 24-25 (1895-1896) 
1 7

Volumes 26-28 (1896-1899) 
1 8

Volumes 29-32 (1899-1903) 
1 9

Volumes 33-35 (1903-1906) 
1 10

Volumes 36-42; 45-49 [no volumes 43-44] (1906-1919) 
1 11

Volumes 49-51 (1919-1921) 
Ovsz-Box Folder
1 1

1921 Sep-Dec 
1 2

1922 Jan-Dec 
1 3

1923 Jan-Dec 
1 4

1924 Jan-Nov 
1 5

1925 Apr 22; 1925 May 13; 1926 Jan 13; 1926 Jan 27; 1927 Jan 19; 1927 May 4; 1927 May 18 
1 6

1928 Mar 28, Bowdoin Occident (Bowdoin Orient, spoof issue) 
1 7

1930 Apr 9, The Accident (Bowdoin Orient spoof issue); 1930 Jun 19; 1943 May 22; 1949 May 11; 1951 Jun 13; 1952 Apr 9; 1952 Apr 23; 1952 Apr 30; 1952 Jun 7; 1954 Apr 14; 1963 Jun 28; 1965 Nov 5; and 1966 Feb 25 
1 8

1969 Jun 14; 1969 Oct 3; 1971 May 14; 1971 Nov 19; 1972 Jun 2; 1976 Oct 8; 1976 Oct 15; 1977 May 28; 1978 May 27; 1979 Sep 7; 1980 Feb 1; 1980 Apr 25; 1981 Oct 9; 1984 Nov 16 
1a 1

1986 Jan-May 
1a 2

1986 Sep-1987 May 
1a 3

1987 Sep 25; 1987 Nov 6; 1988 Apr 29; 1988 Nov 4 
1a 4-7

1991 Sep-1993 May 
2 1-6

1993 Sep 10 - 1996 May 3 
3 1-9

1996 Sep 13, 1996 Nov 15 - 2000 May 5 
4 1-11

2000 Sep 8 - 2003 May 9 
5 1-7

2003 Sep 12 - 2007 May 11 
6 1-5

2007 Sep 7 - 2012 May 11 
7 1

2012 Aug 27 - 

Bound Volumes 
Volume
2

Volume 1-2 
3

Volumes 1-4 
4

Volumes 3-4 
5

Volumes 5-6 
6

Volume 6 (1876-77) 
7

Volumes 7-8 
8

Volumes 9-10 
9

Volumes 11-12 
10

Volumes 13-14 
11

Volumes 15-16 
12

Volumes 16-17 
13

Volumes 18-20 
14

Volumes 21-22 
15

Volumes 23-24 
16

Volumes 24-25 (1894-96) 
17

Volumes 26-27 (1896-98) 
18

Volume 28 (1898-99) 
19

Volumes 29-30 (1899-1901) 
20

Volume 31 (1901-02) 
21

Volume 32 (1902-03) 
22

Volume 33 (1903-04) 
23

Volume 34 (1904-05) 
24

Volume 35 (1905-06) 
25

Volume 36 (1906-07) 
26

Volume 37 (1907-08) 
27

Volume 38 (1908-09) 
28

Volume 39 (1909-10) 
29

Volume 40 (1910-11) 
30

Volume 41 (1911-12) 
31

Volume 42 (1912-13) 
32

Volume 43 (1913-14) 
33

Volume 44 (1914-15) 
34

Volume 45 (1915-16) 
35

Volume 46 (1916-17) 
36

Volumes 46-47 (1917-18) 
37

Volume 47 (1917-18) 
38

Volume 48 (1918-19) 2 Copies 
39

Volume 49 (1919-20) 2 Copies 
40

Volume 50 (1920-21) 
41

Volume 51 (1921) 
Volume-folio
42

Volumes 51-53 (1921-24) 3 Copies 
43

Volumes 54-56 (1924-26) 2 Copies 
44

Volumes 56-59 (1926-30) 
45

Volumes 60-63 (1930-34) 
46

Volumes 64-67 (1934-38) 
47

Volumes 68-71 (1938-42) 
48

Volumes 72-77 (1942-48) 
49

Volumes 78-81 (1948-52) 
50

Volumes 82-85 (1952-56) 
51

Volumes 86-89 (1956-60) 
52

Volumes 90-94 (1960-65) 
53

Volumes 95-96 (1965-67) 
54

Volumes 97-98 (1967-69) 
55

Volumes 99-101 (1969-72) 
56

Volumes 102-103 (1972-74) 
57

Volumes 104-105 (1974-76) 
58

Volumes 106-108 (1976-79) 
59

Volumes 109-111 (1979-82) 
60

Volumes 112-114 (1982-85) 
60a

Volume 115 (September-December 1985) 
61

Volumes 115-116 (January 1986-May 1987) 
62

Volume 117 (1987-88) 
63

Volume 118 (1988-89) 
64

Volume 119 (1989-90) 
65

Volume 120 (1990-91) 
66

Volume 121-122 (1991-92) 
67

Volume 123 (1992-93) 
68

Volume 124 (1993-94) 
69

Volume 125 (1994-95) 
70

Volume 125-126 (1995-96) 
71

Volume 125 (1996-97) 
72

Volume 126 (1997-98) 
73

Volume 127, 130 (1998-99) 
74

Volume 131 (1999-2000) 
75

Volume 132 (2000-2001) 
76

Volume 133 (2001-2002) 
77

Volume 132 (2002-2003) 
78

Volume 133 (2003-2004) 
79

Volume 134 (2004-2005) 
80

Volume 135 (2005-2006) 
81

Volume 136 (2006-2007) 
82

Volume 137 (2007-2008) 
83

Volume 138 (2008-2009) 
84

Volume 139 (2009-2010) 
85

Volume 140 (2010-2011) 
86

Volume 141 (2011-2012) 
87

Volume 142 (2012-2013) 
88

Volume 143 (2013-2014) 
89

Volume 144 (2014-2015) 

4.5.2: Bowdoin Orient Records, 1885-   1.0 linear feet

Series Description:

This series contains records of the Bowdoin Publishing Company in addition to Bowdoin Orient correspondence, office files, clippings, and handbook. The Bowdoin Publishing Company was formed to handle the business management of the Bowdoin Orient and the Quill from 1912 to 1930. The Bowdoin Orient continued to be overseen by the Bowdoin Publishing Company until 2002, but the Quill separated itself from the Bowdoin Publishing Company in 1930.

Arrangement:

Arranged chronologically.

Access Restrictions:

No restrictions.
Box Folder
1 1

1885-1916, n.d. - clippings, correspondence, and receipts 
Volume
1

1911-1923, record book including constitution, minutes, and regulations 
Box Folder
1 2

1913 Nov 20 - amended constitution of the Bowdoin Publishing Company (2 copies) 
Volume
2

1923 Jan 10 - 1951 Feb 9, minutes of the Bowdoin Publishing Company with undated constitution of the Bowdoin Publishing Company stapled to inside front cover 
Box Folder
1 3

ca. 1935-1936 - handwritten, unsigned history of the Bowdoin Publishing Company 
1 4

1942 Feb 25 - amended constitution of the Bowdoin Publishing Company (draft and final copy) 
1 5

1945, 1959-1967, files of Professor Athern Daggett, a Bowdoin Publishing Company director 
1 6

1945-1964 office files 
1 7

1965-1993 office files 
1 8

1971, n.d. - images, ad proofs and edited articles 
1 9-10

1987-1996, n.d. office files 
1 11

1997-[2001] Bowdoin Publishing Company checkbook 
1 12

1999-2001 office files 
1 13

2001-2002 Bowdoin Orient Handbook 
1 14

2001 Sep 7 - 2002 May 3, Bowdoin Orient web files on CD-ROM 
1 15

2001-2002 Bowdoin Publishing Company close out correspondence 
1 16

2001-2002 notes for articles 
1 17

2001-2002 office files 
1 18

2001-2002 Sandor Polster's weekly comments 
1 19

n.d., drafts for amendments to the constitution of the Bowdoin Publishing Company