Guide to the Sarah and James Bowdoin Day Records and Publications, 1941-
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Sarah and James Bowdoin Day, George J. Mitchell Department of Special Collections & Archives, Bowdoin College Library, Brunswick, Maine
The George J. Mitchell Department of Special Collections & Archives, like all archives and special collections libraries, is the creation of human beings who have collected, organized, and described things in ways that reflect personal, cultural, societal, and institutional biases. Although we strive to preserve and present collections in a manner that is respectful to the individuals and communities who create, use, and are represented in the collections, we acknowledge that our systems are neither neutral nor perfect. We encourage you to let us know if you encounter materials, descriptive language, or practices that are offensive or harmful, particularly those for which inadequate context or warning is offered. We are committed to modifying and updating our descriptive practices to use respectful and inclusive terminology and appreciate your help in this work. We look forward to supporting you in your research and learning together.
James Bowdoin Day was initiated in 1941 to recognize undergraduates for excellence in scholarship and to commemorate the Honorable James Bowdoin III (1752-1811), first patron of the College. In 1997, by faculty vote, the College determined that both the commemorative day and the distinction as scholar be changed so as to recognize both Sarah and James Bowdoin. Like her husband, Sarah Bowdoin gave many gifts to the College, including most of the Bowdoin family portraits. In their honor laurel garlands are draped around the Gilbert Stuart portraits of James Bowdoin III and Sarah Bowdoin Dearborn in the Bowdoin College Museum of Art. The College also flies a special commemorative American flag which was flown over the United States Capitol in 1963 on the birthday of Governor James Bowdoin II. At the Sarah and James Bowdoin Day exercises the College gathers to recognize its highest-ranking scholars and to hear speeches by an outstanding undergraduate and a highly recognized practioner in one of the liberal arts disciplines.
This collection contains Sarah and James Bowdoin Day programs as well as a number of student responses and some guest addresses delivered at the Sarah and James Bowdoin Day exercises. Also included are blank invitations, blank certificates, and reports of the exercises printed from the Bowdoin/Sun online and Bowdoin Campus News online, including text of some addresses.
Some of the Sarah and James Bowdoin Day exercises are recorded on audiocassette, videocassette, or both. See Archives staff for specific holdings.
1941, 1943-1945 James Bowdoin Day programs
1946-1949 James Bowdoin Day programs
1950-1954 James Bowdoin Day programs
1955 James Bowdoin Day program
1955 Response by David Lee Hurley (Bowdoin 1956)
1956-1959 James Bowdoin Day programs
1960-1965 James Bowdoin Day programs
1965 Guest address by E. Bright Wilson, Jr.
1966-1967 James Bowdoin Day programs
1967 Guest address by Thomas Hedley Reynolds
1968-1969 James Bowdoin Day programs
1969 Response by Bruce Edward Cain (Bowdoin 1970)
1970 James Bowdoin Day program
1970 Response by Gordon Francis Grimes (Bowdoin 1971)
1971 James Bowdoin Day program
1971 Response by Donald Bruce Lowry (Bowdoin 1972)
1972 James Bowdoin Day program
1972 Response by Kenneth Vincent Santagata (Bowdoin 1973)
1974 James Bowdoin Day program
1974 Response by Peter Henry Lotz (Bowdoin 1975)
1975 James Bowdoin Day program
1975 Response by Alton Davis Hartwell (Bowdoin 1976)
1976-1977 James Bowdoin Day programs
1977 Response by Abbot Kominers (Bowdoin 1978)
1978 James Bowdoin Day program
1978 Response by Andrea Michele Todaro (Bowdoin 1979)
1979 James Bowdoin Day program
1980 James Bowdoin Day program and response by Lynn Ann Lazaroff (Bowdoin 1981)
1981, 1982 James Bowdoin Day programs
1982 Guest address by A. Bartlett Giamatti
1983-1985 James Bowdoin Day programs
1985 Response by Joseph Henry LaCasce, Jr. (Bowdoin 1986)
1986 James Bowdoin Day program
1986 Response by Philip Alcide Morin (Bowdoin 1987)
1987 James Bowdoin Day program
1987 Response by Aditya Behl (Bowdoin 1988)
1988 James Bowdoin Day program
1988 Response by Elizabeth D. Boettcher (Bowdoin 1989)
1989 James Bowdoin Day program
1989 Response by Mary Alice Inman (Bowdoin 1990)
1990-1994 James Bowdoin Day programs
1994 Guest address by Peter F. Hayes (Bowdoin 1968)
1995 James Bowdoin Day program
1996 - no James Bowdoin Day ceremony
1997 Sarah and James Bowdoin Day program [name changed to Sarah and James Bowdoin Day in 1997]
1998 Sarah and James Bowdoin Day program
1998 Response by Naeem Ahmed (Bowdoin 2000)
1999 Sarah and James Bowdoin Day program
1999 Excerpts from guest address by Kenneth Chenault (Bowdoin 1973, Bowdoin Honorand 1996)
1999 Sarah and James Bowdoin Day certificate (2 blank copies)
2000 Report of Sarah and James Bowdoin Day from the Bowdoin/Sun online
2000 Sarah and James Bowdoin Day invitations (2 blank copies) and program
2001 Report of Sarah and James Bowdoin Day from the Bowdoin/Sun online, and text of address by President Barry Mills
2002 Program, report from the Bowdoin/Sun online, and text of address by President Barry Mills
2003 Program, report from the Bowdoin/Sun online, and text of address by President Barry Mills
2004 Program, report from Bowdoin Campus News online, and text of addresses by President Barry Mills and Adam Baber (Bowdoin 2005)
2005 Program, report from Bowdoin Campus News online, and text of addresses by President Barry Mills and Ponnila Sunderi Samuel (Bowdoin 2007)
2006 Program, report from Bowdoin Campus News online, and text of addresses by President Barry Mills and Alicia Michelle White (Bowdoin 2007)
2007 Program, report from Bowdoin Campus News online, and text of addresses by President Barry Mills, Mary J. Carruthers, and Ekaphan "Bier" Kraichak (Bowdoin 2008)
2008 Program, report from Bowdoin Campus News online, and text of addresses by President Barry Mills, David Kertzer, and Samuel Ross Waterbury (Bowdoin 2011)
2009 Program, report from Bowdoin Campus News online, and text of addresses by President Barry Mills and Yongfang Chen (Bowdoin 2010)
2010 Program, report from Bowdoin Campus News online, and text of addresses by President Barry Mills, Louis Menand, and Gina Lynn Lonati (Bowdoin 2012)
2011 Program, report from Bowdoin Campus News online, and text of addresses by President Barry Mills, Carol R. Berkin, and Samuel Hollingsworth Hanson (Bowdoin 2011)
2012 Program, report from Bowdoin campus news online, and text of addresses by President Barry Mills and Daniel Alexander Palken (Bowdoin 2014)
2013 Program, and report from Bowdoin campus news online
2014 Program, report from Bowdoin campus news online, and text of address by Rachel Nicole Pollinger (Bowdoin 2015)
2015 Program, report from Bowdoin campus news online, and text of address by Lucy Chuying Luo (Bowdoin 2016)
2016 Program, report from Bowdoin campus news online, and text of address by Liam Taylor (Bowdoin 2017)
2017 Program and text of addresses from Hadley Horch and Ian Ward '20
2018 Program
2019 Program