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Collection Overview

Title:
Cliosophic Society Records
Repository:
Princeton University Archives
Permanent URL:
http://arks.princeton.edu/ark:/88435/7h149p85q
Dates:
1789-1941
Size:
90 boxes and 1 folder
Storage Note:
  • Mudd Manuscript Library (scamudd): Boxes 1-89; S-000251
Language:
English

Abstract

The Cliosophic Society (1770-1941) was a political, literary, and debating society on the Princeton campus that played an important role in the development of the college and also the intellectual and social development of generations of Princeton students.

Collection Description & Creator Information

Scope and Contents

Consists of records of the Cliosophic Society (1770-1941). The material documents the growth and development of the second-oldest literary and debating society in the United States, from its inception in 1770, through its rivalry with the other campus literary organization, the Whig Society, to its final merger with Whig in 1941. Included in the records are minutes, treasurer's bills, committee documents, attendance rolls, membership lists, constitutions and by-laws, and publications.

Arrangement

The Records of the Cliosophic Society are divided into thirteen series, primarily by the officer or committee who generated the documents. They are:

Collection History

Acquisition:

The contents of the records were acquired in 1941 in an agreement between Princeton University and the Board of Trustees of the American Whig-Cliosophic Society. An attempt was made at organizing the records in 1975, but this report lacked certain archival necessities for organization.

Appraisal

In the process of organizing the Clio records, several items were purposefully discarded. These included the attendance rolls, which were extremely repetitive, bulky, and uninformative. In addition, several checkbooks were discarded since the transactions were recorded in the treasurer's records. Also, several debate itineraries were discarded, while one was kept as a sample, since the information was recorded in the minutes.

Processing Information

This collection was processed by Douglas Ray in 1992. Finding aid written by Douglas Ray in 1992.

Access & Use

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research use.

Conditions Governing Use

Single copies may be made for research purposes. To cite or publish quotations that fall within Fair Use, as defined under U. S. Copyright Law, no permission is required. The Trustees of Princeton University hold copyright to all materials generated by Princeton University employees in the course of their work. For instances beyond Fair Use, if copyright is held by Princeton University, researchers do not need to obtain permission, complete any forms, or receive a letter to move forward with use of materials from the Princeton University Archives.

For instances beyond Fair Use where the copyright is not held by the University, while permission from the Library is not required, it is the responsibility of the researcher to determine whether any permissions related to copyright, privacy, publicity, or any other rights are necessary for their intended use of the Library's materials, and to obtain all required permissions from any existing rights holders, if they have not already done so. Princeton University Library's Special Collections does not charge any permission or use fees for the publication of images of materials from our collections, nor does it require researchers to obtain its permission for said use. The department does request that its collections be properly cited and images credited. More detailed information can be found on the Copyright, Credit and Citations Guidelines page on our website. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us through the Ask Us! form.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

For preservation reasons, original analog and digital media may not be read or played back in the reading room. Users may visually inspect physical media but may not remove it from its enclosure. All analog audiovisual media must be digitized to preservation-quality standards prior to use. Audiovisual digitization requests are processed by an approved third-party vendor. Please note, the transfer time required can be as little as several weeks to as long as several months and there may be financial costs associated with the process. Requests should be directed through the Ask Us Form.

Credit this material:

Cliosophic Society Records; Princeton University Archives, Department of Special Collections, Princeton University Library

Permanent URL:
http://arks.princeton.edu/ark:/88435/7h149p85q
Location:
Seeley G. Mudd Manuscript Library
Seeley G. Mudd Manuscript Library
65 Olden Street
Princeton, NJ 08540, USA
(609) 258-6345
Storage Note:
  • Mudd Manuscript Library (scamudd): Boxes 1-89; S-000251

Find More

Related Materials

Related Princeton University Library manuscript collections most prominently include the Records of the American Whig Society and the Records of the American Whig-Cliosophic Society.

Subject Terms:
College students -- New Jersey -- Princeton -- Political activity.
College students -- New Jersey -- Princeton -- Societies and clubs.
Debates and debating -- New Jersey -- Princeton -- Societies, etc.
Genre Terms:
Archives.
Records.
Names:
Cliosophic Society (Princeton University)
Princeton University