E Clampus Vitus (Fraternal order)

Revival of E Clampus Vitus was begun by Carl I. Wheat and others around 1931 as a parody of mining fraternities of the nineteenth century; E Clampus Vitus almost always organized its events around historical anniversaries or in a place of historical information; a history of the organization can be found in the book, Credo quia absurdum (Placerville, CA : Onager Press, 1949).

Fraternal organization founded during California Gold Rush (1852) to poke fun at more solemn fraternal orders of times. Revived by Carl Wheat and Ezra Dane to bring an element of fun into appreciation of history and to provide support for historical projects and celebration of historical events (1931). Grand Council established official archives of E Clampus Vitus at California Historical Society (ca. 1961), but space was limited there and with aid of historian/Clamper Richard Coke Wood, E Clampus Vitus later moved archives to University of the Pacific (1976).

E Clampus Vitus was a benevolent social organization prominent in California during the Gold Rush. It was revived in 1932 as a social organization for men interested in Western history.

Biography

Revival of E Clampus Vitus was begun by Carl I. Wheat and others around 1931 as a parody of mining fraternities of the nineteenth century; E Clampus Vitus almost always organized its events around historical anniversaries or in a place of historical information; a history of the organization can be found in the book, Credo Quia Absurdum (Placerville, California: Onager Press, 1949).

Biographical Narrative

The history of the Ancient & Honorable Order of E Clampus Vitus is given in the book Credo quia absurdum (Placerville, California, 1949). The present social organization is a revival of mining fraternities of the nineteenth century, parodies of the then-popular mysterious fraternal orders. The present organization delights in the mock-serious aspects of the originals.

E Clampus Vitus almost always organizes its events around historical anniversaries or in a place of historical importance, so that keepsakes and announcements offer historical information, as well as providing records of the club's activities. Often the keepsakes are printed by noted California printers, such as Lawton Kennedy.

Prominent Californians were involved with the revival of the organization in the early nineteen-thirties, so that the history and papers of the organization are important in a study of California. Carl I. Wheat was one of the first to start the revival, around 1931. The present collection is made up of items donated by Lindley Bynum, Andrew Horn and Ward Ritchie; and of items from the W.W. Robinson collection.

note: Because of the completeness of materials collected by W.W. Robinson held in the Department of Special Collections, items taken from that collection have been stamped with his name. Other items not pertaining to the individuals above have been distributed throughout this collection without indicating the donor.