St. James Literary Society (St. Francis Seminary)

This society was organizaed, possibly as early as 1879, by students of the Classical Department of St. Francis Seminary. This society encouraged and helped students develop a love of English literature. It also improved the speech and debating skills of its members in order to prepare them for the priesthood. In 1941, it appears that as part of the St. Francis Seminary reorganization into Major and Minor Departments, that the St. James Literary and Debating Society became part of the Minor Department under a new name, the St. James Literary Society. Around 1962 the society again appears to have taken on a new name, the St. James Speech Society.