Wesleyan university, Middletown, Conn.

William John James (1860-1941) was College Librarian from 1891 to 1929 and Assistant Treasurer of Wesleyan from 1908 to 1929.

The Wesleyan Glee Club formed in 1846 and frequently traveled and performed from the mid-19th century through the mid-20th century. The Glee Club, along with the Chapel Choir and Concert Choir, performed at the annual Christmas Candlelight Concerts beginning in 1930.

After the Wesleyan centennial celebration in 1931, a few alumni began documenting their memories of Wesleyan. In 1939, the Alumni Council set up a Committee on the Collection of Recollections, which canvassed alumni for memories of faculty and anecdotes about Wesleyan history.

Wesleyan University was founded in 1831 in Middletown, Conn.

In the spring of 1974, Professor Stephen Dyson of the Wesleyan University Classics Department took his Introduction to Archaeology Class on a preliminary excavation in Middlefield, Connecticut. This was a test to see if there was potential for an archaeology class based on fieldwork. Since the success at the first excavation, Wesleyan has continued to take its students on excavations within Middlesex County, Connecticut.

The Rosa Physics Club was named for an Wesleyan alumnus, Edward B. Rosa, class of 1886. The purpose of the Rosa Club was to promote an interest in physics and its applications, and included student and faculty members.

Wesleyan University exams reflect the changing curriculum between 1868 and 1970. The nineteenth century Wesleyan curriculum allowed students to major in general areas of knowledge, while the twentieth century curriculum saw the rise of numerous departments. The use of entrance examinations, a standard in the 1800s, were eliminated.

The Middletown Manuscripts Collection is an intentionally created collection of disparate manuscripts related to the history of Middletown, Connecticut.

During the 1980s, a Wesleyan faculty member was asked to deliver an address to the incoming freshman class each year. These addesses contained advice and wisdom about the students' upcoming lives at Wesleyan University. These addresses were transcribed and printed by Wesleyan.

Long Lane School in Middletown, Conn., opened in 1869 as the Connecticut Industrial School for Girls. In 1921, it became a juvenile detention center for girls, and in 1973, the detention center also admitted boys. In 2000, Wesleyan University bought the 160 acre property, and in 2003, the school closed.

Class Day was an annual celebration related to the commencement exercises at Wesleyan University, and usually occurred in June. Programs often included speeches, musical performances, poetry, and the awarding of prizes. The programs were arranged by members of the graduating class and featured their fellow senior students.

During the Vietnam War, especially in the late 1960s and early 1970s, some Wesleyan University students and faculty protested military recruiters visiting the school. In response to the controversy, Wesleyan developed a policy about military recruitment. This issue subsided with the end of the Vietnam War and the draft.

The Press Archives began at Wesleyan University in 1952, but after three years the project lapsed. It was re-started around 1958 by professor Sigmund Neumann. He intended the Press Archives to be a resource for students and faculty in the then-new Public Affairs Center.

The Women's Studies Program was created in 1980 and became a major in 1989. In 2006, the program was renamed Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies.

This collection of printed ephemera and subject files about fine presses has been accumulated by Olin Library throughout the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.

In the 1970s, Wesleyan University students became active against national nuclear arms polices and practices, especially those in New England. The groups of Wesleyan University students involved were the Committee on Environmental Awareness, Connecticut Citizens Conference, Nuclear Resistance Group and Students Opposed to Nuclear Arms Race. These groups organized campus wide informational meetings, showed films and actively participated in walking onto a nuclear arms site in Seabrook, New Hampshire, on April 30, 1977. Around forty Wesleyan Students, along with other activists, were arrested, and some were convicted of criminal trespass due to the April 30 protest.

On February 24, 1845 a vote was passed by the Connecticut Alpha of the Phi Beta Kappa Society, establishing its ninth chapter at Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT.

During early October 1931, Wesleyan University celebrated its centennial. The event brought together current students, faculty, alumni, parents, and honored guests including the Canadian Prime Minister. The events also consisted of banquets, concerts, recitals, lectures, and sporting events.

The Financial Planning Committee (FPC), a faculty-student body created under faculty by-laws, was formed in about 1968. It was composed of 6 faculty members, 4 undergraduate students, and 4 ex-officio administrators. The role of the group was to evaluate administrative proposals related to budgets and allocations, and provide suggestions and recommendations.

During World War I, Wesleyan had a brief period when it adopted several programs to train students to become soldiers and officers. Wesleyan had a total of 1,169 men involved in the war effort, of whom 26 died. The majority of Wesleyan men were involved in the Army, S.A.T.C., and Navy.

Wesleyan University's Memorial Chapel was built and dedicated in 1871. It was intended to commemorate those Wesleyan students and alumni who fought in the Civil War, and later additions of stained glass windows acknowledge student service in other wars. The Memorial Chapel has been the main site of religious ceremonies at Wesleyan since 1871. The services were primarily Methodist.

The class of 1873 Boat Club was organized on October 4, 1870, by 19 members of the class of 1873. It participated in the first Wesleyan regatta, which was held July 19, 1871, with the clubs of the classes of 1872, 1873, and 1874 competing.

This collection concerns the planning and construction of Phase II of the Science Center, completed in 1970. The building is now known as the Exley Science Center.

The commencement orations given by 19th century Wesleyan students reflect their studies in classics and their interests in philosophy, literature, and politics.

The Davison Art Rooms were created at the opening of Olin Memorial Library in 1928 as a tribute to George W. (Wesleyan class of 1892) and Harriet Baldwin Davison. The Davison Art Rooms were closed and their contents transferred to the newly-constructed Davison Art Center for its opening in 1952.

Wesleyan University hosted both V-5 and V-12 Naval Training Units on its campus during World War II.

Wesleyan held an annual conference featuring scholars from around the country discussing some of the day's most controversial and important topics, including labor, crime, race, marriage, and foreign policy. The tradition of Wesleyan Parleys began in 1924 and lasted until about the early 1960s.