Peithessophian Society of Rutgers College

Introduction

College literary societies played important social, intellectual, and educational roles in nineteenth century higher learning. Through the literary societies students developed the skills of rhetoric and statesmanship that helped more fully utilize the classical education being taught in college classrooms. Rhetorical skills were honed through the writing of essays, orations before the society, and participation in debates. The societies also sought to increase their members exposure to literature by establishing private libraries that were often more diverse than that of the college. Society libraries contained a wide range of essays, novels, poetry in such areas as literature, philosophy, science, and religion. Correspondence soliciting honorary membership with intellectual, political, and religious leaders further fostered the sense of belonging to the world of learning and power. Another important function of the literary societies was to develop leadership skills through self government. Literary societies had their own constitutions and by-laws which governed the working of the society and demanded hard work and discipline from its members. Literary societies were encouraged by both faculty and college administrators, who recognized their importance to a well rounded and truly effective college education. Though providing encouragement, most colleges offered little in the way of financial assistance. Most societies were able to support themselves through membership dues, fines, and donations from alumnae and honorary members.

Most of the colonial colleges, including Queen's College, developed literary societies in the 18th century. The heyday of literary societies came in the first half of the 19th century with a profusion of new colleges springing up across the nation, and with them, literary societies, usually two rival societies at each institution. During this period, no self-respecting student would consider not belonging to one of the literary societies. The increasing popularity of fraternities and intercollegiate sports in the latter half of the century signaled a change in dynamics of extracurricular campus life, moving from an era dominated by one activity to another where multiple activities coexisted and flourished. Eventually fraternities would eclipse literary societies as the dominant social forces on campus, but for most of the second half of the century both would serve important functions and actively coexist.

The first literary societies at Rutgers were the Athenian and Polemical Societies of Queen's College. The Polemical Society is known only through references in letters written to and from John Bogart, a graduate of Queen's College and tutor during the Revolutionary War. Minutes of the Athenian Society survive as "Transactions of the Athenian Society, 1776-1786," available in the Rutgers University Archives. The instability of the college itself at that time, which was forced to close a number of times, affected the continuance of the literary societies. With the college opening it doors again at the turn of the century, the Calleopean Society was formed around 1810, and quickly established a library of over 200 books. However, the society did not last long and the college itself fell on hard times and was again forced to close. The reopening of Queen's College as Rutgers College in 1825 proved to be auspicious for the college, beginning a span of uninterrupted education that continues to this day. That first term in 1825 immediately heralded the founding of the Philoclean and Peithessophian literary societies that would feature prominently in the life of the college for the next 70 years.

History of the Peithossophian Society of Rutgers College

The name "Peithessophian means "persuasiveness of wisdom." The Peithessophian Society was founded in 1825 by Professor James Spencer Canon. Traditionally, the Society celebrated its anniversary during the last two weeks of July. William Demarest, in his A History of Rutgers College 1766-1924, states that the Peithessophian Society was founded within a month of the reconstitution of Rutgers College in 1825, several weeks earlier than its rival, the Philoclean Society. "College opened November 14 [1825] ; the date of the founding of Philoclean is reasonably well fixed as December 8, 1825; and Peithessophian, tradition says, was even earlier. . . . No original constitution is extant; the earliest copy of that of Peithessophian, known as revised, is of April 21, 1827; the earliest copy of that of Philoclean is November 11, 1831" (Demarest, pp. 297-298). The Societies' first known joint anniversary celebration was held on July 18, 1826.

The Peithessophian Society was a student literary society, descended from the eighteenth century literary societies, Athenian and Polemic. Both Peithessophian and Philoclean were founded for the intellectual broadening of their members and they both maintained their own libraries which were the central components of nineteenth century literary societies. These libraries compensated for the weaknesses of the Rutgers College Library. In 1832 the Rutgers College library held 1,290 titles and Peithessophian held 771 titles. The vast majority of the College's books were theological in nature while the strength of the Peithessophian library was literature (384 volumes) . Initially the society met in a room in Old Queens. In 1830, a new grammar school, known today as Alexander Johnston Hall, was built on the corner of College Avenue and Somerset Street and the college gave the second floor over to the two literary societies, providing each with a room to hold meetings and house their libraries. In 1848, the Societies and their libraries moved into Van Nest Hall, where they maintained and furnished their own rooms. After the move, meetings were held every Thursday evening.

Another significant function of Society activity was the sponsorship of speakers and the performance of literary exercises at weekly meetings. These exercises consisted of weekly debates on topics of current or historical interest. There were also writing exercises where essays were written on given topics, often of an Emersonian nature, that were submitted anonymously to the "Reader's Box" for critique. Speeches were given by incoming presidents, and were called inaugural addresses. On occasion, speeches were given before the group by alumni or honorary members. The Society had to acquire speakers for larger audiences as well. The Peithessophian and Philoclean Societies alternated yearly the responsibility for selecting the orator for the Junior Exhibition, held a few days before Commencement. The Exhibition featured music interspersed between orators, a format that was also followed for the anniversary celebrations, except the Exhibition featured only student members' speeches. Speakers also had to selected each year for the anniversary celebration. These speakers were often honorary members, graduate members, or other esteemed personages. The speeches were sometimes published by the Society as a fundraising effort.

The most famous speech delivered before the Peithessophian and Philoclean Societies was the 1838 address of William Wirt, statesman and former Attorney General of the U.S. (1817). The address remained popular for much of the nineteenth century since it appeared to foreshadow the coming Civil War. In fact, the essay was also published in France and Germany.

The major source of funds for the literary societies was the collection of dues, both general dues and specific payments designated for the library. Fines were often levied against members for infractions of a large variety of rule. It also seems likely that honorary members gave a monetary or literary donation upon acceptance of a nomination to the Society, although only a few letters specifically mention this. Funds were used to purchase books and badges as well as furnishings for rooms in Van Nest Hall, coal, lighting, paper, ink and other basic supplies. Sums were also paid for services such as cleaning and the ringing of the bell. The selling of rosettes at Commencement was another fundraising project for many years.

The Peithesopphian Society ranged widely in membership size, probably over one hundred members in the mid-nineteenth century. After the Civil War the membership tapered off, and by the 1880s meetings were commonly attended by only a dozen or so members present. At the time, literary exercises were often dispensed with at meetings, and reports were not maintained regularly. The last record for the Society in these files is dated 1891. The 1896 Scarlet Letter describes Van Nest Hall as the home of the Peithessophian and Philoclean Societies, but the 1897 Scarlet Letter only mentions the Philoclean and Peithessophian is not mentioned again until its revival more than two decades later.

From the guide to the Inventory to the Records of the Peithessophian Society of Rutgers College, 1825-1927, (Rutgers University Libraries. Special Collections and University Archives.)