About the Archives: A Student Perspective

Did you know...:

     *The archives not only stores photos and documents, but also scrapbooks and costumes from alumni?

     *Documents stored include past issues of The College Days, Crimson, Parallax, Scribbler, Student Handbooks and Directories, and course catalogues?

     *The archives works in coordination with the Ripon Historical Society? Sometimes materials overlap between the community and the college.

Many unique and fun photos such as these can be found in the archives.

Interesting Investigating

     Until one looks in the archives, one does not understand the magnitude of the collection contained in such a small room. Photos, documents, and various "artifacts," dating from the beginning of the college (when it was know as Brockway College) to the present, inhabit this room. Any student, as well as faculty or community member, can obtain a better understanding of the history of Ripon College. History is not some vicarious subject in which the reader only learns through second hand source material. Many materials show that history is more personal and tangible than one may believe. 

*Class curriculums can, and should be, arranged using the archives as a major resource.*

Interesting Topics to Explore:

*The development of athletics, social life, commencement rituals, and/or student organizations as early as the 1860's, especially literary societies

*Past professors and faculty--They had lives outside the classroom!

*Staging, set lists, and designs of past theatre and music productions

*The first graduating class: The Class of 1867

*The development of course and department curriculums

*The role of religion and/or community on Ripon College

*The life of one student in a particular graduating class: course requirements for graduation and a major, social activities, and important news stories during their attendance.

Interesting Facts:

*Ripon College was once comprised of as many as five schools! Yes, Ripon College was not only the site of the college, but Preparatory, Music, Painting and Drawing, and Bible Schools. 

*Harrison Ford was a cartoonist for The College Days!

*Spencer Tracy never graduated from Ripon College. In fact, he only attended for a year before pursuing an acting career. However, this still qualifies him as an alum.

*Both men and women were enrolled in the same curriculum in the early years, but they were still separated by gender for classes. So a male could take the same Bible course as a woman, but they would only attend class with their respective gender. The fact that women were admitted into the college from its inception in the 1850's shows just how truly progressive the college was at the time.

*Tuition for a full year at the college in 1900 was at the large sum of $140!

*The College Days was more of a literary journal in 1868, run by the Ecolian and Athenian literary societies.

*One of the rarest Crimson issues dates from 1945. Not many were published due to World War II shifts in the student body.

*The second president of Ripon College, E.H. Merrell, married a former student, Ada Merrell! Courtship letters can be found among the archive's collection.

*The only college president to have two separate terms is Silas Evans-- 1901-1907 and 1921-1943. In fact, he also holds the record for the longest time as president--29 years! The shortest term is President Culburtson (1918-1920).

*The archives once contained a piece of Confederate money, now returned and placed out of use.

*"He huffed and he puffed." Not even a brick and stone building is prone to fire, and Ripon College buildings are no exception. East, Middle (Smith), and Ingram Hall were both victims to fire. A fire in the Red Barn Theater (formerly in front of Johnson Hall), resulted in a complete loss. The fire in Ingram Hall was due to an explosion in which the roof completely blew off the building!

*In the mid-1910's, the senior class treasurer escaped with the senior class money! He completely disappeared from campus, and no one could find him!

Interesting "Artifacts:"

*American Presidential Signatures Collection, ranging from Washington and Lincoln to Franklin Roosevelt and Kennedy

*Old Diplomas

*Scrapbooks many times contain dance cards from various socials, music and theater programs, and day by day accounts of life at Ripon College

*Brockway College catalogue, dating 1855

*Letters from a Civil War soldier

*Botany and poetry books once belonging to Professor Clarissa Tracy

*Minutes of Athenian Society meetings, dating 1865