Access & Use

Historical Note
The literary and debate societies that existed at Albion College in the nineteenth and the early twentieth centuries were conceived by Albion’s first “principal,” Charles Stockwell, as a way for students to improve their written and oral communication skills in a social atmosphere.  The Eclectic society, for men, and the Atheniaedes society, for women, were founded separately, both during the 1845-46 academic year – only a few years after the “Wesleyan Seminary” opened its doors.  Once a month, the societies would meet for a combined meeting. The two societies joined together as “brother and sister” organizations soon after they were founded, and they became a single organization in 1880.

During Albion’s early days, Eclectic and Atheniaedes meetings, exhibitions and presentations were the center of social life for students and faculty – the literary societies were the forerunners of the social fraternities and sororities that are on campus today.  In fact, it was probably the growing prevalence of national Greek letter groups on Albion’s campus in the first decades of the twentieth century that caused students to lose interest in locally-based literary groups like the “E & A.” After 80 years as an organization at Albion, the group was disbanded in 1928.

In 1929, the “Eclectic Fraternity” was founded, but it had little to do with the previous organization: it followed the format of the social fraternity, rather than a literary group.  This club, too, was forced to disband in 1933, due to “Depression woes.”

Scope & Content
The Eclectic and Atheniaedes Societies Collection consists of four series: Atheniaedes, Eclectics, Eclectic and Atheniaedes Societies (combined), and Eclectic and Atheniaedes.

Inventory