Union Literary Society records

Collection

Identifier: SC-Cent. Misc. Mss. 67

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The Centenary College of Louisiana Union Literary Society records include a banner (circa 1859), printed items (1856, 1887), manuscript volumes (circa 1880-1915), and meeting minutes (1908-1925). The printed items include a program (1856) and invitations (1887). The earliest manuscript volume (circa 1880-1897) contains membership lists and the society’s constitution, which outlines the duties of officers. Another manuscript volume (1908-1909, 1915) contains membership lists and meeting minutes. Also included are loose-leaf pages containing meeting minutes (1925 May).

Dates

1856 - 1925

Creator

Union Literary Society (Organization)

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research use.

Conditions Governing Use

Physical rights are retained by the Centenary College of Louisiana Archives and Special Collections. Copyright is retained in accordance with U.S. copyright laws.

Biographical / Historical

Centenary College of Louisiana’s Union Literary Society formed in 1842. This organization (and Centenary’s other literary society, the Franklin Institute) were described in the college’s course catalog dated 1845-1846: “These [societies] are of great utility to young men acquiring a liberal education — improving them in the art of public speaking, making them in some degree familiar with the proceedings of deliberative bodies, and cultivating systematic business habits. Each has a convenient hall and well selected library.”

Extent

5 Folders

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Arrangement

Arranged by document type, then chronologically.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Likely transferred circa 1930 with additional records documenting Centenary College of Louisiana (Jackson, La.) by Centenary's president, George Sexton. See caption published in Yoncopin (Shreveport, LA: Centenary College of Louisiana, 1938), page 9. Union Literary Society banner donated by G. P. Ross on 1945 May 26.

Related Materials

Union Literary Society financial records, Cent. Misc. Mss. 93. Centenary College of Louisiana Archives and Special Collections, Shreveport, Louisiana.