TABLE OF CONTENTS


Descriptive Summary

Historical Note

Collection Overview

Restrictions

Online Catalog Headings

Administrative Information

Detailed Description of the Collection

Minutes, 1862-1970

Chronological Files, 1887-1999

Addition of June 2008 (Acc. 2008-10), 1862-1987

Guide to the Conversational Club Collection, 1862 - 1999


Descriptive Summary
Repository Special Collections & Archives, Wesleyan University
Creator Conversational Club (Middletown, Conn.)
Title Conversational Club Collection,
Dates 1862 - 1999
Linear Feet 4.5
Archival Boxes 10
Abstract The Conversational Club was formed in 1862 by the faculty of Wesleyan University to discuss topics of interest along with other Middletown residents.
The collection has three series: Minutes, Chronological Files, and Addition of June 2008.
Call Number 1000-30
Location For current information on the location of these materials, please consult Special Collections & Archives staff.
Language of Material Material in English

Historical Note

The Conversational Club was formed in 1862 by the faculty of Wesleyan University to discuss topics of interest along with other Middletown residents. Meetings typically included dinner, a paper delivered by a club member, followed by discussion. Meetings rotated among the homes of the club members. Topics included world events, scientific and literary topics, philosophy, and anything else of general interest. The membership of the club was all male until 1987.

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Collection Overview

The collection has three series: Minutes, Chronological Files, and Addition of June 2008 (Acc. 2008-10). The Chronlogical Files include meeting notes, speeches, reply cards, bills, invitations, attendance lists, and other materials documenting club meetings. The Addition of June 2008 (Acc. 2008-10) includes program announcements, including members names and topics of discussion, from 1870 to 1963. It also includes some papers read at meetings, correspondence, meeting programs, financial information, and photographs. The materials have been arranged in roughly chronological order.

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Restrictions

Access Restrictions

No restrictions.

Copyright Notice

Copyright is retained by the authors of items in these papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.

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Online Catalog Headings

These and related materials may be found under the following headings in online catalogs.

Conversational Club (Middletown, Conn.)
Middletown (Conn.) --History.

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], Conversational Club Collection, Collection #1000-30, Special Collections & Archives, Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT, USA.

Acquisitions Information

Given by club members prior to 1997 (Acc. 1000-20), by Kay Briggs in 2000 (Acc. 2000-45), and by Karl Scheibe in 2008 (Acc. 2008-10).

Processing Information

Processed by Lina Makdisi and Valerie Gillispie, February 2007

Encoded by Valerie Gillispie, June 2007

Additional materials processed and added to finding aid by Valerie Gillispie, June 2008

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Detailed Description of the Collection

Minutes, 1862-1970
Box
1 Notes from Secretary's Record, November 17, 1862-January 24, 1876
Book I: Minutes, 1862
Book II: Minutes, 1879-1893
Book III: Minutes, 1893-1908
Book IV: Minutes, 1908-1921
Box
2 Book V: Minutes, 1921-1934
Book VI: Minutes, 1934-1947
Box
3 Book VII: Minutes, January 20, 1947- December 4, 1950
Book VIII: Minutes, January 15, 1951- February 2, 1953
Folder
1 Minutes, 1953-1958
Folder
2 Minutes, 1958-1961
Folder
3 Minutes, 1961-1963
Folder
4 Minutes, 1954-1970
Chronological Files, 1887-1999
Box Folder
4 1 1887-1900
Undated handwritten club histories
"Club Notes: a paper read at the regular meeting of the Conversational Club," by O. Vincent Coffin, November 21, 1887
Invitation, November 16, 1887
Treasurer's report, 1899
Invitation, February 1900
Bills and receipts, 1898-1900
Attendence, 1893-1900
Folder
2-7 1900-1910
Memorial minutes, circa 1900-1910
Fortieth Anniversary Invitation, 1902
Bills, 1903-1910
Letters received, 1904-1910
Reports, 1904, 1910
"A few days in the fjords of Norway," George A. Craig, April 27, 1908
Folder
8-13 1911-1919
"Co-operative Building and Loan Association," Shanklin, December 18, 1911
"Submarine War-Craft," April 19, 1915
Correspondence, 1916
Memorial minutes, 1917
"Prohibition," 1918
"Something about the Federal Reserve Bank," George A. Craig, February 17, 1919
Folder
14-23 1921-1928
"Commonplaces," Prof. Andrew C. Armstrong, circa 1920
"Something about foreign exchange," G. A. Craig, November 14, 1921
Record of meetings, 1921-1926
Invitation, Sixtieth Anniversary, November 6, 1922
"Things learned and unlearned since 1914," A.C. Armstrong, November 3, 1924
"The industrial and agricultural future of Connecticut," E. Kent Hubbard, November 17, 1924
The stuff of which our life is made, R. [Fauley?], January 5, 1925
"A Connecticut Crook," George A. Craig, April 6, 1925
"Early banking and banks in Connecticut," George A. Craig, January 3, 1927
"A home institution (Long Lane Farm)," George A. Craig, November 5, 1928
Folder
24 "Method," A.C. Armstrong, November 7, 1932
Folder
25-28 1937
Correspondence, 1937
Invitation, seventy-fifth anniversary, 1937
"Remarks of the Honorable E. Kent Hubbard," January 4, 1937
"Club history, on 75th anniversary," Karl D. Harrington, November 15, 1937
Folder
29-34 1940-1949
"Great Britain and India," Morris B. Crawford, April 15, 1940
Records of meetings, 1940-1949
"The need for defense against military and economic aggression," E. Kent Hubbard, February 3, 1941
"The parable of the irrational points," B. H. Camp, April 21, 1941
Supplementary historical notes, May 20, 1946
Group photo, 1949
Box Folder
5 1 1962
"A Commemorative Pamphlet, 1862-1962" (2 copies)
"The Conversational Club, 1862-1962: The First Century"
Folder
2-7 1964-1969
Records of meetings, 1964-1969
Speeches
"Made, not born: the life and times of J.S. Carberry," John W. Spaeth, March 16, 1964
"What do you want?," T.C. Dunham, April 19, 1965
"28 Wooster Street," Burton H. Camp, February 7, 1966
"Thee and me," Jules D. Holzberg, January 9, 1967
"The communication of the gospel in a secular age," Rev. Joseph C. Harvey, April 3, 1967
"1897," Burton H. Camp, April 8, 1968
Schedules of meetings, 1966-1967
Schedules of meetings, 1967-1968
Schedules of meetings, 1968-1969
Schedules of meetings, 1969-1970
October 1970-1971
Folder
8 Minutes
"The Ivory Tower" by Burton H. Camp, October 19, 1970
"Hero?--Anti-Hero," November 2, 1970
"The Greening of America," summary of paper delivered by Edwin D. Etherington, December 7, 1970
"Who Minds the Store," newspaper article by John Kenneth Galbraith, December 7, 1970
Abstract of a talk, "The Private Press," by Wyman W. Parker, January 11, 1971
Summary of paper, "West of Philadelphia," by Donald G. Arnault, February 1, 1971
"The Delicate Air," April 5, 1971
"The Last of the Big-Time Spenders," by Ralph H. Shaw the 2nd, October 4, 1971
Record of meetings, 1970
Correspondence, 1970
Constitution, 1970
Summary of meeting and speech, October 6, 1970
Folder
9 Schedules of meetings, 1970-1971
1971
Folder
10 Records of meetings, 1971
Summaries of meetings and speeches, November-December 1971
Correspondence, 1971
"Q.H.F. and Others," John W. Spaeth, Jr., March 1, 1971
Memorial minute, October 4, 1971
Music program, November 1, 1971
"The stuff of fiction," John W. Paton, December 6, 1971
Folder
11 Schedules of meetings, 1971-1972
1972
Folder
12 Records of meetings, 1972
Correspondence, 1972
"Served dinner suggestions," April 10, 1972
Summaries of meetings and speeches, February-December 1972
Folder
13 Schedules of meetings, 1972-1973
1973
Folder
14 Summaries of meetings and speeches, January-December 1973
Folder
15 "Not for bread alone," Victor L. Butterfield, January 8, 1973
Records of meetings, 1973
Correspondence, 1973
Folder
16 Schedules of meetings, 1973-1974
1974
Folder
17 Summaries of meetings and speeches, January-December 1974
Folder
18 "F.R. and C.R.," Gordon B. McWilliams, March 4, 1974
"A chicken in the pot," Max Tishler, December 2, 1974
Folder
19 Schedules of meetings, 1974-1975
1975-1976
Folder
20 Summaries of meetings and speeches, January-May 1976
Minutes
"American Bird Photographers and Bird Photography" by Joseph R. Swain, May 5, 1975
"The Drafting of the Declaration of Independence"
Precis--"The Man Who Couldn't Seak Japanese"
Summary of paper on Near Eastern themes: Tawfik al-HJakim, Egyptian Abrabic literature by Mehadin K. Arafeh
"The P of P & Z" (planning and zoning) by R. H. Shaw, II, February 2, 1976
"Grandfather and Leo," summary of paper delivered April 5, 1976
"Influences, a precis" speech about education, by John W. Paton
Folder
21 Schedules of metings, 1975-1976
Folder
22 1976-1977
Election letter, October 1976
Summaries of meetings and speeches, 1976-1977
Minutes
"f/64" paper on Ansel Adams by Russell G. D'Oench, Jr.
"Myths and Paradigms: The Interaction of Humanities and Scientists" summary of a presentation to the club, February 7, 1977
Schedules of metings, 1976-1977
1977-1978
Box Folder
6 1 Summaries of meetings and speeches, 1977-1978
Minutes
Summary of Mr. Lockwood's paper, October 3, 1977
"'Tis the Seanson Melancholy" by Mr. Roberts
Summary, "For Better or For Worse"
Abstract, "Skulduggery in Middletown"
Folder
2 Schedules of metings, 1977-1978
1978-1979
Folder
3 Summaries of meetings and speeches, 1978-1979
Minutes
"M I I: Help!" by J.R. Swain (Indian ivory carvings)
Summary of paper, "The Fateful Year" by W. M. Wallace
Paper, "Defense" (author unkown)
Folder
4 Schedules of metings, 1978-1979
1979-1980
Folder
5 Summaries of meetings and minutes, October 1979-April 1980
Minutes
"Precis of Paper"
Summary of paper, "Henry, Hudson and Beaver" by John W. Paton
Summary of talk, "Freud Never Cured An Eskimo" February 4, 1980
Folder
6 Schedules of meetings, 1979-1980
Folder
7 Reply cards, 1980
1980-1981
Summaries of meetings and minutes, 1980-1981
Minutes
Memos
"Old Woman River" by W.M.
"1902 Summary"
A précis of a presentation to the club, "Nuns, A Sports Day, the Virgin Kumari, and Academia," given on May 4, 1981
Speech, "The Story of Penicillin," by Max Tishler, November 2, 1981
Schedules of meetings, 1980-1981
Folder
10 1981-1982
Schedules of meetings
Folder
11 1982
Minutes
Speech by Henry J. Naruk (untitled)
"In Defense of the Hangman," February 1, 1982 (2 copies)
"Soldiers Stones"
"Wilson at Wesleyan" by Willard M. Wallace
Recollections of Wesleyan in the 1920s
Outline of Mr. Dunham's paper on "Bombs Away"
Folder
12 1982-1983
Schedules of meetings
Folder
13 1983
Minutes
Precis of paper, "Veritas?"
Precis of "Except for Money"
Middlesex Memorial Hospital Community Mental Health Clinic, summary of paper, "YAC"
Folder
14 1983-1984
Schedules of meetings
Folder
15 1984
Minutes
"Was Lavius the One?"
Abstract of talk on Joel Barlow
Precis, "A Slight Case of McCarthyism"
Precis, "Are There Limits to Genetic Engineering?"
Summary of paper, "Expectations, Possibilities, and Realties" by Gordon B. McWilliams
Precis, "J.W.C. Pennington"
Folder
16 1984-1985
Schedules of meetings
Folder
17 1985
Minutes
Speech, "Lui, Mu and Jimmy," about trip to China
Speech, "Jouney to Outer Space"
Speech, "Was Lavius the One?"
Folder
18 1985-1986
Precis of "A Crisis of Presidential Succession in a Land of Kings," by Karl E. Scheibe
Speech, "Learning the Hard Way: 1758, 1775, 1815"
Precis, "Una Passeggiata"
Folder
19 1986-1987
Minutes
Speech, "An Eighteenth Century Loner"
Summary of paper, "The Common Bowl"
Paper, "Plauge-American Style"
Results of anonymous questionnaire about admitting women to the Conversation Club
Newspaper article about Conversation Club member Rev. Joseph R. Swain Jr.
Pamphlet from funeral service of Rev. Joseph R. Swain Jr.
Precis, "Hiki Ni Kidole"
Folder
20 1987-1988
Precis, "Looking Backward"
Summary of speech, "Seven Sleepless Years"
"Market to Market, Bah Humbug"
Precis, "Fifty Million Dollars Per Year"
P"A Commemorative Pamphlet, 1862-1962-1987" (2 copies)
Box Folder
7 1 1988-1989
Minutes
Precis, "The Athroposphere: What Are We Doing With It?"
Precis, "Zitti, Zitti, Piano, Piano!"
Precis, "Winslow Homer"
Precis, "An Alsatian Elegy"
Hartford Canoe Club pamphlet
Folder
2 1989-1990
Mr. Barlow's speech on "Parks and Fields" and the metaphysics of baseball
Precis, "Exit Parens: Init Lex"
Precis, "Blowin' Snow" paper to be delivered by Karl Scheibe
Folder
3 Membership and attendance, 1980-1989
Folder
4 1990-1991
Minutes
Speech, "R.E. Litigant"
Speech, "Q is for Quadruped"
Speech, "Count the Days"
Precis, "These Are A Few Of My Favorite Theorems"
Folder
5 1991-1992
Speech, "When I Was A Lady"
Speech, "Why Are Our Children Having Children?"
Speech, "Diary of a Frenchman"
Precis, "The Overworked American"
"Precis of offering at Conversation Club" (essay on different types of thinkers, i.e. are you a "fox" or a "hedgehog"?)
Folder
6 1992-1993
"La Plume de ma Tante and the Old School Tie"
"Ever Since Columbus"
Abstract, "Knute Kenneth Rocknue, a Legend in His Time"
"At the Gates," by Peter Frenzel
Precis, "Little Johnny Riordan," a talk given by George Creeger
Abstract, "The Couch and the Mirror"
"Middletown 2000"
Folder
7 1993-1994
Minutes
Precis, "One's Name is One's Destiny"
Speech, "Fat Mary"
Precis, "The Far Shore" by Derry D'Oench
"Estado Libre Asociado-The 1993 Puerto Rican Referendum"
Precis "What's a Nice Girl Like Me Doing in an Old Boys' Club Like This?"
Synopsis of paper "Broken Heaventalk" by Jon Barlow
Folder
8 1994-1995
Minutes
Precis, "Extreme Groups" by Karl Scheibe
Summary, "Economy, Unexpectedness, and Inevitability"
Precis, "The Simple Machine"
Paper, "Fair Trail-Free Press"
Speech, "A Twirl of Colors" by David Lavine
Precis, "Life After Wesleyan?" by Edgar F. Beckham
Folder
9 1995-1996
Minutes
Handwritten notes from meetings on small note pad paper
"Speech," Lady Gregory
Abstract of paper on "Education"
Precis, "HardDrive Memory: Around the World on a Laptop"
Speech, "Where's the Beef?"
Folder
10 1996-1997
Minutes
Abstract, "The Trojan Horse in our Midst-Friend or Foe?"
Abstract, "What You See"
Abstract, "Caruso in Petticoats," about Rosa Ponselle, opera singer from Meriden, Connecticut
Abstract, "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly"
Letter to the club members about "Proposed nomination conventions"
Precis, "The End of the Affair"
Folder
11 1997-1998
Minutes
Abstract, "Keener Sounds"
Precis, "Sagarmartha"
Abstract, "They don't make 'em like this any more"
Abstract, "Man, Reproduction, and the 20th Century"
Abstract, "CASSP"
Abstract, "The Tongues of Fire"
Abstract, "Middletown Lawyers and Other Colorful Characters, 1789-1813"
Handwritten club meeting notes on notepad paper
Folder
12 1998-1999
Minutes
Abstract, "Dear Miss Lucy"
Abstract, "Sweet Are the Uses of Adversity: Federal Patronage of the Arts in the Great Depression," by Willian J. Barber
Abstract, "Lost in the Parking Lot" by Robert L. Kirkpatrick, Jr.
Abstract, "Charley at the Bat"by Jon Barlow
Abstract, "Fore"
Abstract, "Inappropriate Relations and the Twentieth Century Decline of the Nation State"
Precis, "Loss" by Derry D'Oench
Notes on the nomination process
Addition of June 2008 (Acc. 2008-10), 1862-1987
The materials in this series have been arranged roughly chronologically.
Box
8 Program cards, 1870-1963
These were sent to members prior to each meeting. They list current members and the host, topic, and speaker for the upcoming meeting.
Box Folder
9 1 Club member index cards, 1862-1874
Folder
2 Club Notes: a paper read at the regular meeting of the Conversational Club, 22 March 1880
Folder
3 Club member index cards, 1888-1959
Box Folder
10 1 Anniversary meeting programs, 1902, 1912, 1922
2 Season programs, 1911-1914, 1916-1918, 1925-1926, 1965-1971, 1973-1974
3 Group photo, circa 1948-1949
4 Socratic Literary Society, 1950-1953
5