#40142

                         RECORDS OF THE
                      AMPHOTEROTHEN SOCIETY

                             in the

             University Archives and Records Service
           University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
                    Wilson Library, CB# 3926
                   Chapel Hill, North Carolina
                           27514-8890

                           April 1992
                         November 1999

     The Amphoterothen Society was founded at the University of
North Carolina in the 1912-1913 academic year as a student
organization to promote extemporaneous speaking.  The Society was
inactive from 1947-1952.  In 1959 it was reorganized by the
Forensic Council as an honorary society.  A more complete history
of the Society is reproduced below.

                    THE AMPHOTEROTHEN SOCIETY

     This organization originated on the initiative of Dr. Joseph
Gregaire de Roulhac Hamilton. He had been a member of an
organization at the University of the South called Chelidon,
meaning in Greek a swallow, hence soaring in the air, or Oratory,
which had impressed him as being quite worthwhile.  During the
academic year 1912-1913, he and three outstanding seniors, Walter
Stokes, Claude Edward Teague, Sr., and Archibald Manning Wiggins
conceived the plan of starting a comparable organization here
devoted to the training of extemporaneous speaking.  It was begun
soon after and the name Amphoterothen (meaning in Greek "from
both sides") was adopted.  No records of the meetings were
preserved until a minutes book was begun in the Fall of 1913.

     The number of members decided upon was thirteen to be chosen
from the junior and senior classes.  One of these was to be
designated as the leader for each meeting, the lead rotating
alphabetically.  After the meeting had been called to order, the
leader was to announce the subject for discussion, none of the
other twelve member having been informed previously of the topic. 
After a three-minute period of silence, the members were to be
called upon in alphabetical order, and each must speak three
minutes on the topic announced.

     At the beginning of the existence of Amphoterothen, the
meetings were held weekly at 4:44 PM in the history room in the
North entrance of the Old West building.  Dean McKee was, for
many years, the leader of this organization.  The organization
had a continuous existence until it became inactive in 1947.  The
Amphoterothen is the second oldest honorary on the campus.

     The Forensic Council of the University realized the
continued need on campus for recognition of those who excel in
forensic activity.  Therefore, having obtained the approval for
new initiates and a new basic law from alumni members, the
awakened society proceeded to reorganize in 1959.  The present
day purpose of the Amphoterothen Society is to recognize the
virtues of leadership, oratory, and service and to honor each
year the thirteen outstanding men on our campus who exemplify
these virtues.


The Records of the Society are arranged as follows:

Volume 1:  Minutes, September 19, 1913 - October 4, 1917.

Volume 2:  Minutes (including membership rolls and financial 
     records)  October 29, 1940 - December 3, 1945.

Volume 3:  Minutes, November 11, 1953 - May 1, 1962.

Volume 4:  Financial Records, 1953-1954

Volume 5:  Blank membership certificate.