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This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held in the Wilson Library at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in our reading room, and not digitally available through the World Wide Web. See the FAQ section for more information.
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Collection Overview
| Size | 31.5 feet of linear shelf space (approximately 1200 items) |
| Abstract | The Philanthropic Society was the second of two literary societies formed in 1795, the year the University of North Carolina opened. Until the mid-1870s, all enrolled students were required to be members of one of the societies. Students from the eastern portion of the state belonged to the Philanthropic Society and those from the western portion to the Dialectic Society. The societies provided literary and oratorical training, and exercised many of the functions of the present student government. Dismissal from the society meant expulsion from the University and the University's baccalaureate diploma was a society document. In 1875, the societies reorganized and compulsory membership ended. In 1886, the societies merged their extensive libraries into the University holdings. Records of the Philanthropic Society include minutes, inaugural addresses of society presidents, commencement addresses, debates, bills and resolutions, correspondence, committee records, treasurers' records, membership records, the constitution and bylaws, library catalogs and circulation records, and publicity records. Correspondence concerns requests for portraits, library book orders, invitations to deliver addresses, and financial matters. Committee records include reports of the alumni, arrangements, constitutional, education, executive, finance, housing, librarian, membership, properties, ways and means, and special committees. Treasurers' records include members' accounts, accounts of income and expenditures, records of fines, and receipts for payments of society debts. Membership records include membership lists and records of attendance at society meetings. Library records include catalogs of holdings, 1835-1880s, and circulation records, 1817-1886. |
| Creator | University of North Carolina (1793-1962). Philanthropic Society. |
| Language | English |
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Information For Users
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Subject Headings
The following terms from Library of Congress Subject Headings suggest topics, persons, geography, etc. interspersed through the entire collection; the terms do not usually represent discrete and easily identifiable portions of the collection--such as folders or items.
These and related materials may be found under the following headings in online catalogs.
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Related Collections
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Historical Information
In August 1795, less than six months after the University opened, students organized the Concord Society. Thirteen months later, they changed its name to Philanthropic Society and elected Richard Eagles its first president. Along with its companion, the Dialectic Society, the Philanthropic Society had as its goal the improvement of its members in the art and practice of debating, in English composition and writing style, and in the knowledge of parliamentary rules. It also worked to cultivate social and moral values. In fulfilling these aims, it acquired, by gift and purchase, an excellent library and portrait collection. Until the mid 1870s, all enrolled students were required to be members of one of the societies. The society to which a student belonged depended on the location of his home town. Students from the eastern portion of the state belonged to the Philanthropic Society and those from the western portion to the Dialectic Society.
In addition to providing for the members' literary needs and oratorical training, the societies functioned as the campus student government. Dismissal from one of the societies meant expulsion from the University, and the University's baccalaureate diploma a society document.
From 1795 until 1868, the societies met weekly to conduct business and to hold debates. Following the University's reopening in 1875, the societies reorganized. The following year, compulsory membership ended and the Honor System was established as the basis for student self government. In 1886, the societies merged their library holdings into the University collection. In 1919, the Philanthropic Literary Society was reorganized as the Philanthropic Assembly. Over the next several decades more and more student groups emerged to compete for members and by the mid 1950s, membership in both the Di and Phi Societies had declined to alarming levels. As an effort to ensure continuation of the organizations, the Dialectic Senate and the Philanthropic Assembly approved a merger as the Senate of the Dialectic and Philanthropic Literary Societies.
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Scope and Content
Records of the Philanthropic Society at the University of North Carolina include minutes, inaugural addresses of society presidents, commencement addresses, debates, bills and resolutions, correspondence, committee records, treasurers' records, membership records, the constitution and bylaws, library catalogs and circulation records, and publicity records. Correspondence concerns requests for portraits, library book orders, invitations to deliver addresses, and financial matters. Committee records include reports of the alumni, arrangements, constitutional, education, executive, finance, housing, librarian, membership, properties, ways and means, and special committees. Treasurers' records include members' accounts, accounts of income and expenditures, records of fines, and receipts for payments of society debts. Membership records include membership lists and records of attendance at society meetings. Library records include catalogs of holdings, 1835-1880s, and circulation records, 1817-1886.
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Series Quick Links
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Series 1. Minutes, 1795-1959.
Arrangement: chronological.
This series contains secretarys' or clerks' records of society meetings. In addition to notations on business and debates, the minute volumes contain scattered library lists, society constitutions, membership lists, and financial records. Committee reports and society resolutions are often a part of the minutes, especially originating in the 19th century.
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Series 2. Addresses/Debates, Bills/Resolutions, and Correspondence, 1804-1959 and undated.
Arrangement: alphabetical by topic, then chronological.
This series contains materials supportive of, and often duplicated in, the society's minutes in Series 1.
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Subseries 2.1. Addresses/Debates, 1842-1958.
This subseries includes copies of the society presidents' inaugural addresses, commencement addresses, and isolated intrasociety debates.
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Subseries 2.2. Bills/Resolutions, 1851-1959.
This subseries contains bills cleared by the Ways and Means Committee for floor debate as well as general and memorial resolutions read during meetings of the society. See also Minute Volumes in Series 1 and Ways and Means Committee Records in Subseries 3.18.
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Subseries 2.3. Correspondence, 1804-1956 and undated.
This subseries includes the correspondence of the society's president, secretary, and/or clerk as well as the society's Committee on Correspondence. The letters deal with requests for portraits, library book orders, billing for payment of dues and fees, invitations to deliver commencement addresses, and other topics.
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Series 3. Committee Records, 1841-1953 and undated.
Arrangement: alphabetical.
This series contains the reports of the committees created by the society. There is little other than committee reports in these files. The Committee on Correspondence materials are included in Series 2, Subseries 3. Materials produced by various special committees are in Subseries 19. Additional information on society committees, including reports, is in the minute volumes in Series 1.
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Subseries 3.1. Alumni Committee, 1947-1952.
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Subseries 3.2. Arrangements Committee, 1851-1868.
| Folder 1 |
Arrangements Committee #40166, Subseries: "3.2. Arrangements Committee, 1851-1868." Folder 1 |
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Subseries 3.3. Committee on Books, 1852-1881.
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Subseries 3.4. Constitutional Committee, 1850s, 1951-1952.
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Subseries 3.5. Education Committee, 1851-1878.
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Subseries 3.6. Executive Committee, 1951-1952.
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Subseries 3.7. Finance Committee, 1841-1953.
See also Series 4.
| Folder 1 |
Finance Committee #40166, Subseries: "3.7. Finance Committee, 1841-1953." Folder 1 |
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Subseries 3.8. Housing Committee, 1952.
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Subseries 3.9. Interim Committee, 1949-1950.
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Subseries 3.10. Investigating Committee on Alleged Violations of Summer Organizing Bill, 1948.
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Subseries 3.11. Librarian Committee, 1866-1881.
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Subseries 3.12. Magnum Medal Committee, 1952.
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Subseries 3.13. Membership Committee, 1948-1952.
See also Series 5.
| Folder 1 |
Membership Committee #40166, Subseries: "3.13. Membership Committee, 1948-1952." Folder 1 |
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Subseries 3.14. Phi-Di Committee, 1879-1880, 1949-1952.
| Folder 1 |
Phi-Di Committee #40166, Subseries: "3.14. Phi-Di Committee, 1879-1880, 1949-1952." Folder 1 |
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Subseries 3.15. Properties Committee, 1948-1952.
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Subseries 3.16. Publicity Committee, 1948-1952.
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Subseries 3.17. Supervisor and Council, 1852-1882.
| Folder 1 |
Supervisor and Council #40166, Subseries: "3.17. Supervisor and Council, 1852-1882." Folder 1 |
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Subseries 3.18. Ways and Means Committee, 1947-1953.
| Folder 1 |
Ways and Means Committee #40166, Subseries: "3.18. Ways and Means Committee, 1947-1953." Folder 1 |
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Subseries 3.19. Special Committees, 1850-1889 and undated.
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Series 4. Treasurers' Records, 1813-1926.
Arrangement: by type of account, then chronological.
This series contains the financial records of the Philanthropic Society as maintained by the Treasurer and the Finance Committee. The society's main source of income was members' dues supplemented by fines assessed for conduct violations and for misuse of library privileges.
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Subseries 4.1. Members' Accounts, 1813-1926.
This subseries contains accounts arranged by members' names. The information consists of dues and fines assessed and paid.
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Subseries 4.2. Day Books, 1830-1913.
This series includes the treasurers' general cash accounts recording income and expenditures.
| Volume 1 |
Literary Fund, 1830-1839 #40166, Subseries: "4.2. Day Books, 1830-1913." 11819-1842, 1851-1856, See Subseries 4.1., Volumes 4-9 and 11 above. |
| Volume 2 |
1859-1861 #40166, Subseries: "4.2. Day Books, 1830-1913." 2 |
| Volume 3 |
1878-1889 #40166, Subseries: "4.2. Day Books, 1830-1913." 3 |
| Volume 4 |
1889-1893 #40166, Subseries: "4.2. Day Books, 1830-1913." 4 |
| Volume 5 |
1893-1905 #40166, Subseries: "4.2. Day Books, 1830-1913." 5 |
| Volume 6 |
1905-1907 #40166, Subseries: "4.2. Day Books, 1830-1913." 6 |
| Volume 7 |
1908-1909 #40166, Subseries: "4.2. Day Books, 1830-1913." 7 |
| Volume 8 |
1912-1913 #40166, Subseries: "4.2. Day Books, 1830-1913." 8 |
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Subseries 4.3. Fine Books, 1876-1923.
This subseries records the fines assessed members for misconduct arranged chronologically by meeting date.
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Subseries 4.4. Receipt Books, 1861-1908.
The volumes in this subseries contain receipts for payments of society debts. They supplement the data in the Day Books, Subseries 4.2 above.
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Series 5. Membership Records, 1795-1959.
Arrangement: by subject, then chronological.
This series includes membership lists and records of attendance at society meetings. The lists in the form of "Catalogues of Members" were originally created when members entered their signatures to record acceptance of the society's constitution and bylaws.
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Subseries 5.1. Catalog of Members, 1795-1930.
These volumes provide lists of members by year with home addresses given in some cases. See also Stephen B. Weeks, ed., Register of Members of the Philanthropic Society (Raleigh, N.C., 1887).
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Subseries 5.2. Roll Books, 1906-1959.
This subseries contains the attendance records of the society.
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Subseries 5.3. Diploma.
This subseries consists of one oversize folder containing the original negative and one positive print of the Philanthropic Society diploma.
| Folder 1 |
Diploma #40166, Subseries: "5.3. Diploma." Folder 1 |
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Series 6. Constitution and Bylaws, 1802-1954.
Arrangement: chronological.
This series includes versions of society constitution and bylaws with amendments proposed and adopted. The original constitution, as adopted in 1795, is recorded in minute volume 1 of Series 1. See also the Constitutional Committee records, Subseries 3.4.
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Series 7. Library Records, 1817-1889.
Arrangement: by subject, then chronological.
This series includes material on the development and use of the Philanthropic Society library from the early nineteenth century until the society collection was merged with the University's holdings in the late 1880s. See also reports of the Librarian Committee, Subseries 3.11, and records of the Supervisor and Council in Subseries 3.17.
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Subseries 7.1. Catalogs of Holdings, 1835-1889.
These volumes contain a listing and holdings arranged by authors' names. A description of size, publishers' name, and alcove/shelf location are given for each title.
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Subseries 7.2. Circulation Records, 1817-1886.
This subseries includes records of loans of books and periodicals to members. The statistics are arranged by borrowers' names with the works loaned listed by date under each name.
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Series 8. Publicity Records, 1947-1959.
This series includes the notices and press releases produced by the society's Publicity Committee (see also Subseries 3.16), president, and/or clerk.
| Folder 1 |
1947-1959 #40166, Series: "8. Publicity Records, 1947-1959." Folder 1 |
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Items Separated
Processed by: University Archives Staff, April 1985, January 1991, February 2008, January 2009
Encoded by: Peter Hymas, May 2005
Revised by: Johanna Russ, February 2008, and Susan Ballinger, January 2009
Funding from the State Library of North Carolina supported the encoding of this finding aid.
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