Letter to D. M. Jones from R. K. Krout from Wabash College, 1848 February 5

Item — Box: 1, Folder: 1

Identifier: A1991-002-002

Scope and Contents

Letter discusses "carrying out the great and fundamental principles of Atalantianism" and requesting recognition of the order at Wabash from the Terre Haute branch in hope to establish a branch of the order in every "town, Academy, University and College in the Land." Written in brown ink on gray paper. Addressed to D.M. Jones Esq., Eugene, Indiana

Dates

Creation: 1848 February 5

Creator

Krout, R. K. (Person)
Jones, D. M. (Recipient, Person)

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Biographical / Historical

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Wabash College was founded in 1832 and held no official ties with the fraternity system at the time. However, there were secret societies that met and one of the secret societies, Atalantian Literati, was brought under the scrutiny of the Board of Trustees. In 1837 the board adopted a resolution that said, "No society shall be allowed to exist at Wabash unless the constitution and bylaws... shall be approved by at least one of the officers of the Institution to whom the meetings of the society shall always be open and the records subject to his inspection." The faculty were concerned with this secret society in particular because: "it withdrew students from the immediate supervision of their teachers", the meetings were "often disorderly and therefore injurious," and finally because this constituted "an element of serious disturbance to the other literary societies." The faculty said, "Those who are unwilling to comply with the law were informed that they were at liberty to withdraw and had better do it." The Atalantian men were at first upset but yielded and permitted a teacher to join their society. The faculty finally dissolved the early literary societies into two groups, Lyceum and Calliopean.