College literary societies

College literary societies in American higher education were a distinctive kind of social organization, distinct from literary societies generally, and they were often the precursors of college fraternities and sororities.[1] In the period from the late eighteenth century to the Civil War, collegiate literary societies were an important part of campus social life. College literary societies are often called Latin literary societies because they typically had compound Latinate names.

Literary and other activities

Most literary societies' literary activity consisted of formal debates on topical issues of the day, but literary activity could include original essays, poetry, music, etc. As a part of their literary work, many also collected and maintained their own libraries for the use of the society's members. "College societies were the training grounds for men in public affairs in the nineteenth century."[1]

The societies could fulfill this function because they were independent organizations, and entirely student run activities. "The societies were virtually little republics, with their own laws and a democratically elected student administration."[1]

Topics could include Classical history, religion, ethics, politics, and current events. Controversial topics not covered in the official curriculum were often the most popular. Studies have been done, for example, finding an increasing discussion of slavery at literary society meetings through the 1850s.[2] In addition to debates, in the years before the Civil War, college literary societies sponsored addresses by politicians and other dignitaries. Most frequently those addresses were delivered in conjunction with graduation, but there were also literary society addresses at the beginning of the school year and at other important dates, such as July Fourth.[3] The most famous of those addresses is Ralph Waldo Emerson's "The American Scholar." Yet, there were hundreds of others, most of which were less radical than Emerson's address.[4]

Demosthenian Hall at the University of Georgia, built in 1824

Since these organizations are virtually the oldest kind of student organization in America, where they have survived, they are seen as ancient institutions. One author from Georgia acknowledged that fact (by parody) in discussing his own society: "The origin of the Washington Society dates back to the glory days of the Jurassic Period of the Mesozoic Era. It was during this time that great plant-eating dinosaurs roamed the Earth, feeding on lush growths of ferns and palm-like cycads and bennettitaleans. Meanwhile, smaller but vicious carnivores stalked the great herbivores. The oceans were full of fish, squid, and coiled ammonites, plus great ichthyosaurs and the long-necked plesiosaurs. Vertebrates first took to the air, like the mighty pterosaurs and the first true birds. The supercontinent Pangaea began to break up and disperse itself across the Earth's surface, sending a big chunk of land to the very spot where Thomas Jefferson's decomposed old ass lies buried today. And it is on this same chunk of land, a few miles away, that Mr. Jefferson's University sits, home to the Washington Literary Society and Debating Union."[5]

In April, 1978, several literary societies held a Congress hosted by the Dialectic and Philanthropic Societies of the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina. It was at this gathering that the Association of American Collegiate Literary Societies (AACLS) was established. For the next two decades, AACLS would hold a Congress in the spring to conduct business, and a Rhetor in the autumn where debates, literary exercises, and exchanges of literary magazines took place.

Libraries

Since every college literary society saw itself as complementing the classical curriculum with the knowledge of current events, the societies also had libraries. "At a number of Northern colleges...the society libraries were larger than the college libraries. The society libraries were also high in quality, as shown by their printed catalogs... Rivalry between the two societies at each college extended to their libraries; each tried to have a larger library than the other."[1] A number of societies, especially in the South, would build separate buildings for the societies and their libraries.[1] On the austere college campus of two centuries ago, "the only fairly comfortable and attractive places were the rooms of the literary societies. Their members,... raised money for rugs, draperies, and comfortable, even luxurious, furniture."[1]

In relation to campuses

Members of the Miami University Erodelphian Literary Society, 1906.

Members of the Miami University Adelphic Association, 1913.

Members of the Arlington Training School's Jolly Junior Literary Society, circa 1913-1916

Typically, a college would have two or more competing societies. The campus societies were generally intense competitors. Some examples include the Philodemic and Philonomosian Societies at Georgetown University, the American Whig and Cliosophic Societies at Princeton University, Social Friends and United Fraternity at Dartmouth College, the Philorhetorian and Peithologian societies at Wesleyan University, the Philologian and Philotechnian societies at Williams College, the Philomathean and Zelosophic societies at the University of Pennsylvania, the Philolexian and Peithologian societies at Columbia University, the Clariosophic, Euphradian, and the Euphrosynean societies at the University of South Carolina, the Phi Kappa and Demosthenian societies at the University of Georgia, the Linonia and Brothers in Unity at Yale University, the Miami Union and Erodelphian (previously Adelphic) societies at Miami University and Dialectic and Philanthropic Societies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. These societies were usually in a limited adversarial role; at Columbia University the Peithologian and Philolexian were competitors, and they maintained a rivalry that was friendly at best and highly charged at worst. In his famous diary, George Templeton Strong recorded that a Philolexian gathering was disrupted by "those rascally Peithologians"; and firecrackers and stink bombs, tossed into the midst of each other's meetings, were usually the weapons of choice.

Membership in these societies was not only open to all the students in the college, but in many cases membership was all but required. At the opening of University of South Carolina virtually all students were members of the Philomathic Society which was soon divided by lot into the Clariosophic and Euphradian societies. The Euphrosynean Literary Society was later formed at the University of South Carolina to include the female population and serve as a sister society to the Euphradians. In some cases, intense recruitment battles would ensue over new students, and to avoid problems some colleges chose to assign incoming students to one or the other literary society. This pattern was followed, for example, at Dartmouth, where the faculty imposed rule was "The students of College shall be assigned according to the odd or even places which their names shall hold on an alphabetical list of the members of each successive class..."[6] Having two societies on a campus encouraged competition, and a thriving society would have interesting enough meetings to attract full attendance from its membership and perhaps even people from the community. These societies met publicly, sometimes in large lecture rooms, and in most instances the literary exercises would consist of a debate, but could also include speeches, poetry readings, and other literary work.

Private literary societies

There also is a fundamentally distinct type of literary society, that, although formed at a college and following the same forms and kinds of literary exercises, were limited to a small subset of the college. These are private literary societies, such as Phi Beta Kappa or Yale's Elizabethan Club. Membership is usually by invitation. They share all the characteristics with a college literary society, except that they are not open to all students; and they share many of the characteristics of a college fraternity.

Literary societies and fraternities

In the 1830s and 1840s, students began to organize private literary societies for smaller groups, and these more intimate associations quickly developed into wholly secret associations. Groups such as the Kappa Alpha, Sigma Phi, Delta Phi, Mystical Seven, Alpha Delta Phi, Psi Upsilon, and Delta Kappa Epsilon and virtually all the pre-Civil War college fraternities were either first organized as literary societies or derived from factions split off of literary societies. In some cases, literary societies such as Trinity College's Cleo of Alpha Chi became chartered as chapters of national fraternities. These new organizations held meetings and were organized on identical lines to the large literary societies. Soon, the existence of these smaller private Greek letter organizations undermined the large Latin literary societies. Competition from athletics and other entertainments also took a toll, so that many dissolved or existed in name only by the 1880s. A literary society almost always provided its members with an extensive library, either available to members only, or to the campus at large. When the societies dissolved, their libraries were transferred to the college libraries, and in many colleges the acquisition of the literary societies' libraries was a significant change in their collection, usually broadening the colleges libraries' scope into popular literature, but often also adding important and rare works.

Although literary societies had Latin names, and fraternities had Greek names reduced to initials, this is not always the case, however; Phi Phi Society at Kenyon and the Phi Kappa at Georgia are examples of large literary societies with Greek names. The Clariosophic and Euphradian societies at South Carolina both had Greek letter aliases, Mu Sigma Phi and Phi Alpha Epsilon, respectively, which appeared on their seals, but which were not used in normal conversation or writing.

In the following table, there are two types of literary societies listed together, the college literary societies, (frequently half the college's student body), and smaller private societies, and were admission by invitation. Some of these societies are still active.

Today

The University of Georgia hosts two literary societies (both of which were temporarily disbanded during the Civil War and the subsequent Union occupation): the Demosthenian Literary Society, founded in 1803, and the Phi Kappa Literary Society, founded in 1820 and dormant from the 1970s until its official reestablishment in 1991. Similarly, the Philolexian Society of Columbia University, established in 1802, operated more or less continuously until expiring in the early 1950s and, except for a brief revival in the early 1960s, was not revived until 1985. The Dialectic and Philanthropic Societies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill were founded in 1795, closed for approximately four years when the university was shuttered during Reconstruction, and reopened. These societies merged in 1959 and still meet today as a "joint senate." The Euphradian Society at the University of South Carolina, established in 1806, was deactivated sometime during the late 1970s; it was reactivated by alumni in 2011. The Clariosophic Society, also established in 1806 at the University of South Carolina, was reactivated in 2013. The Euphrosynean Literary Society, established in 1924 at the University of South Carolina, was reactivated in 2015. The Linonian Society at Yale University is the oldest society to still be in existence, founded in 1753, the society went defunct sometime in the 1890s and was revamped at the beginning of the 21st century making it with over a century of dormancy the oldest literary society in the United States.

In recent years, the Philodemic Society of Georgetown University has attempted to resuscitate the long tradition of intercollegiate debate between collegiate literary societies with the Annual East Coast Conference of Collegiate Literary Debate Societies, held in conjunction with a masked ball known as the Kai Yai Yai ball. The competition is held at the beginning of October and has in recent years included the Philomathean Society, the American Whig-Cliosophic Society of Princeton University, the Dialectic and Philanthropic Societies of the University of North Carolina, the Demosthenian Literary Society and Phi Kappa Literary Society of The University of Georgia in Athens, the Enosinian Society of The George Washington University and the Jefferson Literary and Debating Society of the University of Virginia.[7]

Some early college social fraternities still meet in a literary society format, including Kappa Alpha, Alpha Delta Phi, and Mystical 7.

There are seven literary societies at Illinois College in Jacksonville, Illinois where they have remained despite the nationwide trend of developing into fraternities and sororities; these include: Phi Alpha Literary Society, Chi Beta Literary Society, Sigma Pi Literary Society, Gamma Nu Literary Society, Sigma Phi Epsilon Literary Society, Pi Pi Rho Literary Society, and Gamma Delta Literary Society.

List of literary societies in the United States

Founded	Ended	Society	College or University	Source and notes
1750	1787	F. H. C.	William & Mary	[8]
1750	1772	Crotonia Society	Yale	[8]
1753	Present	Linonian Society	Yale	[8]
1765	1928	American Whig Society	Princeton	[8]
1765	1928	Cliosophic Society	Princeton	[8]
1768	unknown	Brothers in Unity	Yale	[8]
1770	unknown	Institute of 1770	Harvard	[8]
1771	unknown	Pronouncing Society	Brown	[8]
1773	1781	P. D. A.	William & Mary	[9]
1776	1786	Athenian Society	Rutgers	[8][10]
1776	1787	Phi Beta Kappa Society	William & Mary	[8]
1776	1782	Polemical Society	Rutgers	[10]
1780	Present	Phi Beta Kappa Society	Yale	[11]
1781	Present	Phi Beta Kappa Society	Harvard	[8]
1783	Defunct	Social Friends Society	Dartmouth	[8]
1786	Present	Belles Lettres Society	Dickinson	[12][13]
1786	Defunct	United Fraternity	Dartmouth	[8]
1787	Present	Phi Beta Kappa Society	Dartmouth	[8]
1789	Present	Union-Philanthropic Society	Hampden-Sydney	[14][15]
1789	Present	Union Philosophical Society	Dickinson	[12]
1789	1795	Society for Progress in Letters	Columbia	[16]
1791	unknown	Porcellian Society	Harvard	[17]
1793	1890	Calliopean Society	Union	[18]
1794	1866	Philermenian Society	Brown	[8][19]
1795	Present	Dialectic Society	North Carolina	[20]
1795	Present	Philanthropic Society	North Carolina	[20]
1795	unknown	Philologian Society	Williams	[20]
1795	unknown	Philotechnian Society	Williams	[20]
1796	unknown	Adelphic Society	Union	[20]
1797	Present	Franklin Literary Society	Jefferson	[21]
1797	unknown	Philo Literary Society	Jefferson	[21]
1802	Present	Philolexian Society	Columbia	[8][16]
1802	1887	Athenaean Society	Bowdoin	[20][22]
1803	Present	Demosthenian Literary Society	Georgia	[14][20]
1803	unknown	Phi Sigma Nu Society	Vermont	[20]
1805	Present	Peucinian Society	Bowdoin	[20]
1806	unknown	Peithologian Society	Columbia	[8]
1806	Present	Clariosophic Society	South Carolina	[23][24]
1806	Present	Euphradian Society	South Carolina	[1][24]
1806	1866	United Brothers Society	Brown	[8][19]
1807	unknown	Philological Society	Pennsylvania	[8]
1809	unknown	Union Literary Society	Washington	[21]
1811	unknown	Hermean Society	Pennsylvania	[14]
1813	Present	Philomathean Society	Pennsylvania	[8]
1814	unknown	Washington Literary Society	Washington	[21]
1814	unknown	Phoenix Society	Hamilton	[20]
1814	unknown	Union Society	Hamilton	[20]
1817	Present	Phi Beta Kappa Society	Union	[11]
1819	Present	Calliopean Society	Yale	[14][25]
1819	1830	Patrick Henry Society	Virginia	[14]
1820	Present	Phi Kappa Literary Society	Georgia	[14][26]
1820	unknown	Henodelphisterian Society	Indiana	[27]
1821	unknown	Alexandrian Society	Amherst	[1]
1821	unknown	Athenian Society	Amherst	[1]
1822	Present	Enosinian Society	George Washington	[28]
1822	unknown	Franklin Debating Society	Randolph-Macon	[14]
1823	unknown	Ciceronian Society	George Washington	[28]
1824	1834	Franklin Society	Brown	[29]
1824	unknown	Athenaeum Society	Trinity	[1]
1824	unknown	Society for Inquiry	Colgate	[1]
1825	Present	Jefferson Society	Virginia	[14][30]
1825	Present	Phi Beta Kappa Society	Bowdoin	[11]
1825	1892	Philoclean Society	Rutgers	[1]
1825	unknown	Agatheridan Society	Nashville	[23]
1825	1891	Peithissophian Society	Rutgers	[1][10]
1825	1924	Erodelphian Literary Society	Miami University	[31][32]
1825	1928	Miami Union Literary Society	Miami University	[32]
1826	unknown	Franklin Society	William & Mary	[1]
1826	unknown	Philozetian Society	Western Reserve	[33]
1827	unknown	Literary Fraternity	Colby	[1]
1827	unknown	Parthenon Society	Trinity	[1]
1827	unknown	Philomathesian Society	Kenyon	[34]
1828	unknown	Nu Pi Kappa Society	Kenyon	[34]
1828	unknown	Philomathean Society	College of Charleston	[35]
1829	unknown	Beth-Hacma	Maryville	[36]
1829	unknown	Sophirodelphian Society	Maryville	[36]
1829	unknown	Transylvania Whig Society	Transylvania	[37]
1829	unknown	Union Philosophical Society	Transylvania	[38]
1829	unknown	Zelosophic Society	Pennsylvania	[1]
1830	Present	Phi Beta Kappa Society	Brown	[11]
1830	Present	Philodemic Society	Georgetown	[14][39]
1830	unknown	Athenian Society	Indiana	[27]
1830	unknown	Calliopean Society	Maine Wesleyan	[1]
1830	unknown	Philosophronian Society	Hanover	[40]
1830	unknown	Union Literary Society	Hanover	[40]
1831	Present	Washington Literary Society and Debating Union	Virginia	[5][14]
1831	1840	Adelphic Society	Western Reserve	[33]
1831	1933	Erosophic Society	Alabama	[1][41]
1831	unknown	Euphradian Society	College of Charleston	[35]
1831	1840	Franklin Society	Western Reserve	[33]
1831	unknown	Peithologian Society	Wesleyan	[1]
1831	unknown	Philomathean Society	Indiana	[27]
1831	unknown	Philorhetorian Society	Wesleyan	[1]
1832	1943	Philomathic Society	Alabama	[1][41]
1833	1840	Gamma Phi Society	Colgate	[42]
1833	1834	Franklin Polemic Society	Mercer	[14]
1833	Present	Washington Society	Randolph-Macon	[14]
1834	1943	Eucleian Society	New York	[1]
1834	1888	Philomathean Society	New York	[14]
1834	unknown	Beth-Hacma ve Berith	Maryville	[36]
1834	Defunct	Ciceronian Society	Mercer	[14]
1834	unknown	Ladies' Literary Society	Oberlin	[43]
1834	Defunct	Phi Delta Society	Mercer	[14]
1834	unknown	Philo-Franklin Society	Allegheny	[1]
1834	unknown	Philomathean Society	Wabash	[44]
1834	1840	Pi Delta Society	Colgate	[42]
1835	unknown	Allegheny Society	Allegheny	[1]
1835	unknown	Calliopean Society	Denison	[33]
1835	unknown	Diagnothian Society	Franklin & Marshall	[1]
1835	unknown	Erosophian Adelphoi Society	Colby	[1]
1835	unknown	Euphronean Society	Wabash	[44]
1835	Present	Euzelian Society	Wake Forest	[45]
1835	unknown	Philomathesian Society	Wake Forest	[45]
1835	unknown	Society for Religious Inquiry	Vermont	[1]
1836	unknown	Chi Delta Society	East Tennessee	[46]
1836	unknown	Philomathesian Society	East Tennessee	[46]
1836	unknown	Union Literary Society	Muskingum	[23]
1837	Present	Philanthropic Society	Davidson	[23][47]
1837	Present	Eumenean Society	Davidson	[23][47]
1837	Defunct	Phi Gamma Society	Emory	[23]
1837	unknown	Philosophian Society	McKendree	[23]
1838	unknown	Cliosophic Society	College of Charleston	[35]
1838	unknown	Platonian Society	Indiana Asbury	[23]
1839	~1932	Tau Theta Kappa Society	Georgetown College (KY)	[23]
1839	~1932	Ciceronian Society	Georgetown College (KY)	[23]
1839	unknown	Alpha Kappa Society	Marietta	[23]
1839	unknown	Dialectic Society	Oberlin	[43]
1839	Present	Euphemian Society	Erskine	[14][48]
1839	Defunct	Few Society	Emory	[14]
1839	unknown	Licivyronian Society	William & Mary	[1]
1839	(Defunct 1863)	Phi Delta Society	Oglethorpe	[49]
1839	unknown	Philological Society	Indiana Asbury	[23]
1839	unknown	Philomathesian Society	Oberlin	[43]
1839	unknown	Psi Gamma Society	Marietta	[23]
1839	Present	Thalian Society	Oglethorpe	[49]
1840	1880	Adelphian Society	Colgate	[1][42]
1840	1887	Aeonian Society	Colgate	[50]
1840	(Present)	Calliopean Society	Emory & Henry	[51]
1840	Present	Hermesian Society	Emory & Henry	[51]
1840	unknown	Phi Delta Society	Western Reserve	[33]
1840	unknown	Philalethian Society	Hanover	[52]
1840	unknown	Tau Chi Society	William & Mary	[1]
1841	unknown	Philopaedian Society	St. Xavier	[23]
1842	unknown	Adelphi Society	Howard	[53]
1842	unknown	Franklin Society	Howard	[53]
1842	Present	Philomathean Society	Erskine	[54]
1842	unknown	Phi Phi Alpha Society	Michigan	[1]
1843	unknown	Alpha Nu Society	Michigan	[23]
1843	unknown	Franklin Society	Denison	[1]
1843	Present	Sigma Pi Society	Illinois	[23][55]
1844	unknown	Clever Fellows Society	Albion	[56]
1844	unknown	Clever Girls Society	Albion	[56]
1845	unknown	Adelphi Society	Knox	[57]
1845	unknown	Atheniaedes Society	Albion	[58]
1845	Defunct	Calliopean Society	Citadel	[14][59]
1845	unknown	Eclectic Society	Albion	[58]
1851	Present	Excelsior Men's Society	Heidelberg	[23]
1845	unknown	Hermean Society	Geneva	[1]
1845	Present	Phi Alpha Society	Illinois	[23][55]
1845	unknown	Zetagathea Society	Ohio Wesleyan	[23]
1846	unknown	Alfreidian Lyceum Society	Alfred	[23]
1846	unknown	Philomathean Society	Muskingum	[23]
1846	unknown	Philosophian Society	Wittenberg	[23]
1847	unknown	Calliopean Society	Wabash	[23]
1847	unknown	Chrestomathean Society	Ohio Wesleyan	[23]
1847	unknown	Lyceum Society	Wabash	[23]
1847	Present	Polytechnic Literary Society	Citadel	[14][59]
1847	Present	St. Anthony Hall	Columbia
1848	1948	Chrestomathic Society	College of Charleston	[14][60]
1848	unknown	Philomatic Society	Spring Hill	[61]
1848	unknown	Tripartite Union	Lycoming	[1]
1849	unknown	Alethearian Society	Geneva	[62]
1849	unknown	Gnothautii Society	Knox	[23]
1849	1946	Hermaean Society	Mississippi	[14]
1849	1934	Phi Sigma Society	Mississippi	[14]
1849	unknown	Philo-Christomathean Society	Geneva	[62]
1849	Defunct	Platonian Society	McKendree	[23]
1850	unknown	Athenian Society	Wisconsin	[63]
1850	unknown	Belles Letters Society	Lycoming	[1]
1850	unknown	Ciceronian Society	Roanoke	[23]
1850	Defunct	Columbian Society	Carson-Newman	[14]
1850	1866	Delphic Society	Rochester	[1][64]
1850	unknown	Demosthenean Society	Roanoke	[23]
1850	unknown	Eupia Society	Bucknell	[23]
1850	unknown	Orophilian Lyceum Society	Alfred	[23]
1850	Defunct	Philomathean Society	Carson-Newman	[14]
1850	unknown	Philophrenian Society	Columbian	[23]
1850	unknown	Pithonian Society	Rochester	[1]
1850	unknown	Soverville Society	Ohio Female	[23]
1850	unknown	St. Aloysius Literary Society	University of Notre Dame	[65]
1850	unknown	Theta Alphea Society	Bucknell	[23]
1851	unknown	Addisonian Society	Kentucky Military	[23]
1851	unknown	Adelphean Society	Wesleyan	[23]
1851	unknown	Alleghenian Lyceum Society	Alfred	[23]
1851	unknown	Amphictyon Society	Lawrence	[1]
1851	unknown	Athenian Society	Ohio Wesleyan	[23]
1851	unknown	Belles Letters Society	MacMurray	[66]
1851	unknown	Clionian Society	Free Academy	[1]
1851	unknown	Philolexian Society	Kalamazoo	[23]
1851	unknown	Philomathean Society	Waynesburg	[1]
1851	unknown	Philophronean Society	Otterbein	[23]
1851	unknown	Sherwood Rhetorical Society	Kalamazoo	[23]
1851	unknown	St. Aloysius Philodemics Society	Notre Dame	[23]
1851	unknown	Students Philomathean Society	Hartsville	[23]
1851	unknown	Union Society	Waynesburg	[1]
1852	Present	Philomathean Society	Wesleyan	[23]
1852	unknown	Gamma Epsilon Society	Lycoming	[1]
1852	unknown	Ladies Literary Society	Milton	[23]
1852	unknown	Philaletha Society	Otterbein	[23]
1852	unknown	Philomathean Society	Hiram	[67]
1852	unknown	Philomathian Society	Mississippi	[23]
1852	unknown	Philomethean Society	Wesleyan	[23]
1852	unknown	Phrenocosmian Society	Free Academy	[1]
1853	unknown	Amphictyon Society	Cornell College	[23]
1853	unknown	Chrestomathian Society	Grinnell	[23]
1853	unknown	Clio Society	Capital	[23]
1853	unknown	Emma Willards Society	Waynesburg	[1]
1853	unknown	Hentz Society	La Grange	[68]
1853	unknown	Judson Society	La Grange	[68]
1853	unknown	Parthenian Society	Baltimore	[23]
1853	unknown	Periclesian Society	Franklin	[69]
1853	unknown	Phi Nu Society	MacMurray	[66]
1853	unknown	Phileans Society	Waynesburg	[1]
1853	unknown	Union Literary Society	Geneva	[62]
1853	unknown	Webster Society	Franklin	[69]
1854	unknown	Alethezethian Society	Antioch	[70]
1854	Present	Archanian Society	Univ. of the Pacific	[23]
1854	unknown	Aristotelian Society	Central	[1]
1854	unknown	Calhoun Society	Wofford	[71]
1854	1875	Delphic Society	Hiram	[72][73]
1854	unknown	Erodelphian Society	Burlington	[23]
1854	unknown	Hamline Society	Iowa Wesleyan	[74]
1854	unknown	Hesperian Society	Hiram	[72]
1854	unknown	Hesperian Society	Wisconsin	[63]
1854	unknown	Linnaen Society	Mount Union	[23]
1854	unknown	Phi Alpha Society	Central	[1]
1854	unknown	Philomathian Society	Bethel	[23]
1854	unknown	Washington Society	Bethel	[23]
1855	unknown	Alethean Society	Baldwin	[23]
1855	unknown	Calliope Academy	Spring Hill	[61]
1855	unknown	Crescent Society	Antioch	[70]
1855	unknown	Curious Society	Milwaukee	[23]
1855	unknown	Erosophian Society	Marshall	[1]
1855	unknown	Hyperion Society	Marshall	[1]
1855	unknown	Philalethean Society	Lawrence	[69]
1855	unknown	Philologian Society	Richmond	[23]
1855	unknown	Philopenthean Society	Geneva	[1]
1855	unknown	Philophrenian Society	George Washington	[28]
1855	unknown	Phoenix Society	Lawrence	[69]
1855	unknown	Star Society	Antioch	[70]
1856	Defunct	Beltionian Society	Wheaton	[75]
1856	unknown	Hinman Society	Northwestern	[72]
1856	unknown	Mathesian Society	Northwestern Christian	[76]
1856	unknown	Philadelphian Society	Monmouth	[23]
1856	unknown	Philalethic Society	Santa Clara	[23]
1856	unknown	Philomathean Society	Willamette	[77]
1856	unknown	Philoneikean Society	Moores Hill	[78]
1856	unknown	Phoenix Band Society	Earlham	[23]
1857	unknown	Alpha Kappa Phi Society	Hillsdale	[23]
1857	unknown	Amphictyon Society	Hillsdale	[23]
1857	unknown	Eurodelphian Society	Spring Hill	[61]
1857	unknown	Hesperian Society	Ohio Female	[23]
1857	unknown	Ionian Society	Earlham	[23]
1857	unknown	Ladies Literary Union	Hillsdale	[23]
1857	unknown	Literary Adelphi Society	Michigan	[23]
1857	unknown	Philomathean Society	Otterbein	[23]
1857	unknown	Phreno-Cosmian Society	Baldwin	[23]
1857	unknown	Pythonian Society	Northwestern Christian	[76]
1857	unknown	Sigournean Society	Moores Hill	[78]
1858	unknown	Adelphian Society	Cornell College	[23]
1858	unknown	Athena Society	Lawrence	[1]
1858	unknown	Excelsior Society	Albright	[1]
1858	unknown	Preston Society	Wofford	[71]
1858	unknown	Rhizomian Society	Univ. of the Pacific	[23]
1859	unknown	Alethean Society	Beloit	[23]
1859	unknown	Archaean Society	Beloit	[23]
1859	unknown	Belles Letters Society	Illinois Wesleyan	[79]
1859	1939	Belles Lettres Society	Southern University (Greensboro, Alabama)	[80]
1859	1939	Clariosophic Society	Southern University (Greensboro, Alabama)	[80]
1859	unknown	Delean Society	Beloit	[23]
1859	Present	German Verein (now the Alpha Omega chapter of Phi Kappa Tau fraternity)	German Wallace	[23]
1859	unknown	Germanae Sodales Society	Hillsdale	[23]
1859	unknown	Literary Society	Maryland	[81]
1859	unknown	Neocosmian Society	Albright	[1]
1859	unknown	Philestorian Society	Santa Clara	[23]
1859	unknown	Ruthean Society	Iowa Wesleyan	[82]
1859	unknown	Sophronikopean Society	Missionary	[23]
1859	unknown	Star Society	Adrian	[23]
1859	unknown	Webster Society	Michigan	[23]
1860	unknown	Adelphian Society	Furman	[83]
1860	unknown	Adelphic Society	Northwestern	[72]
1860	unknown	Athenaeum Society	Chicago	[23]
1860	unknown	Erosophian Society	Lombard	[23]
1860	unknown	Eulexian Society	St. Stephen's	[23]
1860	unknown	Franklin Reading Society	Furman	[83]
1860	unknown	Philomathean Society	Milton	[23]
1860	unknown	Philosophian Society	Furman	[83]
1860	unknown	Reynolds Society	Stockwell	[23]
1860	Defunct	Philomathean Literary Society	Phi Kappa Sigma Male College
1861	unknown	Addisonian Society	Wayland	[23]
1861	unknown	Berean Society	Chicago	[84]
1861	unknown	Phi Alpha Pi Society	Olivet	[23]
1861	unknown	Tri Kappa Society	Chicago	[84]
1861	1933	Zetagathian Society	University of Iowa	[85]
1862	1933	Erodelphian Society	University of Iowa	[86]
1863	1933	Hesperian Society	University of Iowa	[86]
1864	1929	Irving Institute	University of Iowa	[86]
1865	unknown	De La Salle Club	Manhattan	[23]
1865	unknown	Erosophian Society	Baylor	[1]
1865	unknown	Irving Society	Andalusia, (Pa.)	[23]
1865	Present	Philalethean Society (now the Philaletheis Society)	Vassar	[23][87]
1866	unknown	Alka Society	Willamette	[77]
1866	unknown	Brown Debating Society	Stockwell	[23]
1866	unknown	Clionian Society	Almira	[23]
1866	unknown	Garnet Society	Lincoln	[1]
1866	unknown	Lincoln Association	Illinois Soldiers'	[23]
1866	unknown	Philomathean Society	Union Christian	[23]
1866	unknown	Robert E. V. Rice Society	Niagara	[1]
1866	unknown	Scientific Society	Wilberforce	[23]
1866	unknown	Semicentenary Society	Wilberforce	[23]
1866	unknown	St Joseph Society	St. Joseph College, New York	[23]
1866	unknown	Stonewall Society	Baylor	[1]
1866	unknown	Themian Society	Quincy	[23]
1867	unknown	Aristotelian Society	Harlem Springs	[23]
1867	unknown	Athenian Society	Tennessee Wesleyan	[1]
1867	unknown	Byronic Society	Harlem Springs	[23]
1867	unknown	Erosophian Society	Albion	[23]
1867	unknown	Eulexian Society	St. Augustine College, California	[23]
1867	unknown	Euterpean Society	Muhlenberg	[88]
1867	unknown	Neotrophian Society	Bethel	[1]
1867	unknown	Philokosmian Society	Lebanon Valley	[23]
1867	unknown	Philosophian Society	Lincoln	[1]
1867	unknown	Sophronian Society	Muhlenberg	[88]
1867	unknown	Zetalethean Society	Simpson	[23]
1868	unknown	Adelphene Society	Union Christian	[23]
1868	unknown	Alpha Delta Society	Hiram	[67]
1868	unknown	German Society	St. Xaviers	[23]
1868	1888[89]	Irving Society	Cornell University	[23]
1868	unknown	Lehigh Junto	Lehigh	[23]
1868	unknown	Phi Delta Society	Berea	[1]
1868	unknown	Philocurian Society	Northwestern Christian	[23]
1868	unknown	Philomathean Society	Iowa State	[1]
1868	unknown	Philomathian Society	Illinois	[23]
1869	unknown	Athenaean Society	Kings College, Tennessee	[1]
1869	unknown	Basilian Society	Niagara	[1]
1869	Still active	Clionian Literary Society	McKendree	[90]
1869	unknown	Orthopatetic Society	Blackburn	[1]
1869	unknown	Philomathean Society	Tennessee Wesleyan	[1]
1869	unknown	Photozotean Society	Moore's hill	[78]
1869	unknown	Zenobian Society	Minnesota	[23]
1870	Defunct	Aristonian Society	Wheaton	[75]
1870	unknown	Atheneum Society	Willamette	[77]
1870	unknown	Bachelor Society	Iowa State	[1]
1870	1906	Baconian Society	Potsdam	[91][92]
1870	unknown	Castelian Society	Rockford	[1]
1870	unknown	Crescent Society	Iowa State	[1]
1870	unknown	Erodelphian Society	Highland	[23]
1870	unknown	Grinnell Institute	Grinnell	[23]
1870	unknown	Irving Society	Wooster	[23]
1870	unknown	Philologian Society	St Stephens	[23]
1870	unknown	Philotechnic Society	Louisiana State	[1]
1870	Present	Signet Society	Harvard
1870	unknown	Vesperian Society	Rockford	[1]
1870	unknown	Wayland Society	Brown	[23]
1871	unknown	Bettina Society	German Wallace	[23]
1871	unknown	Bonhommian Society	Highland	[23]
1871	unknown	Cliolian Society	Iowa State	[1]
1871	1889	Delphic Society	Geneseo	[93][94]
1871	unknown	Sodalian Society	Wilberforce	[23]
1872	unknown	Adelphic Society	Geneva	[62]
1872	Defunct	Excelsior Society	Wheaton	[75]
1873	Defunct	Clariosophic Literary Society	University of Arkansas	[95]
1873	Defunct	Alamo Society	Southwestern	[14][96]
1874	unknown	Ossoli Society	Northwestern	[72]
1875	Defunct	San Jacinto Society	Southwestern	[14][96]
1876	unknown	Eutaxian Society	Oregon	[97]
1876	unknown	Laurean Society	Oregon	[97]
1876	unknown	Stephen F. Austin Society	Texas A&M
1877	Present	Cleo of Alpha Chi	Trinity College
1879	unknown	Calliopean Society	Texas A&M
1879	Defunct	Arkansas Literary and Debating Society	Lyon College	[98]
1881	Defunct	Alethean Society	Southwestern	[14][96]
1883	Defunct	Philomathean Society	Lyon College	[98]
1884	unknown	L'Etoile	Lyon College	[98]
1885	Defunct	Clio Society	Southwestern	[14][96]
1886	Defunct	Garland Literary Society	University of Arkansas	[95]
1886	Defunct	Adelphian Circle	Ouachita Baptist University
1888	Defunct	Hermesian Literary Society	Ouachita Baptist University
1888	Defunct	Philomathean Literary Society	Ouachita Baptist University
1889	Present	Winthrop Literary Society	Winthrop	[14]
1891	Defunct	Gamma Sigma Literary Society	Henderson State University
1891	Defunct	Erosophic Society	Lyon College	[98]
1892	Defunct	Delta Sigma Society	Lyon College	[98]
1895	Defunct	Grady Literary Society	University of Arkansas	[95]
1895	1928	Philomathean Society	University of Iowa	[86]
1897	Present	Gamma Nu Society	Illinois	[14][55]
1898	1939	Eumenean Society (absorbed by the Clariosophic Society in when Southern University and Birmingham College merged to form Birmingham-Southern College in 1918)	Birmingham-Southern College
1898	1939	Robert E. Lee Society (absorbed by the Belles Lettres Society when Southern University and Birmingham College merged to form Birmingham-Southern College in 1918)	Birmingham-Southern College
1898	Defunct	Franklin Literary Society	Hendrix College
1899	Defunct	Harlan Literary Society	Hendrix College
1900	Defunct	Athenian Literary Society	Ouachita Baptist University
1900	1933	Octave Thanet	University of Iowa	[86]
1900	Defunct	Periclean Literary Society	University of Arkansas	[95]
1905	Defunct	Garland Literary Society	Henderson State University
1904	unknown	Sul Ross Literary Society	Texas A&M University
1906	Defunct	Lee Literary Society	University of Arkansas	[95]
1907	Defunct	Demosthenean Literary Society	University of Arkansas	[95]
1908	Defunct	Franklin Literary Society	University of Arkansas	[95]
1911	Present	Elizabethan Club	Yale	[14]
1911	Present	Gamma Delta Society	Illinois	[55]
1912	Defunct	Hesperian Society	Heidelberg	[14][99]
1912	Present	Philomathean Society	Univ. of the Pacific	[100]
1913	Present	Euglossian Society	Heidelberg	[14][99]
1913	Present	Philalethean Society	Heidelberg	[14]
1913	Present	Philalethean Society	Rutgers	[14]
1913	1928	Whitby	University of Iowa	[86]
1914	Defunct	Adelphian Society	Mountain Home College
1915	Defunct	Athenian Society	Mountain Home College
1915	Defunct	Hypatian Society	South Carolina	[14]
1916	1933	Athena	University of Iowa	[86]
1916	Present	Sigma Phi Epsilon Society	Illinois	[14][101]
1920	Present	Chi Beta Society	Illinois	[14][55]
1920	1934	Hamlin Garland	University of Iowa	[86]
1921	Present	Aptonalton Literary Society	Heidelberg University
1921	1950	Kappa Iota Literary Society	Alma College
1923	Defunct	Daedalian Literary Society	Indiana State Normal School	[102][103][104]
1924	Present	Euphrosynean Society	South Carolina	[14]
1926	1928	Delta Rho Society	Lyon College	[98]
1928	Present	American Whig-Cliosophic Society	Princeton	[14][105]
1929	Present	Pi Pi Rho Society	Illinois	[14][55]
1947	Present	Alpha Omega Delta Literary Society	Bob Jones University
1991	Present	Philomathean Society	Union	[20][106]
2015	Present	Franklin Society	Virginia	[107][108]

Image gallery

• 
  The University of Pennsylvania Philomathean Society Meeting Room circa 1913
• 
  The Philodemic Society Room in 1910
• 
  Philomathean Hall of Erskine College
• 
  Clio Hall of Princeton University
• 
  Demosthenian Hall at the University of Georgia
• 
  The Dialectic Society Chamber in New West at the University of North Carolina
• 
  Jefferson Hall at the University of Virginia

References

1. College Literary Societies: Their Contribution to Higher Education in the United States, 1815-1876 (1971) by Thomas S. Harding
2. See, e.g., Timothy J. Williams, Intellectual Manhood: University, Individual, Self, and Society in the Antebellum South (2015); Peter S. Carmichael, The Last Generation: Young Virginians in Peace, War, and Reunion (2009); Alfred L. Brophy, "Debating Slavery and Empire in the Washington College Literary Societies," Washington and Lee Journal of Civil Rights and Social Justice 22 (2016): 273 (discussing shifting nature of debates at Washington College's Graham and Washington Societies); Mark Swails, Literary Societies as Institutions of Honor at Evangelical Colleges in Antebellum Georgia (MA thesis, Emory University, 2007).
3. See, e.g., Alfred L. Brophy, "'The Law of the Descent of Thought': Law, History, and Civilization in Antebellum Literary Addresses," Law and Literature 20 (2008): 343-402; Alfred L. Brophy, "The Republics of Liberty and Letters: Progress, Union, and Constitutionalism in Graduation Addresses at the Antebellum University of North Carolina," North Carolina Law Review 89 (2011): 1879.
4. See, e.g., Alfred L. Brophy, "The Rule of Law in Antebellum College Literary Addresses: The Case of William Greene," Cumberland Law Review 31 (2001): 231-85.
5. "The Washington Literary Society and Debating Union - History". Scs.student.virginia.edu. 1979-11-16. Retrieved 2010-09-05.
6. Lord, John King, A History of Dartmouth College, 1815, 1909, (Concord, N. H.: The Rumford Press, 1913), p. 515.
7. Ringwald, Madeleine (2013-10-15). "PHILODEMIC WELCOMES GROUPS FROM UGA, UPENN, AND GWU". philodemicsociety.org. The Philodemic Society. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
8. David Potter, Debating in the colonial chartered colleges; an historical survey, 1642 to 1900, (New York: Teacher's College, Columbia Survey, 1642 to 1900, (New York: Teacher's College, Columbia University, 1944), pgs. 67-70.
9. Carson, Jane, "James Innes and His Brothers of the F.H.C."; (Charlottesville, Virginia: The University Press of Virginia, 1965)
10. "Inventory to the Records of the Peithessophian Society of Rutgers College, 1825-1927". .scc.rutgers.edu. Retrieved 2010-09-05.
11. Phi Beta Kappa was only a private literary society, and only until ca. 1831.
12. Morgan, James Henry, Dickinson College: the History of One Hundred and Fifty Years, 1783-1933, (Carlisle, Pennsylvania: Dickinson College, 1933), pg. 401.
13. "Dickinson College - Campus Life". Dickinson.edu. Archived from the original on 2007-12-23. Retrieved 2010-09-05.
14. "www.demosthenian.org". www.demosthenian.org. Retrieved 2010-09-05.
15. "UPLS - Home". People.hsc.edu. Retrieved 2010-09-05.
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17. Morison, Samuel Eliot, Three Centuries of Harvard, 1636 - 1936,(Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1936).
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20. Storie, Catherine Penniman, "The American College Society Library and the College Library," College and Research Libraries, VI (June 1945), pgs. 242-47.
21. McClelland, W.C. (1903). "A History of Literary Societies at Washington & Jefferson College". The Centennial Celebration of the Chartering of Jefferson College in 1802. Philadelphia: George H. Buchanan and Company. pp. 111–132.
22. The General Catalogue of Bowdoin College 1794-1950
23. Seeley, I. C., Manual of College Literary Societies with Statistical Table, (Kalamazoo: Chaplin & Ihling Bro's Book and Job Printers, 1871), pgs. 19-135.
24. "Carolinian: Campus Traditions". Sc.edu. Archived from the original on 2010-06-03. Retrieved 2010-09-05.
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26. "News - Phi Kappa Literary Society at UGA, The University of Georgia". Phikappa.org. Retrieved 2010-09-05.
27. Woodburn, James Albert, History of Indiana University, (Bloomington, Indiana University, 1940), I, 24, 77.
28. "Student Organizations: Enosinian Society". Retrieved 2012-12-06.
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31. private society
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35. Easterly, James Harold, History of the College of Charleston, Founded 1770, (Charleston, S.C., 1935), pp. 82-83, 137-138.
36. Wilson, Samuel Tyndale, Century of Maryville College, (Maryville, Tennessee, 1916), pg. 199.
37. Transylvania Whig Society, Records, May 11, 1829 - July 25, 1834, MC, May 11, 1829.
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40. Hanover College, The Crow, 1890-91, (Hanover, Indiana), pg. 59.
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42. List of societies at Colgate University
43. Fletcher, Robert Samuel, A History of Oberlin College from its Foundation Through the Civil War, (Oberlin, Ohio: Oberlin College, 1943), II, pg. 761.
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45. Paschal, George Washington, History of Wake Forest College, (Wake Forest, N. C.: Wake Forest College, 1935), I, pg. 490.
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49. Tankersley, Allen P., College Life at Old Oglethorpe, (Athens: University of Georgia Press, 1951), pgs. 45-46.
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51. Callipoean Society, Emory and Henry College, Catalogue of the Library of the Calliopean Society of Emory and Henry College, (Wytheville, Virginia: D. A. St. Clair, 1872), passim; Hermesian Society, Emory and Henry College, 1872Catalogue of the Library of the Calliopean Society of Emory and Henry College, (Bristol, Virginia: Bristol News Book and Job Office, 1872), passim.
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56. Erosophian Society, Catalogue of the Officers, Members, Graduates, and Library of the Erosophian Society of Albion College, (Albion: Cole's Steam Printing House, 1879), p. 3.
57. Calkins, Earnest Elmo, They Broke the Prairie; Being an Account of the Settlement of the Upper Mississippi Valley by Religious and Educational Pioneers, Told in Terms of One City, Galesburg, and of One College, Knox, (New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1937), pg+N167s. 131-32.
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62. Downie, James Vale, "Old Literary Societies," Geneva Alumnus, July, 1945, pgs. 4-5.
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67. Stein, John H., "The Development of the Hiram College Library from the Literary Society Libraries Which Formed its Nucleus," (unpublished Masters' thesis, Kent State university, 1950), pgs. 23-31.
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77. Gatke, Robert Moulton, Chronicles of Willamette, the Pioneer University of the West, (Portland, Oregon: Binfords & Mort, 1943), pg. 179.
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81. Cordell, E. F., University of Maryland (1807-1907), (New York: Lewis Publishing Company, 1907), I, pg. 475.
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84. University of Chicago, Index Universitatis, Vol. I, No. 1, March 1862.
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89. Last document public meeting held in May 1887 as a coeducational society. F.E. Moyer, "Cornell Student Activities," Cornell Magazine(8:4)(Jan. 1895) at 192. A fraternity later claimed to be the "custodian" of this society and claims to carry out private literary exercises within one fraternity house.
90. Walton, William Clarance, Centennial McKendree College with St. Clair County History, (Lebanon, Ill.: McKendree, 1928), pgs. 310-312.
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102. The Daedalian Literary Society at Indiana State became Delta Lambda Sigma in 1923; Delta Lambda Sigma affiliated with Lambda Chi Alpha in 1952. http://cougar.indstate.edu/u?/isuarchive,6581%5B%5D
103. http://cougar.indstate.edu/u?/isuarchive,9518%5B%5D
104. http://cougar.indstate.edu/u?/isuarchive,15936%5B%5D
105. "The American Whig-Cliosophic Society".
106. "Philomathean Society". Vu.union.edu. Archived from the original on 2012-08-06. Retrieved 2010-09-05.
107. "atuva.student.virginia.edu/organization/Franklin". atuva.student.virginia.edu. Retrieved 2017-12-05.
108. "CHELLMAN: U.Va. needs literary societies more than ever". The Cavalier Daily. Retrieved 2017-12-05.