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Athenaeum
In the early days of Trinity College, societies were an essential part of American campus culture.
In late 1824, Bishop Brownell met with a committee of three students and The Rev. George W. Doane, A.M., Professor of Belle Lettres and Oratory to begin planning Trinity's own society. The committee drafted plans for a literary and debate society, which was officially initiated on June 4, 1825.
During this first meeting, a seal, motto, and constitution were created. Sixteen undergraduates, Bishop Brownell, Professor Doane, Reverend Hector Humphreys, A.M., Tutor, and George Sumner, M.D., Professor of Botany constituted the society's membership.
In 1826, after gaining wide attention from students, the College gave the society official recognition, stating that no other society could be formed on campus. However, eventually other societies did open, creating friendly competition encouraged by faculty.
Societies were rather welcoming and most students became involved in one. Societies maintained a library, housed in Jarvis. The Athenaeum in particular had over one-thousand volumes by 1844, covering religion, history, philosophy, and creative writing, such as dramas and poetry.
Meetings were held on Saturdays, for on Saturday students had a nearly three-hour gap in their schedules, typically filled by courses during the week. The societies would meet to read papers, then gather to debate with the other societies. Religious debates were the only exemption from these meetings.
Eventually, the introduction of modern-style fraternities led to societies such as the Athenaeum to decrease in popularity. However, the society was given a second life around 1889. Meeting once a week on Fridays, the new Athenaeum enjoyed faculty lectures and debates, reaching 25 members by 1892, but ended only two years later.
Occasionally, a group of students would attempt to revive the society, but did not succeed until 1928.