Marietta College Library Special Collections

11/11/2025

10/09/2025

Special Collections Open House! Homecoming is in the air, will you be there? Be sure to visit Special Collections in Legacy Library on Friday, October 17. Join fellow alumni to browse through Marcolians, Mariettanas, and other Marietta College memorabilia from the archives.

10/01/2025

Floating through the years at Marietta College Homecoming!

09/24/2025

Many Marietta College alumni have fond memories of a place on campus known as “The Pit.” Located on the upper floor of Gilman, it was a favorite spot for food, conversation, concerts, dances, games, and even some studying.

About 1950, the original Pit had been established as a student hang-out in the basement of a temporary WWII-era classroom building (the same one that went up in flames in May of 1970). When Gilman Student Center opened in January 1958, a new snack bar called “The Pit” was included on the top floor. A recreation room featuring ping-pong, pool, and pinball was added in 1961, and The Pit became “the busiest place on campus, day and night.”

When students returned from winter break in 1971, they found a remodeled Pit. The snack bar was separated from the dining and recreation areas, and the walls were paneled with barn siding. Changes to a pub-like atmosphere continued when students of the late 1970s were able to purchase beer and play arcade games, such as Space Invaders and Pac-Man.

But some of the changes were not so appreciated. In the early 1980s, MC administrators thought a more respectable name was in order and attempted to call it “The Center.” About the same time, the bookstore moved into the space, followed by the mailroom. By the late 1990s, The Pit, as experienced by over four decades of MC students, had gradually faded away.

09/17/2025

This year’s Homecoming theme celebrates Serenades, a Marietta College tradition that began at least as far back as 1953 and continued until the 1980s. Each sorority and the Independent women prepared 15-minute skits that included music and dancing, often based on Broadway shows. Along with their Homecoming Queen candidates and a truckload of props, they traveled around campus, serenading the fraternity houses. In 1974, the winning Homecoming Serenade was “Annie Get Your Gun,” presented by the Chi Omegas, and second place went to the Sigma Kappas for “Cabaret.”

09/10/2025

In 1971, fall semester classes at Marietta College began on August 31. Total cost for a year, including tuition, room, and board, was $3,100. Total full-time enrollment was about 1,900 students. Ohio contributed more students than any other state (618). Other top states were New Jersey (247), Pennsylvania (210), New York (183), Connecticut (140), Massachusetts (101), West Virginia (75), and Maryland (58).

The Class of 1975 consisted of 416 men and 257 women, for a total of 672 freshmen. Two sets of twins and one set of triplets were part of that number. Ross Lenhart, Director of Admissions, said that out of the 44 private colleges in Ohio, Marietta was one of only five that were filled. The top reasons given for coming to MC were the size, campus visit, academic program, and location.

09/04/2025

One hundred fifty years ago this month, Charles Sumner Harrison, our first Black graduate, began his senior year at Marietta College. Charles was an excellent student, “highly respected by all of his classmates." He enjoyed playing football and was "the only man in college who could kick a ball over the top of the Old Dormitory.” Following graduation in 1876, Charles taught mathematics in Missouri and Ohio. In 1895 he graduated from Howard University with a degree in medicine. His career was spent in private medical practice in Washington, D.C. and in working for the Medical Department of the U.S. Pension Bureau. In a letter to a friend, Charles wrote, “I would like to live in a world where the brotherhood of man is a reality and where we can love our neighbor as ourselves.”

08/21/2025

On the first day of classes in 1850, students were welcomed by a brand-new building, one that has since become a treasured campus landmark. Erwin Hall has been a part of the Marietta College experience for 175 years, undergoing both preservation and renovation as it honors our past and moves with us into the future. The three-story, Greek Revival, brick building cost $10,000 to build, with much of the funds being contributed by the Marietta community. The iconic tower was nearly omitted in order to reduce the cost!

When it opened, it was called the Chapel Building, and after the construction of Alumni Hall in 1870, it was known as Middle Building. It wasn’t until 1893, following a bequest of $120,000 from a wealthy Connecticut shoe manufacturer, that it became Erwin Hall. Through the years it has been home to a variety of departments, but it originally held science lecture rooms and laboratories, meeting rooms for literary societies, and the college chapel.

Marietta College in 1850

07/02/2025

We can all look forward to the September 16 release of "History Matters," a collection of the late David McCullough's essays and speeches, edited by Dorie McCullough Lawson and Michael Hill. Many have never before been published!

In an exclusive from the forthcoming "History Matters," David's 1999 speech 'A Conversation About George' delivered to the Library of Congress is available at the link in the comments section. The speech features a short intro from Dorie McCullough Lawson, David's daughter and longtime manager, who lovingly referred to her father as "DMcC."

05/18/2025

On the morning of Monday, May 23, 1825, the Steamboat “Herald” was making its way up the Ohio River carrying a very special passenger. A few miles below Marietta, a cannon was fired to signal that the Marquis de Lafayette was on board. As the boat approached the shore, the name “GEN. LAFAYETTE” could be seen in large letters across the bow. The General’s visit was unexpected, but word spread quickly through town. The people of Marietta flocked to the river to see one of the last surviving heroes of the American Revolution.

Arrangements were quickly made by Nahum Ward, who had met Lafayette in Paris in 1823, to receive Lafayette to his Putnam Street home. Schools were dismissed and both young and old filled the grounds and crowded into the Ward mansion. Ward’s daughter Sarah, only five years old at the time, recalled people lining the walk from the gate to the house while Lafayette passed up and down, shaking hands and kissing babies. After only a couple of hours in town, Lafayette returned to the “Herald” and resumed his tour up the river.

At least one Marietta citizen was not quite as impressed with Lafayette as the rest of the residents. In a letter dated June 27, 1825 (held in Marietta College Special Collections), Maria Shipman described Lafayette’s visit to her brother Samuel: “He is a very plane man and very lame so much so that it is with difficulty he can walk. The ladies did him great honour. They walked in procession before his carriage from Mr. Ward’s to the Point, where he embarked on board the steam boat and proceeded on his journey. Lafayette excites great attention, I think almost too much. He is indeed worthy our gratitude and warmest thanks for the service he rendered America in the time of her greatest need, but I think there are others that are equilly worthy.” (Photo: Nahum Ward home and office, Putnam Street. Source: Marietta College Special Collections)

05/16/2025

The Unfortunate 1825 Sinking of Marietta’s Steamboat Mechanic

Among the interesting manuscripts in Marietta College’s Special Collections is an 8-page letter written in 1859 to Dr. Samuel P. Hildreth by Wyllys Hall. Hildreth was a physician and historian, who collected stories about the early history of Southeast Ohio. Captain Wyllys Hall had played a significant role in an important national event, and Hildreth wanted to learn more about it directly from the source.

Two hundred years ago, the Marquis de Lafayette, one of America’s favorite heroes of the Revolutionary War, came from France to make a farewell tour of the United States. He arrived in 1824 and, after visiting numerous locations in the East, began a voyage up the Mississippi and Ohio rivers in the spring of 1825. The governor of Tennessee chartered the Steamboat Mechanic with Captain Wyllys Hall to convey Lafayette and other distinguished guests from the celebrations at Nashville to Louisville, Kentucky.

The hull of the Mechanic was built in 1823 by John Mitchell near Rose’s Mill on the Little Muskingum River. She was owned by a company of Marietta mechanics, who “fitted her up in good stile after the manner of the eastern Boats.” According to Hall, the Mechanic was “a very pleasant and quite attractive Boat with good accommodation for passengers and a fine hold for freight.” The boat would show off the superior workmanship of Marietta boatbuilders as it brought Lafayette and his entourage upriver.

Lafayette boarded the Mechanic on Friday morning, May 6, 1825. On Saturday, “the weather was pleasant through the day and everything seemed to contribute to make our trip agreeable and pleasant,” recounted Hall. The Marquis spent his time enjoying the passing scenery and catching up on correspondence. In the evening, as clouds began to gather, he retired to his cabin to sleep.

Suddenly, about midnight on May 8, a “tremendous crash” was heard, and “the boat seemed all in a tremor.” About 125 miles below Louisville, the Mechanic had hit a snag that was hidden under water. It “pierced the bottom of the boat up through the main deck bringing one of the deck hands” with it. Captain Hall realized immediately that “it was useless to make any effort to save the boat – she must go down.”

And rapidly down she went! The passengers were alerted and crowded the deck with their baggage. Captain Hall hurried Lafayette and several others into a small boat and “sculled the yawl ashore with all possible speed.” Back and forth Hall went, rowing passengers from the sinking boat to the shore. Within 20 minutes, “our beautiful boat was a wreck and all our prospects blighted.” Though all the travelers escaped with their lives, many lost their possessions. It was said that Lafayette lost $8,000, his papers, clothing, carriage, and a little dog.

Another steamboat, the Paragon, rescued Lafayette and carried him on to Louisville. In June, the owners of the Mechanic went downriver and worked to raise and repair the boat, which served the river trade for many more years. (The journal kept during their project is also held in Special Collections.)

Captain Hall was upset and embarrassed that he had exposed the nation’s guest to such danger, but Lafayette and the other passengers signed a testimonial exonerating him from negligence. Apparently the citizens of Marietta also forgave Wyllys Hall, for his 1864 obituary in The Marietta Register describes him as a merchant, baker, steamboat operator, and city councilman but does not mention the unfortunate incident with Lafayette.

05/05/2025

Sixty years ago, members of the Class of 1969 were confirming Marietta as their college of choice. An article in "The Marcolian," September 24, 1965, provides an interesting look at the geographical distribution of the freshman class. There were 588 freshmen, with 330 males and 258 females. 187 freshmen were from Ohio; 74-New Jersey; 67-New York; 65-Pennsylvania; 56-Massachusetts; 45-Connecticut; 22-Maryland; 14-West Virginia; 12-Virginia; 7-District of Columbia; 6-Illinois; 4-California; 4-Maine; 3-Indiana; 3-Rhode Island; 2-Hawaii; 2-Michigan; 2-New Hampshire; 1 each from Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Missouri, Vermont, and Texas; 1 each from Iran, Italy, New Zealand, and Puerto Rico; and 2 from Thailand. Tuition and fees cost $1,100 per year; room and board cost $800; total annual cost was $1,900.