Skip to main content
SERIES Identifier: HUM 79

Papers related to Harvard teaching and student disorders, 1788-1805

Scope and Contents

This series contains five small notebooks created by Eliphalet Pearson in his capacity as a Harvard faculty member. The first notebook contains essay topics assigned by Pearson to undergraduates. The second and third notebooks contain lists of Harvard students with unidentified annotations, perhaps related to disciplinary infractions, and the fourth notebook lists disciplinary infractions of Harvard students between 1788 and 1797. The fifth notebook contains summaries of Faculty meetings on June 7 1799 and July 4, 1799 related to discussions about student discipline.

Dates

  • Creation: 1788-1805

Physical Description

(4 folders and 1 volume)

Researcher Access

The Papers of Eliphalet Pearson are open for research.

Extent

.08 cubic feet

Biographical / Historical

In 1786, Eliphalet Pearson was appointed the Hancock Professor of Hebrew and Other Oriental Languages, but because Harvard's late 18th century curriculum generally did not include Eastern languages, the Corporation expanded Pearson's responsibilities to include English composition and rhetoric. Pearson joined the faculty during the presidency of Joseph Willard, whose administration was known for its militaristic student rules. Professor Pearson took to keeping a "Journal of Disorders" in 1788 to note the student disorders occurring at the College, and between 1789 and 1805, he delivered a series of speeches to disorderly students that emphasized that the conduct of students reflected on Harvard itself.

Creator

Repository Details

Part of the Harvard University Archives Repository

Holding nearly four centuries of materials, the Harvard University Archives is the principal repository for the institutional records of Harvard University and the personal archives of Harvard faculty, as well as collections related to students, alumni, Harvard-affiliates and other associated topics. The collections document the intellectual, cultural, administrative and social life of Harvard and the influence of the University as it emerged across the globe.

Contact:
Pusey Library
Harvard Yard
Cambridge MA 02138 USA
(617) 495-2461