Triennial Catalogues annotated by unidentified authors
Overview
The Triennial Catalogues are chronological and cumulative lists of Harvard graduates published every three years from 1674 to 1875. The Catalogues represent Harvard’s first efforts to comprehensively document its graduates and were considered the official record of degree recipients. The collection includes 18th century Triennial Catalogues annotated with additional biographical information by unidentified authors. The Catalogues represent the College's earliest attempt to compile a comprehensive record of its graduates for a public audience, and was used by some individuals as a structure to record additional information about alumni.
Dates
- Creation: 1773-1797
Researcher Access
The Triennial Catalogues annotated by unidentified authors are open for research.
Copying Restriction
Copying of fragile materials may be limited.
Extent
.1 cubic feet (6 volumes)This collection contains 18th century Triennial Catalogues annotated by unidentified authors. The Triennial Catalogues represent Harvard's earliest attempt to compile a comprehensive record of its graduates for a public audience. The printing of the Catalogues in a pamphlet format beginning with the 1773 edition supplied more room for annotations than the earlier broadsides and also allowed for the addition of interleaved pages.
The annotations in the Triennial Catalogues are generally biographical in nature, but occasionally include additional information about Harvard's history. Acquisition information has been noted at the item level, when available. On some Catalogues there are clues to the annotator, but the information is inconclusive. The number of annotations varies between volumes, with some containing little more than handwritten asterisks noting deceased alumni.
Historical Note
Harvard's Triennial Catalogues were published in Latin every three years to record the names of Harvard's alumni, beginning with the Class of 1642 and continuing through Harvard's most recent graduates. The Catalogues were published as broadsides from 1674 through 1773. In 1776, the format changed to an octavo pamphlet. The Triennial Catalogues were published through 1875 when it was replaced with a five-year Quinquennial Catalogue that was published through 1930.
The Catalogues provided a thorough record of Harvard graduates, and a dedicated group of alumni used it as a base to collect additional biographical information. Annotated and interleaved copies of the catalogues proved an important resource for, and precursor to the Biographical Sketches of Graduates of Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts started by Harvard Librarian John Langdon Sibley in 1873. Nicholas Gilman (AB 1724), William Winthrop (AB 1770), Jeremy Belknap (AB 1762), and John Pierce (AB 1793) were the alumni most active in conducting biographical research, and were acknowledged by Sibley in the preface to the first volume of Harvard Graduates. While the names of some annotators are known, the names of other contributors remain a mystery.
Arrangement
The collection is arranged chronologically.
Acquisition information
The annotated Triennial Catalogues were received as donations beginning in 1831 through the mid-20th century, but the full provenance of the volumes is unknown. Specific acquisition information is noted at the item level.
References
- Sibley, John Langdon. Biographical Sketches of Graduates of Harvard University in Cambridge Massachusetts, Volume I. 1642-1658. Cambridge: Charles William Sever, 1873.
- Sibley, John Langdon. Notices of the triennial and annual catalogues of Harvard University : with a reprint of the catalogues of 1674, 1682 and 1700. Boston : J. Wilson, 1865.
General note
This document last updated 2018 November 26.
Processing Information
These Catalogues were first classified and described in the Harvard University Archives shelflist prior to 1980 as individual items. The material was re-processed in 2010. Re-processing involved a collection survey, reclassification as HUM 33, and the creation of this finding aid.
This guide was created by Diann Bentiin June 2010.
Preservation and description of the Triennial Catalogues annotated by unidentified authors was supported by the Arcadia-funded project Harvard in the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries.
- Title
- Triennial Catalogues annotated by unidentified authors, 1773-1797: an inventory
- Language of description
- und
- EAD ID
- hua17010
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.
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