Literary Societies

Olevian Literary Society Executive Board and Members, 1897

Olevian Literary Society History, 1897

Olevian Literary Society Photograph, 1897

Olevian Literary Society Minutes - Title Page, 1885

Olevian Literary Society Minutes, 1885 (Pg 1) 

Olevian Literary Society Minutes, 1885 (Pg 2-3)

Olevian Literary Society Minutes, 1885 (Pg 4)

Although social life was still dominated by men in the pages of the Ruby, one can see women slowly integrating themselves or creating their own spaces in order to make their own place at Ursinus. I could not help but constantly be excited to slowly see more women join these clubs, or make their own spaces when they were not allowed to join men’s organizations. The two literary societies on campus, Zwinglian and Schaff Societies, were at the center of social life at this time.[1] These literary societies had their own weekly meetings, owned their own libraries, debated, read aloud, and constantly competed against each other.[2] Because these societies were for men only, the women of Ursinus created their own literary society called the Olevian Society, and in the 1897 Ruby, the society celebrated their eleventh year.[3] Even though the women had a collection of books unlike the men’s well-established societies, the women’s society had neither a library nor a dedicated location for them to meet.[4] Most likely out of necessity—and some critiques found in the 1897 Ruby—they were granted access to meet in the president’s recitation room, classrooms, and Olevian Hall, but their dream of a consistent and permanent meeting room in Bomberger Hall was never met.[5] This was because Olevian Society was dismantled in 1898 when the other two societies became coed.[6] The 1897 Ruby is the only yearbook to capture the Olevian Society, as there was no mention of it in the 1898 Ruby, nor do the Schaff or Zwinglian societies make any mention of this change.[7] Because of this, it is impossible to tell how the women of the Olevian Literary Society felt about this transition.