by Diane Lenertz '15
Before Ultimate Frisbee, the Student Government Association, or the Soccer team were regular features of Grinnell College (hard to imagine, I know), there existed a different type of student organization: the literary society. It was very clear during my college search process that Grinnell College has never had Greek sororities or fraternities, so it surprised me to discover that the mid 1800s through the early 1920s saw somewhat exclusive (and Greek-named) societies at Grinnell.
As Sam Dunnington '14 and I dug through the archives to find out more about these groups, we found countless pamphlets for society plays, open meetings and debates. Bearing hard-to-pronounce names like "Calcocagathian" and "Chrestomathian," these single-gender societies were formed over the course of 50 years, starting in 1852, in order to further an atmosphere of debate and higher education on campus.
Curious to see some photos and paraphernalia? Stop by Burling Library to check out the exhibit currently on display about early literary societies at Grinnell!
