Marietta College Library Special Collections

06/17/2026

A Celebration of Freedom in 1874

Freedom from enslavement has been celebrated annually, long before Juneteenth became a national holiday. On September 22, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln released an advance version of the Emancipation Proclamation. From 1863 forward, people in many regions celebrated Emancipation Day on September 22 every year.

In 1874, an Emancipation Day event was held near Marietta, Ohio, in the community of Cutler. People arrived on special trains to hear the music of Marietta’s German Band and listen to a variety of speakers, while enjoying a picnic dinner. The chairman of the celebration that year was George W. Harrison of Harmar, who was the father of Charles Sumner Harrison, Marietta College’s first African American graduate. The main speaker of the day was General Rufus Dawes, MC Class of 1860, and a hero of the Civil War. Nearly 1,000 people attended, and the day was “pleasantly and profitably spent.”

(Image from The Marietta Register, September 17, 1874)

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."