04/20/2026
The Chronicles of Park University’s History
Park College Record
December 6, 1883
Friday Evening at Park College
After the recitations of the week, with all their worry and work are over, the students of Park College devote Friday evening to a different kind of work. This is time for the meeting of the three Literary Societies. Of them the oldest is Cheever Literary Society. It was organized in 1877 and was for some time the only organization of the kind in the institution. Their meetings are held in the College chapel. On a meeting evening you will see in the front of the room a table with three chairs placed beside it. One of these is occupied by the President, one by the Secretary, and one by the Censor. The meeting commences with a brief devotional exercise. The President then appoints a critic who is provided with an Unabridged Dictionary, and several sheets of paper on which to note his criticisms. The Literary program is then introduced and the order varies. There may be essays, readings, declamations, orations or debates, such as are found in similar organizations elsewhere. This Society contains, now 32 members. They have a Library of 250 volumes embracing many valuable standard works on history and biography with a good sprinkling of the best novels and poetry.
The Park Society is not so old as the Cheever. It was organized in 1878 and has held its own since then, side by side with its older sister. Their room adjoins the Chapel, and their meetings are held at the same time. Here also are to be found the same officers and the same general methods of conducting the exercise. The Parks have recently introduced a new element into their work which given some new life and flavor to their exercises. One member is appointed each week to deliver an extemporaneous speech. A list of subjects is announced about five minutes beforehand, and, when the time comes, he is to give the society his views on one of them. The Society contains at present 24 members.
Their Library is a valuable one for general reference containing encyclopedia’s, histories and many books full of useful and varied information. There are in all 300 volumes.
Two years ago, in 1881, it was thought best to organize the students of the preparatory classes into a Society that should fit them for their duties in the two older Societies. This was done and the Bullard Literary Society is the result. This contains all the students below the Senior Preparatory Class. They meet every Friday evening and conduct exercises very similar to those of the College Societies. They have their own Constitution, elect their own officers and conduct their own affairs, subject, however, to the supervision of the Faculty. It is the ambition of the members of Bullard Society to be admitted, when far enough advanced, into one of the other societies. These three organizations include almost the whole number of students and given them all some knowledge of parliamentary forms as well as some drill in general literary work and social development.
