The Everett Athenaeum.

In the fall of 1868, the Everett Athenaeum, a sophomore society, was formed by certain members of '71. For some years the Institute has been the sole society for sophomores, and many men had necessarily no society. The founders of the Everett Athenaeum were men of literary tastes, and it was due to their efforts that the society assumed such a high literary standard. According to the constitution, a board of three editors were to be appointed, whose duty it was to present alternately, at intervals of two weeks, a paper not to exceed thirty minutes in length. At every meeting of the society debates were held and were conducted very much like the Harvard Union debates, except that members of the society only were allowed to attend. The length of the debates was limited to two hours. Members were elected by tens, and a vote of two-thirds of all members present at the meeting was necessary for election. Honorary members were elected on the same conditionc. A peculiar law of the society was that officers should serve for one year only, and no one could hold office for two successive terms.

For a long time the constitution was faithfully observed, and literary exercises were held at every weekly meeting. The programme was as follows: Music, declamation, select readings, essays, and an oration. In the midst of this earnest work the social side of the society was not neglected. Five or six times during the year private theatriricals were given, and the Athenaeum farces gained a great local reputation. It is recorded that on one night, an invitation having been extended to the Institute, that society came in a body and enthusiastically applauded the play.

In a society so short-lived, it is impossible that many of its past members should be well known. Among the most prominent are Assistant Professors Young, Croswell, Briggs, Tausig and Fowler; Messrs. Preble, George Riddle and Grandgent, Col. Bancroft, J. J. Colony and H. C. Beaman.

For twelve years the society seems to have observed the laws of its constitution, but in 1880, all record of literary exercises at the meeting ceased.

The society seems to have fallen away from its original purpose and in literary character was lost. From that time, the regular meetings were devoted to whist and other games. The theatricals were still kept up, but they seem to have lost their former prestige.

It was the for the members of '89 to realize that the constitution was a dead letter, and that the original aims of the society were multiplied. After much deliberation they decided that the constitution of the society was no longer carried out and that it was useless to continue. On the 27th of October by a vote of the past members the Everett Athenaeum was dissolved.