The expenses of a dinner provided at the installation of the Rev'd. Professor Williams, 1780 May 2

Handwritten one-page itemized list of costs for food and supplies purchased for the installation dinner of Samuel Williams (1743-1817) for his appointment as Hollis Professor Mathematics and Natural Philosophy at Harvard College. Signed by Caleb Gannett.

[Admittatur of Benjamin Dolbeare (Harvard AB 1763)], 1760

Notebook with a handwritten copy of the 1734 College laws and additional laws approved by the Corporation between 1756 and 1760 in English prepared by Harvard undergraduate Benjamin Dolbeare and signed by President Edward Holyoke, Tutors Belcher Hancock and Thomas Marsh, and William Kneeland and Josephus Jackson on January 12, 1760.

[Admittatur of Benjamin Merrill (Harvard AB 1804)], 1800 August 12

Published copy of the 1790 College Laws with the admittatur of undergraduate Benjamin Merrill signed by President Joseph Willard on August 12, 1800. Four pages of amendments of and additions to the Harvard Laws "enacted since the Summer of 1798, and are now in force Dec. 1, 1800" are tipped in at the beginning of the volume.

Vote related to the case of Packard, 1780 September 11

One-page handwritten draft of a vote of the Harvard Faculty forwarding the case of Asa Packard (Harvard AB 1783), who advanced money to the College steward on June 3, 1780, to the Corporation. The document is signed by Professor Edward Wigglesworth (1731/2-1794), who served as acting president of the College from 1780 to 1781. The document is missing text.

II. Benjamin Wadsworth's Index to College Books 1-6, created ca. 1736

This paper-bound index was created by Benjamin Wadsworth, probably around 1736. Although most entries are in his hand, additional entries have been made in other, unidentified hands. It is arranged alphabetically, though the keywords used to alphabetize topics are not always logical or intuitive. Each entry lists the College Book and page number where information on the given topic can be found.

Benjamin Wood, AB, 1797

This folder contains an original (20.5 x 12 in.), a typewritten copy (14.75 x 8.5 in.), and a photostat copy (21.5 x 13.75 in.) of the diploma of Benjamin Wood.

Benjamin Franklin, AM, 1753

This folder contains an unfinished diploma that lacks the signatures of College officers and the Harvard seal.

Poem (manuscript copy owned by Jonathan Remington and Benjamin Parker), 1782

Paper notebook lacking covers with a handwritten copy of John Davis's 1781 Commencement poem titled “Poem. ” The verso of the last page is inscribed: “Benj’a Parker’s property Given him by Remington March 4th 1782.” The last page has a Latin phrase, "Finis cum fistilo jig," and the phrase, "He that has [some] hair cannot wear a wig."

Annotated almanac,1780

Almanac with annotations to the calendar pages noting the weather.

No. 1 Eliphalet Pearson a/c Book relating to the Estate of Mary H. Pearson, 1780-1813

Folio-sized account book in brown paper cover containing accounting records kept by Pearson related to the estate of his daughter Mary Pearson.

Annotated almanac, 1780

Almanac interleaved with pages containing sporadic entries documenting household activities and accounts, payments from boarders, and a list of baptisms and burials. On the last interleaved page there is an entry for May 19 of "a marvellous darkness over spread the whole horizon which oblidgd us to burn candles for near three hours such a phenomenon not remembered by the oldest person living."

[Certificate from M. Everett to the Governors of Harvard College], June 1780

Handwritten certification from [Moses] Everett that Philip Draper lived in Dorchester and kept the town grammar school.

[Certificate from Samuel Topliff], 1780 June 23

Handwritten certification from Samuel Topliff that Philip Draper boarded with his family and kept the town grammar school.