Payment order for John Edwards on behalf of his son, 1768 July 1

Handwritten order to John Sale to pay scholarship funds to John Edwards for use by his son, signed by Thomas Foxcroft, Charles Chauncey, Thomas Waite, Jonathan Williams, and Daniel Marsh.

Payment order for Samuel Adams on behalf of John Rice, 1772 July 1

Handwritten order to John Sale to pay scholarship funds to Samuel Adams for use by student John Rice (Harvard AB 1774), signed by Charles Chauncey, Thomas Waite, Jonathan Williams, and Daniel Marsh.

Payment order for John Popkin, 1792 July 16

Handwritten order to John Sale to pay scholarship funds John Popkin for use by his son, signed by John Clarke, David Tilden, and James Morrill.

Book receipt of John Mellen and William Bentley, 1780 June 16

This half-page slip contains receipts for two Harvard College Library books received by Harvard College Tutors John Mellen (1752-1828; Harvard AB 1770) and William Bentley (1759-1819; Harvard AB 1777).

[Admittatur of Pickering Dodge], 1819 September 24

Published copy of the 1816 College Laws with the admittatur of undergraduate Pickering Dodge signed by President John Kirkland on September 24, 1819.

Arguments prepared by Daniel Appleton White for meetings of Phi Beta Kappa, 1796-1797

Three handwritten arguments prepared by Phi Beta Kappa member Daniel Appleton White (1776-1861; Harvard AB 1797) for discussion at meetings of the Alpha chapter at Harvard University in 1796 and 1797. The documents consist of a small paper notebook with a response to the prompt, "Whether the deeper studies, such as metaphysics, mathematics & natural philosophy, are entitled to our chief attention?" dated September 27, 1796, and prepared for debate with classmate Isaac Wellington (died 1797); a one-leaf document with a disputation on, "Whether civilized nations have a right to drive uncivilized nations from the lands they occupy?" dated December 8, 1796; and a small paper notebook containing White’s argument to the prompt, "Would a national university be beneficial for America?" that he debated with John Collins Warren (1778-1856; Harvard AB 1797) during the chapter’s May 16, 1797, meeting.

Letter from John Lathrop to Eliphalet Pearson, 1805 October 30

One folded-leaf containing a letter from John Lathrop to Pearson requesting his attendance at a meeting of the Harvard Corporation.

VII. Harvard College Papers, 1st series, Volume 7, 1811-1815, 1819

The seventh volume of the College Papers contains original documents dating from 1811 to 1815, spanning the tenures of president John Thornton Kirkland and treasurer John Davis. Much of the volume consists of general administrative correspondence exchanged between Kirkland and Davis. It also contains one document from 1819.

VIII. Harvard College Papers, 1st series, Volume 8, 1815-1820 (bulk 1815-1819)

The eighth volume of College Papers contains original documents dating from 1815 to 1819, spanning the tenures of president John Thornton Kirkland and treasurer John Davis. Much of the volume consists of general administrative correspondence exchanged between Kirkland and Davis. It also contains a document from 1820.

IX. Harvard College Papers, 1st series, Volume 9, 1819-1821

The ninth volume of College Papers contains original documents dating from 1819 to 1821, spanning the tenures of president John Thornton Kirkland and treasurer John Davis, as well as correspondence between Davis and Steward Stephen Higginson. Much of the volume consists of general administrative correspondence exchanged between Kirkland and Davis. It also contains an early 20th century typewritten document.

VII. Harvard College Papers, 1st series, Volume 7, 1811-1815, 1819

The seventh volume of the College Papers contains original documents dating from 1811 to 1815, spanning the tenures of president John Thornton Kirkland and treasurer John Davis. Much of the volume consists of general administrative correspondence exchanged between Kirkland and Davis. It also contains one document from 1819.

VIII. Harvard College Papers, 1st series, Volume 8, 1815-1820 (bulk 1815-1819)

The eighth volume of College Papers contains original documents dating from 1815 to 1819, spanning the tenures of president John Thornton Kirkland and treasurer John Davis. Much of the volume consists of general administrative correspondence exchanged between Kirkland and Davis. It also contains a document from 1820.

IX. Harvard College Papers, 1st series, Volume 9, 1819-1821

The ninth volume of College Papers contains original documents dating from 1819 to 1821, spanning the tenures of president John Thornton Kirkland and treasurer John Davis, as well as correspondence between Davis and Steward Stephen Higginson. Much of the volume consists of general administrative correspondence exchanged between Kirkland and Davis. It also contains an early 20th century typewritten document.

A flora of North America :containing abridged descriptions of all the known indigenous and naturalized plants growing north of Mexico, arranged according to the natural system /by John Torrey and Asa Gray.

v.2 (1841-1843)

Letter from Stephen Longfellow to Daniel Appleton White, 1799 May 29

Stephen Longfellow wrote this letter in Portland, Maine on May 29, 1799; it was sent to his friend, Daniel Appleton White, in Medford, Massachusetts. In the letter, Longfellow describes the Election Day festivities among the "plebeans" in Portland, which he apparently found both amusing and upsetting. He compares the horses pulling their sleds to Don Quixote's horse, Rocinante. He also writes about mutual friends, including John Henry Tudor and Jabez Kimball, and bemoans the behavior of the current members of Phi Beta Kappa among the Harvard College undergraduates, whom he insists have sunk the society below its former "exalted station."