William Henry Smith Lectures Records

Collection — Box: 1

Identifier: WUA-01-wua00146

Staff Only

Contains list of paid lectures and free lectures before and after the Smith Fund was established. Also an invitation from Chancellor Throop to a lecture by T.S. Eliot sponsored by the William Henry Smith Foundation, and a program of the Smith Lectures.

Dates

Creation: 1871-1898

Creator

William Henry Smith Lecture Endowment Fund (Organization)

Conditions Governing Access

Open

Conditions Governing Use

Users of the collection must read and agree to abide by the rules and procedures set forth in the Materials Use Policies.

Providing access to materials does not constitute permission to publish or otherwise authorize use. All publication not covered by fair use or other exceptions is restricted to those who have permission of the copyright holder, which may or may not be Washington University.

If you wish to publish or license Special Collections materials, please contact Special Collections to inquire about copyright status at (314) 935-5495 or spec@wumail.wustl.edu. (Publish means quotation in whole or in part in seminar or term papers, theses or dissertations, journal articles, monographs, books, digital forms, photographs, images, dramatic presentations, transcriptions, or any other form prepared for a limited or general public.)

Extent

0.25 linear feet

1 boxes

Additional Description

Historical Information

Washington University began offering free lectures to the St. Louis community in 1872, mostly on scientific topics. A more regular series of lectures on varied topics began in early 1875, with talks given by the University professors and Chancellor Eliot. Later that year, Eliot received correspondence from a friend William Henry Smith (also the brother of James Smith, member of the University’s Board of Directors) with an offer to endow a lecture series at the University known as the “Eliot Lecture Endowment Fund.” The offer was announced by Chancellor Eliot, and discussed by the Board of Directors, which accepted the offer, but recommended the fund be named the “William Henry Smith Lecture Endowment Fund.” The first lectures of the new series were given in April of 1875. (For additional information see “Washington University Annual Catalogue, 1875-76 pages 58-59; and “History of the College of Washington University, 1871-1883” Louis Clair Held, MA Thesis 1941, page 80-83).