July 24, 2015 — A newly digitized collection at Saint Louis University
gives a glimpse into the daily lives of students and Jesuits at Saint Louis
University in the late 19th century.
The Special Collections Library at SLU has digitized the historic diaries
of prefects, or supervisors, at the university from 1851 to 1894, making them
available to anyone who would like to view this unique historical record.
In the five diaries that the university holds, the prefects kept records
of the activities of the students. At the time, students as young as 10 years
old could be enrolled in the university, and prefects were responsible for
looking after them.
These journals are some of the earliest records of students at the
university and preserve firsthand accounts of daily activities, providing a
unique window into student life. One prefect tells the story of older students
tricking the younger boys into thinking dessert would be served after the
evening meal, and laughter when they were disappointed. Most days consist of a
rhythm of Mass, classes and mealtimes, but of course, the younger boys also get
into trouble: making too much noise in services and having snowball fights.
Another journal in 1870
begins with prefects returning to school from the summer months. Before classes
resumed, the first order of business for the Jesuit prefects was that the
"boys got their tickets" for the upcoming baseball game between the
St. Louis Red Stockings and the Empires Baseball Club.
The Saint Louis University Special Collections holds rare and original
sources, preserving them so that students, staff and visiting scholars have
easy access to these materials. These diaries are part of the process of
digitizing the larger Historical Records Collection at the library; this
provides access for students and staff to engage directly with these important
sources with ease and convenience. [Sources: Saint Louis University, Saint Louis University Digital
Collections]
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