Archivist Lindsay Kenderes has curated three exhibits showcasing treasures of photographs, documents, and artifacts from the Milligan College Archives to coincide with the school’s 150th Anniversary celebration. The exhibits are on display in various locations across campus to be viewed during this weekend’s Homecoming festivities and continuing through the end of the semester:
- “Christian Education, the Hope of the World: An Early History of Milligan College” is located at the back of the main floor of the P.H. Welshimer Memorial Library
- “Where the Buffs Roam: Milligan’s Campus Through 150 Years” can be seen in the main lobby of Derthick Hall
- “Celebrating 150 years of Milligan History and Memory” is located in the main lobby of the Gregory Center (exhibit on display during Homecoming week only, coinciding with the performance of the play, Forward With Faith: The Milligan Story)
Christian Education, the Hope of the World: An Early History of Milligan College
The Milligan College Archives holds several original and copied documents related to the founding of the institution, first called the Buffalo Male and Female Institute, in 1866. An original subscription list, dated 1867, names 79 donors contributing funds for the school building. Kenderes notes that the oldest document in the Archives’ possession is a 1782 land grant given to Edmund Williams from the state of North Carolina. Williams’ grandson, Joshua donated the first acre of land upon which the original school was built. Selected digitized documents and photos from this exhibit are viewable online here on the Milligan College Archives’ digital repository, MCStor.
This Robert Milligan brooch is on loan to the Milligan College Archives for the Sesquicentennial Celebration. Provided by Rebecca Coleman Ray, the great-great-great granddaughter of Robert Milligan, Milligan’s namesake. Robert Milligan used this text to learn shorthand. Written inside is “Robert Milligan commenced the study of stenography, Feb. 1845” followed by shorthand characters, the year and the handwritten name “Robert.” Underneath Robert’s name is a stamped “A. R. Milligan.”
Where the Buffs Roam: Milligan’s Campus Through 150 Years
This is a photo exhibit of student life and campus scenes through the College’s history. Kenderes comments, “I selected photos that reveal how student life and campus outdoor scenes have both changed and have endured throughout the years.” Particularly striking are the May Day celebrations from the 1950s, and photos of students beside Buffalo Creek. This exhibit is also viewable online here on the Milligan College Archives’ digital repository, MCStor.
Celebrating 150 years of Milligan History and Memory
Photos for this exhibit were selected to highlight scenes from the play, Forward With Faith: The Milligan Story, which was written and directed by retired Milligan professor Rosemarie Shields, and performed during Homecoming week. Photos from this exhibit are also viewable online here on the Milligan College Archives’ digital repository, MCStor.
Archivist Lindsay Kenderes with Professor Rosemarie Shields
Who is that on Sarah Hopwood’s shoulder?