C.L.S.C. card from The Calls 1935-1943

 

On page 116, the final page of the manuscript,  Elizabeth Coe Call taped a card indicating the Lizzie A. Call is a graduate of C.L.S.C. Class of 1887 into the book. She did this in about 1943. 

So what C.L.S.C. - it is the Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle - a program started in 1878 by Bishop John H Vincent and Lewis Miller of the Chautauqua Institution as a four year reading course designed  

• To promote habits of reading and study in nature, art, science and in secular and sacred literature, and
• To encourage individual study, to open the college world to persons unable to attend higher institution of learning

Over 1700 participants completed the first reading course and received diplomas in 1882. Many of the individuals in the program organized groups in their communities for friends and family who were interested in pursuing their education. By 1900, estimates are there were over 10,000 C.L.S.C. groups across the country. 

The program has grown and waned in popularity over the years, and is still active in a summer format to this day. 

For Elizabeth Call to have a card indicating she was a graduate of the C.L.S.C. Class of 1887, then as I understand it, she would have participated in the program from the fall of 1883 through the spring of 1887. 

The books the C.L.S.C. circles read in those years were

1883-1884

Bishop, Coleman E., ed. ..................Pictures from English History 

Blaikie, William ..................................How to Get Strong and How to Stay So 

Gilmore, J. H. ....................................English Literature 

Hawthorne, Nathaniel ......................Biographical Stories 

Hughes, James L. .............................Canadian History 

Hurlbut, J. L. ......................................American History 

Richardson, Charles F. ......................A Primer of American Literature 

Timayenis, T. T. ..................................A History of Greece; Brief History of Greece 

Vincent, John H. ................................Christian Evidences 

Vincent, John H. ................................English History; The Chautauquan 

Vincent, John H. ................................Greek History 

Vincent, John H. ................................Roman History 

Vincent, John H. ................................The Sunday School Normal Class; Good Manners 

Walker, James B. ...............................Philosophy of the Plan of Salvation 

Wilkinson, William Cleaver ..............Preparatory Latin Course in English 

Wythe, J. H. .......................................Easy Lessons in Vegetable Biology

1884–1885 

Abbott, Jacob ...................................Histories of Cyrus the Great and Alexander the Great 

Appleton, John Howard ...................Chemistry Brief History of Greece 

Bushnell, Horace ...............................The Character of Jesus 

Fields, Mrs. James T. ........................How to Help the Poor 

Hurst, John F. .................................... Short History of the Reformation; The Chautauquan; Our Alma Mater 

Townsend, L. T. ..................................The Art of Speech, Studies in Poetry and Prose 

Vincent, John H. ................................Greek History 

Wilkinson, William Cleaver ..............Preparatory Greek Course in English College Greek Course in English 

1885–1886 A

bbott, Lyman ...................................A Study in Human Nature 

Browning, Robert ..............................Pomegranates from an English Garden 

Hale, Edward Everett ........................ In His Name; The Chautauquan 

Shumway, Edgar S. ...........................A Day in Ancient Rome 

Steele, George M. ............................ Outline Study of Political Economy 

Steele, Joel Dorman and Steele, Esther B. ................................Brief History of Rome 

Townsend, L. T. ...................................The Bible and Other Ancient Literature in the Nineteenth Century 

Vincent, John H. ................................Roman History 

Wilkinson, William Cleaver ..............Preparatory Latin in English College Latin Course in English 

1886–1887 

Beers, Henry A. .................................An Outline Sketch of English Literature Fisher, 

George Park ..........................The Christian Religion 

Hurst, John F. .................................... Short History of the Early Church 

Macaulay, Lord. Thomas Babington Macaulay, ed. by J. H. Vincent ...........................Warren Hastings
Warren, Henry White ........................Recreations in Astronomy 

Wheeler, Arthur M., ed. .................... Sketches from English History 

Wilkinson, William Cleaver ..............Classic French Course in English; The Chautauquan 

Winchell, Alexander .........................Walks and Talks in the Geological Field

Information about the C.L.S.C. and the books lists for 1883-1887 can be found in 

Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle Book List 1878-2018  (online at http://chq.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/CLSCBookList.pdf : accessed 22 June 2021). 

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