Another successful Anniversary Weekend is in the books! We celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Form of 1974, the 25th anniversary of the Form of 1999, and were pleased to welcome back all Forms ending in 4 and 9. We were busy here at Ohrstrom Library all weekend. We hosted an exhibit that featured our 50th anniversary Form and filled the lobby tables with selections from our Alumnus Author Collection. Alumni/ae came in to relax with old friends, page through their yearbooks, participate in our archival photo ID project, and – of course – take a stroll through the library to admire our many William Abbe prints.
In fact, an Abbe print is featured in our spring term exhibit, The History of St. Paul’s School in 16 Objects. The exhibit – which was curated by our archivist Ms. Parsi, with help from archives proctor Marvin Cho ’24 and archives volunteer Daisy Wu ’25 – features sixteen objects that are familiar to generations of St. Paul’s students. In honor of the anniversary weekend, we thought we would share a few of our favorites with you.
Marvin recently wrote a Pelican article about his favorite object from the exhibit – The Form of 1968 Letter. The Letter, very familiar to those in the SPS community, questioned the status quo, ultimately leading to some positive foundational changes that allowed SPS to move forward with the times. Although written over 50 years ago, this letter still resonates with students today. Marvin writes in his article: “…if nothing else, the school spirit shown in the Letter is inspiring. The graduating Form of 1968, though they could have easily left the school behind and never thought much of it afterward, felt the need to voice their frustrations about the school and improve their successors’ experience”.
Daisy’s favorite object in the exhibit is the first issue of the Horae Scholasticae, which was published on June 1, 1860. Originally, the Horae was a combination newspaper, alumni newsletter, and literary magazine. With the arrival of the Alumni Horae in 1921 and The Pelican in 1945, the Horae evolved into a literary magazine that features student prose, poetry, photography, artwork, and ceramics. Daisy says, “As a member of the literary editorial team of the Horae, I am always eager to read the creative talents of my peers. The Horae is a crucial part of St. Paul’s history and continues to maintain a steadfast presence in the school’s culture.” The Horae Scholasticae has been the inspiration to generations of other student publications, including today’s The Partisan and The Scire.
The History of St. Paul’s School in 16 Objects exhibit will become an Archives Talk in the near future. In the meantime, come learn about these historic objects which, when taken together, tell the story of St. Paul’s School.
If you were at Anniversary this weekend, you know it was a wonderful time! We were happy to see you on the grounds and in the library! As Fourth Rector Samuel S. Drury once wrote, “We’ll do our best to make you feel at home and will present you with the freedom of the School, which having once been yours is yours throughout the years.”
Happy Anniversary and Welcome Home to all of our alumni/ae!
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