Berea College Campus Culture

Glimpses of the vital and dynamic campus culture at Berea College can be observed throughout the letters that Harold Johnston sends home in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. Examples of this lively culture can be found in subthemes, specifically clubs, violence, diversity, technology, religious studies, field day, finances, hiking the pinnacles, and Berea College's endowment. The themes and letters presented by a student who walked campus years ago serve as insight. Campus life at Berea College has changed and stayed the same in many ways since Johnston's experience. Each of these topics are useful in learning about the rich history of Berea and observing the viltality of campus life was like as a student. Intentional or not, Harold Johnston has left future generations of Berea students with an eye-opening, primary source to discover. In the depths of the Berea College archives are plenty of letters written by Harold Johnston to explore. Within these letters viewers will find a compelling and complex campus culture to consider and compare to campus life that takes place today. Additionally, a letter of Daisy Nickum will be presented to add further understanding of campus culture during their time. Nickum was a female student who enrolled at Berea College a year after Johnston left. Also included are various photographs from Johnston's time at Berea that are intended to futher illustrate the campus culture cultivated at the turn of the twentieth century.