Whittier College was founded in 1887 as Friends’ College by a group of Quakers, also known as the Religious Society of Friends. In 1895, the first classes were taught under the official name “Whittier College”, and the College was accredited in 1900. In 1904 the first commencement was held. The College Collection consists of a wide variety of materials, including object artifacts, photographs, papers, and more, covering a period of time beginning just before the founding of the school and continuing until the present day; the collection is continuously being developed.

Whittier College was founded in 1887 as Friends’ College by a group of Quakers, also known as the Religious Society of Friends, who had recently established the town of Whittier. Dr. Samuel D. Coffin was elected as the first President of the College. Unfortunately, the lean years and end of the population boom in the neighborhood prevented the new College from matriculating its first class. Instead, a combination secondary and collegiate preparatory school was established under the name Whittier Academy, creating an opportunity for Quaker students to continue their education past the secondary level and participate in such college activities as the football team and The Acropolis student publication. In 1895, the first classes were taught under the official name “Whittier College”: three freshman students and three sophomores. The College was accredited in 1900 under the leadership of President Charles Tebbetts. In 1904 the first commencement was held. From the beginning, the College was a co-ed school. In the 1940s the College voted to officially identify as a secular liberal arts institution while continuing to honor the Quaker values, if not the Quaker religion, upon which it was founded. This finding aid was created by Paige Harris in 2023.

150 boxes (633.5 linear feet)

Authorization to publish, quote, or reproduce must be obtained from Wardman Library, Whittier College.

Open for research, with the exception of papers in the Smith, Upton, and O’Brien Collections that contain personal information about library staff and staff candidates, which are restricted until 40 years after their date of production.