The revival of E Clampus Vitus was begun by Carl I. Wheat and others around 1931 as a parody of mining fraternities of the nineteenth century. E Clampus Vitus events were organized around historical anniversaries or in a place of historical significance. The collection consists of correspondence, membership rosters, and artifacts related to events and activites of the California chapters of the Ancient and Honorable Order of E Clampus Vitus.

Revival of E Clampus Vitus was begun by Carl I. Wheat and others around 1931 as a parody of mining fraternities of the nineteenth century; E Clampus Vitus almost always organized its events around historical anniversaries or in a place of historical information; a history of the organization can be found in the book, Credo Quia Absurdum (Placerville, California: Onager Press, 1949). The history of the Ancient & Honorable Order of E Clampus Vitus is given in the book Credo quia absurdum (Placerville, California, 1949). The present social organization is a revival of mining fraternities of the nineteenth century, parodies of the then-popular mysterious fraternal orders. The present organization delights in the mock-serious aspects of the originals.note: Because of the completeness of materials collected by W.W. Robinson held in the UCLA Library Special Collections, items taken from that collection have been stamped with his name. Other items not pertaining to the individuals above have been distributed throughout this collection without indicating the donor.

2 boxes (1 linear ft.) 1 oversize box

Property rights to the physical object belong to the UCLA Library Special Collections. Literary rights, including copyright, are retained by the creators and their heirs. It is the responsibility of the researcher to determine who holds the copyright and pursue the copyright owner or his or her heir for permission to publish where The UC Regents do not hold the copyright.

COLLECTION STORED OFF-SITE AT SRLF: Open for research. Advance notice required for access. Contact the UCLA Library Special Collections Reference Desk for paging information.