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No restrictions. Open for research.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], in the Amphoterothen Society of the University of North Carolina Records #40142, University Archives, Wilson Special Collections Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

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Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations, the North Carolina Public Records Act (N.C.G.S. § 132 1 et seq.), and Article 7 of the North Carolina State Personnel Act (Privacy of State Employee Personnel Records, N.C.G.S. § 126-22 et seq.). Researchers are advised that the disclosure of certain information pertaining to identifiable living individuals represented in this collection without the consent of those individuals may have legal ramifications (e.g., a cause of action under common law for invasion of privacy may arise if facts concerning an individual's private life are published that would be deemed highly offensive to a reasonable person) for which the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill assumes no responsibility.

Processed by: University Archives Staff, September 1968, October 1980

Encoded by: ByteManagers Inc., 2008

The following terms from Library of Congress Subject Headings suggest topics, persons, geography, etc. interspersed through the entire collection; the terms do not usually represent discrete and easily identifiable portions of the collection--such as folders or items.

Clicking on a subject heading below will take you into the University Library's online catalog.

• Amphoterothen Society (University of North Carolina (1793-1962))
• College students--North Carolina--Societies, etc.
• Extemporaneous speaking--Societies, etc.
• Student activities--North Carolina--History.
• University of North Carolina (1793-1962)--Societies, etc.
• University of North Carolina (1793-1962)--Students--History--20th century.

The Amphoterothen Society was founded at the University of North Carolina in the 1912-1913 academic year as a student organization to promote extemporaneous speaking. The society was inactive from 1947 to 1952. In 1959, the society was reorganized by the Forensic Council as an honorary society to recognize thirteen students who exemplify the virtues of leadership, oratory, and service. A more complete history of the society is reproduced below; the date of this history is unknown.

The Amphoterothen Society

This organization originated on the initiative of Dr. Joseph Gregoire de Roulhac Hamilton. He had been a member of an organization at the University of the South called Chelidon, meaning in Greek a swallow, hence soaring in the air, or Oratory, which had impressed him as being quite worthwhile. During the academic year 1912-1913, he and three outstanding seniors, Walter Stokes, Claude Edward Teague, Sr., and Archibald Manning Wiggins conceived the plan of starting a comparable organization here devoted to the training of extemporaneous speaking. It was begun soon after and the name Amphoterothen (meaning in Greek "from both sides") was adopted. No records of the meetings were preserved until a minutes book was begun in the Fall of 1913.

The number of members decided upon was thirteen to be chosen from the junior and senior classes. One of these was to be designated as the leader for each meeting, the lead rotating alphabetically. After the meeting had been called to order, the leader was to announce the subject for discussion, none of the other twelve member having been informed previously of the topic. After a three-minute period of silence, the members were to be called upon in alphabetical order, and each must speak three minutes on the topic announced.

At the beginning of the existence of Amphoterothen, the meetings were held weekly at 4:44 p.m. in the history room in the north entrance of the Old West building. Dean McKee was, for many years, the leader of this organization. The organization had a continuous existence until it became inactive in 1947. The Amphoterothen is the second oldest honorary on the campus.

The Forensic Council of the university realized the continued need on campus for recognition of those who excel in forensic activity. Therefore, having obtained the approval for new initiates and a new basic law from alumni members, the awakened society proceeded to reorganize in 1959. The present day purpose of the Amphoterothen Society is to recognize the virtues of leadership, oratory, and service and to honor each year the thirteen outstanding men on our campus who exemplify these virtues.

Records include minutes of the meetings of the Amphoterothen Society. Also included are membership rolls, financial records, and a blank membership certificate.