History Commons^™

In Their Footsteps, In Their Words: Special Section, 1964-2013

Colby Magazine

Civil rights, the Vietnam War, end of fraternities—Colby explores the past 50 years.

In Their Footsteps, In Their Words: Special Section, 1914-1963

Colby Magazine

Three wars. A devastating economic depression. Construction of an entirely new campus from scratch. And all in 50 years.

The period that began as World War I erupted and ended as the tumult of the 1960s loomed was marked by a series of unprecedented events that could have mortally wounded a modestly funded liberal arts college in central Maine. The Great War emptied the campus. World War II turned Colby into a military training center. The bold decision to move the College to Mayflower Hill was sandwiched by the Depression and the Korean War and marked by the return of …

In Their Footsteps, In Their Words: Special Section, 1864-1913

Colby Magazine

In Their Footsteps and In Their Words: Colby explores the second 50 years, 1864-1913.

History With A Twist: Earl Smith Brings A New Perspective To The Life Of The College, Gerry Boyle

Colby Magazine

The new book, Mayflower Hill: A History of Colby College, has been released. Author and College Historian Earl Smith combines an insider’s view of Colby with a broad cultural perspective for a lively, informative, and sometimes irreverent read.

In Their Footsteps, In Their Words: Special Section, 1813-1863

Colby Magazine

In Their Footsteps and In Their Words: Colby explores the first 50 years, from Jeremiah Chaplin to the Civil War.

Mayflower Hill: A History Of Colby College, Earl H. Smith

Colby Books

A lively history of Colby College from its founding in 1813 to the present day.

Founded by Baptists in Waterville, Maine (and originally named The Maine Literary and Theological Institution), Colby College began as a tiny place- half college, half seminary. It faced doom at the end of the Civil War but was rescued by Gardner Colby, a wealthy manufacturer whose $50,000 donation saved the college. Three years later, it changed its name to honor its benefactor. Sixty years after that, the tiny college had become choked by the city's success. Squeezed between the Kennebec River and the railroad tracks, …