Eunomian Literary Society Records

The Eunomian Literary Society was founded at Swarthmore College in 1871. It was a men's student organization dedicated to developing its members' debating skills and encouraging their mutual improvement in literature and the cultivation of fellowship and good feeling, according to the group's constitution.

At their regular meetings, the Eunomians debated contemporary issues, gave impromptu speeches, read poetry and short stories by famous authors, and occasionally played musical instruments. The group founded a library in 1874 that subscribed to a number of magazines such as Life, The Saturday Evening Post, and Ladies Home Journal. It was active on campus, holding debates with the Somerville and Delphic literary societies, and from 1871 to 1913, the group held meetings regularly. It published a journal, The Eunomian. In 1913, the group merged with the Delphic Society to form the Athenaeum.

According to the records of the group's rivals, the Delphic Literary Society, the Eunomian Literary Society was originally called the Eurodelphian Literary Society. The name was changed sometime after the fall of 1873 to Eunomian, which means under good laws.