Century Forum, 1918

Abstract

Members of Kalamazoo College's Century Forum during the 1917-18 academic year. This photo appears in the 1918 yearbook, The Ka-Col. On the back of the photograph, three names are listed, Paul Staake, Harvey Jacobs and Mutt Babcock. Staake graduated with the class of 1921, and Jacobs graduated in 1920. Warren W. Babcock was a member of the Class of 1920. The Century Forum was organized in 1900, at a time when the College's two other literary societies for men (Sherwoods and Philolexians) were experiencing significant growth. Some of the Sherwoods and Philos left their groups to begin the Century Forum, to keep all groups at a manageable size. Over the years the society role on campus went from literary to social in nature, and by the early 1970s they had faded away. In the 1920s, debates, musical performances, and readings were still a large part of Century Forum activities.