Voces Clamantium: A History of Dartmouth Through Student Protest

Since we have three classes returning for 50th reunions (classes of '70, '71, & '72), this year's Reunion exhibit in Rauner Library will focus on the history of the College, rather than on the experience of a particular class.

As anyone associated with the College knows, "Vox clamantis in deserto" – a voice crying out in the wilderness has been the motto of Dartmouth College since the eighteenth century. Rather than a single voice in an undifferentiated wilderness, the history of Dartmouth is the story of many voices - voces clamantium - gathered together. "Voces Clamantium" will explore Dartmouth's history through the lens of student protest, looking at the (sometimes cacophonous) ways students have spoken out about the issues that mattered to them. Of course, no exhibit can tell the full story of an institution like Dartmouth, and this view of Dartmouth history is necessarily incomplete. At least as important as the audible voices are the silences around them. We have no record of female or LGBTQ student voices before the 1960s, and the voices of students of color have often been relegated to the margins.

Despite its setting in rural New Hampshire, Dartmouth has always been part of the wider world. Over the centuries, Dartmouth students have debated the issues facing American society, from slavery and racial justice, to women's rights, to the true value of a liberal arts education. At the same time, Dartmouth students have also raised their voices (and sometimes their fists) about matters of more local concern, such as the math curriculum or mandatory meal plans, with characteristic Dartmouth brio. In this exhibit, you will find many instances of Dartmouth students disagreeing with the administration, and with each other. Rather than smooth things out to create a neat narrative, we include these points of conflict and invite you to explore how what it means to be a Dartmouth.

The exhibit will be on display in the Rooke Reading Room in Rauner Library June 11, 2022.