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My great-grandfather, Milton E. Kerr, attended Oberlin College between 1881 and 1884. I discovered this in a search for "milton e kerr" at Google Books. His name and hometown are listed in the Catalogue of the Officers and Students of Oberlin College in both the 1881-1882 edition and the 1883-1884 edition. Both catalogues are included in the volume you reach using the link above. During that time period, Milton would have been about 18-21 years old.
The list of students in the Department of Preparatory Instruction, Classical School, begins on page 24 in the 1881-1882 catalogue. "Milton E. Kerr...Mercer, Pa." appears on page 25, under the Senior Class heading. In this particular division of study, there were 306 students: 80 Seniors, 107 Middles, and 119 Juniors. Only 16 of them were women. But that is not to suggest that the entire student population of Oberlin was equally out of balance. The total student body actually included more "Ladies" (790) than "Gentlemen" (703).
The Department of Preparatory Instruction includes both the Classical School and the English School. A description of both courses of study begins on page 68. But far more interesting is the section entitled General Information, pages 73-79. For a glimpse at what Oberlin life was like for Milton and his fellow students, don't miss it!
Immediately following the 1881-1882 catalogue is the 1883-1884 catalogue. Once again, "Milton E. Kerr...Mercer, Pa." is listed (page 26) as a Senior in the Classical School, Department of Preparatory Instruction. I'm at a loss to explain why he was listed as a Senior from 1881-1884. Also, be aware that this is the second "page 26" in this Google volume, since each catalogue has its own set of page numbers. Additional catalogues follow, the last one being dated 1889-1890.
2 comments:
What an awesome find!
I have to admit, Dorene, I was pretty excited. I knew next to nothing about Rosmer's father--Rosmer was only three when Milton died--so this adds a whole new dimension. :-)
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