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Preferred Citation

James Albert Doyle Scrapbook, Special Collections Research Center, William & Mary Libraries

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gift of Bob Doyle

Biographical / Historical

James Albert Doyle attended William & Mary from 1920-1924.

Scope and Contents

Included in the scrapbook are photographs, newspaper clippings, class schedules, report cards, dining hall passes, letters, dance cards, ticket stubs, announcements of events on the campus and various additional ephemera related to Doyle's time on campus.

Of note are the "friendship" pages, which were completed by Doyle's friends and classmates. Each individual wrote the date, their name and hometown, their nickname and/or birthdate, their ambition, and a happy thought. There is also a column for a photograph and sometimes, an individual (usually a woman) would draw themselves. The friendship pages were completed by men and women.

The school colors at the time were orange and black and the scrapbook includes orange and black ribbon as well as the words to the school yell and school song, "William & Mary is Going to Shine." Doyle also includes the scores to football, baseball, and basketball games and track meets.

Doyle also describes several member of the faculty: Walter A. Montgomery (History), George Howard Gelsinger (English and Greek), Kremer J. Hoke (Education), Oscar L. Shewmake (Government), John Leslie Hall (English), Charles N. Feidelson (Journalism), Carlos E. Castaneda (Spanish), and Joseph Roy Geiger (Ethics).

The photographs include campus buildings (Wren, Jefferson Hall, Brafferton Dormitory), the Sigma Phi Epsilon House, members of the fraternity (both individual and group shots including one inside the fraternity house), images of a wrecked car with an accompanying newsclipping about the wreck which involved students, properties in what is now Colonial Williamsburg (such as the Magazine), friends (men and women) and probably family, the original Lord Botetourt statue, unidentified buildings, commencement with Warren G. Harding, and individual football players.

The ephmera contained within the scrapbook includes ticket stubs, event programs, dining hall pass, YMCA membership card, dance cards from Cotillion Club and German Club dances, invitations, calling cards, Athletic Association cards, items from the Phoenix Literary Society, and "Tag Day - Campus Fund."

There are a couple of pages on which he adhered cut signatures from letters written by friends and largely women.

Doyle also included telegrams, letters, and Christmas cards he received.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

• College of William and Mary--Alumni and alumnae
• College of William and Mary--Faculty
• College of William and Mary--History--20th century
• College of William and Mary--Sports
• College of William and Mary--Students--Social life and customs
• Sigma Phi Epsilon . Virginia Delta Chapter. (College of William & Mary)