Digitizing History through the Eyes of Rollins’ Eighth “Prexy”
Hamilton Holt Scrapbooks, Vol. II p. 25
I’ve recently had the pleasure and privilege of interning in the Rollins College Archives department this past semester as part of the Library Science and Information graduate program with the University of South Florida’s School of Information. In addition to learning how a university archive operates on a day-to-day basis, I had the opportunity to take over and complete a digitization initiative as part of my final project. This project involved digitizing the Hamilton Holt scrapbook, an archival object that the Rollins Archives has had in its collection for several decades, and prepping the digital version for online accessibility. The final project contributed both to my own experience and to the Olin Library and Rollins Archives’ strategic goals. [1]
Hamilton Holt was the eighth and longest-serving president of Rollins College, presiding from 1925 to 1949. Before his inauguration at Rollins, Holt was extensively involved in politics and served as the editor-in-chief of a publication called the Independent. [2] His most widely published (and self-published) political conviction was his belief that the ultimate solution to global conflict was some form of international governing body with legislative and judicial authority over sovereign states. [3] He gave many speeches over the decades in support of what he called the League of Nations and other world peace initiatives, and many of these speeches (handwritten, typed, and published in newspapers and magazines) can be found in his scrapbooks. Holt was also an outspoken supporter of racial integration, the strengthening of foreign relationships, and disarmament. His other notable roles include being a founding member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) as well as (briefly) a candidate for the U.S. Senate. [2]
Hamilton Holt Scrapbooks, Vol. V p. 57; Vol. VII p. 65; Vol. XVI p. 115
The Hamilton Holt Scrapbooks themselves, which were donated to the Rollins College Archives by his descendants, are no longer “books” per say. In their current form, the scrapbook pages have been individually separated from what was originally some kind of three hole punch binder. Most of these pages exhibit various (sometimes multi-layered) newspaper clippings affixed to the paper with adhesive. Other pages show where Holt saved miscellaneous artifacts such as invitations, birth announcements, telegrams, menus, sermons, and even parking tickets. Holt himself organized his scrapbooks into thirty-five volumes, and a previous archivist organized these volumes into twelve medium-sized archival document boxes, with each box containing 2-3 volumes. Primary documents range from the 1900’s to the 1950’s and cover major historical events such as WWI, WWII, the Great Depression, several U.S. presidencies, the deaths of notable public figures, and various global conflicts in Armenia, Japan, and elsewhere.
Hamilton Holt Scrapbooks, Vol. II p. 4; Vol. IV p. 108; Vol. XIX p. 33
In addition to those artifacts and documents highlighting Holt’s more political and editorial days, a large portion of his scrapbooks chronicle his presidency at Rollins College and his dedication to education, student life, and the city of Winter Park. Holt transformed Rollins from a relatively unknown southern liberal arts college into a burgeoning hub of intellectual thought and innovative curriculum that garnered national attention. He saved many interesting Rollins artifacts, including but not limited to service pamphlets from the Knowles Memorial Chapel, playbills from the Annie Russell Theatre, presidential memos, commencement schedules, athletics statistics, and newspaper and magazine articles written by Holt and others about the college.
Hamilton Holt Scrapbooks, Vol. XIII p. 39; Vol. XVII p. 63; Vol. XIX p. 15
The digitization process for the Hamilton Holt scrapbook was delicate and time-consuming. Many of the scrapbook pages were assembled by Holt around a hundred years ago and are quickly deteriorating, making the quality of the digital iteration of the utmost importance. Some portions of the collection contain several clippings of text that are folded and overlapping each other, so several pages required multiple scans to ensure that each piece of text was as readable as it could be for the digital user. This sometimes took multiple attempts because of the fragile material. In some instances, the adhesive keeping certain items in place had worn out, and many of the newspaper cut-outs and pamphlets had fallen off the pages and become disorganized. Plastic clips had to be used to “reassemble” the pages, and quality assurance was conducted to make sure each volume was readable, cohesive, and contained all of the information that it did originally.
Hamilton Holt Scrapbooks, Vol. XXV pp. 15, 77, and 155
Holt, being the longest serving president of the school, is an important part of Rollins College history. His scrapbooks are not limited to details about his own life and work. The entirety of the collection showcases primary source materials that illuminate multiple decades of political and societal commentary, including evidence-based news articles, opinion pieces, comics, speeches, and letters about both major and minor historical events from all over the globe. There is significant educational value in these primary sources because they are so interdisciplinary. Research being done by students and faculty in the fields of history, sociology, political science, and other degree tracks could benefit from access to high-quality digital versions of these archival documents. Outside institutions and surrounding communities may also have an interest in learning more about Rollins and Holt through this collection. Creating this digital version of Holt’s scrapbook has ensured its preservation and accessibility beyond its physical deterioration.
Photos of me in the Rollins Archives by Liriam Tobar
An index of the scrapbooks was created by Mills Memorial Library archivist Peter E. Robinson in 1964 and serves as an essential finding aid. Common themes, names, and publications are matched with associated volume numbers to make it easier to find relevant information and primary sources. Robinson’s index has already been digitized and made available online via the Olin Library’s digital collections. [4] The Hamilton Holt Scrapbook Collection itself should be available to access soon, so be sure to keep up with the Archives Blog and the Olin Library for updates on when this resource will be accessible in its new digital format.
Written by Emily Horne
- “2022 Strategic Agenda,” Olin Library Strategic Planning, Rollins College, updated July 12, 2023, https://lib.rollins.edu/olin/planning/Olin%20Library%20Strategic%20Agenda%20Output%20V0.2%207-12-23.pdf
- Julian Chambliss, “Hamilton Holt (1872-1951): Eighth President of Rollins College,” archived March 13, 2012, https://web.archive.org/web/20120313055634/http://asp3.rollins.edu/olin/oldsite/archives/golden/Holt.htm
- Randy Noles, “Holt’s Elusive Dream,” Winter Park Magazine, last modified April 1, 2022, https://winterparkmag.com/2022/04/01/holts-elusive-dream/
- Peter E. Robinson, “Register: Hamilton Holt Papers,” Olin Library, created 1964, https://lib.rollins.edu/olin/Archives/HoltCatalog.pdf