Contents


Collection Overview

Administrative Information

Historical Note

Scope and Contents of the Collection

Organization of the Collection

Series 1: General

Series 2: Photographs

Series 3: Publications

Series 4: Scrapbooks and Photograph Albums

Doshisha University Collection, 1914-present

Finding Aid

Finding aid prepared by Mariah Leavitt.

2012

Collection Overview

Title: Doshisha University Collection
Dates: 1914-present
Abstract: Correspondence, ephemera, photographs, printed matter and media documenting the long-standing connection between Doshisha University in Kyoto, Japan and Amherst College.
Extent: 2 records storage boxes, 2 oversize archives boxes, 1 flat box, 1 oversize flat box(4 linear ft.)
Language: Chiefly in English, with some materials in Japanese.

Administrative Information

The materials in this collection have come from a wide variety of sources over many years. They have been gathered together and organized primarily by material type. This collection continues to grow.

Objects CollectionJoseph Hardy Neesima and Kanzo Uchimura CollectionPresident's Office Records (Restricted)Charles W. Cole (AC 1927) Papers (Series 4, Amherst College, contains a scrapbook from his 1953 trip to Japan)Materials Related to the Dedication of the Amherst Building at Doshisha University, 1935-1936 (Bulk: 1935)Amherst College Library cataloged books

Please use the following format when citing materials from this collection:

[Identification of item], in Doshisha University Collection [Box #, Folder #], Amherst College Archives and Special Collections, Amherst College Library.

There is no restriction on access to the Doshisha University Collection for research use. Particularly fragile items may be restricted for preservation purposes.

Requests for permission to publish material from Doshisha University Collection should be directed to the Archives and Special Collections. It is the responsibility of the researcher to identify and satisfy the holders of all copyrights.

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Historical Note

Amherst College and Doshisha University have been closely connected since the founding of Doshisha Academy in 1875 by Joseph Hardy Neesima, an 1870 graduate of Amherst College. Since that time, many students and professors have traveled between the two institutions and a number of special initiatives have taken place to strengthen and celebrate the bond that they share. Amherst House at Doshisha was build in 1932, with a guest house added in 1962; it serves as a center for cultural exchange. The Amherst-Doshisha Fellowship has sent an Amherst graduate to Doshisha to teach English every year since 1958. Numerous faculty and student exchanges have taken place and there have been many formal visits between the Presidents and other dignitaries.

1843 Joseph Hardy Neesima (AC 1870), the founder of Doshisha, is born in Edo (Tokyo).
1864 Neesima stows away on an American schooner bound for the United States, risking capital punishment for violating Japanese law, in order to pursue his dream of seeing the world and learning about Christianity.
1865 Neesima arrives in the port of Boston and enters Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts.
1866 Neesima is baptized at the chapel in Andover Theological Seminary.
1867 Neesima completes his study at Phillips Academy and enters Amherst College.
1870 Neesima graduates from Amherst College and enters Andover Theological Seminary.
1874 Neesima graduates from Andover Theological Seminary. At the 65th annual meeting of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, held at Rutland, Vermont, Neesima appeals for funds to establish an institution of higher education based on Christianity in Japan, and obtains a pledge of $5,000. He returns to Japan for the first time in ten years.
1875 Doshisha Academy is established on Teramachi Campus with eight students and two teachers, Neesima and J. D. Davis.
1876 Campus is relocated from Teramachi to Imadegawa.
1877 Establishment of Doshisha Girls' School is approved by Kyoto Prefecture.
1879 The first 15 students graduate from Doshisha Academy.
1886 Doshisha Chapel (designated a national important cultural property) is completed.
1887 Library opens at Shojakukan, the present Yushukan (designated a national important cultural property). Doshisha Hospital and Kyoto Training School for Nurses are established.
1888 "The Aim in Establishing Doshisha University" is published in major newspapers and magazines.
1890 Joseph Hardy Neesima dies at the age of 46.
1893 Doshisha emblem is adopted.
1894 Clarke Divinity Hall, the present Clarke Memorial Hall (designated a national important cultural property), is inaugurated.
1912 Doshisha University (School of Theology, Faculty of Political Science and Economics and Department of English) and the Advanced Course of Doshisha Girls' School are approved under the Senmon Gakko (professional school) Ordinance.
1920 Doshisha University (Faculty of Letters, Faculty of Law, Graduate School and Preparatory School) is approved under the University Ordinance.
1932 Amherst House, a student residence hall, is built on Doshisha University campus as a memorial to Neesima and Stewart Burton Nichols (AC 1922), the first Amherst student representative.
1940 Joseph Hardy Neesima Memorial Monument (Ryoshinhi) is erected in the courtyard in front of Yushukan.
1944 Doshisha Engineering College is established.
1948 University (School of Theology, Faculty of Letters, Faculty of Law, and Faculty of Economics) is approved under the New School System Ordinance.
1949 Faculty of Commerce and Faculty of Engineering are established.
1950 Master's Programs (Graduate Schools of Theology, Letters, Law, Economics, and Commerce) are established.
1953 Doctoral programs are established.
1955 Master's program in Engineering is established.
1975 A ceremony commemorating the centennial of the school's founding is held.
1986 Tanabe Campus, the present Kyotanabe Campus, is opened and the classes of Doshisha University and Doshisha Women's College of Liberal Arts start there.
1991 Graduate School of American Studies is established.
1995 Graduate School of Policy and Management is established.
2004 Faculty of Policy Studies, Department of Information Systems Design and Department of Environmental Systems Science in Faculty of Engineering, Law School, and Graduate School of Business are established.
2005 Faculty of Culture and Information Science is established. Faculty of Letters and Graduate School of Letters are restructured and reorganized. Faculty of Social Studies and Graduate School of Social Studies are established.
2006 Doshisha Elementary School is established.
2007 Graduate School of Culture and Information Science is established.
2008 Faculty of Life and Medical Sciences and Faculty of Health and Sports Science are established.
2009 Faculty of Psychology and Graduate School of Psychology are established.
2010 Graduate School of Global Studies established
2010 Graduate School of Health and Sports Science established
2011 Faculty of Global Communications established
2011 Doshisha International Academy Elementary School established
2011 Doshisha International School, Kyoto scheduled to be established

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Scope and Contents of the Collection

This is an artificial collection of materials relating to Doshisha University and the Doshisha-Amherst connection. There materials are largely correspondence, photographs and ephemera. The collection is arranged in one series with groupings by type: general, photographs, publications and scrapbooks and photograph albums.

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Organization of the Collection

This collection is organized into four series:

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Series 1: General


Box

Folder

1 1
Amherst Alumni with connections to Japan

2
Amherst College Doshisha Committee, film presentation, "Japanese Culture" 1940 Feb 27

3
Amherst College library internship, report 1977

4
Amherst-Doshisha Fellows, correspondence

5
Amherst-Doshisha Fellows, lists

6
Amherst-Doshisha Fellows, reports 1958-1960

7
Amherst-Doshisha relationship, history and mailings 1947-1951

8
Amherst House, correspondence

9
Amherst House, dedication 1935 Oct 29

10
Amherst House, fundraising 1931

11
Amherst House, guest house

12
Amherst House, mailings from Fellows, newsletters, etc.

13
Amherst House, publications

14
Amherst House, 20th anniversary 1952

15
Amherst Neesima Club c.1941

16
Anniversary celebration, 60th 1935

17
Anniversary celebration, 75th 1950

18
Anniversary celebration, 80th 1955

19
Anniversary celebration, centennial 1975

20
Correspondence

21
Five Colleges, faculty team visitation proposal 1967

22
"Friends of Doshisha," fundraising 1962

23
Gifts to Amherst College

24
Greeting cards

25
Greetings, official

Box

Folder

OS1 25
Greetings, official (oversize) 1935

Box

Folder

1 26
King Dormitory

27
Neesima Endowment Fund

28
Neesima Memorial Tour (Japan-America Friendship Concert), booklet, videos, audio cassette 1993 Sep

Box

Folder

OS1 28
Neesima Memorial Tour (Japan-America Friendship Concert), photographs 1993 Sep

Box

Folder

1 29
Plimpton dormitory

30
Postcards

31
Presidents (inaugurations, etc.)

32
Prints, drawings, etc.

Series 2: Photographs


Box

Folder

1 33
General

34
Amherst House

35
Amherst House 1959

35a-b
Amherst House, guest house construction 1961-1962

36
King Dormitory

37
Miscellaneous and Otis Cary family snapshots

Series 3: Publications


Box

Folder

1 38-39
Printed materials about Doshisha (2 folders)

Box

Folder

2 1
Publications 1914-1997

2-3
Publications (2 folders) 2006-2007

4-5
Publications (2 folders) 2008-2012

6
The Doshisha 1964

7
"Doshisha" 1925-1926

Box

Folder

3 1
Doshisha (Oversize) (3 copies) 1935

Box

Folder

2 8
Doshisha Archives Center News 2002-2005

9
Doshisha Danso (Doshisha Archives Center) 2008

Box

Folder

3 2
Doshisha Days (oversize) 1931

Box

Folder

2 10
Doshisha Jihou 2007-2008

10a
The Doshisha Student 2008-2012

Box

Folder

OS1 10
The Doshisha Times (Oversize) 1934, 1954

Box

Folder

3 3
Doshisha University 1914

Box

Folder

OS1 3
The Osaka Mainichi 1953 Oct 30

Box

Folder

3 4
Nippon, v. 22 1940

Series 4: Scrapbooks and Photograph Albums


Box

Folder

2 11
Amherst Memorial Letters album n.d.

12
Amherst House album n.d.

13
King Dormitory album ca. 1930

Box

Folder

3 5
General Doshisha album ca. 1927

Box

Folder

4 1-4
General Doshisha albums (4 albums) n.d.

Box

Folder

OS1 1-4
General Doshisha album (oversize) n.d.

Box

Folder

OS2 1-4
Scrapbook and paintings [from 2004-193?] 1966