Palaver Club Collection
Scope and Contents
The collection is comprised of 2 Hollinger boxes (.834 linear feet) of minutes, membership lists, orations, and correspondence of the Palaver Club of Nashville, Tennessee.
Dates
- Creation: 1909 - 1981
Conditions Governing Access
The physical materials from this collection may be viewed only in the reading room of Vanderbilt’s Special Collections and University Archives. Materials should be requested two to three days in advance to facilitate easier access. Contact specialcollections@vanderbilt.edu to schedule an appointment.
Biographical / Historical
The word "Palaver" itself comes means a prolonged discussion regarding some commotion. The club was founded in Nashville by Reverend Rufus W. Weaver and the Pastor of Immanuel Baptist Church. They met in 1909 and formed this club dedicated towards the improvement of their minds through limitless conversation regarding topics such as religion, world peace, and more. The majority of members were affiliated with a local church.
By 1910, membership of the club had shifted, chiefly comprised of Methodist pastors and churchmen. In 1910, James I. Vance, a faculty member of Vanderbilt University joined the Palaver Club. He was especially known for his role as Pastor in the First Presbyterian Church, which was the largest Presbyterian church in South. Vance contributed a number of the essays his most famous piece being, "The Browning of Banner Elk."
The club existed for over 70 years with the members meeting once a month, with one of its members as host at a dinner and another as the orator of a paper. By the early 1980s, the club faded away and most of its members had moved onto other endeavors or passed on. The Palaver Club left a legacy in shared intellectual pursuits and stimulating conversations.
Full Extent
0.63 Linear Feet (1 letter Hollinger, 1 letter half-Hollinger)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
The collection is comprised of minutes, membership lists, orations, and correspondence of the Palaver Club of Nashville, Tennessee.
- Title
- Finding Aid for the Palaver Club Collection
- Status
- Completed
- Date
- 2017 September
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Vanderbilt University Special Collections and University Archives Repository
Special Collections Library
1101 19th Ave. S.
Nashville TN 37212 United States
specialcollections@vanderbilt.edu
About this Site
This site contains collection guides, or finding aids, to the archival collections held by Vanderbilt University Special Collections and University Archives, the History of Medicine Collection, and the Scarritt Bennett Center. Finding aids describe the context, arrangement, and structure of archival materials, allowing users to identify and request materials relevant to their research.
Requesting Materials
Each finding aid contains a link to request materials from the collections. Collections can also be requested by emailing the repository directly through the library website. Each repository has its own location, hours, and contact information. Please consult the repository with questions about using the materials. Collections are non-circulating and must be used in the repository’s reading room. In many cases, the collections are stored off-site and require advance notice for retrieval.