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Start Over Collection Thomas J. Nottingham papers Subjects Baseball Level Collection

Thomas J. Nottingham papers 8 items 1 diary and 7 documents, including letters

Nottingham, Thomas J. (Thomas Jacob), 1864-1953

The Thomas J. Nottingham papers consist of the diary (dated 1883-1885) written by VMI cadet Thomas J. Nottingham. It contains a consistent record of the daily cadet routine as it existed during the mid-1880s and is an excellent source for information about student life during that era. Included are specific references to the following:

  • Recitations
  • Fights
  • Dress parade
  • The Dialectic Society (a student debating society)
  • YMCA
  • Girls
  • Baseball and football games with Washington College students ("minks")
  • Death and funeral of John D. Letcher
  • Destruction of the VMI arsenal
  • Death of Henry W. Williamson (VMI Class of 1845 and staff member)
  • Death of Sara Henderson Smith
Some special events are also mentioned, including the election of President Grover Cleveland and the local Democratic Party celebration in November 1884. The diary also includes a list of letters sent and received by Nottingham, along with lists of staff and class members.

  1. Virginia Military Institute Archives

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