C. M. Clay Buntain (1876-1927) Scrapbook

The C. M. Clay Buntain Scrapbook documents Buntain's activities at Northwestern between 1894 and 1902. It includes newspaper clippings (from Chicago newspapers such as the Tribune and Herald as well as from student publications), programs, and announcements, arranged in rough chronological order. A few items from the 1890s were added at the end of the scrapbook.

Clippings record both Buntain's achievements as an orator and his appreciation of fraternity pranks. Some clippings document general Northwestern University events (presidential inaugurations, obituaries of professors, building dedications, and the visit of Theodore Roosevelt to the Evanston Campus in 1902). Programs and announcements include events in which Buntain was involved, such as his participation in the annual “Trig” ceremony (where books were ritually burned under the “Trigonometree” to the accompaniment of songs, orations, and plays) and in declamation contests, as well as events he may have attended without being a participant.