Among people who work with college and university alumni, there’s a saying about how alumni view change at their institutions: “Anything before their era is quaint—anything after is heresy.” Of course, Swarthmore alumni know better. They know that the College’s history is the story of change. By studying the past, we are able not only to understand these events but also learn more about how to approach contemporary challenges.

I’m known around the office as a Swarthmore history buff. When I applied for this job 13 years ago, I knew nothing of the College—in fact, I had to consult a map to get to my first interview. But the very first task I completed after being hired was to read Richard Walton’s Informal History of Swarthmore College (Swarthmore College, 1986) and a lovely little book of College lore called Swarthmore Remembered (Swarthmore College, 1964). I’ve been delving into College history ever since. One of the first editorial changes I made in the Bulletin was to add a regular history and nostalgia department, “Back Pages,” and we have done regular feature articles on various aspects of College history.

Vice President Dan West shares my passion for the past. Since he arrived at the College in 1999, we have had many conversations about Swarthmore’s history and how, from its Quaker founders to today’s leaders, key people and decisions have shaped the character of the College. Last summer, we both read Frances Blanshard’s Frank Aydelotte of Swarthmore (Wesleyan University Press, 1970), a biography of President Frank Aydelotte. Dan suggested that the Bulletin publish an article about the man he calls “Swarthmore’s defining president”; not wasting a moment, I suggested that he write it. The result (“Frank Aydelotte: Architect of Distinction”) is a fascinating look at how Swarthmore became the academic powerhouse it is today.

Dan’s article is not the only bit of history in this issue. Folk dancing at Swarthmore (“Stepping and Shifting”) has its roots in the 1940s—a long tradition that continues to enrich the lives of students and alumni. And today’s activist Alumni Council (“Come Together”) also dates to the first half of the 20th century.

There are a surprising number of books about this small college—a testament to its rich history and powerful impact on American education. (A brief bibliography is offered with Dan West’s article at www.swarthmore.edu/bulletin/mar03/aydelotte.html). Three more books of interest to Swarthmoreans are soon to be published. A scholarly biography of President Courtney Smith (1953–1969) by Donna and Darwin Stapleton ’69 is in preparation at the University of Delaware Press. The 75th anniversary of the Scott Arboretum will be celebrated by a pictorial history to be published later this year. And a new book of essays called The Meaning of Swarthmore is in its early editorial stages. For history buffs like me, it’s going to be a good year.

—Jeffrey Lott