1935 Alumni Magazine Founded

Vol. 1, No. 1, of The Garnet Letter appeared in September 1935. William Tomlinson '17, its creator and then-president of the Alumni Association, described it as "an effort to bring the College and her alumni into a closer relationship through a better understanding of the aims, objectives, and activities of Swarthmore today ... [and] to develop a more closely knit alumni organization which can play a greater part in the future success of Swarthmore."

Originally a newsletter, The Garnet Letter was published occasionally throughout the late 1930s, eventually moving to a quarterly publication. In 1952, it was renamed the Swarthmore College Bulletin. Under editor Maralyn Orbison Gillespie '49, the Bulletin became a magazine that was not just about Swarthmore, but the College's impact on the world.