2017: Winter A Resource for Studying Lord Jeff

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Manuscript and photo from Archives and Special Collections

A new Frost Library online resource offers access to a vast array of material on Lord Jeffery Amherst, including original letters in the College archives, paintings and maps in the College collection and elsewhere, works of historical scholarship, Mike Kelly’s history of Lord Jeff in College lore, and contributions from alumni such as Gordon Hall ’52 and Don MacNaughton ’65.

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Under the leadership of Kelly, director of Archives and Special Collections at Frost, the College created the site as a resource on all matters Jeff: scholarship about the man and his times, primary sources (literary and artistic), the cultural legacy, even the mascot controversy. It directs people to peer-reviewed books and articles, works by students and faculty and independent historical study—not only  in the College’s collections but also elsewhere.

The guide will be of use to those interested in the complex history of Jeffery Amherst and the Anglo-American colonies during the French and Indian War (the Seven Years’ War) and the Anglo-Indian War of 1763 (Pontiac’s Rebellion).

“The goal is to let people know that even though he’s not the mascot anymore, the College still holds excellent resources for the study of Lord Jeff and his era, including substantial collections of his manuscripts housed in the Archives,” says Kelly. “Everyone from professional scholars of colonial America to the casually curious will find something useful here, whether that’s an orderly book Lord Jeff kept in 1742 or a link to an article about biological warfare in the 18th century.