Description The text of a speech written and delivered by W. B. Bennet (William Baker Bennet, 1827-1908) before the Phi Delta Society on February 22, 1848, at Mercer University, then located in Penfield, Georgia. Bennet describes the nation's important role in supporting learning and the arts, using the example of Ancient Greece, and encouraging similar appreciation in America for developing a culture that values intellect and artistic expression. He particularly stresses the power of oratory in a...

Scope and Contents The Bennet Collection houses the personal papers of the Bennet family. This collection, which dates from 1826 to approximately 1986, consists of letters, diary entries, photographs, memorabilia, genealogy notes, and an oration, providing insight into the lives of members of the Bennet family over several generations. Situated primarily in southern Georgia, and specifically Quitman, this collection documents the historical and geographic context in which the Bennets and their ancestors lived....

Description

A letter from W.B. (William Baker) Bennet to Harriet ("Hattie") L. Stevens, dated May 16th, 1887, in Quitman, regarding a recent visit in which he expressed romantic feelings which she did not reciprocate, and promising to honor her request to be "friends." He includes some poetry which he wrote immediately after the visit describing his despair at the change in feelings.