Carlyle Literary Society records

The Carlyle Literary Society was started in 1881.  Originally a part of the Irving Literary Society, the twenty-six founding members of the Carlyle left the Irving as a result of growing discontent within the society.  The Carlyle, like the other literary societies at Purdue, hosted annual events showcasing their skills.  The society was also involved in the publication of The Purdue, an early student-run newspaper, and eventually The Exponent. The Carlyle held weekly meetings in Society Hall, a space they shared with the Philalethian Literary Society (the first women’s society on campus).  The Carlyle Literary Society eventually joined four literary societies at other universities to found Kappa Phi Sigma, a national honorary literary fraternity in 1923.  After this time, the Carlyle Literary Society as a distinct entity ceased to function, instead acting under the auspices of Kappa Phi Sigma.  This may have been due in part to the apparent decrease in student interest in such societies around this time.  Kappa Phi Sigma was active until at least 1937, when it no longer appeared in the student handbook lists of activities and organizations.