MS - 052: The Papers of the Stephen H. Warner Committee

Processed by: Keith Swaney '04
April 2004

Agency Sketch:
The Stephen H. Warner Committee, formed largely through the efforts of History Professor John Roger Stemen, began to form in the spring of 1972. It intended to encourage and perhaps renew a spirit of debate and intellectual curiosity within the Gettysburg College community. Organized according to the values of Stephen Warner, Class of 1968, which included the "willing[ness] to take intellectual risks" and the "need for discipline in the pursuit of truth," the committee sponsored campus-wide events known as "Warner Forums." In addition, the committee, comprised of both students and faculty, petitioned for renovations to the College Union Building in 1988 in order to create an environment that would foster uninhibited, intellectual discussion.

Scope and Content Notes:
The Papers of the Stephen H. Warner Committee consist of one box of processed materials, approximately .3 cubic feet. The collection is not extensive and does not completely document the Warner Committee from beginning to end. However, there are papers which might be of particular interest to the researcher. For instance, the correspondence file (folder three) contains much correspondence between Stephen Warner's parents and certain personnel at Gettysburg College, including Professor Stemen and Robert E. Butler, Director of Development. Moreover, researchers of college history may find the materials regarding the proposed renovations to the College Union Building to be useful (folder 5), especially the items that discuss a potential coffeehouse and the "Warner Corner."

Note on Related Collections: After consulting these papers, the researcher may want to read Vertical File Manuscript #208 (VFM-208) entitled "Stemen, John Roger. Letters from Stephen H. Warner, Class of 1968, and Materials about Conscientious Objectors of the Vietnam War." Additionally, MS-044: The Stephen H. Warner Southeast Photograph Collection could be particularly useful. To learn more about Stephen H. Warner, View the Stephen H. Warner Exhibit Online