© July 2004 Brigham Young University. All rights reserved.
Records Transfer, June 2004
Open to the general public.
It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain any necessary copyright clearances.
Permission to publish material from Dept. of Humanities, Classics and Comparative Literature Records, 1972-1988 must be obtained from the Supervisor of Reference Services and/or the Special Collections Board of Curators.
The College of Humanities was officially formed in 1965 and consisted of four areas, the Department of English, the Department of Languages and two smaller, interdepartmental programs in the Humanities and Latin-American Studies. Classical Studies did not become part of the college until 1971 after a reorganization that added several new departments. Two years before the reorganization that added Classical Studies, Comparative Literature was combined with the Humanities department to form the Department of Humanities and Comparative Literature.
The term humanities refers to the study of human intellectual and artistic creativity and the record of human experience as seen in the arts, drawing from history, fine arts, literature, intellectual history, music, foreign languages, etc. Besides teaching the interrelatedness of the arts, the study of humanities emphasizes the relationships between the arts and other aspects of human culture and society. Classical Studies examine ancient Greek and Roman cultures—their languages, literature, history, religion, art, and philosophy. The major offers essential knowledge of philology, ancient history, archaeology, biblical studies, and the literary tradition of Western Europe, as well as traditional grounding in the Classics. Comparative Literature is the study of literature in its totality, acquainting students with literary study beyond the confines of any particular national tradition and with the relationship between literature and other areas of knowledge.
Graduates from these programs going directly into the work force commonly find professional employment in education, business, government, tourism, library science, and civil or foreign service. Those going on to graduate school usually work toward the doctorate or attend professional programs in such disciplines as library science, law, business, public administration, and medicine.
This collection contains correspondence, class material and annual reports of the department.
The collection has no series, but the folders are grouped according to similar content matter and by date.