Collection Overview
Doshisha University Collection
1914-present
2 records storage boxes, 2 oversize archives boxes, 1 flat box, 1 oversize flat box
(4 linear ft.)
Chiefly in English, with some materials in Japanese.
Amherst College Archives and Special Collections
Amherst, MA
Correspondence, ephemera, photographs, printed matter and media documenting the long-standing connection between Doshisha University in Kyoto, Japan and Amherst College.
Historical Note
Amherst College and Doshisha University have been closely connected since the founding of Doshisha Academy in 1875 by Joseph Hardy Neesima, an 1870 graduate of Amherst College. Since that time, many students and professors have traveled between the two institutions and a number of special initiatives have taken place to strengthen and celebrate the bond that they share. Amherst House at Doshisha was build in 1932, with a guest house added in 1962; it serves as a center for cultural exchange. The Amherst-Doshisha Fellowship has sent an Amherst graduate to Doshisha to teach English every year since 1958. Numerous faculty and student exchanges have taken place and there have been many formal visits between the Presidents and other dignitaries.
DOSHISHA UNIVERSITY - A CHRONOLOGY
1843
Joseph Hardy Neesima (AC 1870), the founder of Doshisha, is born in Edo (Tokyo).
1864
Neesima stows away on an American schooner bound for the United States, risking capital punishment for violating Japanese law, in order to pursue his dream of seeing the world and learning about Christianity.
1865
Neesima arrives in the port of Boston and enters Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts.
1866
Neesima is baptized at the chapel in Andover Theological Seminary.
1867
Neesima completes his study at Phillips Academy and enters Amherst College.
1870
Neesima graduates from Amherst College and enters Andover Theological Seminary.
1874
Neesima graduates from Andover Theological Seminary. At the 65th annual meeting of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, held at Rutland, Vermont, Neesima appeals for funds to establish an institution of higher education based on Christianity in Japan, and obtains a pledge of $5,000. He returns to Japan for the first time in ten years.
1875
Doshisha Academy is established on Teramachi Campus with eight students and two teachers, Neesima and J. D. Davis.
1876
Campus is relocated from Teramachi to Imadegawa.
1877
Establishment of Doshisha Girls' School is approved by Kyoto Prefecture.
1879
The first 15 students graduate from Doshisha Academy.
1886
Doshisha Chapel (designated a national important cultural property) is completed.
1887
Library opens at Shojakukan, the present Yushukan (designated a national important cultural property). Doshisha Hospital and Kyoto Training School for Nurses are established.
1888
"The Aim in Establishing Doshisha University" is published in major newspapers and magazines.
1890
Joseph Hardy Neesima dies at the age of 46.
1893
Doshisha emblem is adopted.
1894
Clarke Divinity Hall, the present Clarke Memorial Hall (designated a national important cultural property), is inaugurated.
1912
Doshisha University (School of Theology, Faculty of Political Science and Economics and Department of English) and the Advanced Course of Doshisha Girls' School are approved under the Senmon Gakko (professional school) Ordinance.
1920
Doshisha University (Faculty of Letters, Faculty of Law, Graduate School and Preparatory School) is approved under the University Ordinance.
1932
Amherst House, a student residence hall, is built on Doshisha University campus as a memorial to Neesima and Stewart Burton Nichols (AC 1922), the first Amherst student representative.
1940
Joseph Hardy Neesima Memorial Monument (Ryoshinhi) is erected in the courtyard in front of Yushukan.
1944
Doshisha Engineering College is established.
1948
University (School of Theology, Faculty of Letters, Faculty of Law, and Faculty of Economics) is approved under the New School System Ordinance.
1949
Faculty of Commerce and Faculty of Engineering are established.
1950
Master's Programs (Graduate Schools of Theology, Letters, Law, Economics, and Commerce) are established.
1953
Doctoral programs are established.
1955
Master's program in Engineering is established.
1975
A ceremony commemorating the centennial of the school's founding is held.
1986
Tanabe Campus, the present Kyotanabe Campus, is opened and the classes of Doshisha University and Doshisha Women's College of Liberal Arts start there.
1991
Graduate School of American Studies is established.
1995
Graduate School of Policy and Management is established.
2004
Faculty of Policy Studies, Department of Information Systems Design and Department of Environmental Systems Science in Faculty of Engineering, Law School, and Graduate School of Business are established.
2005
Faculty of Culture and Information Science is established. Faculty of Letters and Graduate School of Letters are restructured and reorganized. Faculty of Social Studies and Graduate School of Social Studies are established.
2006
Doshisha Elementary School is established.
2007
Graduate School of Culture and Information Science is established.
2008
Faculty of Life and Medical Sciences and Faculty of Health and Sports Science are established.
2009
Faculty of Psychology and Graduate School of Psychology are established.
2010
Graduate School of Global Studies established
2010
Graduate School of Health and Sports Science established
2011
Faculty of Global Communications established
2011
Doshisha International Academy Elementary School established
2011
Doshisha International School, Kyoto scheduled to be established
Scope and Contents of the Collection
This is an artificial collection of materials relating to Doshisha University and the Doshisha-Amherst connection. There materials are largely correspondence, photographs and ephemera. The collection is arranged in one series with groupings by type: general, photographs, publications and scrapbooks and photograph albums.
Organization of the Collection
This collection is organized into four series:
-
[General](list-ser1)
-
[Photographs](list-ser2)
-
[Publications](list-ser3)
-
[Scrapbooks and photograph albums](list-ser4)
There is no restriction on access to the Doshisha University Collection for research use. Particularly fragile items may be restricted for preservation purposes.
Requests for permission to publish material from Doshisha University Collection should be directed to the Archives and Special Collections. It is the responsibility of the researcher to identify and satisfy the holders of all copyrights.
Please use the following format when citing materials from this collection:
[Identification of item], in Doshisha University Collection [Box #, Folder #], Amherst College Archives and Special Collections, Amherst College Library.
The materials in this collection have come from a wide variety of sources over many years. They have been gathered together and organized primarily by material type. This collection continues to grow.
- Objects Collection
-
Joseph Hardy Neesima and Kanzo Uchimura Collection
- President's Office Records (Restricted)
-
Charles W. Cole (AC 1927) Papers (Series 4, Amherst College, contains a scrapbook from his 1953 trip to Japan)
-
Materials Related to the Dedication of the Amherst Building at Doshisha University, 1935-1936 (Bulk: 1935)
- Amherst College Library cataloged books
Series 1: General
1
1
Amherst Alumni with connections to Japan
1
2
Amherst College Doshisha Committee, film presentation, "Japanese Culture"
1940 Feb 27
1
3
Amherst College library internship, report
1977
1
4
Amherst-Doshisha Fellows, correspondence
1
5
Amherst-Doshisha Fellows, lists
1
6
Amherst-Doshisha Fellows, reports
1958-1960
1
7
Amherst-Doshisha relationship, history and mailings
1947-1951
1
8
Amherst House, correspondence
1
9
Amherst House, dedication
1935 Oct 29
1
10
Amherst House, fundraising
1931
1
11
Amherst House, guest house
1
12
Amherst House, mailings from Fellows, newsletters, etc.
1
13
Amherst House, publications
1
14
Amherst House, 20th anniversary
1952
1
15
Amherst Neesima Club
c.1941
1
16
Anniversary celebration, 60th
1935
1
17
Anniversary celebration, 75th
1950
1
18
Anniversary celebration, 80th
1955
1
19
Anniversary celebration, centennial
1975
1
20
Correspondence
1
21
Five Colleges, faculty team visitation proposal
1967
1
22
"Friends of Doshisha," fundraising
1962
1
23
Gifts to Amherst College
1
24
Greeting cards
1
25
Greetings, official
OS1
25
Greetings, official (oversize)
1935
1
26
King Dormitory
1
27
Neesima Endowment Fund
1
28
Neesima Memorial Tour (Japan-America Friendship Concert), booklet, videos, audio cassette
1993 Sep
OS1
28
Neesima Memorial Tour (Japan-America Friendship Concert), photographs
1993 Sep
1
29
Plimpton dormitory
1
30
Postcards
1
31
Presidents (inaugurations, etc.)
1
32
Prints, drawings, etc.
Series 2: Photographs
1
33
General
1
34
Amherst House
1
35
Amherst House
1959
1
35a-b
Amherst House, guest house construction
1961-1962
1
36
King Dormitory
1
37
Miscellaneous and Otis Cary family snapshots
Series 3: Publications
1
38-39
Printed materials about Doshisha (2 folders)
2
1
Publications
1914-1997
2
2-3
Publications (2 folders)
2006-2007
2
4-5
Publications (2 folders)
2008-2012
2
6
The Doshisha
1964
2
7
"Doshisha"
1925-1926
3
1
Doshisha (Oversize) (3 copies)
1935
2
8
Doshisha Archives Center News
2002-2005
2
9
Doshisha Danso (Doshisha Archives Center)
2008
3
2
Doshisha Days (oversize)
1931
2
10
Doshisha Jihou
2007-2008
2
10a
The Doshisha Student
2008-2012
OS1
10
The Doshisha Times (Oversize)
1934, 1954
3
3
Doshisha University
1914
OS1
3
The Osaka Mainichi
1953 Oct 30
3
4
Nippon, v. 22
1940
Series 4: Scrapbooks and Photograph Albums
2
11
Amherst Memorial Letters album
n.d.
2
12
Amherst House album
n.d.
2
13
King Dormitory album
ca. 1930
3
5
General Doshisha album
ca. 1927
4
1-4
General Doshisha albums (4 albums)
n.d.
OS1
1-4
General Doshisha album (oversize)
n.d.
OS2
1-4
Scrapbook and paintings [from 2004-193?]
1966