“Theme Vault”

The “Theme Vault” was a publication of the English Department from 1957–58 through 1966–67, plus a final issue dated 1979–80. It was primarily designed to provide freshmen with worthy models similar to their own writing assignments, chosen from among the themes turned in by the preceding year’s freshmen. All themes included in the “Theme Vault” were written as class exercises or out-of-class papers in the freshman English courses at the university. The pamphlet-sized publication was sold in the bookstore at a cost of 25 cents. The name came from the fact that in room 128 of Ayres Hall, the English Department Office, there were two vaults that were used for storing freshman theme folders, which were collected at the end of each term and stored for several years. The English Department’s vault happened by accident—the space was planned for the registrar’s office, but that function elected to remain in South College rather than to move to Ayres.