The Hamilton Holt Collection

Hamilton Holt (1872-1951), internationalist, journalist, and editor of Independent magazine and Harper's Weekly, was president of Rollins College from 1925-1949. The World Peace movement was one of his abiding interests, and through his work with international peace organizations, Dr. Holt rose to prominence. He had little academic experience when he was called to take the reins of Rollins College, which was struggling financially. Under his administration, which lasted twenty-five years, the institution blossomed both academically and financially. His active fund raising gave the College its present distinctive Mediterranean architecture. His worldwide fame as a peace activist brought many famous people to the campus as guest speakers. Winter Park at that time was a favorite wintering spot for retired northern academics, and with uncanny skill, Holt persuaded them to teach during winter or spring semesters, giving our students the opportunities to study under eminent professors from many disciplines. 

The Hamilton Holt Papers at Rollins were processed in 1964 by Peter E. Robinson. They consist of correspondence, scrapbooks, manuscripts and files on peace, internationalism, journalism, and education, and eighty-one volumes of the Independent, a forerunner of weekly journals such as Time and Newsweek. The collection represents a wealth of material, especially for scholars tracing the peace movements of the early 20th century.