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The Circuit Chautauqua in Nebraska, 1904-1924

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The Circuit Chautauqua in Nebraska, 1904-1924 Nebraska History posts materials online for your personal use. Please remember that the contents of Nebraska History are copyrighted by the Nebraska State Historical Society (except for materials credited to other institutions). The NSHS retains its copyrights even to materials it posts on the web. For permission to re-use materials or for photo ordering information, please see: http://www.nebraskahistory.org/magazine/permission.htm Nebraska State Historical Society members receive four issues of Nebraska History and four issues of Nebraska History News annually. For membership information, see: http://nebraskahistory.org/admin/members/index.htm Article Title: Culture as Entertainment: The Circuit Chautauqua in Nebraska, 1904-1924 Full Citation: James P Eckman, “Culture as Entertainment: The Circuit Chautauqua in Nebraska, 1904-1924,” Nebraska History 75 (1994): 244-253 URL of article: http://www.nebraskahistory.org/publish/publicat/history/full-text/NH1994Chautauqua.pdf Date: 8/09/2013 Article Summary: At first independent Chautauqua assemblies provided instruction. The later summer circuit Chautauquas sought primarily to entertain their audiences. Cataloging Information: Names: Ralph Waldo Emerson, Keith Vawter, Russell H Conwell, William Jennings Bryan, Billy Sunday Sites of Nebraska Chautauquas: Kimball, Alma, Homer, Kearney, Pierce, Fremont, Grand Island, Lincoln, Fullerton Keywords: lyceum, Redpath Bureau, Keith Vawter, contract guarantee, “tight booking,” Nebraska Epworth Assembly (Lincoln), Chautauqua Park Association (Fullerton), “Acres of Diamonds” speech (Russell Conwell), “Prince of Peace” speech (William Jennings Bryan), Junior Chautauqua, Seton Indian School Photographs / Images: Keith Vawter, William Jennings Bryan, and Bohumir Kryl; local committee, 1914 Chautauqua, Lincoln; Chautauqua Park, Fullerton; inset program for the Fullerton Chautauqua Assembly, August 10-20, 1917; inset Ellison-White Chautauqua program, about 1927 The Circuit Chautauqua inNebraska, 1904-1924 By James PEckman The program for the 1917 Chautauqua continued what earlier Chautauquans rical and circus performers, artists, compa­ held at Kimball, Nebraska, July 4-8, 1917, saw as self-improvement. But there was a nies, attractions and talent of all kinds; to conduct Chautauqua and Lyceum courses, characterized Chautauqua as major difference: Where the older theatres, circuses, dramatic performances, one of the greatest forces for patriotism Chautauquans saw self-improvement as and all other forms of public entertain­ among American institutions today .... It is part of the Chautauquan ideology of cul­ ments; to construct, purchase, lease or oth­ the duty of the Chautauqua to look after the ture with all of its regenerative powers, the erwise acquire, own, hold, and sell or other­ interests of democracy at home as well as new circuit Chautauquas preached wise dispose of, amusement places of all kinds.' democracy for the world. There can be no Chautauquan "uplift" through entertain­ free government without free speech, and Clearly, the restructuring of the Chautau­ the Chautauqua platform is the most impor­ ment. Circuit Chautauqua was far more tant free forum in America. To hold escapist than its earlier cousin, the inde­ qua concept into the twentieth century Chautauqua this summer is patriotic.' pendent Chautauqua assemblies. The centered on the appeal of culture as en­ summer circuit Chautauquas were not de­ tertainment. Aslong as Chautauqua could The program brochure further de­ signed, as were earlier Chautauquas, to re­ remain distinctive in this thrust it thrived; scribed the Kimball Chautauqua as "rich generate through the study of books, the when it became simply another entertain­ in entertainment, authentic information, hearing of lectures, the participation in ra­ ment choice, it could not compete. musical inspiration, and patriotic fire.'? tional recreation, or instruction through The leadership of the mother This positive, optimistic quality of the music and culture, all in a mutually sup­ Chautauqua expressed grave concern Chautauqua spirit in the midst of a world­ portive subcommunity. To the circuit with the developing emphasis on enter­ wide crisis reflected the distinctive tone of owners and managers, culture as enter­ tainment and its association with the "uplift" so characteristic of the circuit tainment did not change lives;it encour­ name "Chautauqua." Indeed, Daniel W. Chautauquas. Although a pejorative and aged, it amused, it promoted respectable Howell, a mother Chautauqua leader, glib characterization that originated with diversion. With this increasing emphasis cautioned in 1908,that Chautauqua's critics, the phrase "Mother, on entertainment, the circuits moved The genuine Chautauqua should stand Home, and Heaven" summarized the ba­ away from the didactic nature of the inde­ squarely and always for three things: a true sic message of inspirational "uplift" in the pendent assemblies, where every aspect patriotism, a consistent Christianity, and an improved intellect. It is not a mere enter­ circuit Chautauquas. Asone of the most of the Chautauqua program needed to be successful of the circuit managers, Charles tainment bureau for giving a "rollicking instructive and edifying. good time" for so much hard cash but is an F. Horner, asserted, "[Uplift] was the qual­ In short, the restructuring and intellectual center for disseminating the rip­ ity in the speaker's life and demeanor and reinstitutionalization of respectable lei­ est opinions of the best students on all sub­ words that made men and women want to sure time, which had defined the emer­ jects of human weal.' freshen their ambitions, to aspire a little gence of the earlier independent assem­ That he wrote this statement in 1908re­ higher, to become better neighbors and blies, continued with the maturing of the flected an anxiety about the obvious friends, to clean up the town a bit, to kiss circuits with their culture-as-entertainment movement of Chautauqua from its origi­ the children when they returned to their dynamic. A powerful example of nal purposes. homes, and perhaps to pray a little more." Chautauqua's reinstitutionalization was The antecedent for the circuit Chaut­ The emphasis on what circuit Chautau­ the purpose statement of the Ellison-White auqua was really the post-Civil War qua managers called inspirational "uplift" Chautauqua system founded in 1913in lyceum, not the earlier independent as­ Boise, Idaho: semblies. Beginning in 1826when Josiah Dr. JamesP. Eckman, who has written extensively To manage and conduct Lyceum, Holbrook organized the first lyceum bu­ on Chautauqua, is academic vicepresidentand Chautauqua, theatrical and circus business dean of Grace College in Omaha, where he is also of all kinds; to contract with and employ reau in Millbury,Massachusetts, the ly­ professor of history. and manage, and contract with others for ceum movement was a system of booking the services of Lyceum, Chautauqua, theat­ lectures for clubs, schools, churches, and 244 Circuit Chautauqua societies. The first and most famous of the time met with great success," The other key feature of Vawter's inno­ professional lecturers was Ralph Waldo Two major characteristics defined the vation centered on "tight booking," or Emerson, who under lyceum manage­ essence of Vawter's plan: the contract booking towns within a comfortably man­ ment, received as much as $500 per ap­ guarantee and "tight booking." The key to ageable circuit. With the various perform­ pearance. Other professional lecturers in­ the Vawter contract was the guarantee. In ers divided into teams according to the cluded Oliver Wendell Holmes, James communities that accepted a circuit day on which each team was to perform, Russell Lowell, Louis Agassiz, Horace Chautauqua, the organizing committee he scheduled the Chautauqua programs Greeley, Richard Henry Dana, Jr., Henry had to guarantee an agreed upon amount for five,six, or seven days. First-daytalent Ward Beecher, Edward Everett Hale, and (often two or three thousand dollars) to opened the Chautauqua in the first con­ Julia Ward Howe. The lyceum movement Vawter's agency, the Standard Chautau­ tracted town, then went on to open the actually died out during the CivilWar, but talent bureaus revived the lyceum lecture circuit after the war," James Redpath, former newspaperman from Scotland, organized the most fa­ mous of the lyceum bureaus in 1869-the Redpath Bureau. While hearing a lecture by Charles Dickens at the Tremont Temple in Boston in 1868, Redpath learned of the irritations and difficulties of traveling lecturers. He established his bu­ reau to alleviate distinguished speakers of the burden of personally negotiating dates, fees, train schedules, and dealings with local committees. Earning the reputa­ tion for integrity, quality, and respectabil­ ity, Redpath's bureau became the chief booking office for Mark Twain, Josh Bill­ ings, Henry Ward Beecher, and other well­ known personalities. Other lyceum bu­ reaus developed in the 1870s that booked musical ensembles, humorists, and sing­ ers, as well as professional lecturers. This proliferation into other areas of entertain­ Keith Vawter (left), WilliamJennings Bryan, and Bohumir Kryl. Courtesy of Universityof Iowa ment was a seed that germinated in the Special Collections. Chautauqua circuits.' The marriage of lyceum and Chautau­ qua Bureau. Each committee member program at the next town on the circuit, qua began in 1904with the genius of had to assume personal and legal liability and
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