“Making Up Your Mind: The Project of Liberal Education” Convocation Address by President Grant H. Cornwell on August 20, 2015 at Rollins College

At the first ceremonial gathering of freshmen students in the academic year 2015-2016, President Grant H. Cornwell at Rollins College delivered this address to all attendees in the Alfond Sports Center. These photos show President Cornwell delivering the address to attendees, including faculty and students

“Making Up Your Mind: The Project of Liberal Education” Convocation Address by President Grant H. Cornwell on August 20, 2015 at Rollins College

At the first ceremonial gathering of freshmen students in the academic year 2015-2016, President Grant H. Cornwell of Rollins College delivered this address to all attendees in the Alfond Sports Center. These photos show President Cornwell delivering the address to attendees, including faculty and students

Palm Leaf Manuscript from Thailand

This manuscript made from palm leaves contains a canonical Buddhist text in Pali language with the title “Phra Mahāvessantarajātaka - Mahāballavannānitthitā Phuk 7” (in Khmer script: ព្រះមហាវេស្យន្តរជាតក្ក មហាពល្លវណ្ណានិដ្ឋិត្តា ផូក ៧; in Thai script: พฺรมหาเวสฺสนฺตรชาตก มหาพลวณฺณานิฏฺฐิตา ผูก ๗) which is the seventh chapter of the Vessantara Jataka. This is the last of the Buddha’s Birth Tales (Jataka) and the most popular Jataka across mainland Southeast Asia telling the story of the Buddha in his previous life as Prince Vessantara. Chapter seven describes how the Brahmin Jujaka approached the hermit Accala to find out where Prince Vessantara’s forest hermitage was situated. The text is in Khmer script, which was widely used for Buddhist scriptures in Thailand (formerly Siam) until the end of the 19th century. It was incised with a metal stylus on the surface of the palm leaves and then rubbed with a mixture of lampblack and oil, and afterwards wiped clean to leave the lampblack in the incisions only, thus making the text visible. The manuscript has wooden covers which were decorated with gold leaf on black lacquer in a technique known in Thailand as lai rot nam. Such manuscript covers were made during the reign of Rama III (1824-51) who commissioned an entire set of the Pali Buddhist canon “Tipitaka” equipped with such embellished covers. The decorations depict peonies and auspicious Chinese motifs including paper scrolls and vessels. The manuscript is wrapped in a custom-made textile; the lining of the wrapper is a piece of plain cloth in the yellow-ochre colour of a monk’s robe highlighting its religious value. Lacking a colophon or date, the manuscript is estimated to have been created between 1824 to 1838

Phra Malai Manuscript Khom Script

This is a folding book, or leporello book, that was made from naturally cream-coloured mulberry bark paper in Thailand (formerly Siam). It contains two Buddhist blessing chants “Cullajayamaṅgala” and “Mahājaya”, both belonging to the “Mahādibbamanta” corpus. These texts, popular for chanting until the mid-19th century, are in Pali language and were written with black ink in Khmer script. The main text, however, is a longer text with the title “Phra Malai Klon Suat” (Chanted Poem of the monk Phra Malai). This text is in Thai language written in Khom script which is a version of Khmer script used exclusively to write Thai texts. The folding book contains eleven folios with paired paintings depicting Hindu-Buddhist deities and scenes from the story of the monk Phra Malai, and one larger painting of the Buddhist heavens covering a full folio. The text tells about the monk-saint Phra Malai who, thanks to accumulated merit and advanced meditation skills, was able to travel between the Buddhist realms of heavens, hells and the human world. The poetic version was traditionally recited during funeral wakes and other important occasions. The illustrations are in the painting style of the Rattanakosin era, with some Chinese and European influences that became popular during the reigns of Rama III (1824-51) and Rama IV (1851-68). The manuscript does not contain a colophon or date, but the presence of the Siamese flag (used on trade and war ships before it became the national flag in 1840) in one of the illustrations depicting a white elephant on red background indicates that the manuscript may have been created between 1826-38

“Global Citizenship and Responsible Leadership in an Election Year” Convocation Address by President Grant H. Cornwell on August 24, 2016 at Rollins College

At the first ceremonial gathering of freshmen students in the academic year 2016-2017, President Grant H. Cornwell at Rollins College delivered this address to all attendees in the Alfond Sports Center. These photos show President Cornwell delivering the address to attendees, including faculty and students

Siamese Manuscript of the Buddhist Funeral Folding Book

This folding book, or leporello book, was made from naturally cream-coloured mulberry bark paper in Thailand (formerly Siam). It contains a selection of extracts from the Pali Buddhist canon “Tipitaka” for recitation at a funeral service. The text is in Pali language and was written with black ink in Khmer script, with added intonation marks in red ink on all folios on side A and some folios on side B. The purpose of the intonation marks was to guide monks to chant the text correctly. On folio B24 (side B), a colophon in Thai language written in Thai script reads “I, the writer of this Dhamma volume, wish to attain Nibbana swiftly. May the gift of the donor help to keep the religion pure/alive” (in Thai ข้าพระเจ้าผู้เขียนพระธรรม์เล่มนี้ ขอไห้พบได้พระนิพพานเที่ด กับทารผู้ทรางไว้ในพระศาสนาณีเทีบ). The manuscript contains paintings on nine folios. They depict devata (deities), Buddhist monks, hermits and withayathon (masters of magic), humans, plants and animals, a corpse, as well as one larger still-life of a Chinese altar covering a full folio. The latter depicts a Thai folding book (funeral volume) on two stacked altar tables with Thai-style cloths, two bowls of fruit offerings, three candles, two painted table screens with decorated frames, curtains and a flower garland. The illustrations are in the painting style of the Rattanakosin era, with some Chinese and European influences that became popular during the reigns of Rama III (1824-51) and Rama IV (1851-68). The manuscript does not contain a date, but it is estimated to have been created between 1824 to 1838

Marion Foss Coombs Ballard

Marion Foss Coombs Ballard was the youngest child in the preparatory school at Rollins. At 13 years old, she resided in Cloverleaf and attended class under Miss Lanis Curtis. When eating meals in the Beanery, a Swedish cook prepared sub-par meals for the students. She sat near Rex Beach, and he poured her water for her. During Marion's time at Rollins, she experienced the Great Freeze and the Cuban Crisis which brought many Protestant Cuban students to the school. Marion notates her favorite teachers and subjects

Audio Recording of Hamilton Holt's "My Commencement" Speech of 1949

An address delivered by Hamilton Holt at the Commencement Exercises on Thursday, June 2, 1949 in the Knowles Memorial Chapel

Rex Beach Cigar Box Label

A cigar box label featuring alumnus Rex Beach '97 '27H

Student balancing a canoe

John Boyle balances a canoe on his chin