About This Journal
The Philomathean is a student-run journal celebrating the creative works of the members of all parts of the Bridgewater College community: students, faculty, alumni, friends, and family. Originally published as the Philomathean Monthly, the journal was founded in 1896 by John W. Wayland, a member of the Philomathean literary society. The magazine sought to stimulate literary activity among the students "by affording them an open door to practical journalism" and to serve as a medium of expression and preservation of "the best thoughts" of society members and for the "cultivation of a chaste and graceful literary style."
Until the launch of the BC Bee in 1925, the Philomathean Monthly served as both a campus newspaper and a campus journal. In 1925 the journal ended publication, and it was later re-launched in 1973 as the Philomathean journal of student writing. Since then, the journal has been devoted to promoting excellence in scholarship and the arts in the Bridgewater College community.
The print version of the Philomathean was continuously published until 2018; publication was then suspended in order to plan, design, and launch a digital edition of the journal. The creation of the Digital Commons institutional repository at Bridgewater College provided the journal with a publishing platform that will allow it to serve its mission more effectively than ever before. Now, authors and artists who publish in the Philomathean will not only be recognized by the campus community, but will also be able to share their work with a broader audience around the world. All items in the journal will be hosted and archived in the Digital Commons repository, where it will continue to be openly accessible to readers. Beginning with the inaugural digital edition in Spring 2022, curated by the students of the PWR Senior Seminar course, the Philomathean will now operate as a fully-digital publication.
Submissions are now accepted from anyone within the Bridgewater Community, including alumni, faculty, staff, and current students. To submit work, click on the Submit Article button on the right. If you have any questions about the submission process or the journal, please email bcphilomathean@gmail.com.
