Students asked their professors for letters of recommendation even in the 1890s.
Some time back, I got a collection of letters about an alumnus named Henry Z. Nabers, an 1893 Wofford graduate. Most of the letters were about him rather than by him. In this case, they were letters from professors and employers attesting to his good character and work qualities.
There was also an interesting gem from President James Carlisle. Dr. Carlisle, trying to allay young Mr. Nabers’ concerns about the economy, told him that when the Secretary at Washington released his fifty million, some of it would come to him. A bailout before the term was coined!
To see the collection of letters, go here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/wofford_archives/sets/72157628221332691
