History

The Fresh Painters Club that was once a major extra-curricular at the University of Cincinnati. The history of the club was written at an unknown time, by an unknown author. The text is as follows:

ANALYSIS OF THE FRESH PAINTER ACTIVITY

OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI.

HISTORY.

LilaineGwan_N_Kiss_HerLooking backward, the Fresh Painters has developed from an old Varsity tradition. Every year during the period between 1900 and 1921, students gave a revue called “Varsity Vanities”. These revues were disconnected sets depicting the frivolities of campus life, and demonstrated singing, dancing and acting talents of undergraduates. Every spring the varsity Vanities Committee was organized and the revue was produced.

However, there was no standing organization or permanent committees as there are today. In 1919, the committee began early in the year to work for the success of the annual show. This was the first step toward a definite organization.

The revue committee producing the Varsity Vanities of 1920 held a joint meeting with Student Council which appointed an Executive Committee to have entire charge of the Varsity Vanities and to be directly responsible for it. The proceeds of the revue were to be distributed to “the memorial dormitory fund in order that those University men who died in service would be fittingly honored; a small part to be turnedNow I Ask You over to the Chemistry Building for the decoration of the interior, and another part to be kept for the Call Me Comradefinancing of possible future shows.

The following year the same plan was adopted and the first musical comedy offered in 1923. It was a glorified revue, but it had the distinction of a real plot. The book of the comedy was written by the late Carl Adams, then a student of the University. Later he became a dramatic critic of the Cincinnati Enquirer and he held this post until he was killed in an automobile accident in the summer of 1931.

The Fresh Paint Club was home to many great names over the years. The purpose of this website is to explore the productions of this organization as well as people who were involved.