Cours Icarien Symposia Papers
(in booklet form)
By the end of the first ten years in America, the Cours Icarien was established. These Sunday afternoon sessions of Icarian Lectures featured selected readings from the works of Cabet, recollections of the Icarian establishment in America, speeches by members of the community and offerings by the children as well. Considered inspirational and uplifting, the Cours Icarien was observed throughout the final years of the colony. The spirit of Cours Icarien is observed at each annual meeting of the Society in symposiums and some of the outstanding presentations have been printed for sale. Each of the Cours Icarien centered on a theme of interest.
Humanistic Values of the Icarian Movement, 1979, 48 pp. Four papers and an introduction by the Society's Founder, Dr. Lillian M. Snyder. As she pointed out, this was the society's first formal effort to invite scholars from humanistic fields to present their views on the "Relevance of the Icarian Movement to Today's World."
Includes the following papers:
- Etienne Cabet and His World, Prof. Jacques C.
Chicoineau, Webster College, St. Louis, MO. Presents a description of
the political climate and spiritual world in which Cabet was born.
Examines the personal views and characteristics which attracted people
to his views.
- Voyage to Icaria: A Message to the World, Prof. Robert
P. Sutton, Western Illinois University, Macomb, IL. Gives an overview of
Cabet's novel and presents some of the events leading to its
publication, how it was received, and its effect on the reader.
- Humanistic Values of the Icarian Community to Sustain Life,
Prof. Del Stites, Bellevue College, Bellevue, NE. Outlines the weekly
discussions Cabet held on the application of spiritual values taken from
his book, True Christianity According to Jesus Christ. Describes the
main thrust of the moral values in terms of the daily life demonstrating
the sharing, the work and the results of labors and communal living.
- Icarianism and Icaria: From Movement to Social Organization, Prof. Wayne Wheeler, University of Nebraska-Omaha, NE. Describes the sequence of events in which a utopian ideal of brotherhood is translated into a community organization which functioned with varying degrees of success.
Immigration of the Icarians to Illinois, 1986, 50 pp. Four papers, three discussions, with an introduction by Dr. Lillian M. Snyder. Includes Lloyd Gundy's account of the Icarians' experience of life on the high seas on the sailing ship Ashland.
Includes the following papers:
- Who were the Icarians? Charles T. Parish, Icarian
Descendant, Lanark, IL. Description of the rich diversity of the Icarian
colonists and their goals. Annotated references. Why Did the Icarians
Leave France? Prof. Jacques Rancir, University of Paris, France. An in
depth analysis of the complex and contradictory motivations of the
Icarians who left France and the extent to which they brought France
with them. Icarian Migrations From Europe to Illinois, Jules Renaud,
Icarian Descendant, Alexandria, VA. An examination of the ship manifest
lists from the National Archives, Washington, D.C. Annotated references.
- Glimpses of the Immigration of French Icarians to America,
Lloyd W. Gundy, Icarian Descendant, Arvada, CO. Exciting stories of four
separate Icarian journeys to America. Includes that of Cabet and the
voyage of the S.S. Ashland on which the presenter's ancestor traveled.
Detailed description of life at sea. Annotated references.
DISCUSSANTS: - The Icarian Zion: Nineteenth Century Puritans, Prof.
Robert P. Sutton, University of Western Illinois, Macomb, IL.
- Cabet's Dream, Toqueville's Reality, Prof. Wayne
Wheeler, University of Nebraska-Omaha, NE.
One Man's Voyage to Icaria, Dale W. Ross, Icarian Descendant, Sunnyvale, CA.
Adaptation of the Icarians to America, 1987, 48 pp. Four papers and a discussion, with an introduction by Dr. Robert P. Sutton, Western Illinois University. This collection traces the gradual transformation of the communal French culture into American values.
Includes the following papers:
- The Icarians of Corning, Iowa, Prof. Robert P. Sutton,
Western Illinois University, Macomb, IL. Focuses on how daily life of
the Icarians gradually took on a more traditional American quality of
the Iowa frontier.
- A Day in the Life of Emile Baxter in the Icarian Colony in
Nauvoo, Illinois, Prof. Lillian M. Snyder, Western Illinois
University, Macomb, IL. Traces the daily activities of Emile Baxter,
Secretary of the Nauvoo Icaria during the 1850s.
- The Organization of Icaria/Cheltenham, Missouri,
Louise D. Rowe, Icarian Descendant, Lincoln, NE. Examines the Saint
Louis colony, founded at Cheltenham, Missouri, in terms of the colony's
organization, admissions requirements, and adaptation to the urban
influences of the St. Louis economy and social life.
- Icarian Communalism and American Values, Prof. Mark O.
Rousseau, University of Nebraska-Omaha, NE. Considers the contrast
between the dominant Icarian and American values and the social dilemma
the Icarians faced.
DISCUSSION: - Icarian Adaptation to AmericaÑA Discussion of the Papers, Dale W. Ross, Icarian Descendant, Sunnyvale, CA.
Assimilation of Icarians into American Life, 1988, 52 pp. Four papers and an introduction by Dr. Lillian Snyder. Expounds upon the various aspects of the contributions of the Icarians in the several regions of the United States during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
Includes the following papers:
- Adams County, Iowa: Past, Present, and Future, Paul S. Gauthier, Corning, Iowa. Describes the influence of the colony in the areas of patriotism, language, plays, music, art and agriculture.
- The Icarians and the Societe Francaise d'Aide
Mutuelle, Jacques C. Chicoineau, Prof. Emeritus, Webster
University, St. Louis, Missouri. Traces the roles of and names of
several Icarians who were instrumental or involved in the organization
of La Societe Francaise d'Aide Mutuell.
- Homesteading in the Big Bend, Prof. Ernest Leroy
Marchand (d. 1985). A detailed account of the trials of the late Dr.
Marchand's family in homesteading in the State of Washington.
- Post-Icaria for Marie Marchand Ross and William Ross, Two Ardent Socialists, Dale W. Ross, Icarian Descendant, Sunnyvale, California. Traces the life in the post colony world for two socialist oriented people, their family life, occupations, and political orientation.
Icaria-Speranza, Final Utopian Experiment of Icarians in America, 1989. Views of two regional members plus a paper from Western Illinois University.
Includes the following papers:
- A Granddaughter Reminisces on the Role the Dehay and Leroux Families Played in the Icaria-Speranza Utopian Colony. Lorraine Stephens Berry, Sacramento, CA, a granddaughter of Armand Dehay, Sr. brings life to the founding families of Icaria-Speranza. Land of Promise: The Icarian
- Experience in California. Varene Anderson, Santa Rosa, CA. Extracted from her earlier thesis research, she presents an understanding of the aspirations of the Speranza colonists. Cabetian Orthodoxy
- Asserted: Past Practices and Voyage en Icarie in Icaria-Speranza, Prof. Robert P. Sutton, Western Illinois University, Macomb, IL. Traces the conformance and deviations in communal practices.
Contributions of Icarians to America, 1990-1993. Includes papers delivered during the four year annual meeting cycle.
Includes the following papers:
- Humanistic Values of the Rural Physician, James E.
Couer, M.D.,Carthage, IL. Describes how Etienne Cabet's humanistic
ideals shaped the thinking of Icarian medical practitioners and their
later rural physician followers.
- Contributions of the Maritz Family to St. Louis, Dale R. Larsen, St. Louis, IL. Story of the development of the Maritz corporation from its beginnings with Cheltenham colonist Edouard Maritz. Contributions of
- Icarians to Agriculture in Iowa, Mabel H. Schweers,
Corning, IA. Covers agricultural practices and development of Iowa's
Icarians.
- Iowa History: The Icarian Pioneers, Rosemary Stewart,
Corning, IA. Discusses the roles played by the Icarians as some of the
first pioneers or settlers of Iowa.
- Icarian Contributions to California Associated with
Icaria-Speranza, Dale W. Ross, Sunnyvale, CA. Discusses the
contributions of Icaria-Speranza members to San Francisco labor
organizations, Sonoma County politics, agriculture, and the French
Benevolent Society of San Francisco.
- Response to the First Papers on the "Contributions of Icarians" Theme, Dr. Rulon N. Smithson, Western Illinois University, Macomb, IL. Dr. Smithson presents a keynote discussion of the theme of the 1990-93 symposia series. His thoughts are illustrated by material in the first papers of 1990.
Culture and Colony Life of the Icarians, 1994-1997. Four papers and an introduction by Dale W. Ross. Covers music, colony governance, education and foods.
Includes the following papers:
- The Roots of Icarian Music Explained, Dale R. Larsen,
St. Louis, IL. Traces the European origins and the Cabetian influence on
contemporary Icarian music.
- Liberty, Equality and Fraternity in Butter Rights: Icarian
Rules Can't Explain Everything, Lloyd W. Gundy, Arvada,
Colorado. Explores the dichotomies arising from the basic democratic
inspiration versus the authoritarian leadership.
- Women's Role in Educating the Community of Children in Icaria, Dr. Diana M. Garno, Birch Run, Michigan. Discusses the pre-colony philosophies which led to the Icarian communal model of children's education and the family dissent it created.