Editing Crypt of Civilization (section)

==Beginnings==
[[File:Oglethorpe University 2016.jpg|thumb|upright 1.750|Oglethorpe University – location of the Crypt is in the basement]]
[[Thornwell Jacobs]] (1877–1956), President of [[Oglethorpe University]] from 1915 to 1944, is considered the father of modern [[time capsule]]s by historian Paul Stephen Hudson.<ref name="hudson1">{{cite web|url= http://www.decaturbookfestival.com/2006/Authors/paul-stephen-hudson.html|title= Paul Stephen Hudson|access-date= June 28, 2008|url-status= dead|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110709005139/http://www.decaturbookfestival.com/2006/Authors/paul-stephen-hudson.html|archive-date= July 9, 2011}}</ref> Jacobs was engaged in research in the 1920s for one of his books when he was astounded by the meager amount of detailed information available about ancient Egyptian life. He realized that practically all the accumulated knowledge we had of the civilization was based on two incomplete sources. One being the items found in tombs of the [[Pharaohs of Egypt]] and the kings of [[Sumeria]] and [[Babylonia]]. The second was from rock inscriptions and tablets found in ancient [[Assyria]]. He determined that while the ancient items found gave some degree of life events from thousands of years ago there were no complete and accurate records on any single generation of how people lived.{{sfn|Peters|1940|page=7}}

Jacobs' vision was to make available to some civilization far in the future a kind of latter-day Egyptian style tomb of a complete cross section record of physical and visual items showing the life and traditions that people had developed to the time of the closing of the crypt.<ref name=QCT7_29_1993>{{cite news |author=  |title= Time capsules leave behind remnants of our lives |url= https://www.newspapers.com/clip/69847755/ |work= Quad-City Times |page= 42 |location=Davenport, Iowa|date= July 29, 1993 |via=[[Newspapers.com]] {{open access}} }}</ref> In 1935, he discussed this idea with the editor of ''[[Scientific American]]'', [[Orson Munn]], and he promised to use the magazine to publicize the project.{{sfn|Peters|1940|page=7}} In November 1936 an article was published describing the time capsule project. Jacobs sought the help of scientist [[Thomas Kimmwood Peters|Thomas K. Peters]] and the project was started in August 1937. By June 1940 they had collected all the items they thought represented human life on earth of the previous 6000 years.<ref name=ModernTimeCapsule>{{cite web |url= https://crypt.oglethorpe.edu/history/  |title= History / Thornwell Jacobs-The Father of the Modern Time Capsule |author= <!--Not stated--> |date= 2021 |publisher= Oglethorpe University |access-date= March 4, 2021 }}</ref> Jacobs calculated that 6,177 years had passed since the start of the [[Egyptian calendar]] and proposed the creation of a Crypt of Civilization to be opened in 8113 CE after another 6,177 years.<ref name=TAC9_29_1994>{{cite news |author= Duane D. Stanford |title= College historic areas make National Register |url= https://www.newspapers.com/clip/69449733/ |work= The Atlanta Constitution |page= 95 |location= Atlanta, Georgia |date= September 29, 1994 |via= [[Newspapers.com]] {{open access}} |access-date= February 9, 2021 |archive-date= February 10, 2021 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210210133249/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/69449733/the-atlanta-constitution/ |url-status= live }}</ref><ref name=PO3_29_1940>{{cite news |author=  |title= Crypt of Civilization |url= https://www.newspapers.com/clip/69834240/ |work= Public Opinion |page= 12 |location= Chambersburg, Pennsylvania |date= March 29, 1940 |via= [[Newspapers.com]] {{open access}} |access-date= February 10, 2021 |archive-date= February 10, 2021 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210210133220/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/69834240/public-opinion/ |url-status= live }}</ref>

The Crypt of Civilization was constructed in the swimming pool in the basement of the [[Oglethorpe University#Campus|Phoebe Hearst Hall]] at Oglethorpe University.<ref name=PI3_6_1992>{{cite news |author= Rachel E. Sheeley |title= Capsule captivates local man |url= https://www.newspapers.com/clip/74120708/ |work= Palladium-Item |page= 7 |location= Richmond, Indiana|date= March 6, 1992 |via= [[Newspapers.com]] {{open access}} }}</ref><ref name=TAC12_26_2017>{{cite news |author= <!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title= Time Keepers |url= https://www.newspapers.com/clip/69521830/ |work= The Atlanta Constitution |page= B3 |location= Atlanta, George |date= December 26, 2017 |via= [[Newspapers.com]] {{open access}} |access-date= February 9, 2021 |archive-date= February 10, 2021 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210210133223/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/69521830/the-atlanta-constitution/ |url-status= live }}</ref> The swimming pool was modified into an airtight chamber, measuring {{Convert|20|ft|abbr=on}} long, {{Convert|10|ft|abbr=on}} high and {{Convert|10|ft|abbr=on}} wide, which was remodeled between 1937 and 1940.<ref name=TCR6_27_1930B>{{cite news |author= <!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title= Oglethorpe / Worldwide headlines |url= https://www.newspapers.com/clip/69447029/ |work= The Atlanta Constitution |page= 129 |location= Atlanta, George |date= February 10, 1985 |via= [[Newspapers.com]] {{open access}} |access-date= February 9, 2021 |archive-date= February 10, 2021 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210210133249/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/69447029/the-atlanta-constitution/ |url-status= live }}</ref> It sits on a bedrock floor and has a stone roof {{Convert|7|ft|abbr=on}} thick.<ref name="crypt3"/> The walls are lined with plates of [[vitreous enamel|enamel]], secured in place with [[tar|pitch]].<ref name=TCR6_27_1930B/> The [[stainless steel]] doorway was [[welding|welded]] permanently closed after the [[oxygen]] had been removed and replaced with [[chemically inert|inert]] [[nitrogen]]. Peters supervised construction and served as the Crypt's archivist who would represent the current civilization.<ref name="crypt3"/><ref name="crypt1"/> The project was financed by industrialists and philanthropists.<ref name=QCT7_29_1993/> The crypt was deeded to the United States government, its heirs and assigns, to be held in trust for the people of the 82nd century.{{sfn|Peters|1940|page=8}}