The Students of Deep Springs College
Photographs by Michael A. Smith

Essay by L. Jackson Newell
Afterword by William T. Vollmann
Preface by Michael A. Smith

Printed in 600-line screen quadtone, setting a new standard in the reproduction of photographs.

53 reproductions, 84 pages, 11" x 9 ½"

Limited to an edition of 3,000 regular hardbound copies and a signed, numbered, custom-bound and slipcased limited edition of 150.

Publication: 2000

Deep Springs College is the most unusual college in America. Arguably, it is also the best. It is located in such a remote place in the high desert in eastern California that its mailing address is in Nevada - and the nearest gas pump is thirty miles away over a mountain pass. There are up to twenty-six students who hire and fire the faculty, design the curriculum, select the incoming students, do all of the work on the college’s organic farm and ranch, cook the meals, work in the office, and generally maintain the school. Tuition is free. Does this sound like a 1960s college run by ex-hippies? Far from it. Deep Springs has been in existence since 1917.

Academically, Deep Springs is virtually unrivaled.The students at this two-year, all-male school are invited to apply from among the top two percent of College Board score achievers, though others may also apply. In a recent poll, Deep Springs College ranked third academically, behind only Princeton and Yale.

Internationally acclaimed photographer Michael A. Smith discovered Deep Springs College quite by chance after photographing in California’s remote White Mountains. He eventually went back to Deep Springs to teach for a term. While in residence he created a superb photographic portrait of the college. Since at Deep Springs the students are the college to a degree unapproached by any other college or university, Deep Springs is shown through portraits of the students. Smith’s photographs impart a deeply personal vision and capture the essence of America’s most remarkable educational institution.

To accompany their portraits, the students contributed autobiographical notes as well as writings about their experiences at the school. Collectively, these writings give the reader a vivid sense of the Deep Springs College experience. In his essay about the history, philosophy, and life of the college, L. Jackson Newell, President of Deep Springs College, provides important information that rounds out the picture of the school and sets the photographs in context. In the afterword, noted author and former Deep Springs student, William T. Vollmann, recounts some of his memorable experiences at the college and recognizes how they formed a touchstone for living.

With this book, the story of this amazing college is revealed to a wide public for the first time.

Every detail in the production of this exquisite book was supervised by the photographer and produced to the exacting standards that are a hallmark of Lodima Press. The photographs, from 8" x 10" and 8" x 20" contact prints, are reproduced on heavy cover stock in 600-line screen quadtone with exceptional fidelity to the originals. Printed in Belgium by Salto, this book sets a new standard in the reproduction of photographs. An elegant and sturdy French-fold dust jacket protects and complements this fine book.

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From the essay by L. Jackson Newell

"Deep Springs is an idea, not a campus, nor a college, nor a ranch. Its purpose is to prepare genuinely free individuals who commit their lives to the common good. Deep Springs practices democracy in learning, accepting risks and enduring inefficiencies no other college would tolerate, precisely to offer its students the possibility of extraordinary growth in character and intellect." — L. Jackson Newell, from the essay.

The Students of Deep Springs College is an artistic gem and a superb introduction to one of America’s most interesting and unusual academic institutions. This remarkable and fascinating book is an important contribution to our understanding of higher education.
Bryce Jordan, President Emeritus, The Pennsylvania State University

From the preface by Michael A. Smith

If it weren’t for my love of road maps and my compulsion, when traveling, to constantly check them, I never would have discovered Deep Springs College.

In August of 1993, my wife, the photographer Paula Chamlee, and I were photographing in the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest in the White Mountains of eastern California, the home of the world’s oldest trees. We had driven there, as we had several times before, from the Owens Valley to the west. In the past, we had left the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest by driving back the way we had come, but on this trip the Bristlecones were our last stop for photographing, and we were heading eastward and back home to Pennsylvania. We had been on the road since March.

While Paula was stowing her equipment, I studied the map and noticed that east of Westgard Pass near the California — Nevada border there was a dot marked "Deep Springs College." I called to Paula, "Hey, come look at this. There’s a college on the other side of the pass, out in the middle of nowhere, at least 30 or 40 miles from the nearest town. What kind of college do you think it could be?" Paula guessed that, if indeed there was a college out there, it must be either a small college involved with experimental agriculture, or one connected to a university. We were having a hard time believing that there could be a college of any sort so remotely located, and after a brief discussion we decided that the map was probably in error.

An hour later, as we descended the pass, we could see a speck of green oasis way off in the distance in the midst of the gold and brown tones of the high desert landscape. There was something anomalous out there. Fifteen miles later we came to a dirt road with a small sign reading, "Deep Spgs Ranch." Although later in the day we were supposed to rendezvous with a friend, we turned in, feeling curious to see what kind of place this was, and also thinking, "Why not? This won’t take long." Ahead of us were fields of hay and alfalfa, which seemed to confirm our original suspicion that this might be an agricultural college.

After about a mile, we passed through an open gate, crossed a cattle guard, and came to a sign that announced, "Deep Springs College." While we were debating whether to investigate further, a fellow came bicycling out of the main campus area, greeted us, and asked if we needed help. As it turned out, Christopher Campbell, an alumnus, was the lawyer for the college and was visiting Deep Springs for a weekend meeting.

An hour-long conversation ensued and we learned, with amazement that strained credulity, about what is certainly the most unusual college in the United States. Eventually, when we ran out of questions for Chris, he asked what we did. When we told him that we were artist-photographers, he suggested that we apply to teach at Deep Springs. He said they often hired faculty in the arts for a one-term period. Paula thought that I might want to apply. I taught at Deep Springs for six weeks in the fall of 1995.

I was interested in teaching there because Paula and I would have the opportunity to spend time in eastern California where we could photograph again in Death Valley, Owens Valley, the east side of the Sierra, and the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest. But we became so caught up in the life of the college that we exchanged our photographic adventure trips for the adventure of daily life at the college. Instead of photographing the surrounding landscape, I photographed the students. This book is the result.