Quill and Dagger
Quill and Dagger is a senior honor society at Cornell University. In 1929, The New York Times stated that election into Quill and Dagger and similar societies constituted "the highest non-scholastic honor within reach of undergraduates."[1]
Origins
Founded on May 28, 1893, Quill and Dagger seeks to recognize exemplary undergraduates at Cornell University who have shown leadership, character, and dedication to service.[2][3] The society has existed continually since its founding over a century ago and was one of the first of the Ivy League societies to open its membership to women.[4]
Secrecy
The meetings and proceedings of Quill and Dagger are closed, and the society's contributions and activities on campus are typically concealed. Membership remained secret for a brief period after its founding, but the names of newly tapped members are now published in The Cornell Daily Sun each semester.
Influence
As with any organization of a secretive nature, it is difficult to make conclusions regarding Quill and Dagger's influence. In 2006, its members held more than half of the positions on the "25 Most Influential Undergraduates" list published by The Cornell Daily Sun.[5] Twelve members were profiled in the book The 100 Most Notable Cornellians.[6]
At Cornell
Many alumni in administrative positions at Cornell University have held membership, specifically directors of athletics, deans of the various colleges, alumni affairs officers, and chairmen of the Board of Trustees and Cornellian Council. For example, although membership comprises approximately one percent of each graduating class, typically around 15% to 20% of the Cornell University Board of Trustees[7] and Cornell University Council[8] are Quill and Dagger members. More than 30% of the individuals in the Cornell Athletic Hall of Fame hold membership in the society.[9]
Names of Quill and Dagger members can be found on buildings throughout campus, including
Since its founding, Quill and Dagger has been well connected with the presidents of
Members of the society have been responsible for numerous campus traditions, ranging from
Beyond Cornell
From 1913 to 1984, Quill and Dagger had at least one member in the
During the 1930s through 1950s, the chairmen of
War Memorial
Beginning in 1925, Quill and Dagger members spearheaded the erection of a permanent memorial to Cornellians who served in the
Because of Quill and Dagger's contributions to the War Memorial's construction, the society was granted exclusive use of the top floors of the northern tower.[24] The inscription above the entrance to the building reads, "This tower is a memorial to the men of Quill and Dagger who in giving their lives for their country were true to Cornell traditions." The mural in the first floor War Memorial Shrine also depicts a quill and a dagger prominently, although official descriptions discuss their meaning as a palm and sword.[22]
The War Memorial structure is filled with symbolism relevant to the society and its ideals. For example, six symbols appear on shields around the top of the Quill and Dagger Tower.[
Membership
Undergraduates are selected for membership in Quill and Dagger in the spring of their junior year or fall of their senior year. Receiving an undergraduate degree from Cornell is not a requirement for honorary membership. Those who served the Cornell Community as well as those who received graduate degrees from Cornell are eligible to be chosen as honorary members. Notable honorary members include
Quill and Dagger Pin, which is the head of a corpse, holding a quill in its mouth, impaled by a dagger.
Membership is published in The Cornell Daily Sun each semester. Alumni include:
- 194 Cornell University Athletic Hall of Fame members
- 37 Frank H. T. Rhodes Exemplary Alumni Service Award winners
- 24 Olympic competitors
- 13 Rhodes Scholars
- 12 of the 100 Most Notable Cornellians
- 8 Cornell University Council chairmen
- 8 U.S. Congressmen
- 7 Pulitzer Prize winners
- 6 Cornell University Board of Trustees chairmen
- 6 Cornell University Convocation speakers
- 4 Cornell University Athletic Directors
- 4 Cornell University Entrepreneurs of the Year
- 2 United States Directors of Policy Planning
- 2 United States National Security Advisors
- 2 World Bank presidents
- 2 Super Bowl winners
- 1 Stanley Cup winner
Other notable alumni who were selected for membership as undergraduates include Sandy Berger, Barber Conable, Adolph Coors III, Ken Dryden, Austin H. Kiplinger, Jules Kroll, Drew Nieporent, Jeremy Schaap, Leah Ward Sears, Jay Walker, Seth Harris, E. B. White, Ben Scrivens, and others.
See also
References
- ^ 63 Juniors Elected to Cornell Societies, The New York Times, May 19, 1929, p. N3.
- ^ "Dear Uncle Ezra". 2002-07-23. Retrieved 2009-05-14.
- ^ "Dear Uncle Ezra". 2006-02-16. Retrieved 2009-05-14.
- ^ "All-Male Honorary Accepts Women". Cornell Chronicle. October 17, 1974. p. 2.
- ^ "The 25 Most Influential Cornellians". The Cornell Daily Sun. November 30, 2006.
- ISBN 0-8014-3958-2.
- ^ "List of current Cornell University Board of Trustees Members". Retrieved 2009-05-14.
- ^ "List of Current Cornell University Council Members". Retrieved 2010-04-25.
- ^ "List of Cornell Athletic Hall of Fame Members". Retrieved 2010-04-25.
- ^ Cornell Alumni News, VII (6), 9 November 1904
- ^ Cornell Alumni News, XLII (30), 23 May 1940
- ^ Cornell Alumni News, IX (3), 17 October 1906
- ^ Cornell Alumni News, IX (33), 22 May 1907
- ^ The Cornellian, 1972
- ^ List of Quill and Dagger U.S. Congress members
- ^ Hadley appointed National Security Advisor
- ^ 1996 Council on Foreign Relations meeting transcript where Conable and Wolfowitz refer to Cornell affiliation
- ^ Walter C. Teagle in the Great American Business Leaders database Archived September 2, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Dear Uncle Ezra, August 22, 1996 Archived March 19, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ H. Laurance Fuller, retired CEO of Amoco Archived October 18, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
- Time Magazine. February 14, 1964. (Article refers to Birny Mason and predecessor Morse Dial)
- ^ a b "Military Memorials at Cornell". Retrieved 25 April 2010.
- ^ "The Cornell University War Memorial". Archived from the original on May 21, 2010. Retrieved 25 April 2010.
- ^ "Society Completes Fund". Cornell Alumni News. June 16, 1927.
- ^ Patterson, Woodford (1930). Cornell University's War Memorial: Its Structure & Significance. Ithaca, N.Y.: Cayuga Press.