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| {{Short description|Honor society at Cornell University, US}} | |||
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| {{Infobox fraternity | |||
| {{AfDM|page=Sphinx Head|date=2007 December 9|substed=yes}} | |||
| | name = Sphinx Head | |||
| <!-- For administrator use only: {{oldafdfull|page=Sphinx Head|date=9 December 2007|result='''keep'''}} --> | |||
| | crest = Sphinx Head Emblem 1891.jpg | |||
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| | image_size = 170px | |||
| | caption = Sphinx Head Society emblem, 1891 | |||
| The '''Sphinx Head Society''' is the oldest senior ] at ] in Ithaca, New York. | |||
| | founded = {{start date and years ago|1890|10|11}} | |||
| ⚫ | | birthplace = ] | ||
| | affiliation = Independent | |||
| | type = Senior honor society | |||
| | status = Active | |||
| | scope = Local | |||
| | chapters = 1 | |||
| | address = | |||
| | city = ] | |||
| | state = ] | |||
| | ZIP code = | |||
| | country = United States | |||
| }} | |||
| The '''Sphinx Head Society''' is the oldest ] at ]. Sphinx Head recognizes Cornell senior men and women who have demonstrated respectable strength of character on top of dedication to leadership and service at Cornell University.<ref name='HonoraryArticle'>, page 14, ''Cornell Chronicle'', December 7, 2007</ref> In 1929 '']'' held that election into Sphinx Head and similar societies constituted "the highest non-scholastic honor within reach of undergraduates."<ref>, ''The New York Times'', May 19, 1929, p. N3.</ref> | |||
| ==Founding== | ==Founding== | ||
| Sphinx Head was founded |
Sphinx Head was founded on October 11, 1890, by a group of ten men from the senior class.<ref name="AlumniNews1901">"", ''Cornell Alumni News'', December 18, 1901, p. 89.</ref><ref>"" ''Cornell Daily'' Sun, January 13th, 1891, p. 3. </ref> The Society was founded to "create and maintain a stronger feeling" for Cornell University and to promote "a closer and stronger friendship among members of the Senior class."<ref name='AlumniNews1901' /> '']'' referred to Sphinx Head as "a secret senior society of the nature of ]", a senior honor society at ] of which ], Cornell University's co-founder and first president, was a member.<ref>"Cornell University", The New York Times, May 10, 1891.</ref> White encouraged the formation of a secret society system on the Cornell campus.<ref> {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110430172050/http://cornellsun.com/node/21711 |date=2011-04-30 }}</ref> | ||
| In 1926, the society built ] perched halfway down the cliff on the ] gorge. It sold the building in 1969, and it eventually became the home and office of astronomer ]. | |||
| ==Membership== | ==Membership== | ||
| ] | |||
| Each year, Sphinx Head taps fewer than forty men and women of the senior class for membership. Since the Society's founding, membership has been "reserved for the most respected" members of the senior class.<ref name=autogenerated1></ref> The names of newly tapped Sphinx Heads were published in ''The New York Times'' through the 1930s, but are now published exclusively in '']''.<ref>"Cornell Societies Elect", ''The New York Times'', October 19, 1930.</ref><ref>"Cornell Societies Elect New Members", ''The New York Times'', May 13, 1926.</ref><ref>"Cornell Societies Elect", ''The New York Times'', October 14, 1938.</ref> | |||
| ] | |||
| Each year, the Society usually taps fewer than forty members of the senior class for membership.<ref>"History of Some of the Later Cornell Organizations", Cornell Alumni News, December 18, 1901, p. 89. http://ecommons.library.cornell.edu/bitstream/1813/3166/12/004_12.pdf</ref> Since the Society's founding, membership has been reserved for the most respected members of the senior class at Cornell.<ref>http://www.dos.cornell.edu/wsh/history_2.html</ref> | |||
| The names of newly tapped Sphinx Heads were published in ''The New York Times'' through the 1930s, but are now published exclusively in '']''. <ref> "Cornell Societies Elect", The New York Times, October 19, 1930.</ref> <ref>"Cornell Societies Elect New Members", The New York Times, May 13, 1926.</ref> <ref> "Cornell Societies Elect", The New York Times, October 14, 1938. </ref> Although membership is public, the proceedings of the Society remain concealed.<ref> </ref> Sphinx Head also awards honorary membership Cornell administration, faculty, staff, and alumni for their "significant personal and/or professional accomplishment, outstanding leadership, distinguished service to the university and interest in and commitment to undergraduate student life and development." <ref>"10 faculty and staff members honored by Sphinx Head society," Cornell Chronicle, December 7, 2007, pg. 14. http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/Nov07/sphinx.head.html</ref> | |||
| Sphinx Head awards honorary membership to Cornell administrators, faculty, staff, and alumni for their "significant personal and/or professional accomplishment, outstanding leadership, distinguished service to the university, and interest in and commitment to undergraduate student life and development."<ref name='HonoraryArticle' /> Notable honorary members of Sphinx Head include ] Chairman Emeritus ], ] founder ], and the 12th President of Cornell University, ]. | |||
| ==Media Coverage== | |||
| ==Symbols and traditions== | |||
| Election into the Society has been recognized by '']'' as "the highest non-scholastic honor within reach of undergraduates."<ref>, The New York Times, May 19, 1929, p. N3.</ref> The Society recognizes outstanding Cornell senior men and women who, throughout their undergraduate years, have demonstrated impeccable strength of character on top of a strong dedication to leadership and service at Cornell University.<ref>, page 14, Cornell Chronicle, December 7, 2007</ref> ''The New York Times'' has referred to the Sphinx Head Society as being "a secret senior society of the nature of ]," a senior honor society at ] of which ], Cornell University's Co-founder and first President, was a member. <ref>"Cornell University", The New York Times, May 10, 1891.</ref> | |||
| ] | |||
| Sphinx Head has "retained an aura of mystery throughout its history on campus", holding some "closely guarded secrets and traditions."<ref>"Secret's Out", ''Cornell Alumni Magazine'', May/June 2003, p. 36.</ref> Although membership in Sphinx Head is public, the proceedings of the Society remain concealed. | |||
| ⚫ | |||
| Many Sphinx Heads have attained great success and distinction in their post-collegiate careers. Members have gone on to become U.S. Presidential Cabinet members, Elected officials for local, state, and federal governments, U.S. diplomats, CEOs and Chairmen of ] Companies, Chairmen and members of the Cornell University Board of Trustees<ref></ref> and Council<ref></ref>, major Cornell University donors, ] Exemplary Alumni Service Award winners, Olympic athletes and medalists, and members of both Cornell University and National Athletic Halls of Fame. Several members are also profiled in ''The 100 Most Notable Cornellians''.<ref>{{cite book | last = Altschuler | first = Glenn C. | coauthors = Isaac Kramnick, R. Laurence Moore | year = 2003 | title = The 100 Most Notable Cornellians | publisher = ] | location=] | id = ISBN 0-8014-3958-2}}</ref> | |||
| == |
== Activities == | ||
| Since founding the Society, Sphinx Head members have been responsible for starting many long-standing Cornell University traditions such as the annual ] celebration, the use of ] to describe Cornell athletics, as well as Spring Fest, the precursor to the current ] celebration.<ref name="autogenerated1" /><ref name="autogenerated5">''Cornell Alumni News'', October, 1950</ref> | |||
| {{Unreferenced|date=December 2007}} | |||
| Some notable Sphinx Heads include: | |||
| *] (1971): Winner of the 1973 ]<ref>Time: 2:16:03, ]<ref>Time: 2:16:54 [http://www.honolulumarathon.org/l/Facts___Figures/history/Historybyyear/1981.htm Honolulu Marathon - Facts and Figures</ref> | |||
| *] (1905): Chairman of the ] Board of Trustees (1947-1953); Member of the ]; Co-founder of the American Australian Association in 1948.<ref>http://www.americanaustralian.org/Aboutus/history.php</ref> | |||
| *] (1904): Dubbed Cornell Athletics ] while composing the lyrics to the ''The Big Red Team'' (a ]) in 1905<ref>http://cornellbigred.com/Sports/general/2007/FAQ.asp?tab=bigred</ref>; Graduate Manager of Cornell Athletics (1919-1935)<ref>http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=9B02E5D6143AE03ABC4153DFB1668382609EDE</ref>; Author of ''Stoneposts in the Sunset''.<ref>{{cite book | last = Romeyn| first = Berry | year = 1950| title = Stoneposts in the Sunset | publisher = Century House| id = ASIN B0007EETVA}}</ref> ], the United States Secretary of Energy]] | |||
| *] (1960): Secretary of the ]. | |||
| *] (1907): President of ]. | |||
| *] (1969): Chairman of the ].<ref>http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=101929&p=irol-govboard&ID=122769</ref> | |||
| *] (1959): Chairman and CEO of ] (1989-1999). | |||
| *] (1919): ]ist in the 3000 meter track & field event at the ]. | |||
| *] (1928): Film and TV actor.<ref>http://imdb.com/name/nm0002053/</ref> | |||
| *] (1983): Professional hockey goaltender; Member of the 1984 Canadian Olympic Ice Hockey team. | |||
| *] (1897)<ref>''The Cornellian'', 1897</ref>: Ornithologist; Renown bird artist.<ref>http://www.nysm.nysed.gov/virtual/collections/fuertes/index.html</ref> | |||
| *] (1964): American Football player for the New York Giants, Buffalo Bills. | |||
| *] (1924): U.S. Congress Representative for ] 11th District (1935-1940); Senator, Missouri (1951-1960). | |||
| *] (1939): President of ] (1953-1959) and ] (1960-1970); U.S. Ambassador to ] (1970-1972); Chairman of the ] Board of Governors (1980-1985) | |||
| *] (1950): Former Chairperson of ]; Major donor and co-namesake of the ] at Cornell University. | |||
| *] (1934): President of the U.S. Olympic Committee (1977-1980)<ref>"Robert J. Kane, 81, Ex-Olympic Official And Aide at Cornell," New York Times, June 1, 1992.</ref>; Director of Athletics at Cornell (1946-1971); Author of ''Good Sports: A History of Cornell Athletics''<ref>{{cite book | last = Kane| first = Robert J. | year = 1992 | title = Good Sports: A History of Cornell Athletics | publisher = Cornell Magazine | location=] | id = ISBN 0963327402}}</ref>. | |||
| *] (1954): President and CEO of ] from 1986-1995. | |||
| *] (1972): Runner-up for the 1971 ]<ref>http://www.heisman.com/winners/p-sullivan71.html</ref>; Actor most known for his portrayal of Officer Joe Coffey in '']''; Selected as one of the ''100 Most Notable Cornellians''. | |||
| *] (1939): Chairman of the ] Board of Trustees (1978-1984)<ref>http://www.news.cornell.edu/Chronicle/04/3.25.04/Obituaries.html</ref>; Director of ] from 1946-1996. | |||
| *] (1944): Secretary of the ] under ] (1981-1989) | |||
| *] (1933): Chairman of the ] Board of Trustees (1968-1978); Donor and namesake of Robert Purcell Community Center (RPCC). | |||
| *] (1955): U.S. ] from January 2, 1976 - April 6, 1977 under Presidents ] and ]. | |||
| *] (1933): U.S. Congress Representative for ] (1955-1983). | |||
| *] (1950): Professional tennis player, ranked 2nd in the world for tennis in 1951; Inducted into several halls of fame including the ] (1976), the ] (1986), Tennis Association Men's Collegiate Tennis Hall of Fame (1986), and the USTA Eastern Tennis Hall of Fame (1999). | |||
| *] (1955): American sports broadcaster for ], ], & ]. | |||
| *] (1901): First Graduate Manager of Athletics for ] (1901-1907).<ref>http://www.cornellbigred.com/Sports/general/2007/History.asp?tab=history</ref> | |||
| *] (1902): Architect who led the construction of the ] with his firm ]. | |||
| *] (1901): U.S. Diplomat; Namesake of ], a student union that was constructed in 1925 after Straight's death in 1918. | |||
| *] (1924): U.S. Congress Representative for ] 11th District (1943-1949). | |||
| *] (1927): Actor nominated for an ] in 1935 for '']''<ref>http://awardsdatabase.oscars.org/ampas_awards/DisplayMain.jsp?curTime=1197314709726</ref> | |||
| *] (1918): Chief judge in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Recipient of the ] in 1981. | |||
| *] (1899): Namesake of Upson Hall on the ] of the Cornell campus. | |||
| *] (1932): ]-based architect with a distinctive ] style. | |||
| == |
==Notable members== | ||
| {{Main|List of Sphinx Head members}} | |||
| Members of Sphinx Head have held many prominent positions within Cornell University serving as presidents, provosts, deans, directors of athletics, Cornell Council members, trustees, and chairpersons of the board of trustees. More than one-third of the presidents of the Cornell University Alumni Association have been members and twenty percent of the chairpersons of the Cornell University Board of Trustees have been affiliated with the Society.<ref>Alumni Association: Larry Gubb, William Kleitz, Elbert Tuttle, Robert White, Walter Nield, Charles Werly, Richard Vanderwarker, Bruce Hackstaff, Joseph Driscoll</ref><ref>Chairman: Becker, Purcell, Noyes; Mieing holds honorary membership.</ref> Names of alumni can be found on the Cornell campus on Bartels Hall, Indimine Athletic Field, ], Robert Kane Track, ], ], ], ], ] and ]. Numerous members are also profiled in ''The 100 Most Notable Cornellians''.<ref>{{cite book |last=Altschuler |first=Glenn C. |url=https://archive.org/details/100mostnotableco00glen |title=The 100 Most Notable Cornellians |author2=Isaac Kramnick |author3=R. Laurence Moore |publisher=] |year=2003 |isbn=0-8014-3958-2 |location=] |url-access=registration}}</ref> | |||
| ==References== | |||
| {{reflist|2}} | {{reflist|2}} | ||
| ⚫ | {{Cornell}} | ||
| ==See also== | |||
| *] | |||
| ⚫ | |||
| {{Authority control}} | |||
| {{Cornell-lite}} | |||
| ] | ] | ||
| ] | ] | ||
| ] | ] | ||
| ] | ] | ||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
| ] | |||
Latest revision as of 01:47, 6 October 2024
Honor society at Cornell University, US| Sphinx Head | |
|---|---|
 Sphinx Head Society emblem, 1891 | |
| Founded | October 11, 1890; 134 years ago (1890-10-11) Cornell University |
| Type | Senior honor society |
| Affiliation | Independent |
| Status | Active |
| Scope | Local |
| Chapters | 1 |
| Headquarters | Ithaca, New York United States |
The Sphinx Head Society is the oldest senior honor society at Cornell University. Sphinx Head recognizes Cornell senior men and women who have demonstrated respectable strength of character on top of dedication to leadership and service at Cornell University. In 1929 The New York Times held that election into Sphinx Head and similar societies constituted "the highest non-scholastic honor within reach of undergraduates."
Founding
Sphinx Head was founded on October 11, 1890, by a group of ten men from the senior class. The Society was founded to "create and maintain a stronger feeling" for Cornell University and to promote "a closer and stronger friendship among members of the Senior class." The New York Times referred to Sphinx Head as "a secret senior society of the nature of Skull and Bones", a senior honor society at Yale University of which Andrew Dickson White, Cornell University's co-founder and first president, was a member. White encouraged the formation of a secret society system on the Cornell campus.
In 1926, the society built a clubhouse for itself designed to resemble an Egyptian tomb perched halfway down the cliff on the Fall Creek gorge. It sold the building in 1969, and it eventually became the home and office of astronomer Carl Sagan.
Membership
Each year, Sphinx Head taps fewer than forty men and women of the senior class for membership. Since the Society's founding, membership has been "reserved for the most respected" members of the senior class. The names of newly tapped Sphinx Heads were published in The New York Times through the 1930s, but are now published exclusively in The Cornell Daily Sun.
Sphinx Head awards honorary membership to Cornell administrators, faculty, staff, and alumni for their "significant personal and/or professional accomplishment, outstanding leadership, distinguished service to the university, and interest in and commitment to undergraduate student life and development." Notable honorary members of Sphinx Head include Tata Sons Chairman Emeritus Ratan Tata, Atlantic Philanthropies founder Chuck Feeney, and the 12th President of Cornell University, David Skorton.
Symbols and traditions
Sphinx Head has "retained an aura of mystery throughout its history on campus", holding some "closely guarded secrets and traditions." Although membership in Sphinx Head is public, the proceedings of the Society remain concealed.
Activities
Since founding the Society, Sphinx Head members have been responsible for starting many long-standing Cornell University traditions such as the annual Dragon Day celebration, the use of "The Big Red" to describe Cornell athletics, as well as Spring Fest, the precursor to the current Slope Day celebration.
Notable members
Main article: List of Sphinx Head membersMembers of Sphinx Head have held many prominent positions within Cornell University serving as presidents, provosts, deans, directors of athletics, Cornell Council members, trustees, and chairpersons of the board of trustees. More than one-third of the presidents of the Cornell University Alumni Association have been members and twenty percent of the chairpersons of the Cornell University Board of Trustees have been affiliated with the Society. Names of alumni can be found on the Cornell campus on Bartels Hall, Indimine Athletic Field, Samuel C. Johnson School of Business Management, Robert Kane Track, Jansen Noyes Community Center, Jerome H. Holland International Living Center, Robert Purcell Community Center, Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation & Archives, Willard Straight Hall and Upson Hall. Numerous members are also profiled in The 100 Most Notable Cornellians.
References
- ^ 10 faculty and staff members honored by Sphinx Head society, page 14, Cornell Chronicle, December 7, 2007
- 63 Juniors Elected to Cornell Societies, The New York Times, May 19, 1929, p. N3.
- ^ "History of Some of the Later Cornell Organizations", Cornell Alumni News, December 18, 1901, p. 89.
- "The Sphinx Head: A Senior Society Recently Formed" Cornell Daily Sun, January 13th, 1891, p. 3.
- "Cornell University", The New York Times, May 10, 1891.
- The Secret Life of A.D. White | The Cornell Daily Sun Archived 2011-04-30 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Willard Straight Hall
- "Cornell Societies Elect", The New York Times, October 19, 1930.
- "Cornell Societies Elect New Members", The New York Times, May 13, 1926.
- "Cornell Societies Elect", The New York Times, October 14, 1938.
- "Secret's Out", Cornell Alumni Magazine, May/June 2003, p. 36.
- Cornell Alumni News, October, 1950
- Alumni Association: Larry Gubb, William Kleitz, Elbert Tuttle, Robert White, Walter Nield, Charles Werly, Richard Vanderwarker, Bruce Hackstaff, Joseph Driscoll
- Chairman: Becker, Purcell, Noyes; Mieing holds honorary membership.
- Altschuler, Glenn C.; Isaac Kramnick; R. Laurence Moore (2003). The 100 Most Notable Cornellians. Ithaca, N.Y.: Cornell University Press. ISBN 0-8014-3958-2.
