Senior societies are a type of collegiate student organization that recruits juniors and seniors. [1] Senior societies are associated with Dartmouth College, the University of Pennsylvania, and Yale University. [1] [2] These societies can be activity-based, identity-based, school-based (departmental or academic field), or traditional. [1] Senior societies may be "landed", owning a building or tomb, or "non-landed". [3] [4] [5]
Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities (1883), notes that Phi Beta Kappa, founded at the College of William & Mary in 1776, was the first senior society. [6] [a] At Dartmouth University, senior societies date back to 1783 with the founding of an organization called the Society of Social Friends. [7] Dartmouth currently had fourteen active senior societies. [7] Yale has more than forty active senior societies. [3] The oldest senior society at Yale is Skull and Bones, established in 1831, followed by Scroll and Key in 1841. [3] Other colleges have similar organizations but use different terminology. For example, there are Princeton University eating clubs and Harvard University final clubs. [8]
Senior societies tend to be exclusive, and members pay dues to belong. [9] Members are most often recruited by a process called "tapping". [2] [7] [4] Membership in each senior society tends to be small, averaging around fifteen active members. [5] Some senior societies are also secret societies, where the names of members are kept secret, while others are open and share their membership rolls. [7] Other senior societies are semi-secret, keeping member's names a secret until graduation. [7] Some senior societies also are considered honor societies. [9]
Following is an incomplete list of collegiate senior societies.
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