List of senior societies

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.

Society	Charter date and range	Institution	Type	References
Abaris	1996	Dartmouth College	Activity-based	[2] [7] [10]
Agaia		Yale University		[11]
Agora		Yale University		[11]
Andromeda	2013	Dartmouth College	Identity-based	[2] [7] [10]
The Apostles		Yale University		[11] [12]
Atlas		Dartmouth College	Traditional	[2] [7] [10]
Aurelian Honor Society	1910	Yale University	Traditional, secret	[12]
B&C		Yale University		[12]
BaR		Yale University		[11] [12]
Bell Senior Society	2014	University of Pennsylvania	Activity-based	[1] [13]
Belmonte		Yale University		[11] [12]
Berzelius (secret society)	1848	Yale University	Traditional, secret	[11] [4]
Beta Omega	1841–xxxx ?	Kenyon College	Traditional	[14]
Book and Snake	1863	Yale University	Traditional, secret	[11] [4]
C&D		Yale University		[12]
Cage and Feather		Yale University		[11] [12]
Cane Club	1921– xxxx ?	Johns Hopkins University	Traditional
Carriage Senior Society	2013	University of Pennsylvania	Identity-based	[1] [15]
Casque and Gauntlet	1886	Dartmouth College	Activity-based	[2] [7] [10]
Ceres Athena		Yale University		[12] [b]
C.C.C.	1876–xxxx ?	University of California, Berkely		[14]
Chimera	1914	Dartmouth College	Traditional	[2] [7] [10]
Cipactli Latinx Honor Society	2001	University of Pennsylvania	Identity-based	[1] [16]
Cloak and Dagger		Yale University		[11]
Cobra	1978	Dartmouth College	Identity-based	[2] [7] [10]
Cong		Yale University		[4]
Cup and Crown		Yale University		[11] [12]
De Gang	1891–1910s	Johns Hopkins University	Traditional
Delta Kappa Delta (local)	18xx ?–xxxx ?	Marietta College	Traditional	[14]
Deru	1896	Northwestern University	Activity-based	[17]
Desmos	1950–1967, 2010	Yale University	Traditional, secret	[11] [12] [18] [c]
Double Cuffs	2010	Yale University		[12] [5]
Dragon Society	1898	Dartmouth College	Traditional, secret	[2] [7] [10]
DSG	1989	Yale University	Traditional, secret	[11] [12] [d]
Elephant and Coffin	18xx ?–xxxx ?	City College of New York	Traditional	[14]
Elihu Club	1903	Yale University	Traditional	[4] [12]
Fire and Skoal	1975	Dartmouth College	Identity-based	[2] [7] [10]
Fork & Knife		Yale University		[11] [12]
Friars Senior Society	1899	University of Pennsylvania	Traditional	[19]
Griffin	1995	Dartmouth College	Activity-based	[2] [7] [10]
Gryphon		Yale University		[11] [12]
Gryphon Senior Society	2020	University of Pennsylvania	School-based	[20] [21]
Helios Society	2015	Yale University		[22]
Hexagon	1910	University of Pennsylvania	School-based	[1]
Ink and Needle		Yale University		[11] [12]
Innominatum		Yale University		[11]
Iris		Yale University		[11]
ISO		Yale University		[12]
Kinoki Senior Society	2014	University of Pennsylvania	Activity-based	[23]
Lantern Society	1993	University of Pennsylvania	School-based	[1]
LC		Yale University		[11] [12]
Leviathan		Yale University		[11] [12]
Lincoln		Yale University		[12]
Linonian Society	1753–xxxx ?, 19xx ?	Yale University	Traditional, secret	[12] [e]
Lion's Paw Senior Society	1908	Pennsylvania State University	Activity-based	[24]
Looking Glass		Yale University		[11] [12]
Mace and Chain	1956	Yale University	Traditional, secret	[11] [4]
Manuscript Society	1951	Yale University	Traditional	[11] [12]
Mortar Board	1918	National	Traditional
Myth and Sword	1875–1965, 199x ?	Yale University	Traditional, secret	[11] [12]
Nacoms	1898	Columbia University	Activity-based
Nathan Hale		Yale University		[11]
Nightingales	2011	University of Pennsylvania	School-based	[1]
Octa		Yale University		[12]
Olympus	2014	Dartmouth College	Traditional	[2] [7] [10]
Onyx Senior Society	1974	University of Pennsylvania	Identity-based	[1] [25]
Oracle Senior Society	2003	University of Pennsylvania	Identity-based	[1] [26]
Order of the Sirens	2007	Dartmouth College	Indentity-based	[2] [7] [10]
Osiris	2016	Dartmouth College	Traditional	[10]
Osiris Senior Society	2013	University of Pennsylvania	Activity-based	[1] [27]
Osiris Society	1903	Massachusetts Institute of Technology	Traditional	[28]
Owl and Key	1909	University of Utah	Traditional
Owl and Serpent	18xx ?–xxxx ?	Wesleyan University	Traditional	[14]
Owl and Wand	1868–1960s	Wesleyan University	Traditional	[29]
OX		Yale University		[11] [12]
Palaeopitus Senior Society	1899	Dartmouth College	Traditional	[30]
Pew		Yale University		[4]
Phi Chi	18xx ?–xxxx ?	Bowdoin College	Traditional	[14]
Phoenix	1984	Dartmouth College	Identity-based	[2] [7] [10]
The Pithotomy Club	1893–1992	Johns Hopkins University	School-based
Phrygian	2005	Dartmouth College	Traditional
Praetorian		Yale University		[31]
Prince		Yale University		[4]
The Pundits	1884	Yale University	Activity-based
Pyxis	2014	Dartmouth College	Identity-based	[2] [7] [10]
Quill and Dagger	1883	Cornell University	Traditional	[8]
Red Dragon Society	1898	New York University	Traditional, secret
Red Mask		Yale University		[11] [12]
Ring and Candle	xxxx ?–c. 1975, 2015	Yale University		[11] [32]
Sachems	1915	Columbia University	Activity-based
Sage and Chalice		Yale University	Traditional, secret	[12]
St. Elmo Society	1963	Yale University	Traditional, secret	[4] [12]
Scarabbean Senior Society	1915	University of Tennessee	Activity-based, secret
Scroll and Key	1842	Yale University	Traditional, secret	[11] [3]
The Senior Society	1892	Johns Hopkins University	Traditional
Shamash Senior Society	2018	University of Pennsylvania	Identity-based	[33] [34]
Sigma Society	1880	Washington and Lee University	Traditional, secret
Skull and Bones	1832	Yale University	Traditional, secret	[11] [3]
Skull & Keys	1882–c. 1980	University of California, Berkeley	Traditional, secret
Snakes Society	1993	University of Pennsylvania	School-based
Society of Fox and Chariot	2015	Yale University		[22]
Spade and Grave	1864	Yale University	Traditional, secret	[12]
Sphinx	1885	Dartmouth College	Traditional, secret	[2] [10] [7] [8]
Sphinx Head	1890	Cornell University	Activity-based
Sphinx Senior Society	1900	University of Pennsylvania	Traditional
Society of Saint Thomas Aquinas (aka Aquinas)	2010	Yale University	Traditional	[11]
Society of Social Friends	1783–xxxx ?	Dartmouth College	Traditional	[7]
Tau Club	1891–1911	Johns Hopkins University	Traditional
TDC		Yale University		[12]
Torch Honor Society	1916–196x ?, 1995	Yale University	Traditional	[12] [35]
Trident and Shell	18xx ?–xxxx ?	University of Michigan	Traditional	[14]
Tyger	1892	Dartmouth College	Senior Men
Whiskey and Coke		Yale University		[11] [5] [12]
WIPS (Women in Power Society)		Yale University	Identity-based	[11] [12] [36]
Wolf's Head Society	1883	Yale University	Traditional	[11]
XV		Yale University		[11]

See also

• Collegiate secret societies in North America
• Dartmouth College student groups
• Harvard College social clubs
• Princeton University eating clubs
• University of Pennsylvania senior societies

Notes

1. Phi Beta Kappa is now considered to be an honor society.
2. Created when women were first admitted to Yale University.
3. Reformed from Key and Stone (local).
4. Rumpus reported that DSG stands for "Drunk Senior Girls" but this is disputed by the organization's members.
5. Originally formed as a literary society, Linonia was revived as a secret senior society in the 20th century.

References

1. Glatsky, Genevieve (September 22, 2016). "Inside Senior Societies". 34th Street. Retrieved 2025-03-18.
2. Wuu, Sydney (January 12, 2021). "Senior societies navigate challenges as winter tapping proceeds virtually". The Dartmouth. Retrieved 2025-03-23.
3. Gittler, Gittler; Hart, Chrissy (2017-02-24). "The choice is yours". Yale Daily News. Retrieved 2025-03-24.
4. Pohly, Kaitlyn (2024-02-28). "Behind tomb doors: Yale's society tap process". Yale Daily News. Retrieved 2025-03-24.
5. Branch, Mark Alden (July 2014). "Open secrets". Yale Alumni Magazine. Retrieved 2025-03-24.
6. Baird, William Raimond, ed. American College Fraternities, 3rd edition. New York: Frank Williams, 1883. pp. 195-196. via Hathi Trust.
7. Bauman, Gretchen (February 9, 2024). "Tapping, Tunnels and the Tomb: The Development of Dartmouth's Senior Societies". The Dartmouth. Retrieved 2025-03-24.
8. Courtney, Nadine Jolie (2016-08-09). "The Most Exclusive Student Clubs of the Ivy League". Town & Country. Retrieved 2025-03-24.
9. Orrson, Emily (April 20, 2011). "The Half of It: Senior societies shouldn't have to tap that". The Daily Pennsylvanian. Retrieved 2025-03-24.
10. "Senior Societies | Greek Life and Societies". Dartmouth College. 2016-11-22. Retrieved 2025-03-23.
11. "Senior Societies" (PDF). The Rumpus. 23 (4): 3–5. May 2016 – via Yale University.
12. "List: 41 secret societies at Yale". Yale Alumni Magazine. July 2014. Retrieved 2025-03-24.
13. "Bell Senior Society". bellsociety.com. Retrieved 2025-03-18.
14. Baird, William Raimond (1879). "Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities". en.wikisource.org. Retrieved 2025-03-24.
15. Cheng, Chloe (April 14, 2016). "Carriage senior society brings together LGBTQ students and allies". The Daily Pennsylvanian. Retrieved 2025-03-19.
16. "About". Cipactli Lantinx Honor Society. Retrieved 2025-03-19.
17. Walsh, Sean Collins (2011-02-15). "In Focus: Inside Deru". The Daily Northwestern. Retrieved 2025-03-23.
18. Yiin, Wesley (2014-04-15). "Society lands on Chapel Street". Yale Daily News. Retrieved 2025-03-24.
19. "About". Friars Senior Society. Retrieved 2025-03-24.
20. Garcia, Andres (February 24, 2021). "Two students form senior society open only to College students". The Daily Pennsylvanian. Retrieved 2025-03-19.
21. Garcia, Andres (February 24, 2021). "Two students form senior society open only to College students". The Daily Pennsylvanian. Retrieved 2025-03-24.
22. O'Daly, Britton (2017-04-18). "Two societies added to Society Initiative". Yale Daily News. Retrieved 2025-03-24.
23. Johnson, Greg (March 23, 2017). "Film society preps Penn seniors for careers in entertainment". Penn Today. University of Pennsylvania. Retrieved 2025-03-19.
24. "The Lion's Paw Senior Society". The Lion's Paw Senior Society. Retrieved 2025-03-24.
25. "History". onyx. Retrieved 2025-03-19.
26. About Oracle Archived 2012-07-28 at the Wayback Machine Oracle Senior Honor Society
27. Osiris Senior Society Archived April 7, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
28. Garfinkel, Simson (December 23, 2024). "MIT's (mostly) secret society". MIT Technology Review. Retrieved 2025-03-24.
29. "Owl and Wand Society, 1874". Wesleyan University Special Collections & Archives. Retrieved September 8, 2025.
30. "History – Palaeopitus Senior Society". Dartmouth College. Retrieved 2025-03-23.
31. "Secret Societies 2015". Rumpus. June 2015. Retrieved 2025-04-10– via Scribd.
32. Victor, Jon (2015-10-08). "Seven new senior societies established". Yale Daily News. Retrieved 2025-03-24.
33. Wu, Allison (October 22, 2018). "Penn has a new senior society for Jewish students: Shamash". The Daily Pennsylvanian. Retrieved 2025-03-19.
34. "Shamash Senior Society". Shamash Senior Society. Archived from the original on 2018-09-21. Retrieved 2018-09-21.
35. "Collection: Torch Honor Society, Yale University, records". Archives at Yale. Retrieved 2023-07-04.
36. "Secret societies get social: WIPS' Pinterest". The Yale Herald. April 11, 2013. Retrieved 2025-03-24– via UWire.