Myth and Sword

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Myth and Sword
Myth and Sword Society seal, drawing.jpg
Founded1908;117 years ago (1908) until 1965; 1990s
Yale University
TypeSenior secret society
AffiliationIndependent
StatusActive
ScopeLocal
Chapters1
Originated as Phi Gamma Delta
Headquarters New Haven , Connecticut
United States

Myth and Sword, also known as theOrder of Myth and Sword, is a co-ed secret society for seniors students at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. It was originally established in 1875 as a chapter of Phi Gamma Delta and, after going defunct in 1965, was reformed in the 1990s.

Contents

About

Vernon Hall seal (left) on the Sheffield-Sterling-Strathcona Hall SSSsocs.jpg
Vernon Hall seal (left) on the Sheffield-Sterling-Strathcona Hall

Vernon Hall

Myth and Sword traces its origins to the Nu Deuteron chapter of Phi Gamma Delta fraternity, established in 1875 as a third-year society at Yale University. [1] [2] [3] The Phi Gam chapter was commonly known as Vernon Hall, after the name of the chapter's building. [1] The chapter briefly went dormant but was reestablished in 1888. [1] In 1908, its membership became exclusively limited to students of the Sheffield Scientific School. When Yale implemented its residential college system in 1933, Vernon Hall began to have financial difficulties. It closed in 1965. [2]

Revival

The organization was revived as a senior secret society in the 1990s, under the new name, Myth and Sword or the Order of Myth and Sword. [4] [2] Several other Yale societies reformed at the same time, including Mace and Chain in 1993 and the Torch Honor Society in 1995. [5] [6]

Buildings

The original Vernon Hall tomb Vernonhalltomb.jpg
The original Vernon Hall tomb

Phi Gamma Delta maintained a residential house and a "tomb" which was its meeting space. [2] The society's original tomb was an Egyptian Revival building constructed in 1900 at 416 Temple Street. [7] [2] This building was sold to the university in 1927 and was eventually demolished to make way for Helen Hadley Hall. [2] [7]

The fraternity's first residence was Vernon Hall on Trumbull Street. [2] [1] It was used for five years. [8] Around 1915, the fraternity built a new dormitory at the corner of Temple and Grove Streets. [8] Its construction was significantly funded by alumni Edward D. Page and J. N. H. Campbell. [8] The new chapter house was a four-story brick and limestone English manor house that incorporated a pre-existing cloister, originally part of a residence for St. Mary's Church. [8] Above its entrance was a carving of the fraternity's coat of arms with its Greek motto, "Friendship, the sweetest influence". [2]

The fraternity sold its chapter house to Yale in 1934, following the start of the university's residential program. [2] Renamed Dow Hall, it was used as graduate student housing and university office and has housed the Linguistics Department since 2002. [2]

Membership

When it reformed, Myth and Sword became co-ed.[ citation needed ] It taps or selects new members the end of their junior year. [9]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Societies and Fraternities in the Scientific School". Yale Sheffield Monthly. 20 (5): 225. February 1914 – via Google Books.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "History of Dow Hall". Yale Linguistics. 2019-02-09. Retrieved 2023-07-06.
  3. ↑ These Yale societies became more exclusive as students progressed through each class year. In most cases, lasting alumni fraternal affiliation hinged on the third-year societies, although to a lesser degree, second-year societies retained alumni connections. The freshmen societies, emerging beginning in 1840 all went dormant by the late 1880s. Several fourth year, or senior societies are existent today and have been the most exclusive, with fewer members selected each year ("tapped") versus those formed for lower classmen.
  4. ↑ "Secret Societies at Yale". Yale Alumni Magazine. July 2014. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
  5. ↑ Schenkel, Ben (March 30, 2012). "Tapping in to Yale's secret societies | UWire" . Retrieved 2025-02-02.
  6. ↑ "Torch Honor Society, Yale University, records". Archives at Yale. Retrieved February 2, 2025.
  7. 1 2 Branch, Mark Alden (June 24, 2015). "Throwback Thursday: Egyptian Greeks". Yale Alumni Magazine. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
  8. 1 2 3 4 Stillman, E. A. (May 1915). "Magnificent Chapter House at Yale". The Phi Gamma Delta of the Phi Gamma Delta Fraternity. 37 (7): 653–655 – via Google Books.
  9. ↑ Patuwo, Grace; Vanderhoof, Erin (April 16, 2010). "Secret Society Tap". Yale News. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
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