Raven Society

Last updated
Raven Society
The Raven Society logo.jpg
Founded1904;120 years ago (1904)
University of Virginia
Type Honor
AffiliationIndependent
StatusActive
ScopeLocal
Chapters1
Members60 collegiate
NicknameRavens
HeadquartersPO Box 400314
Charlottesville , Virginia 22904
United States
Website aig.alumni.virginia.edu/raven/

The Raven Society is an honor society at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia. It was founded in 1904 by William McCully James who named it in honor of the poem by Edgar Allan Poe, who attended the University of Virginia in 1826.

Contents

History

In 1904, University of Virginia student William McCully James proposed a new merit-based student society to promote literary and forensic work and to recognize outstanding scholarship. [1] [2] [3] Once the new society was approved, a faculty committee selected twelve students who demonstrated academic excellence; the twelve were invited to join the society and were sworn in on April 20, 1904. [2] [4]

The twelve members met to adopt a constitution on April 27, 1904. [2] It stated that one of the Raven Society's main goals is "to bring together the best men in the various departments of the university for mutual acquaintance and for cooperation in their efforts to protect the honor and dignity of the university." [5] The initial twelve also chose additional members, bringing the number of charter members to 31 students and four faculty. [4] The founding members and their campus affiliations were: [3]

The members decided on the name Raven Society, in honor of the poem by Edgar Allan Poe, who attended the University of Virginia in 1826. [4] [2] The society was originally considered a ribbon society because its members wore identifying ribbons. [1] Its second class of members was announced on June 1, 1905. [6] In November 1906, the society donated $10 ($339 in 2022 money) to a fund to create a statue of Poe in Richmond, Virginia; this was the first gift to the Poe Memorial Fund. [7]

Range room of Edgar Allan Poe at the University of Virginia University of Virginia room of Edgar Allan Poe.jpg
Range room of Edgar Allan Poe at the University of Virginia

The Raven Society has been active in commemorating Poe's life, including helping to plan the celebration of his centenary in January 1909. [8] [9] In February 1908, the university's Board of Visitors assigned the care at 13 West Range, Poe's room as a student, to the Raven Society. [10] The society used the room as its meeting place and also began work on restoring the room as a museum. [10] [11] They also acquired a collection of Poe's works, to be kept in the room. [10] The Ravens served as room guides during the centenary. [12]

The society opened Poe's preserved room, which they had furnished with "a settee from the Allan home in Richmond" as well as "a real raven, stuffed, [which] looked down from a coign of the room." [13] In 1924, architecture professor Edmund S. Campbell helped the society restore the room. [2] [14]

Raven Award with inscription - "The Raven Award, University of Virginia, Carrington Harrison, 1936" 1936 Raven Award.jpg
Raven Award with inscription - "The Raven Award, University of Virginia, Carrington Harrison, 1936"

In 1933, the society started its Raven Award program to recognize outstanding contributions of students and faculty. [11] [15] The original award was in the form of a bust of Edgar Allan Poe, based on a larger bronze sculpture commissioned with artist Harold Cash and first shown at commencement in April 1933. [16] [11] John Lloyd Newcomb, president University of Virginia, was the first recipient of the Raven Award. [17] Other notable recipients include Edward L. Ayers, Colgate Darden, Nicole Hurd, and John Strangfeld. [18]

The Raven Society also celebrated Poe's bicentenary in 2009 by laying three roses and drinking cognac in 13 West Range. In 2011, it received a grant from the UVa Alumni Association for the restoration of 13 West Range. [19]

Symbols and traditions

The Raven Society's name came from "The Raven", a narrative poem by Edgar Allan Poe, who attended the University of Virginia in 1826. [4] [2] The society's emblem is a black enamel raven mounted upon a gold-colored base. [5] Members are referred to as the Ravens. [10]

The society's Initiation takes place in 13 West Range, Poe's former room. [14] Members declaim of Poe's works and stanzas from "The Raven" as part of the initiation ceremony. [14] [19] Initiates sign their name in a book using a quill. [14] When inducted, new members must write a parody of "The Raven". [2]

Activities

Annually, the society presents Raven Fellowships to support undergraduate and graduate research projects. [1] The society recognizes service and contributions to the Universty of Virginia by honor students, faculty, administrators and alumni with its Raven Award. [5] [15] The society is also responsible for the upkeep of Poe's student quarters on at 13 West Range at the University of Virginia. [20]

Membership

The society recruits members when they are juniors, seniors, or first or second-year graduate students. Potential members must demonstrate academic distinction. [21] Initiation takes place at midnight. [14] Fewer than thirty students are initiated each year. [14]

Notable members

Notable members of the Raven Society include:

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Virginia</span> Public university in Charlottesville, Virginia, US

The University of Virginia (UVA) is a public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States. It was founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson and contains his Academical Village, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The original governing Board of Visitors included three U.S. presidents: Jefferson, James Madison, and James Monroe, the latter as sitting president of the United States at the time of its foundation. As its first two rectors, Presidents Jefferson and Madison played key roles in the university's foundation, with Jefferson designing both the original courses of study and the university's architecture. Located within its historic 1,135-acre central campus, the university is composed of eight undergraduate and three professional schools: the School of Law, the Darden School of Business, and the School of Medicine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Z Society</span> Secret society at University of Virginia, US

The Z Society is a secret society that was founded at the University of Virginia in 1892.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colgate Darden</span> American politician

Colgate Whitehead Darden Jr. was an American lawyer and Democratic politician aligned with the Byrd Organization who served as U.S. Representative from Virginia, the 54th Governor of Virginia (1942–46), Chancellor of the College of William and Mary (1946–47), and the third President of the University of Virginia (1947–59). The Darden Graduate School of Business Administration of the University of Virginia is named for him.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jefferson Literary and Debating Society</span> Student society at the University of Virginia

The Jefferson Literary and Debating Society is the oldest continuously existing collegiate debating society in North America. The society was founded on July 14, 1825, in Room Seven, West Lawn at the University of Virginia. Named for the founder of the University, Thomas Jefferson, the society regularly meets on Friday evenings at "The Hall" in the Lawn.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">IMP Society</span> Secret society at University of Virginia, US

The IMP Society is a secret society at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States that is notable for combining philanthropy and public mischief.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Lawn</span> Grassy court at University of Virginia

The Lawn, a part of Thomas Jefferson's Academical Village, is a large, terraced grassy court at the historic center of Jefferson's academic community at the University of Virginia. The Lawn and its surrounding buildings, designed by Jefferson, demonstrate Jefferson's mastery of Palladian and Neoclassical architecture, and the site has been recognized as an architectural masterpiece in itself. The Lawn has been designated a U.S. National Historic Landmark District, and is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site along with the original buildings of the University of Virginia and Monticello, Jefferson's nearby residence; this designation is due to the site's architectural and cultural significance.

Secret societies have been a part of University of Virginia student life since the first class of students in 1825. While the number of societies peaked during the 75 years between 1875 and 1950, there are several newer societies and six societies that have been active for more than 100 years, including Seven Society, Z Society, IMP Society, Eli Banana, T.I.L.K.A. Society, and The 13 Society. The earliest societies, Eli Banana and T.I.L.K.A. Society, function as social clubs, while the Z Society, IMP Society, and Seven Society have a record of philanthropy and contribution to the university. Some of the more recent societies focus on the recognition or disapprobation of positive and negative contributions to the university.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John B. Minor</span> American academic

John Barbee Minor was an American jurist and slaveowner. He practiced law in Virginia and then taught at the University of Virginia School of Law for fifty years. His students achieved eminence in professional or public lives. Some referred to his teaching career as not only the longest but the ablest known to Anglo-Saxon jurisprudence, and one declared that "he has exerted, and still indirectly exerts, a wider influence for good upon society in the United States than any man who has lived in this generation."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Edwin Alderman</span> American educator, first president of the University of Virginia (1861–1931)

Edwin Anderson Alderman served as the president of three universities. Edwin A. Alderman Elementary School in Wilmington and the Alderman dorm at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill are named after him. The main library at the University of Virginia used to bear his name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John A. Buchanan</span> American judge (1843–1921)

John Alexander Buchanan was a member of the United States House of Representatives from Virginia and a judge of the Court of Appeals of Virginia.

Eli Banana, officially known as the Mystic Order of Eli Banana, is a secret society at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded in 1878, it was the first and the oldest secret society at the university.

Gilbert J. "Gilly" Sullivan was the longtime director of the University of Virginia Alumni Association for 35 years. Appointed to the position in 1958 after the retirement of J. Malcolm "Mack" Luck, Sullivan remained in the position until his retirement in 1993. During his years at the Alumni Association, he helped develop the Virginia Student Aid Foundation and significant expansion of the Jefferson Scholarship Program.

Ernest Campbell Mead Jr. was professor of music and former head of the McIntire Department of Music at the University of Virginia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of the University of Virginia</span>

The history of the University of Virginia opens with its conception by Thomas Jefferson at the beginning of the early 19th century. The university was chartered in 1819, and classes commenced in 1825.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Honor system at the University of Virginia</span> Honor code intended to be student administered

The University of Virginia has an honor code, formally known as the Honor System, is intended to be student administered.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Virginia fraternities and sororities</span> American Greek life system

Fraternities and sororities at the University of Virginia include the collegiate organizations on the grounds of the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia. First founded in the 1850s with the establishment of several fraternities, the system has since expanded to include sororities, professional organizations, service fraternities, honor fraternities, and cultural organizations. Fraternities and sororities have been significant to the history of the University of Virginia, including the founding of two national fraternities Kappa Sigma (ΚΣ) and Pi Kappa Alpha (ΠΚΑ).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gregory Swanson</span> American lawyer

Gregory Hayes Swanson, LL.B, A.B., was an American lawyer who was the first African American to attend the University of Virginia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eppa Hunton IV</span> American lawyer (1904–1976)

Eppa Hunton IV was an American lawyer. A native of Richmond, Virginia, he graduated from the University of Virginia and its law school before returning to his hometown, where, excepting his overseas military service in World War II, he resided the remainder of his life. The only son of Eppa Hunton Jr., in 1927 he joined the firm his father co-founded—Hunton, Williams, Anderson & Gay —and practiced corporate law, eventually becoming a senior partner.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 University of Virginia shooting</span> Mass shooting in Charlottesville, Virginia

On the night of November 13, 2022, a mass shooting took place at the University of Virginia (UVA) in Charlottesville, Virginia, in which three people were killed and two others were injured. Four of the victims, including the three who died, were members of the UVA football team. The suspect, 22-year-old Christopher Darnell Jones Jr., was later taken into custody and charged with three counts of second-degree murder, as well as three counts of using a handgun in the commission of a felony.

Harold Cheney Cash was an American sculptor. He received a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1930 and 1931.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Jacob, Katie (January 2004). "Looking back at years of Bananas, Ravens". Archived from the original on 2007-09-13. Retrieved 2008-01-03.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Wolcott, Dave (2004-03-11). "Raven Society Celebrates Centennial Anniversary". Archived from the original on 2007-08-08. Retrieved 2008-01-03.
  3. 1 2 3 "The Raven Society Founded". The Daily Progress. Charlottesville, Virginia. 1904-05-23. p. 1. Retrieved 2024-08-30 via Newspapers.com.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Viccellio, Robert (Spring 2012). "Wrapped in Mystery: A guide to secret—and not-so-secret—student organizations at UVA". Virginia Magazine. Retrieved 2024-08-30.
  5. 1 2 3 "Constitution of the Raven Society of the University of Virginia" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-20. Retrieved 2008-01-03.
  6. "Raven Society. Students Elected to Membership on their Scholastic Merits". Richmond Times-Dispatch. 1905-06-02. pp.  5, 5 . Retrieved 2024-08-30 via Newspapers.com.
  7. "Wide Interest in Poe Monument". Richmond Times-Dispatch. 1906-11-24. p. 10. Retrieved 2024-08-30 via Newspapers.com.
  8. "Fine Tribute to Edgar Allan Poe". Richmond Times-Dispatch. 1909-01-11. p. 8. Retrieved 2024-08-30 via Newspapers.com.
  9. "Raven Society Celebrates: Poe Anniversary is Appropriately Observed at University of Virginia" (PDF). New York Times. 1909-01-19. Retrieved 2008-01-03.
  10. 1 2 3 4 "To Honor Poe. Raven Society at University Cares for His Old Dormitory". The Portsmouth Star. Portsmouth, Virginia. 1908-02-20. p. 3. Retrieved 2024-08-30 via Newspapers.com.
  11. 1 2 3 "Ravens to Honor Pupils, Teachers". Daily Press. Newport News, Virginia. 1933-01-25. p. 9. Retrieved 2024-08-30 via Newspapers.com.
  12. "Interest Intense in Poe Centenary". Richmond Times-Dispatch. 1909-01-16. p. 12. Retrieved 2024-08-30 via Newspapers.com.
  13. Bruce, Philip Alexander (1922). History of the University of Virginia, 1819-1919: The Lengthening Shadow of One Man. Vol. V. pp. 357–8 via Google Books.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Bellows, Sierra (Winter 2008). "The Caretaker of No. 13: Student fulfills charge of Raven Society". Virginia Magazine. Retrieved 2024-08-30.
  15. 1 2 "The Raven Award - The Raven Society". University of Virginia. Retrieved 2024-08-30.
  16. "Raven Society Bust of Poe Ready for Memorial Exercises April 13". The Daily Progress. Charlottesville, Virginia. 1933-04-01. p. 1. Retrieved 2024-08-30 via Newspapers.com.
  17. "History of the Raven Society" . Retrieved 2013-08-27.
  18. Dabney, Virginius (1981). Mr. Jefferson's University: A History. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press. p. 418. ISBN   0-8139-0904-X
  19. 1 2 "Raven Society Plans Renovation". The Daily Progress. Charlottesville, Virginia. 2011-04-29. p. 5. Retrieved 2024-08-30 via Newspapers.com.
  20. Alderman, Edwin A.; Joel Chandler Harris (1907). Library of Southern Literature. Martin and Hoyt. p.  4080 . Retrieved 2008-01-03. raven society 13 west range.
  21. Lin, Kevin (April 5, 2024). "School of Data Science Ph.D. Students and Faculty Member Named To Raven Society". School of Data Science. Retrieved 2024-08-30.
  22. "Charles G. Bell". Mississippi Writers and Musicians. Retrieved 2024-08-30.
  23. "Raven Society Initiation at the University of Virginia". Encyclopedia Virginia. Retrieved 2024-08-30.
  24. DiAntonio, Andy (2018-12-19). "L.D. Britt". National Health Law Program. Retrieved 2024-08-30.
  25. 108-1 Hearings: Confirmation Hearings on Federal Appointments, S. Hrg. 108-135, Part 3, April 30, May 7, May 22, June 25, and July 9, 2003, *. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office. 2004. p. 1025 via Google Books.
  26. "M. Caldwell Butler Papers | Washington and Lee University School of Law Research". Washington and Lee University School of Law Scholarly Commons. Retrieved 2024-08-30.
  27. Bugg, J. L. "Robert Y. Button (1899–1977)". Encyclopedia Virginia. Retrieved 2024-08-30.
  28. "In Memoriam: Mortimer Caplin '40, Public Servant and Professor Emeritus, Dies At 103 | Class Notes". UVA Lawyer. Fall 2019. Retrieved August 30, 2024.
  29. "George Cochran Obituary - Death Notice and Service Information". Legacy.com. 2011-01-23. Retrieved 2024-08-30.
  30. Dabney, Virginius (1981). Mr. Jefferson's University: A History. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press. p. 557. ISBN   0-8139-0904-X
  31. "Summary of Accomplishments: Bascom S. Deaver, Jr" (PDF). Retrieved 2008-06-06.
  32. Manual of the Senate, General Assembly of Virginia 2020 - 2021 (PDF). General Assembly of Virginia. 2020. p. 83. Retrieved August 30, 2024.
  33. "The Honorable S. Bernard Goodwyn, Chief Justice Of The Supreme Court Of Virginia, To Deliver Keynote Address At Hampton University's Opening Convocation On Sunday, October 1". Hampton University Home. 2023-09-27. Retrieved 2024-08-30.
  34. "Lapsley Walker Hamblen Jr". Tharp Funeral Home & Crematory, Inc. Retrieved 2024-08-30.
  35. Dabney, Virginius (1981). Mr. Jefferson's University: A History. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press. p. 598. ISBN   0-8139-0904-X
  36. "Charles Harrison Mann Jr". Virginia House History. Retrieved 2024-08-30.
  37. "Ernest Mead". The Daily Progress . 2014-02-16. Retrieved 2014-02-16.
  38. "William Tayloe Murphy Jr". Virginia House History. Retrieved 2024-08-30.
  39. "Daniel French Slaughter Jr". Virginia House History. Retrieved 2024-08-30.
  40. "NJPAC Elects John Strangfeld as New Board Co-Chair". BusinessWire. June 14, 2013. Retrieved August 30, 2024.
  41. Bromley, Anne E. (2009-01-06). "Gilly Sullivan, Former U.Va. Alumni Association Director, Has Died". UVA Today. Retrieved 2024-08-30.
  42. Theroux, Alexander (2015-05-02). Collected Poems. Fantagraphics Books. p. 511. ISBN   978-1-60699-802-1. The Raven (A parody written as a requirement for election to the distinguished Raven Society at the University of Virginia, 1967).
  43. 1 2 "Thirty-Two Are to Join Raven Club". The Daily News Leader. Staunton, Virginia. 1934-05-18. p. 3. Retrieved 2024-08-30 via Newspapers.com.
  44. "Robert Whitehead". Virgnia House History. Retrieved 2024-08-30.
  45. "Retired Virginia Supreme Court Justice Henry H. Whiting". Virginia Lawyers Weekly. 2012-09-24. Retrieved 2024-08-30.
  46. "Raven Society Votes to Honor 2 Students". Richmond Times-Dispatch. 1935-05-12. p. 37. Retrieved 2024-08-30 via Newspapers.com.