Seal and Serpent

Last updated
Seal and Serpent
Seal.and.serpent.letters.jpg
Seal and Serpent Crest 2017.png
Founded1905;119 years ago (1905)
Cornell University
TypeSocial Society
AffiliationIndependent
StatusActive
ScopeLocal
Member badge Badge.color.jpg
Colors  Black and   Gold
SymbolShield, Serpent and Skull
Chapters1
Headquarters305 Thurston Avenue
Ithaca , New York 14850
United States
Website www.sealandserpent.org

The Seal & Serpent Society is a house club located at Cornell University. Founded in 1905, the Society is one of the oldest at the university. The Tudor mansion at 305 Thurston Avenue has housed the active chapter since 1927.

Contents

Seal and Serpent operates as a social club rather than a secret society or final club. At the time of its founding, many house clubs and societies in the Ivy League had similar names, such as the extant Skull and Bones, Casque and Gauntlet, and Quill and Dagger. The Great Depression took a considerable toll on the membership and financial solvency of extracurricular collegiate organizations, and many were forced to disband. As the Greek system expanded and incorporated many other societies, Seal and Serpent maintained its independence as a member of Cornell's Interfraternity Council (IFC) [1] which oversees the university's entire fraternity system. [2] [3] In the fall of 2016, the active chapter voted to terminate its membership in the Cornell Interfraternity Council, becoming an independent student organization.

As of Fall, 2020, the active chapter and alumni board voted to become gender neutral.

History

Early history

Seal and Serpent Society has its origins in the coalescence of two Cornell undergraduate groups: the Crooks' Club and the Senators. The ten original members began to meet in the fall of 1905 with the intent of preserving the traditions of Cornell student life. They called themselves the Society of the Seal and Serpent, and made plans to take a house together in the fall and elect their first officers." Alvin Ward "Gub" King 1907 was elected president as a sort of coalition man not involved too much with either of the two original groups. [4]

The original "snakes" or founders of Seal and Serpent were:

The founders of Seal and Serpent (From left to right: S. Blunt, Ruhlen, McConnell, Shepherd, Springg, A. Blunt, Kuehns, Zimmerman, and King) 10 of the original brothers of the Seal and Serpent Society.jpg
The founders of Seal and Serpent (From left to right: S. Blunt, Ruhlen, McConnell, Shepherd, Springg, A. Blunt, Kuehns, Zimmerman, and King)

World War I era

In 1917, World War I dramatically impacted student life in Ithaca, and the landscape of the entire Cornell community changed. The Lodge did not yet exist, and the Society's Board of Directors offered the University the use of the West Avenue house as a ROTC barracks. Seal and Serpent lost three men during the war: Joseph Mason, 1913; Frank McCullough, 1920; and Edward Ilsley Tinkham, 1916. In March 1917, Tinkham organized the first unit of Cornell men. [8]

The Great Depression era

During the Great Depression, the majority of independent social clubs on campus were purchased by national chapters, and universities purchased the property where many fraternities now reside. Seal and Serpent was one of two fraternities at Cornell that had the resources to remain independent.

Modern era

Today, Seal and Serpent is the only independent social society at Cornell University. It participated as a local men's society within the Cornell Interfraternity Council until the fall of 2016 when the active chapter voted to terminate its membership in the IFC, becoming a fully independent student organization.

In the fall of 2020, Seal and Serpent's active chapter and alumni board voted to become coed.

The Seal and Serpent Lodge SealAndSerpentLodge small.jpg
The Seal and Serpent Lodge

Symbols

The society's colors are black and gold. Its symbols are the shield, serpent, and skull.

Lodge

The Seal and Serpent Lodge is located at 305 Thurston Avenue. The earliest members of the society purchased the land in 1913, but the building of the lodge was delayed by the demands of World War I. Construction began in 1926, and the lodge was formally dedicated and presented to the active chapter on October 22, 1927. [10] Over 1,250 members have lived there. [11]

Mark Kirk, president of Seal and Serpent in 1981. MarkKirkSealandSerpent.jpg
Mark Kirk, president of Seal and Serpent in 1981.

Notable members

In 2010, Seal & Serpent was featured in the A&E Network TV show Strange Days with Bob Saget in an episode exploring Ivy League fraternity life. [16]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Triangle Fraternity</span> North American collegiate fraternity

Triangle Fraternity is a fraternity for male students majoring in engineering, architecture, and the physical, mathematical, biological, and computer sciences. It is the only member of the North American Interfraternity Conference to limit its membership recruitment to these majors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sigma Nu</span> North American collegiate fraternity

Sigma Nu (ΣΝ) is an undergraduate college fraternity founded at the Virginia Military Institute in 1869. Since its founding, Sigma Nu has chartered more than 279 chapters across the United States and Canada and has initiated more than 235,000 members. It is part of the Lexington Triad, a trio of national fraternities that were founded at colleges in Lexington, Virginia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North American fraternity and sorority housing</span> Residential aspect of Greek life

North American fraternity and sorority housing refers largely to the houses or housing areas in which fraternity and sorority members live and work together. In addition to serving as housing, fraternity and sorority housing may also serve to host social gatherings, meetings, and functions that benefit the community.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North American Interfraternity Conference</span> Trade association of collegiate mens fraternities

The North American Interfraternity Conference is an association of intercollegiate men's social fraternities that was formally organized in 1910, although it began at a meeting at the University Club of New York on November 27, 1909. The power of the organization rests in a House of Delegates in which each member fraternity is represented by a single delegate. However, the group's executive and administrative powers are vested in an elected board of directors consisting of nine volunteers from various NIC fraternities. Headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, the NIC has a small professional staff.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alpha Delta Phi</span> North American collegiate fraternity

Alpha Delta Phi is a North American Greek-letter social college fraternity. Alpha Delta Phi was originally founded as a literary society by Samuel Eells in 1832 at Hamilton College in Clinton, New York. Its more than 50,000 alumni include former presidents and senators of the United States, and justices of the Supreme Court.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sigma Pi</span> North American collegiate fraternity

Sigma Pi (ΣΠ) is a collegiate fraternity with 232 chapters at American universities. As of 2021, the fraternity had more than 5,000 undergraduate members and over 118,000 alumni.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Delta Phi</span> American collegiate fraternity

Delta Phi (ΔΦ) is a fraternal society established in Schenectady, New York on November 17, 1827. Its first chapter was founded at Union College, and was the third and final member of the Union Triad. In 1879, William Raimond Baird's American College Fraternities characterized the fraternity's membership as being largely drawn from the old knickerbocker families of New York and New Jersey. Today, the fraternity consists of ten active chapters along the East Coast of the United States, and also uses the names "St. Elmo," "St. Elmo Hall," or merely "Elmo" for its relation to Erasmus of Formia, the patron saint of sailors, and the Knights of Malta.

Professional fraternities, in the North American fraternity system, are organizations whose primary purpose is to promote the interests of a particular profession and whose membership is restricted to students in that particular field of professional education or study. This may be contrasted with service fraternities and sororities, whose primary purpose is community service, and social fraternities and sororities, whose primary purposes are generally aimed towards some other aspect, such as the development of character, friendship, leadership, or literary ability.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beta Sigma Psi</span> American Lutheran college fraternity

Beta Sigma Psi National Lutheran Fraternity (ΒΣΨ), commonly known as Beta Sig, is a United States social organization for Lutheran college men. Founded at the University of Illinois in 1925, the fraternity has more than 7,500 initiated members. It has twelve chapters, primarily in the mid-west, and over 300 undergraduate members.

Cultural interest fraternities and sororities, in the North American student fraternity and sorority system, refer to general, social organizations oriented to students having a special interest in a culture or cultural identity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phi Lambda Chi</span> American collegiate fraternity

Phi Lambda Chi (ΦΛΧ), commonly known as Phi Lamb, is a social collegiate fraternity founded at the Arkansas State Teachers College in 1925. It was formerly a member of the North American Interfraternity Conference (NIC).

There are many collegiate secret societies in North America. They vary greatly in their level of secrecy and the degree of independence from their universities. A collegiate secret society makes a significant effort to keep affairs, membership rolls, signs of recognition, initiation, or other aspects secret from the public.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cornell West Campus</span> Residential section of Cornell University

West Campus is a residential section of Cornell University main campus in Ithaca, New York. It is bounded roughly by Fall Creek gorge to the north, West Avenue and Libe Slope to the east, Cascadilla gorge and the Ithaca City Cemetery to the south, and University Avenue and Lake Street to the west. It now primarily houses transfer students, second year students, and upperclassmen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cornell North Campus</span> Residential section of Cornell University

North Campus is a mostly residential section of Cornell University's main campus in Ithaca, New York. It includes the neighborhoods located north of Fall Creek. All freshmen are housed on North Campus as part of Cornell's common first-year experience and residential initiatives.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phi Kappa Sigma</span> North American collegiate secret society and fraternity

Phi Kappa Sigma (ΦΚΣ), also known as Phi Kap,Skulls, or Skullhouse, is an international all-male college secret society and social fraternity. Commonly known as “Skulls”, the name is inspired by the skull and crossbones on the fraternity's badge and coat of arms. Members are often recognized by the solid gold membership pin depicting the fraternity’s symbol, a Maltese Cross surrounding a human skull.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kappa Sigma</span> North American collegiate fraternity

Kappa Sigma (ΚΣ), commonly known as Kappa Sig or KSig, is an American collegiate social fraternity founded at the University of Virginia in 1869. Kappa Sigma is one of the five largest international fraternities with currently 318 active chapters and colonies in North America. Its endowment fund, founded in 1919, has donated more than $5 million to undergrads since 1948. In 2012 alone, the Fraternity's endowment fund raised over $1 million in donations.

In North America, fraternities and sororities are social organizations at colleges and universities. They are sometimes collectively referred to as Greek life. Generally, membership in a fraternity or sorority is obtained as an undergraduate student but continues thereafter for life. Some accept graduate students as well. Individual fraternities and sororities vary in organization and purpose, but most share five common elements:

  1. Secrecy
  2. Single-sex membership
  3. Selection of new members based on a two-part vetting and probationary process known as rushing and pledging
  4. Ownership and occupancy of a residential property where undergraduate members live
  5. A set of complex identification symbols that may include Greek letters, armorial achievements, ciphers, badges, grips, hand signs, passwords, flowers, and colors

References

  1. "Welcome to the Cornell Interfraternity Council". Cornellifc.com. Retrieved 2012-01-31.
  2. "DOS: Chapter Details". Dos.cornell.edu. Retrieved 2012-01-31.
  3. Dear Uncle Ezra, Cornell University. "Dear Uncle Ezra - Questions for Thursday, February 22, 2007 - Cornell University". Ezra.cornell.edu. Retrieved 2012-01-31.
  4. "Seal and Serpent Society". Sealandserpent.org. 1905-04-02. Archived from the original on 2012-03-06. Retrieved 2012-01-31.
  5. "A. C. Blunt, 80, Newton Centre Services Held". The Boston Globe . 8 January 1967.
  6. "Obituaries: Blunt, Albert Church, Jr., 80". St. Petersburg Times . 6 January 1967. p. 25. Retrieved 8 May 2011.
  7. "Frederick Sly, Formerly of Fredonia, Dies". The Grape Belt and Chautauqua Farmer . 1 July 1952. p. 6. Retrieved 8 May 2011.
  8. Seymour, James William Davenport (1921). "Friends of France". Memorial Volume of the American Field Service in France: 238–240.
  9. "305 Thurston Housing" . Retrieved 2012-01-31.
  10. "Seal and Serpent Society". Sealandserpent.org. 1927-10-22. Archived from the original on 2012-03-06. Retrieved 2012-01-31.
  11. "Guide to the Seal and Serpent Society of Cornell University Records,1906-2009". Rmc.library.cornell.edu. Retrieved 2012-01-31.
  12. "Team". Bain Capital. Archived from the original on 2012-07-20. Retrieved 2012-01-31.
  13. "Senator Kirk's Official Website".
  14. "Gligor Tashkovich". LinkedIn. Retrieved 2012-01-31.
  15. "2003 Term Member Program" (PDF). Council on Foreign Relations.
  16. Linhorst, Michael (2010-04-23). "Bob Saget Documents Cornell University Fraternity Life | The Cornell Daily Sun". Cornellsun.com. Retrieved 2012-01-31.