| Spade and Grave | |
|---|---|
| S&G | |
| Founded | 1864 Yale University |
| Type | Senior secret society |
| Scope | Local |
| Chapters | 1 |
| Nickname | S.L.M. Diggers |
| Headquarters | New Haven , Connecticut United States |
Spade and Grave (S&G), also called S.L.M., is a senior secret society at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. [1] Founded in 1864, it is one of Yale's oldest societies. [2] [3]
Spade and Grave grew out of a quarrel in the class of 1864. [4] That year, the Yale Literary Magazine had five editors—three who were members of Skull and Bones and two who were "neutral". [5] [4] In February, an article was published that discussed the ways men manipulated their way into Skull and Bones and made unflattering comments about some of the Bonesmen [5] The three Bonesman editors voted to censor the article and seized all printed copies of the magazine. [4]
One of the neutral editors disagreed with this decision and called a class meeting; the class voted to support the neutral editor and demanded that the Bonesmen return the seized magazines. [4] When the Bonesmen failed to comply, the class expelled them from office and replaced them with three neutral editors. [4] Instead of accepting this ruling, the Bonesmen printed their own version of the February issue, resulting in two competing magazines from two editorial boards. [4] In reality, the Bonesmen editors were in the right as the senior class had no authority over the matter. [4]
The five neutral editors formed an opposition society with ten classmates. [4] The new group's badge debuted in the summer of 1864 and its insignia mocked the Bonesmen with a gravedigger tossing a skull with his spade. [4] The society's name came from this insignia. [4] Originally, they were called the Graves or Graves men, before settling on the Diggers. [4] Its rivals called it "Bed and Broom". [4] [6]
The Diggers' first delegation of fifteen members was tapped for 1865. [4] [3] The society was housed in elegantly furnished rooms in the Lyon Building on Chapel Street. [4] [3] In addition to billiard tables, Space and Grave had a room that was completely covered in black velvet. [4] Nevertheless, it eventually had financial problems, and a Yale historian notes that the group "was always despised and looked down upon" because of its controversial start. [4] In June 1868, all of its elected delegations turned down the invitation to join. [6]
In the fall of 1867, the group attempted to rebrand itself as Crown and Scepter or S.L.M. (pronounced Slim); a new badge was issued to its delegation in 1868. [4] [7] Although freshmen were willing to call the group Crown and Scepter or Sword and Cross, upperclassmen continued to call the society by its former name. [4] The October 10, 1868 issue of The College Courant questioned whether this truly was a new senior society or "a posthumous offspring of the defunct Spade and Grave". [8] The publication's editors noted:
We are told, on the one hand, that this new society occupies the hall of the old one, which induces us to believe that they are one and the same thing. On the other hand, the new pin, although it retains a portion of the old design, would seem to indicate that this young institution is not responsible for the debts of its bankrupt predecessor. [8]
The society lost its rooms to Theta Psi in February 1870 and went inactive after the 1871 delegation. [2] [4] However, some sources indicated an inactive date of 1869. [3]
Spade and Grave was reestablished in 1951 by John Curtis Perry. [2] In the 1960s, its house burned and the group moved to rented quarters. [2] It went inactive in 1970 and was re-established in 1999. [5] [2] The society purchased an off-campus house or tomb around 2015 but the property is not identified with signage. [5]
Spade and Grave's insignia is based on the scene from Hamlet in which the gravedigger tosses up Yorick's skull with his spade. [6] This slyly referenced its hostility with Skull and Bones. [4] Spade and Grave's original badge was of gold and was produced in two size variations. [4] It consisted of a grave that was over an inch long. [4] There was a spade, partially dug into a grave and resting on a footstone. [4] The grave's headstone featured a crown. [4]
In 1868, the S.L.M. recruits wore a new badge featuring a crown with a crossed sword and scepter. [4] [8] [6] In addition, the name Spade and Grave was replaced with the letters S.L.M. [9] [6] These letters represented the motto "Scepirum Ligonibus Mors" or "Death of the Scepter". [9]
Prescott Sheldon Bush was an American banker and Republican Party politician. After working as a Wall Street executive investment banker, he represented Connecticut in the United States Senate from 1952 to 1963.A member of the Bush family, he was the father of President George H. W. Bush, and the paternal grandfather of President George W. Bush and Florida Governor Jeb Bush.
Skull and Bones, also known as The Order, Order 322 or The Brotherhood of Death, is an undergraduate senior secret student society at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. The oldest senior-class society at the university, Skull and Bones has become a cultural institution known for its powerful alumni and various conspiracy theories.
Yale College is the undergraduate college of Yale University. Founded in 1701, it is the original school of the university. Although other Yale schools were founded as early as 1810, all of Yale was officially known as Yale College until 1887, when its schools were confederated and the institution was renamed Yale University.
The Scroll and Key Society is a secret society, founded in 1842 at Yale University, in New Haven, Connecticut. It is one of the oldest Yale secret societies and reputedly the wealthiest. The society is one of the reputed "Big Three" societies at Yale, along with Skull and Bones and Wolf's Head. Each spring the society admits fifteen rising seniors to participate in its activities and carry on its traditions.
Elihu Club or Elihu is the fourth oldest senior society at Yale University, New Haven, CT. It was founded in 1903 and takes its name from Elihu Yale.
Wolf's Head Society is a senior society at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. The society is one of the reputed "Big Three" societies at Yale, along with Skull and Bones and Scroll and Key. Active undergraduate membership is elected annually with sixteen Yale University students, typically rising seniors. Honorary members are elected.
Book and Snake or The Society ofBook and Snake is a secret society for seniors at Yale University. It was established in 1863 and is the fourth-oldest secret society at Yale.
Brothers in Unity is an undergraduate literary and debating society at Yale University. Founded in 1768 as a literary and debating society that encompassed nearly half the student body at its 19th-century peak, the group disbanded in the late 1870s after donating its collection of books to help form Yale's central library.
Rumpus is a tabloid publication produced six times a year by students at Yale College in New Haven, Connecticut. Visually resembling the New York Post, Rumpus is a controversial, humorous publication with content ranging from campus gossip to investigative reporting.
Stephen Wright Kellogg was an American politician, attorney, military officer and judge.
Manuscript Society is a senior society at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. It is reputedly the arts and letters society at Yale.
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.
Linonia is a literary and debating society founded in 1753 at Yale University. It is the university's second-oldest secret society.
Mace and Chain is an "Ancient Eight" society, or one of the eight landed secret societies, at Yale University. It was founded in 1956 with the mission of providing fifteen rising seniors with the traditional senior society experience in a freer, more modern setting. Mace and Chain's tomb, a centuries-old colonial structure owned by the society, boasts various military artifacts, Revolutionary War documents, and a purposefully open appearance. As is tradition for Yale secret societies, the tomb is accessible only to current members and alumni.
St. Elmo Society, or Elmo's, is a secret society for seniors at Yale University. It was founded in 1889 as part of the national fraternity, Delta Phi (ΔΦ). St. Elmo's is a member of the “ancient eight consortium” which includes the seven other original societies at Yale: Skull and Bones, Scroll and Key, Berzelius, Wolf's Head, Book and Snake, Elihu, and Mace and Chain.
Established in 1910, the Aurelian Honor Society ("Aurelian") is the fifth oldest landed secret society at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. It is a member of the Ancient Eight, which also includes Skull and Bones, Scroll and Key, and Wolf's Head. In addition, Aurelian is part of a four-society "Consortium" with Manuscript Society, Book and Snake, and Berzelius.
The Torch Honor Society, also known as Torch, is a student secret society at Yale College that was initially established in 1916 and reformed in 1995. Its members include former President George H. W. Bush and William F. Buckley Jr.
William Henry Gleason was an American minister and politician.
Watson Robertson Sperry was an American newspaper editor and diplomat.
Frederick Elizur Goodrich was an American journalist and political figure who worked for The Boston Post for 54 years.