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Quill and Dagger
FoundedMay 28, 1893;131 years ago(1893-05-28)
Cornell University
TypeHonor Society
AffiliationIndependent
StatusActive
ScopeLocal
Chapters1
HeadquartersIthaca, New York,U.S.
United States
Quill and Dagger Tower onCornell University'sWest Campus

Quill and Daggeris a seniorhonor societyatCornell University,founded in 1883. In 1929,The New York Timesstated that election into Quill and Dagger and similar societies constituted "the highest non-scholastic honor within reach of undergraduates."[1]

Origins

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Founded on May 28, 1893, Quill and Dagger seeks to recognize exemplary undergraduates atCornell Universitywho have shown leadership, character, and dedication to service.[2][3]The society has existed continually since its founding over a century ago and was one of the first of theIvy Leaguesocieties to open its membership to women.[4]

Secrecy

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The meetings and proceedings of Quill and Dagger are closed, and the society's contributions and activities on campus are typically concealed. Membership remained secret for a brief period after its founding, but the names of newly tapped members are now published inThe Cornell Daily Suneach semester.

Influence

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See also:List of Quill and Dagger members

As with any organization of a secretive nature, it is difficult to make conclusions regarding Quill and Dagger's influence. In 2006, its members held more than half of the positions on the "25 Most Influential Undergraduates" list published byThe Cornell Daily Sun.[5]Twelve members were profiled in the bookThe 100 Most Notable Cornellians.[6]

At Cornell

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Many alumni in administrative positions atCornell Universityhave held membership, specifically directors of athletics, deans of the various colleges, alumni affairs officers, and chairmen of the Board of Trustees and Cornellian Council. For example, although membership comprises approximately one percent of each graduating class, typically around 15% to 20% of the Cornell University Board of Trustees[7]and Cornell University Council[8]are Quill and Dagger members. More than 30% of the individuals in the Cornell Athletic Hall of Fame hold membership in the society.[9]

Names of Quill and Dagger members can be found on buildings throughout campus, includingBarton Hall,Corson Hall,Friedman Wrestling Center,Hollister Hall,Hoy Field,Kennedy Hall, Kimball Hall,Lynah Rink,Moakley House, Rand Hall,Rhodes Hall,Schoellkopf Memorial Hall,Teagle Hall,and others. Other buildings, such as the War Memorial, bear the emblem of the society.

Since its founding, Quill and Dagger has been well connected with the presidents ofCornell University.The two sons, grandson, and grandson-in-law of PresidentJacob Gould Schurmanwere members, as was his private secretary. Other members have included the son-in-law of PresidentLivingston Farrandand the assistants to presidentsEdmund Ezra Day,Deane Waldo Malott,andJames A. Perkins.All of the presidents fromDale CorsontoJeffrey S. Lehmanwere selected for honorary membership in the society. Nearly half of the presidential search committee that selectedHunter Rawlingsand one quarter of the committee that selectedDavid J. Skortonwere Quill and Dagger members.

Members of the society have been responsible for numerous campus traditions, ranging fromCornell songs"Give My Regards to Davy,"[10]"Strike Up a Song,"[11]and "Fight for Cornell"[12][13]to theLynah Rinkcowbell cheer.[14]

Beyond Cornell

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From 1913 to 1984, Quill and Dagger had at least one member in theU.S. Congressevery single year.[15]In recent decades, the society has had a strong presence in theU.S. State Departmentand related government positions, with twoNational Security Advisors,[16]twoDirectors of Policy Planning,and numerous assistant secretaries and senior advisers. Additionally, two members recently served asWorld Bankpresidents, and many members serve on theCouncil on Foreign Relations.Many of these government officials interact regularly in their professional duties.[17]At least five members ofGeorge W. Bush's administration were Quill and Dagger members:Stephen Friedman,Stephen Krasner,Paul Wolfowitz,Stephen Hadley,and Carol Kuntz. PresidentBarack Obama's administration included Deputy Secretary of LaborSeth Harris,Associate Counsel to the PresidentAlison J. Nathan,Deputy Director of the Office of Environmental Quality Gary Guzy, and Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Financial MarketsMary J. Miller.

During the 1930s through 1950s, the chairmen ofStandard Oil,[18]Sun Oil(now Sunoco),[19]andContinental Oil(now ConocoPhillips) companies were Quill and Dagger members, and many other advanced positions in these corporations were held by society members. Younger members who entered the oil industry at this time would gain industry prominence later in the century, with one becoming chairman ofAmocoin the 1990s.[20]In the 1960s, the management ofUnion Carbide,the oldest chemical and polymer company in the country, passed directly from one member to another.[21]In recent years, similar networking appears to be at work in the leading investment banks.

War memorial

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War Memorial Inscription

Beginning in 1925, Quill and Dagger members spearheaded the erection of a permanent memorial to Cornellians who served in theFirst World War.Based on the suggestion of F. Ellis Jackson, a Quill and Dagger member, the architectural plan forWest Campuswas modified to include the War Memorial structure. Funds for its construction were raised from alumni by a committee chaired by Robert E. Treman, also a society member. The War Memorial was dedicated on May 23, 1931, with a national radio address by PresidentHerbert Hoover.It was erected in remembrance of the 264 Cornellian casualties and nearly 9,000 Cornellians who served during the war. It is the largest of several tributes to military service and sacrifice at Cornell University.[22][23]

Because of Quill and Dagger's contributions to the war memorial's construction, the society was granted exclusive use of the top floors of the northern tower.[24]The inscription above the entrance to the building reads, "This tower is a memorial to the men of Quill and Dagger who in giving their lives for their country were true to Cornell traditions." The mural in the first-floor War Memorial Shrine also depicts a quill and a dagger prominently, although official descriptions discuss their meaning as a palm and sword.[22]

The war memorial structure is filled with symbolism relevant to the society and its ideals. For example, six symbols appear on shields around the top of the Quill and Dagger Tower.[citation needed]The east and west sides of the Tower depict four historic variations of a cross: theLatin cross,Saint Andrew's Cross,swastika,andMaltese cross.These four symbols have varyingheraldic,religious, and secular meanings including loyalty, piety, bravery, martyrdom, humility, and sacrifice. They also are connected with historic chivalric orders such as theKnights HospitallerandKnights Templar.The south side of the tower depicts anankh,which symbolizes life or the power to give and sustain life. Next to the ankh is amenorah,whose light has traditionally represented knowledge or enlightenment.[25]

Membership

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Main article:List of Quill and Dagger members

Undergraduates are selected for membership in Quill and Dagger in the spring of their junior year or fall of their senior year. Receiving an undergraduate degree from Cornell is not a requirement for honorary membership. Those who served the Cornell Community as well as those who received graduate degrees from Cornell are eligible to be chosen as honorary members. Notable honorary members includeEdward Leamington NicholsandErnest Wilson Huffcut,who graduated fromCornell Universitybefore the society was founded, andJanet RenoandRuth Bader Ginsburg,who graduated before the society accepted women.Cornell UniversitypresidentsDale R. Corson,Frank H. T. Rhodes,Hunter R. Rawlings III,andJeffrey Lehmanall hold membership in the society.Nobel Prize-winning chemistRoald Hoffmanalso received an honorary membership.

AuthorE. B. Whitewith
Quill and Dagger Pin, which is the head of a corpse, holding a quill in its mouth, impaled by a dagger.

Membership is published inThe Cornell Daily Suneach semester. Alumni include:

Other notable alumni who were selected for membership as undergraduates includeSandy Berger,Barber Conable,Adolph Coors III,Ken Dryden,Austin H. Kiplinger,Jules Kroll,Drew Nieporent,Jeremy Schaap,Leah Ward Sears,Jay Walker,Seth Harris,E. B. White,Ben Scrivens,and others.

See also

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Further reading

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References

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  1. ^63 Juniors Elected to Cornell Societies,The New York Times, May 19, 1929, p. N3.
  2. ^"Dear Uncle Ezra".2002-07-23.Retrieved2009-05-14.
  3. ^"Dear Uncle Ezra".2006-02-16.Retrieved2009-05-14.
  4. ^"All-Male Honorary Accepts Women". Cornell Chronicle. October 17, 1974. p. 2.
  5. ^"The 25 Most Influential Cornellians".The Cornell Daily Sun.November 30, 2006.
  6. ^Altschuler, Glenn C.; Isaac Kramnick; R. Laurence Moore (2003).The 100 Most Notable Cornellians.Ithaca, N.Y.:Cornell University Press.ISBN0-8014-3958-2.
  7. ^"List of current Cornell University Board of Trustees Members".Retrieved2009-05-14.
  8. ^"List of Current Cornell University Council Members".Retrieved2010-04-25.
  9. ^"List of Cornell Athletic Hall of Fame Members".Retrieved2010-04-25.
  10. ^Cornell Alumni News,VII (6), 9 November 1904
  11. ^Cornell Alumni News,XLII (30), 23 May 1940
  12. ^Cornell Alumni News,IX (3), 17 October 1906
  13. ^Cornell Alumni News,IX (33), 22 May 1907
  14. ^The Cornellian,1972
  15. ^List of Quill and Dagger U.S. Congress members
  16. ^Hadley appointed National Security Advisor
  17. ^1996 Council on Foreign Relations meeting transcript where Conable and Wolfowitz refer to Cornell affiliation
  18. ^Walter C. Teagle in the Great American Business Leaders databaseArchivedSeptember 2, 2006, at theWayback Machine
  19. ^Dear Uncle Ezra, August 22, 1996ArchivedMarch 19, 2007, at theWayback Machine
  20. ^H. Laurance Fuller, retired CEO of AmocoArchivedOctober 18, 2006, at theWayback Machine
  21. ^"Personalities".Time Magazine.February 14, 1964.(Article refers to Birny Mason and predecessor Morse Dial)
  22. ^ab"Military Memorials at Cornell".Retrieved25 April2010.
  23. ^"The Cornell University War Memorial".Archived fromthe originalon May 21, 2010.Retrieved25 April2010.
  24. ^"Society Completes Fund". Cornell Alumni News. June 16, 1927.
  25. ^Patterson, Woodford (1930).Cornell University's War Memorial: Its Structure & Significance.Ithaca, N.Y.:Cayuga Press.
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