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[[Image:Q&D.jpg|thumb|Quill and Dagger Tower on [[Cornell University]]'s [[Cornell West Campus|West Campus]]]]
[[Image:Q&D.jpg|thumb|Quill and Dagger Tower on [[Cornell University]]'s [[Cornell West Campus|West Campus]]]]
'''Quill and Dagger''' is a senior [[honor society]] at [[Cornell University]], founded in 1893. In 1929, ''[[The New York Times]]'' stated that election into Quill and Dagger and similar societies constituted "the highest non-scholastic honor within reach of undergraduates."<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1929/05/19/archives/63-juniors-elected-to-cornell-societies-sphinx-head-and-twill-and.html 63 Juniors Elected to Cornell Societies], The New York Times, May 19, 1929, p. N3.</ref>
'''Quill and Dagger''' is a senior [[honor society]] at [[Cornell University]] in [[Ithaca, New York]]. It was founded in 1893 for men-only but later began admitting women. In 1929, ''[[The New York Times]]'' stated that election into Quill and Dagger constituted "the highest non-scholastic honor within reach of undergraduates."


==Origins==
==History==
Founded on May 28, 1893, Quill and Dagger seeks to recognize exemplary undergraduates at [[Cornell University]] who have shown leadership, character, and dedication to service.<ref>{{cite web | title=Dear Uncle Ezra | url=http://ezra.cornell.edu/posting.php?timestamp=1027396800#rquestion5 | date=2002-07-23 | access-date=2009-05-14}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title=Dear Uncle Ezra | url=http://ezra.cornell.edu/posting.php?timestamp=1140066000#question10 | date=2006-02-16 | access-date=2009-05-14}}</ref> The society has existed continually since its founding over a century ago and was one of the first of the [[Ivy League]] societies to open its membership to women.<ref>{{cite news | title = All-Male Honorary Accepts Women | publisher = Cornell Chronicle | page = 2 | date = October 17, 1974}}</ref>
Quill and Dagger was founded as a secret society at Cornell University on May 28, 1893.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Reynolds |first=Nick |date=2017-08-29 |title=Secret Societies: A primer on the elite groups at Cornell University |url=https://www.ithaca.com/news/secret-societies-a-primer-on-the-elite-groups-at-cornell-university/article_f7452d52-883b-11e7-bbce-d754b67af426.html |access-date=2025-06-28 |website=Ithaca Times |language=en}}</ref> It seeks to recognize exemplary undergraduates at [[Cornell University]] who have shown leadership, character, and dedication to service.<ref>{{cite web | title=Dear Uncle Ezra | url=http://ezra.cornell.edu/posting.php?timestamp=1027396800#rquestion5 | date=2002-07-23 | access-date=2009-05-14}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title=Dear Uncle Ezra | url=http://ezra.cornell.edu/posting.php?timestamp=1140066000#question10 | date=2006-02-16 | access-date=2009-05-14}}</ref> In 1929,''The New York Times'' stated that membership in Quill and Dagger was "the highest non-scholastic honor within reach of undergraduates."<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1929/05/19/archives/63-juniors-elected-to-cornell-societies-sphinx-head-and-twill-and.html 63 Juniors Elected to Cornell Societies], The New York Times, May 19, 1929, p. N3.</ref>


==Secrecy==
Quill and Dagger's meetings and proceedings in Lyon Hall Quill and Dagger are closed, and the society's contributions and activities on campus are typically concealed.<ref name=":0" /> However, it became open with regards to its members in 1899.<ref name=":0" /> Membership remained secret for a brief period after its founding, but the names of newly tapped members are published in ''[[The Cornell Daily Sun]]'' each semester.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=25 November 1899 |title=Quill and Dagger Elections |url=https://cdsun.library.cornell.edu/?a=d&d=CDS18991125.2.8&e=-------en-20--1--txt-txIN------- |access-date=2025-06-28 |website=The Cornell Daily Sun |via=Cornell University Library}}</ref> At times, newly elected members were also published in ''The New York Times''.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1930-10-19 |title=Cornell Societies Elect; Quill and Dagger Selects Four New Members, Sphinx Head Nineteen. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1930/10/19/archives/cornell-societies-elect-quill-and-dagger-selects-four-new-members.html |access-date=2025-06-28 |work=The New York Times |page=35 |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=1940-05-16 |title=61 Honored at Cornell; They Are Elected to Quill and Dagger and Sphinx Head |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1940/05/16/archives/61-honored-at-cornell-they-are-elected-to-quill-and-dagger-and.html |access-date=2025-06-28 |work=The New York Times |page=29 |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Quill and Dagger has also published it minutes from 1900 to 1950 and an occasional membership directory.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":3">{{Cite book |url=https://hdl.handle.net/2027/loc.ark:/13960/t8kd2n53q?urlappend=%3Bseq=3 |title=Address Book of the Quill and Dagger Society with the War Record |publisher=Quill and Dagger Society |year=1921 |publication-place=Ithaca |via=Hathi Trust}}</ref>
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 in ''[[The Cornell Daily Sun]]'' each semester.


==Influence==
It was the first of the [[Ivy League]] society to open its membership to women.<ref>{{cite news |date=October 17, 1974 |title=All-Male Honorary Accepts Women |publisher=Cornell Chronicle |page=2}}</ref><ref name=":2">{{Cite book |last=Tibbott |first=Julie |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Members_Only/caeeDwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=quill+and+dagger&pg=PT241&printsec=frontcover |title=Members Only: Secret Societies, Sects, and Cults — Exposed! |date=2019-08-01 |publisher=Zest Books ™ |isbn=978-1-5415-8192-0 |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":4">{{Cite web |last=Courtney |first=Nadine Jolie |date=2016-08-09 |title=The Most Exclusive Student Clubs of the Ivy League |url=https://www.townandcountrymag.com/society/money-and-power/news/g2223/ivy-league-clubs/ |access-date=2025-06-28 |website=Town & Country |language=en-US}}</ref>
{{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 by ''[[The Cornell Daily Sun]]''.<ref>{{cite news | title = The 25 Most Influential Cornellians | work = [[The Cornell Daily Sun]] | date = November 30, 2006}}</ref> Twelve members were profiled in the book ''The 100 Most Notable Cornellians''.<ref>{{cite book | last = Altschuler | first = Glenn C. | author2 = Isaac Kramnick | author3 = R. Laurence Moore | year = 2003 | title = The 100 Most Notable Cornellians | publisher = [[Cornell University Press]] | location = [[Ithaca, New York|Ithaca, N.Y.]] | isbn = 0-8014-3958-2 | url-access = registration | url = https://archive.org/details/100mostnotableco00glen }}</ref>


===At Cornell===
== Symbols ==
Many alumni in administrative positions at [[Cornell University]] have 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<ref>{{cite web | title=List of current Cornell University Board of Trustees Members | url=http://www.cornell.edu/trustees/members.cfm | access-date=2009-05-14}}</ref> and Cornell University Council<ref>{{cite web | title=List of Current Cornell University Council Members | url=http://www.alumni.cornell.edu/council/members09-10.cfm | access-date=2010-04-25}}</ref> are Quill and Dagger members. More than 30% of the individuals in the Cornell Athletic Hall of Fame hold membership in the society.<ref>{{cite web | title=List of Cornell Athletic Hall of Fame Members | url=http://cornellbigred.com/hof.aspx | access-date=2010-04-25}}</ref>
The society's name originates from the expression "the pen is mightier than the sword".<ref name=":2" /> The Quill and Scroll gold badge is the head of a corpse, holding a quill in its mouth, impaled by a dagger with black enamel on its handle.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Very rare 1899 Quill & Dagger Cornell secret society skull fraternity pin |url=https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/1899-quill-dagger-cornell-secret-18494482 |access-date=2025-06-28 |website=Worthpoint |language=en}}</ref>
 
Names of Quill and Dagger members can be found on buildings throughout campus, including [[Barton Hall]], [[Dale R. Corson|Corson Hall]], [[Stephen Friedman (PFIAB)|Friedman Wrestling Center]], Hollister Hall, [[Hoy Field]], Kennedy Hall, Kimball Hall, [[Lynah Rink]], Moakley House, Rand Hall, [[Frank H. T. Rhodes|Rhodes Hall]], Schoellkopf Memorial Hall, [[Walter C. Teagle|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 of [[Cornell University]]. The two sons, grandson, and grandson-in-law of President [[Jacob Gould Schurman]] were members, as was his private secretary. Other members have included the son-in-law of President [[Livingston Farrand]] and the assistants to presidents [[Edmund Ezra Day]], [[Deane Waldo Malott]], and [[James A. Perkins]]. All of the presidents from [[Dale Corson]] to [[Jeffrey S. Lehman]] were selected for honorary membership in the society. Nearly half of the presidential search committee that selected [[Hunter Rawlings]] and one quarter of the committee that selected [[David J. Skorton]] were Quill and Dagger members.


Members of the society have been responsible for numerous campus traditions, ranging from [[List of Cornell Songs|Cornell songs]] "[[Give My Regards to Davy]],"<ref name='vii6'>''Cornell Alumni News'', VII (6), 9 November 1904</ref> "Strike Up a Song,"<ref name='xlii30'>''Cornell Alumni News'', XLII (30), 23 May 1940</ref> and "Fight for Cornell"<ref name='ix3'>''Cornell Alumni News'', IX (3), 17 October 1906</ref><ref name='ix33'>''Cornell Alumni News'', IX (33), 22 May 1907</ref> to the [[Lynah Rink]] cowbell cheer.<ref name='1972yearbook'>''The Cornellian'', 1972</ref>
Members of the society have been responsible for numerous campus traditions, ranging from [[List of Cornell Songs|Cornell songs]] "[[Give My Regards to Davy]],"<ref name='vii6'>''Cornell Alumni News'', VII (6), 9 November 1904</ref> "Strike Up a Song,"<ref name='xlii30'>''Cornell Alumni News'', XLII (30), 23 May 1940</ref> and "Fight for Cornell"<ref name='ix3'>''Cornell Alumni News'', IX (3), 17 October 1906</ref><ref name='ix33'>''Cornell Alumni News'', IX (33), 22 May 1907</ref> to the [[Lynah Rink]] cowbell cheer.<ref name='1972yearbook'>''The Cornellian'', 1972</ref>


===Beyond Cornell===
==War Memorial==
From 1913 to 1984, Quill and Dagger had at least one member in the [[U.S. Congress]] every single year.<ref>[[List of Quill and Dagger members#U.S. Congress|List of Quill and Dagger U.S. Congress members]]</ref> In recent decades, the society has had a strong presence in the [[U.S. State Department]] and related government positions, with two [[National Security Advisor (United States)|National Security Advisors]],<ref>[http://www.news.cornell.edu/releases/Nov04/hadley.fac.html Hadley appointed National Security Advisor]</ref> two [[Director of Policy Planning|Directors of Policy Planning]], and numerous assistant secretaries and senior advisers. Additionally, two members recently served as [[World Bank]] presidents, and many members serve on the [[Council on Foreign Relations]]. Many of these government officials interact regularly in their professional duties.<ref>[http://www.cfr.org/publication/5041/uschina_relations.html?breadcrumb=%2Fbios%2F3373%2Fcarla_a_hills 1996 Council on Foreign Relations meeting transcript where Conable and Wolfowitz refer to Cornell affiliation]</ref> At least five members of [[George W. Bush]]'s administration were Quill and Dagger members: [[Stephen Friedman (PFIAB)|Stephen Friedman]], [[Stephen Krasner]], [[Paul Wolfowitz]], [[Stephen Hadley]], and Carol Kuntz. President [[Barack Obama]]'s administration included Deputy Secretary of Labor [[Seth Harris]], Associate Counsel to the President [[Alison J. Nathan]], Deputy Director of the Office of Environmental Quality Gary Guzy, and Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Financial Markets [[Mary J. Miller]].
 
During the 1930s through 1950s, the chairmen of [[Standard Oil]],<ref>[http://www.hbs.edu/leadership/database/leaders/888/ Walter C. Teagle in the Great American Business Leaders database] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060902182619/http://www.hbs.edu/leadership/database/leaders/888/ |date=September 2, 2006 }}</ref> [[Sun Oil]] (now Sunoco),<ref>[http://ezra.cornell.edu/posting.php?timestamp=840686400#question1 Dear Uncle Ezra, August 22, 1996] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070319160358/http://ezra.cornell.edu/posting.php?timestamp=840686400#question1 |date=March 19, 2007 }}</ref> and [[Continental 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 of [[Amoco]] in the 1990s.<ref>[http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/Oct05/Fuller.gift.html H. Laurance Fuller, retired CEO of Amoco] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061018141256/http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/Oct05/Fuller.gift.html |date=October 18, 2006 }}</ref> In the 1960s, the management of [[Union Carbide]], the oldest chemical and polymer company in the country, passed directly from one member to another.<ref>{{cite news | title = Personalities | publisher = [[Time Magazine]] | date = February 14, 1964}} [https://web.archive.org/web/20071217184316/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,870773,00.html?promoid=googlep (Article refers to Birny Mason and predecessor Morse Dial)]</ref> In recent years, similar networking appears to be at work in the leading investment banks.
 
==War memorial==
[[File:Inscription above entrance to Quill and Dagger Tower, Cornell University.jpg|thumb|299px|War Memorial Inscription]]
[[File:Inscription above entrance to Quill and Dagger Tower, Cornell University.jpg|thumb|299px|War Memorial Inscription]]
Beginning in 1925, Quill and Dagger members spearheaded the erection of a permanent memorial to Cornellians who served in the [[First World War]]. Based on the suggestion of F. Ellis Jackson, a Quill and Dagger member, the architectural plan for [[Cornell West Campus|West Campus]] was 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 President [[Herbert 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.<ref name="warmem">{{cite web|url=http://www.rso.cornell.edu/sandb/memorials.htm|title=Military Memorials at Cornell|access-date=25 April 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rso.cornell.edu/sandb/warmem.htm |title=The Cornell University War Memorial |access-date=25 April 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100521043909/http://www.rso.cornell.edu/sandb/warmem.htm |archive-date=May 21, 2010 }}</ref>
Beginning in 1925, Quill and Dagger members spearheaded the erection of a permanent memorial to Cornellians who served in the [[First World War]]. Based on the suggestion of F. Ellis Jackson, a Quill and Dagger member, the architectural plan for [[Cornell West Campus|West Campus]] was 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 President [[Herbert 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.<ref name="warmem">{{cite web|url=http://www.rso.cornell.edu/sandb/memorials.htm|title=Military Memorials at Cornell|access-date=25 April 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rso.cornell.edu/sandb/warmem.htm |title=The Cornell University War Memorial |access-date=25 April 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100521043909/http://www.rso.cornell.edu/sandb/warmem.htm |archive-date=May 21, 2010 }}</ref>
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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.<ref>{{cite news | title = Society Completes Fund | publisher = Cornell Alumni News | date = June 16, 1927}}</ref> 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.<ref name="warmem"/>
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.<ref>{{cite news | title = Society Completes Fund | publisher = Cornell Alumni News | date = June 16, 1927}}</ref> 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.<ref name="warmem"/>


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|date=April 2010}} The east and west sides of the Tower depict four historic variations of a cross: the [[Latin cross]], [[Saltire|Saint Andrew's Cross]], [[swastika]], and [[Maltese cross]]. These four symbols have varying [[heraldic]], religious, and secular meanings including loyalty, piety, bravery, martyrdom, humility, and sacrifice. They also are connected with historic chivalric orders such as the [[Knights Hospitaller]] and [[Knights Templar]]. The south side of the tower depicts an [[ankh]], which symbolizes life or the power to give and sustain life. Next to the ankh is a [[Menorah (Temple)|menorah]], whose light has traditionally represented knowledge or enlightenment.<ref>{{cite book | last = Patterson | first = Woodford | year = 1930 | title = Cornell University's War Memorial: Its Structure & Significance | publisher = Cayuga Press | location=[[Ithaca, New York|Ithaca, N.Y.]]}}</ref>
The war memorial structure is filled with symbolism relevant to the society and its ideals. The east and west sides of the Tower depict four historic variations of a cross: the [[Latin cross]], [[Saltire|Saint Andrew's Cross]], [[swastika]], and [[Maltese cross]]. These four symbols have varying [[heraldic]], religious, and secular meanings including loyalty, piety, bravery, martyrdom, humility, and sacrifice. They also are connected with historic chivalric orders such as the [[Knights Hospitaller]] and [[Knights Templar]]. The south side of the tower depicts an [[ankh]], which symbolizes life or the power to give and sustain life. Next to the ankh is a [[Menorah (Temple)|menorah]], whose light has traditionally represented knowledge or enlightenment.<ref>{{cite book | last = Patterson | first = Woodford | year = 1930 | title = Cornell University's War Memorial: Its Structure & Significance | publisher = Cayuga Press | location=[[Ithaca, New York|Ithaca, N.Y.]]}}</ref>


==Membership==
==Membership==
Undergraduates are selected for membership in Quill and Dagger after May 1 of their junior year or during the fall of their senior year.<ref name=":1" /> Those who served the Cornell community as well as those who received graduate degrees from Cornell are eligible to be chosen as honorary members. Receiving an undergraduate degree from Cornell is not a requirement for honorary membership. 
== Notable members ==
{{Main|List of Quill and Dagger members}}
{{Main|List of Quill and Dagger members}}
{{section unsourced|date=February 2025}}
[[Image:E B White.jpg|thumb|150px|Author [[E. B. White]] with<br>Quill and Dagger Pin]]
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 include [[Edward Leamington Nichols]] and [[Ernest Wilson Huffcut]], who graduated from [[Cornell University]] before the society was founded, and [[Janet Reno]] and [[Ruth Bader Ginsburg]], who graduated before the society accepted women. [[Cornell University]] presidents [[Dale R. Corson]], [[Frank H. T. Rhodes]], [[Hunter R. Rawlings III]], and [[Jeffrey S. Lehman|Jeffrey Lehman]] all hold membership in the society. [[Nobel Prize]]-winning chemist [[Roald Hoffman]] also received an honorary membership. [[Image:E B White.jpg|thumb|150px|Author [[E. B. White]] with<br>Quill and Dagger Pin, which is the head of a corpse, holding a quill in its mouth, impaled by a dagger.]]
 
Membership is published in ''[[The Cornell Daily Sun]]'' each semester. Alumni include:
* 194 [[Cornell University]] Athletic Hall of Fame members
* 37 [[Frank H. T. Rhodes]] Exemplary Alumni Service Award winners
* 24 [[Olympic Games|Olympic]] competitors
* 13 [[Rhodes Scholarship|Rhodes Scholars]]
* 12 of the ''100 Most Notable Cornellians''
* 8 [[Cornell University]] Council chairmen
* 8 [[United States Congress|U.S. Congressmen]]
* 7 [[Pulitzer Prize]] winners
* 6 [[Cornell University]] Board of Trustees chairmen
* 6 [[Cornell University]] Convocation speakers
* 4 [[Cornell University]] Athletic Directors
* 4 [[Cornell University]] Entrepreneurs of the Year
* 2 [[United States]] [[Director of Policy Planning|Directors of Policy Planning]]
* 2 [[United States]] [[National Security Advisor (United States)|National Security Advisors]]
* 2 [[World Bank Group|World Bank]] presidents
* 2 [[Super Bowl]] winners
* 1 [[Stanley Cup]] winner


Other notable alumni who were selected for membership as undergraduates include [[Sandy Berger]], [[Barber Conable]], [[Adolph Coors III]], [[Ken Dryden]], [[Austin H. Kiplinger]], [[Jules Kroll]], [[Drew Nieporent]], [[Jeremy Schaap]], [[Leah Ward Sears]], [[Jay S. Walker|Jay Walker]], [[Seth Harris]], [[E. B. White]], [[Ben Scrivens]], and others.
Quill and Dagger's embership is published in ''[[The Cornell Daily Sun]]'' each semester.<ref name=":4" /> Some notable members of Quill and Dagger include [[Sandy Berger]], [[Adolph Coors III]], [[Ken Dryden]], [[Drew Nieporent]], [[Leah Ward Sears]], [[E. B. White]], [[Paul Wolfowitz]], and [[John Zimmer]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Goetz |first=Jill |date=December 5, 1996 |title=Samuel R. Berger, Cornell University alumnus, is appointed national security adviser by President Bill Clinton |url=https://news.cornell.edu/stories/1996/12-26 |access-date=2025-06-28 |website=Cornell Chronicle |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=February 10, 1960 |title=Coors Beer baron kidnapped {{!}} The Detroit News |url=https://www.rarenewspapers.com/view/220245?acl=301957864&srsltid=AfmBOoqP6-pYjD5DF-05rRBUVvX4I84UI_2VUAZTMmTkJOyauoBLqAgS |access-date=2025-06-28 |website=www.rarenewspapers.com |via=Rare Newspapers}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Ken Dryden (2005) |url=https://academicallamerica.com/hof.aspx?hof=55 |access-date=2025-06-28 |website=academicallamerica.com |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":4" />. Notable honorary members include [[Edward Leamington Nichols]] and [[Ernest Wilson Huffcut]], who graduated from [[Cornell University]] before the society was founded, and [[Janet Reno]] and [[Ruth Bader Ginsburg]], who graduated before the society accepted women.<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":4" /> Names of Quill and Dagger members can be found on buildings throughout campus.<ref name=":2" /> At least one member of the society served in the [[United States Congress]] between 1913 to 1984.<ref name=":4" /> 


==See also==
==See also==
Line 82: Line 53:
==Further reading==
==Further reading==


* ''[https://hdl.handle.net/2027/loc.ark:/13960/t8kd2n53q Address Book of the Quill and Dagger Society with the War Record]''. Clark Sutherland Northrup, ed.  Ithaca: Quill and Dagger Society (Cornell University), 1921.
* Northrup, Clark Sutherland. ''A History of the Quill and Dagger Society of Cornell University''. 1948.


==References==
==References==

Latest revision as of 18:50, 28 June 2025

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File:Q&D.jpg
Quill and Dagger Tower on Cornell University's West Campus

Quill and Dagger is a senior honor society at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. It was founded in 1893 for men-only but later began admitting women. In 1929, The New York Times stated that election into Quill and Dagger constituted "the highest non-scholastic honor within reach of undergraduates."

History

Quill and Dagger was founded as a secret society at Cornell University on May 28, 1893.[1] It seeks to recognize exemplary undergraduates at Cornell University who have shown leadership, character, and dedication to service.[2][3] In 1929,The New York Times stated that membership in Quill and Dagger was "the highest non-scholastic honor within reach of undergraduates."[4]

Quill and Dagger's meetings and proceedings in Lyon Hall Quill and Dagger are closed, and the society's contributions and activities on campus are typically concealed.[1] However, it became open with regards to its members in 1899.[1] Membership remained secret for a brief period after its founding, but the names of newly tapped members are published in The Cornell Daily Sun each semester.[1][5] At times, newly elected members were also published in The New York Times.[6][7] Quill and Dagger has also published it minutes from 1900 to 1950 and an occasional membership directory.[1][8]

It was the first of the Ivy League society to open its membership to women.[9][10][11]

Symbols

The society's name originates from the expression "the pen is mightier than the sword".[10] The Quill and Scroll gold badge is the head of a corpse, holding a quill in its mouth, impaled by a dagger with black enamel on its handle.[12]

Members of the society have been responsible for numerous campus traditions, ranging from Cornell songs "Give My Regards to Davy,"[13] "Strike Up a Song,"[14] and "Fight for Cornell"[15][16] to the Lynah Rink cowbell cheer.[17]

War Memorial

File:Inscription above entrance to Quill and Dagger Tower, Cornell University.jpg
War Memorial Inscription

Beginning in 1925, Quill and Dagger members spearheaded the erection of a permanent memorial to Cornellians who served in the First World War. Based on the suggestion of F. Ellis Jackson, a Quill and Dagger member, the architectural plan for West Campus was 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 President Herbert 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.[18][19]

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.[20] 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.[18]

The war memorial structure is filled with symbolism relevant to the society and its ideals. The east and west sides of the Tower depict four historic variations of a cross: the Latin cross, Saint Andrew's Cross, swastika, and Maltese cross. These four symbols have varying heraldic, religious, and secular meanings including loyalty, piety, bravery, martyrdom, humility, and sacrifice. They also are connected with historic chivalric orders such as the Knights Hospitaller and Knights Templar. The south side of the tower depicts an ankh, which symbolizes life or the power to give and sustain life. Next to the ankh is a menorah, whose light has traditionally represented knowledge or enlightenment.[21]

Membership

Undergraduates are selected for membership in Quill and Dagger after May 1 of their junior year or during the fall of their senior year.[5] Those who served the Cornell community as well as those who received graduate degrees from Cornell are eligible to be chosen as honorary members. Receiving an undergraduate degree from Cornell is not a requirement for honorary membership.

Notable members

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File:E B White.jpg
Author E. B. White with
Quill and Dagger Pin

Quill and Dagger's embership is published in The Cornell Daily Sun each semester.[11] Some notable members of Quill and Dagger include Sandy Berger, Adolph Coors III, Ken Dryden, Drew Nieporent, Leah Ward Sears, E. B. White, Paul Wolfowitz, and John Zimmer.[22][23][24][11]. Notable honorary members include Edward Leamington Nichols and Ernest Wilson Huffcut, who graduated from Cornell University before the society was founded, and Janet Reno and Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who graduated before the society accepted women.[8][11] Names of Quill and Dagger members can be found on buildings throughout campus.[10] At least one member of the society served in the United States Congress between 1913 to 1984.[11]

See also

Further reading

  • Northrup, Clark Sutherland. A History of the Quill and Dagger Society of Cornell University. 1948.

References

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  1. ↑ a b c d e Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  2. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  3. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  4. ↑ 63 Juniors Elected to Cornell Societies, The New York Times, May 19, 1929, p. N3.
  5. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  6. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  7. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  8. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  9. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  10. ↑ a b c Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  11. ↑ a b c d e Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  12. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  13. ↑ Cornell Alumni News, VII (6), 9 November 1904
  14. ↑ Cornell Alumni News, XLII (30), 23 May 1940
  15. ↑ Cornell Alumni News, IX (3), 17 October 1906
  16. ↑ Cornell Alumni News, IX (33), 22 May 1907
  17. ↑ The Cornellian, 1972
  18. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  19. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  20. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  21. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  22. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  23. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  24. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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