- Manuscript Society
-
An inverted/negative portrait of the Manuscript Tomb with its hidden insignia exposed.
Manuscript Society is a senior secret society at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. Toward the end of each junior year, 16 undergraduates are "tapped" to be inducted into the society, which meets twice weekly for dinner and discussion (once per week with undergraduates only, once with alumni, honorary members and invited guests). Undergraduates are selected for their strength in academics, extracurricular activities, character and commitment to truth. Manuscript is known for having the best of the intellectual and artistic undergraduates among its members and calls itself an "Arts and Letters" society.[1]
Contents
History and Traditions
Founded in 1952, Manuscript was Yale's seventh "landed" senior society; that is, its alumni trust owns its building, or "tomb." Manuscript was the first of the "above-ground" societies to tap women along with Elihu and St. Elmo. Each delegation is elected by a consensus of Manuscript alumni, trustee members, and others, unlike other secret societies, where undergraduate members shoulder more of the burden of selecting, recruiting and initiating their descendants.[2]
The Wrexham Foundation is the society's alumni board of trustees. Since 1956, the foundation has underwritten a scholarship in the humanities for a "senior who shall be judged to have written the best senior essay in the field of the humanities." Administered by Yale, it is given in memory of Wallace Notestein, M.A. 1903, Ph.D. 1908, Litt.D. 1951.[3]
Manuscript also briefly played host to the 1991-92 classes of Skull and Bones, who were temporarily locked out of their own tomb by alumni who objected to its undergraduates' decision to tap women for the first time in the spring of 1991.[4]
It holds the number 344 to be sacred[5]. Possible explanations of this include the fact that this was the date that the Greek philosopher and scientist, Aristotle, travelled from Assus to Lesbos to study natural history and marine biology.[6]
The Society supposedly holds Enlightenment ideals, and the sun and sunflowers are both important symbols to members[7]. The society also retained close connections with the campus literary society Chi Delta Theta in the early 1950s[8].
The society holds an annual gathering in its tomb on Hallowe'en. A Manuscript event is described in the novel Joe College by Tom Perrotta.[9]
Architecture
Designed by King-lui Wu, Manuscript's tomb is mid-century modern, unusual amid other societies' elaborate mid- to late-19th Century buildings. It appears from the outside to have only one level, yet conceals eight subterranean floors. The tomb holds a vast collection of notable modern and contemporary art. The Yale University Art Gallery is said to have temporarily stored pieces there.[10] Wu was often heard to say that he designed the building "for privacy, not for secrecy."[11]
Notable members
Prominent senator H. John Heinz III (1938-1991) was a member of the class of '64Name Yale Class Known for David Calleo 1954 Intellectual historian [12] Michael Pertschuk 1954 Consumer advocate, author and former government official [13] - H. John Heinz III 1960 US senator [14] David Gergen 1963 Presidential Advisor and Political Commentator [15] Richard H. Brodhead 1968 9th President of Duke Univ. [16] Jodie Foster 1985 Actress [17] Jen Banbury 1989 Playwright [18] Anderson Cooper 1989 News Anchor [19][20] Jonathan Zittrain 1991 Professor of Internet Law at Harvard Univ.[21] Cleanth Brooks Hon. Literary Critic [22] Steven Smith Hon. Political Scientist [23] Vincent Giroud Hon. Historian of French Opera [24][25] See also
References
- ^ Ed. Parks, S. Manuscript, 1953-2002. (New Haven, Phoenix Press : 2002) at Manuscripts and Archives Reference library, Sterling Memorial Library, New Haven [1]
- ^ "Tombs & Taps" section of online Magazine http://www.yale.edu/lt/archives/survivalguide/
- ^ Yale University | Office of the Secretary
- ^ Ed. Parks, S. Manuscript, 1953-2002. (New Haven, Phoenix Press : 2002) at Manuscripts and Archives Reference library, Sterling Memorial Library, New Haven [2]
- ^ Ed. Parks, S. Manuscript, 1953-2002. (New Haven, Phoenix Press : 2002) at Manuscripts and Archives Reference library, Sterling Memorial Library, New Haven
- ^ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/344_BC
- ^ Havemeyer, Loomis. 1960. "Go to your room"; a story of undergraduate societies and fraternities at Yale.. New Haven : 1960. http://openlibrary.org/books/OL5833019M/Go_to_your_room_a_story_of_undergraduate_societies_and_fraternities_at_Yale.
- ^ http://www.library.yale.edu/mssa/YHO/ExtracurricularandSocialOrganizations.pdf
- ^ Perotta, T. Joe College (New York, St. Martins : 2005) pp. 105-116
- ^ Ed. Parks, S. Manuscript, 1953-2002, (New Haven, Phoenix Press : 2002) at Manuscripts and Archives Reference library, Sterling Memorial Library, New Haven [3]
- ^ Architectural Record, November, 1965. "Ingenious Use of a Narrow Site"
- ^ Parks, S. Manuscript, 1953-2002. (New Haven, Phoenix Press : 2002)
- ^ Parks, S. Manuscript, 1953-2002. (New Haven, Phoenix Press : 2002)
- ^ http://yalebase.freebase.com/view/base/yalebase/views/secret_society
- ^ http://yalebase.freebase.com/view/base/yalebase/views/secret_society
- ^ http://yalebase.freebase.com/view/base/yalebase/views/secret_society
- ^ http://yalebase.freebase.com/view/base/yalebase/views/secret_society
- ^ http://yalebase.freebase.com/view/base/yalebase/views/secret_society
- ^ http://yalebase.freebase.com/view/base/yalebase/views/secret_society
- ^ http://www.buzzle.com/articles/biography-of-anderson-cooper.html
- ^ http://yalebase.freebase.com/view/base/yalebase/views/secret_society
- ^ Ed. Parks, S. Manuscript, 1953-2002. (New Haven, Phoenix Press : 2002) at Manuscripts and Archives Reference library, Sterling Memorial Library, New Haven
- ^ Ed. Parks, S. Manuscript, 1953-2002. (New Haven, Phoenix Press : 2002) at Manuscripts and Archives Reference library, Sterling Memorial Library, New Haven
- ^ http://www.amazon.com/French-Opera-History-Vincent-Giroud/dp/0300117655
- ^ Ed. Parks, S. Manuscript, 1953-2002. (New Haven, Phoenix Press : 2002) at Manuscripts and Archives Reference library, Sterling Memorial Library, New Haven
External links
Sources
- Robbins, Alexandra. Secrets of the Tomb: Skull and Bones, the Ivy League, and the Hidden Paths of Power. Back Bay Books, 2003. ISBN 0-316-73561-2
- Perrotta, Tom. Joe College: A Novel (2000) ISBN 0-312-36178-5
- Light & Truth Publication
- King-lui Wu
- Architectural Record, November, 1965. "Ingenious Use of a Narrow Site".
Categories:- Secret societies
- Yale University
- 1952 establishments
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