Ku Klux Klan honor society, also know as Ku Klux and Tu–Mas, was an American interfraternity honor society formed at the University of Illinois in 1906. The group grew to thirteen chapters before going defunct in 1939. It was not affiliated with the national Ku Klux Klan organization but its name reflected broader societal attitudes and the prevalence of systemic racism during that period.
History
The Ku Klux Klan student organization formed in 1906 or 1908 at the University of Illinois.[1][2][3][4] It was referred to as Ku Klux in the 1909 yearbook.[5] It was officially recognized by the university in 1915.[1] in the 1916 yearbook, it was called Ku Klux Kan and was described as an honor fraternity.[6][2]
By 1918, Ku Klulx Klan was considered a "junior interfraternity society".[2][7] Its members came from the various campus fraternities.[1] They were known to participate in events that used Ku Klux Klan symbolism, suggesting a casual acceptance of white supremacy imagery.[1] However, TheDaily Illini noted:
The campus group is in no way connected with the older group that is now spreading so rapidly throughout the country; its aims and its ideals are of a different nature, its personnel different; the campus Ku Klux Klan is purely a social organization.[2]
G. B. Bilderback, A. Ingwersen, Robert Lorenz, C. E. Lovejoy, and Robert Tutwiler of the Illinois chapter established a second chapter of the Ku Klux Klan interfraternity honor society at the University of Wisconsin–Madison in May 1919.[2][8][9] The Wisconsin chapter's parent fraternity was Phi Gamma Delta.[10] Its members included some of the university's most prominent student leaders and, later, alumni.[10][9][11] At Wisconsin, the local sophomore men's organization, Cardinal Club, functioned as a "sister-ship" the society.[7] As with the Illinois chapter, there is no evidence of a connection to the national Ku Klux Klan.[10][9]
With the rise of the national white supremacist group in the 1920s, the student organization began to receive criticism for its name.[1] On January 8, 1923, the Illinois chapter wore red-crossed robes at one of its social gatherings, closely emulating the Ku Klux Klan.[1]TheDaily Illini urged the group to change its name the next day.[1] The university administration's response was to prohibit the fraternity from holding dances until it was "properly organized".[1]
In April 1923, the society held a meeting of all five chapters in Chicago where it changed its name to Tu–Mas.[2][12] The society changed its name because of confusion between it and the original Ku Klux Klan.[12] Tu–Mas called itself a junior-senior interfraternity social organization in 1934.[13] During the 1930s, the Tumas chapter at Wisconsin focused heavily on campus politics, leading to its downfall.[7][14] Tu-Mas went dormant in 1939.[1][7]
Symbols
Tu-Mas honor society badge
The choice of the name Ku Klux Klan is unknown; one modern writer speculates that the students might have been influenced by the romanticized portrayal of the Ku Klux Klan in the novels of Thomas Dixon.[2] The University of Illinois 1916 yearbook notes the fraternity's color was black. Its members were known to wear black hoods and robes.[2]
The Ku Klux Klan badge was a devil's head bearing the number 13 at the top and words ''Ku–Klux" at its base, with crossed pitchforks below.[15][16] The badge for Tu–Mas was the same, with the name "Tu–Mas" replacing "Ku-Klux".[15][3] The group also had a watch fob or key that featured the devil logo.[17] The name Tu–Mas was said to be Indian.[12]
At the University of Wisconsin, Tu–Mas was known for its initiations where its new members wore tailcoats and derby hats, while pushing baby carriages.[18]
Chapters
The society had thirteen chapters.[3] However, only two were active in 1933.[19] Following is a list of known chapters. Note that the group at Alfred University known as Ku Klux Klan from 1901 to 1920 appears to be unrelated.[20]
The existence of these honor societies at American universities highlights the pervasive culture of racial and religious bigotry that was casual and unexamined in its prevalence at the time. These groups were part of a broader acceptance of exclusion and indignity as routine, often sanctioned in daily institutional life and unchallenged by leadership. This systemic racism extended beyond the groups themselves, influencing campus culture and the treatment of minority students, which still permeates in honor society culture presently.[21][22][23]
In recent years, universities have begun to reckon with these histories.[24] Study groups and reports, such as those commissioned by University of Wisconsin-Madison following the violence at the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville in 2017, have aimed to understand and address the legacy of these organizations. These efforts are part of a broader institutional commitment to confronting past injustices and working towards inclusivity[25][26]
The Ku Klux Klan honor fraternity at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and the University of Illinois serve as historical case studies of how systemic racism can permeate educational institutions and reflect wider societal norms.[citation needed] Its legacy, complicated by its affiliations and the actions of its members, continue to provoke discussion about how universities can and should address historical racism and promote a more inclusive and equitable environment for all students[27][28]
^ abcdThe Badger. Vol. 51. University of Wisconsin-Madison. 1936. p. 314. Retrieved April 21, 2024.
^The Illio. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Urbana: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. 1922. p. 527 – via Internet Archive.((cite book)): CS1 maint: others (link)
^The Illio. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Urbana: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. 1909 – via Internet Archive.((cite book)): CS1 maint: others (link)
^The Illio. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Urbana: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. 1934. p. 449 – via Internet Archive.((cite book)): CS1 maint: others (link)
^The Badger. Vol. 54. University of Wisconsin-Madison. 1939. p. 205.
^ ab"To a Tu-Mas Pin". The Daily Illini. 1933-04-06. p. 5. Retrieved 2024-04-21 – via Newspapers.com.
^The Badger. Vol. 36. University of Wisconsin-Madison. 1922. p. 457.
^The Badger. Vol. 52. University of Wisconsin-Madison. 1937. p. 341.
^The Illio. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Urbana: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. 1933. p. 544 – via Internet Archive.((cite book)): CS1 maint: others (link)
