QEBH is a senior honor society at the University of Missouri. Founded in 1898, it is the oldest of six recognized secret honor societies that participate in the annual tradition of Tap Day on campus.[1]

QEBH
The winged sphere is the primary symbol of the QEBH Society.
FoundedNovember 1898; 125 years ago (1898-11)
University of Missouri
TypeHonor
AffiliationIndependent
ScopeLocal
Symbolwinged sphere
Chapters1
HeadquartersColumbia, MO 65201
US
WebsiteOfficial website

History

The society was founded in November 1898 by eight men. They were Royall Hill Switzler, Thomas Benton Marbut, Gurry Ellsworth Huggins, William Frank Wilson, Clarence Martin Jackson, Horace Beckley Williams, Antoine Edward Russell, and Galius Lawton Zwick. Royall Hill Switzler organized the first class of the society, and he is therefore credited as being the founder of QEBH.[2]

QEBH's workings, purposes, and affairs are known only to its members.

Throughout its history, QEBH has maintained a rivalry with MU's Mystical Seven society. This rivalry has often involved the two societies playing pranks on each other. In one instance in 1985, members of QEBH disguised themselves as members of Mystical Seven and surprised Mystical Seven's yet-to-be-initiated candidates at 4:30am one morning. The new candidates were convinced the activity was part of their initiation process, and they were taken to Jefferson City, Missouri where they were dropped off and abandoned by the disguised QEBH members.[3]

Symbolism

The primary symbol of QEBH is the winged sphere. The symbol's origin is that of the winged sphere that was once the distinctive mark of Jesse Hall. The wings broke from the top of the dome when a patriotic student scaled the dome one night around the time of World War I and fastened the staff of a large American flag to the structure. The flag caught enough wind to tear the wings from the dome, leaving only the golden sphere, which is still in place. The destruction of the wings from the dome was foreshadowed in the 1901 Savitar where mention is made of QEBH's secret meetings at the top of the dome, but it was later stated that "QEBH didn't take the wings off the dome."[4]

Victory Bell

The tradition of the Victory Bell originated in 1927. The bell was originally stolen from a church in Seward, Nebraska by Phi Delta Theta and Delta Tau Delta in 1892. The two fraternities shared housing at the time, but when the groups later acquired their own individual houses they began an annual tradition of awarding the bell as a trophy to the winner of a specified athletic or academic contest. When then Missouri athletic director Chester Brewer suggested a trophy be established for the winner of the annual Missouri–Nebraska Rivalry football game, the bell was chosen to fill the role. An "M" was then engraved on one side of the bell and an "N" was engraved on the opposite side. QEBH is the caretaker of the bell at Missouri, and the Innocents Society is the caretaker of the bell at Nebraska. Due to conference realignment, there has been a hiatus of the Missouri-Nebraska rivalry since 2010.[5][6]

Early chapters

Tap Day 2006
Tap Day 2006

Chapter of 1898

Chapter of 1899

Chapter of 1900

Notable student members

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Notable honor taps

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See also

References

  1. ^ The Maneater - Tap Day reveals society inductees Archived January 5, 2015, at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ Handy Williamson, Vice Provost, Receives Double Tap[permanent dead link]
  3. ^ "Five Honor Societies Initiate New Members". Columbia Missourian. April 18, 1985.
  4. ^ http://digital.library.umsystem.edu/t/text/gifcvtdir/sav1901/sav1901p126.jpg[permanent dead link]
  5. ^ Innocents: Members Archived August 6, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  6. ^ University of Missouri, Official Athletic Site of the Mizzou Tigers Traditions Archived September 15, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  7. ^ a b c The Maneater - Senator Graham gets tapped Archived March 3, 2016, at the Wayback Machine
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