The original emblem of the Sphinx Head Society[1][2]
The Sphinx Head Society is the oldest senior honor society at Cornell University. Sphinx Head recognizes Cornell senior men and women who have demonstrated respectable strength of character on top of a dedication to leadership and service at Cornell University.[3] In 1929 The New York Times held that election into Sphinx Head and similar societies constituted "the highest non-scholastic honor within reach of undergraduates."[4]
Founding
Sphinx Head was founded on October 11, 1890 by a group of ten men from the senior class.[5][6] The Society was founded in order to "create and maintain a stronger feeling" for Cornell University and to promote "a closer and stronger friendship among members of the Senior class."[5]The New York Times referred to Sphinx Head as "a secret senior society of the nature of Skull and Bones", a senior honor society at Yale University of which Andrew Dickson White, Cornell University's co-founder and first president, was a member.[7] White encouraged the formation of a secret society system on the Cornell campus.[8]
Each year, Sphinx Head taps fewer than forty men and women of the senior class for membership. Since the Society's founding, membership has been "reserved for the most respected" members of the senior class.[9]
The names of newly tapped Sphinx Heads were published in The New York Times through the 1930s, but are now published exclusively in The Cornell Daily Sun.[10][11][12]
Sphinx Head awards honorary membership to Cornell administrators, faculty, staff, and alumni for their "significant personal and/or professional accomplishment, outstanding leadership, distinguished service to the university and interest in and commitment to undergraduate student life and development."[3] Notable honorary members of Sphinx Head include Tata Sons Chairman Emeritus Ratan Tata, Atlantic Philanthropies founder Chuck Feeney, and the 12th President of Cornell University, David Skorton.
At Cornell
Historic Sphinx Head Tomb
Sphinx Head has "retained an aura of mystery throughout its history on campus", holding some "closely guarded secrets and traditions."[13]
Although membership in Sphinx Head is public, the proceedings of the Society remain concealed. Since founding the Society, Sphinx Head members have been responsible for starting many long-standing Cornell University traditions such as the annual Dragon Day celebration, the use of "The Big Red" to describe Cornell athletics, as well as Spring Fest, the precursor to the current Slope Day celebration.[9][14][15]
Maxwell M. Upson[21] (1899): namesake of Upson Hall on the Engineering Quad of the Cornell campus; Cornell University Trustee for over 35 years; former President of Raymond International Inc.
Romeyn Berry[24] (1904): dubbed Cornell Athletics "The Big Red" while composing the lyrics to "The Big Red Team" (a Cornell song) in 1905;[25] Graduate Manager of Cornell Athletics (1919–1935);[26] wrote Dirt Roads to Stoneposts (1949), Stoneposts in the Sunset (1950),[27] and Behind the Ivy (1950)
Elbert P. Tuttle[37] (1918): chief judge in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in Atlanta, Georgia (overseeing many civil rights cases); recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1981
Walker L. Cisler (1922): nuclear energy advocate; Chairman of Detroit Edison Company (1948–1964); founder of National Academy of Engineering; Chairman of the International Executive Council of the World Energy Conference; President of the Atomic Industrial Forum and the Fund for Peaceful Atomic Development;[40][41] recipient of the IEEE Edison Medal "for a career of meritorious achievement in electrical science, electrical engineering or the electrical arts"
Robert J. Kane[55] (1934): President of the U.S. Olympic Committee (1977–1980);[56] Director of Athletics at Cornell (1946–1971); author of Good Sports: A History of Cornell Athletics;[57] namesake of the Robert J. Kane Track
Oscar G. Mayer, Jr.[55][59] (1934): business executive who served as chairman of Oscar Mayer; retired in 1971 after 41 years at the company and achieving over 1 billion dollars in annual sales
Robert W. Purcell[61] (1932): Chairman of the Cornell University Board of Trustees (1968–1978); donor and namesake of Robert Purcell Community Center (RPCC)
Samuel Bodman, the 11th United States Secretary of Energy
Steven B. Belkin (1969): founder and Chairman of Trans National Group; Cornell Entrepreneur of the Year (2004); Cornell University Trustee; minority owner of the Atlanta Thrashers and Atlanta Hawks[72]
Daniel P. Meyer (1986): Executive Director for Intelligence Community Whistleblowing & Source Protection (ICW&SP); former Naval officer and whistleblower during the investigation into the explosion onboard battleship USS Iowa (BB-61)
Joe Nieuwendyk (1988): 21-year NHL veteran; three-time Stanley Cup winner; 2002 Olympic gold medal winner; General Manager of the Dallas Stars of the NHL
Rob Pannell (2012): NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse all-time points leader; the Ivy League's first-ever three-time Player of the Year award winner; ESPY nominee; recipient of the 2013 Tewaaraton Trophy; currently plays for the Long Island Lizards
^Alumni Association: Larry Gubb, William Kleitz, Elbert Tuttle, Robert White, Walter Nield, Charles Werly, Richard Vanderwarker, Bruce Hackstaff, Joseph Driscoll
^"Robert J. Kane, 81, Ex-Olympic Official And Aide at Cornell", The New York Times, June 1, 1992.
^Kane, Robert J. (1992). Good Sports: A History of Cornell Athletics. Ithaca, N.Y.: Cornell Magazine. ISBN0-9633274-0-2.
^Staff. "Heads New Labor Office", Cornell Alumni News, February 18, 1943, Volume XLV, Number 18. Accessed August 3, 2011. "He was a member of the Willard Straight Hall Board of managers and associate editor of The Cornellian; is a member of Sphinx Head and Beta Sigma Rho."
