Sphinx Senior Society

History

The Sphinx Senior Society was formed in 1899 by graduating members of the Class of 1900 at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Its purpose was to promote the university's customs, ideals, and traditions. It was the first senior honor society at the university, created to recognize top student leaders who made significant contributions to the campus community.

Members advised the university's administration, proctored exams, oversaw campus elections, provided freshman orientation, and were referees for the annual freshman-sophomore class contests. The society inducted its first Black member in 1952 and women in 1971.

Symbols and traditions

Active members are called Sphinges. Its officers are called the Chief (president), Pharisee (treasurer), and Scribe (secretary). As Sphinx brings together the leaders o Its four tenets or pillars are achievement, leadership, commitment, and character. Originally, its members wore a black and gold cap with the Sphinx skull on Tuesdays.

Membership

The Sphinx Senior Society is self-perpetuating and consists of a maximum of thirty members who are selected or tapped annually; each member selects their replacement.

The undergraduate society consists of 30 members, with 23 being inducted each spring and 7 being inducted each fall. Members, officially called "Sphinges," represent student leaders who have served the university community in some form or manner and are selected based on their character, involvement, leadership, and vision. This membership perpetuates through a "tapping" process every spring, during which current members personally nominate deserving juniors to attend a smoker. This informal smoker provides an opportunity for the taps to pick up an application as well as for the current members to meet and screen nominees before starting the selection process. This process is repeated each fall to tap, select, and induct an additional 7 seniors as members of the given class.

Governance

The Sphinx Senior Society Board of Governors guides, plans and coordinates all activities of the Society, especially expanding alumni outreach and supporting the undergraduate membership. The 17-member Board consists of a President, Vice-President, Treasurer, Secretary, President-Emeritus, and Chief, Pharisee, or Scribe Emeritus from the most recent graduating Sphinx class, as well as eight alumni Members-at-Large elected by the entire Sphinx alumni membership. These alumni members cover as wide a range of Penn alumni classes as possible. The three officers from the current class of the undergraduate membership also serve on the Board in an ex officio capacity.

Notable members

• Mitchell J. Blutt - Executive Partner, J.P. Morgan Chase and CEO of Consonance Capital - 1978
• Bill Carr - Winner of two gold medals at the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics - 1933
• Richard Clarke - National Counterterrorism Center Director under Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush - 1972
• William T. Coleman, Jr. - United States Secretary of Transportation, 1975–77
• Jeffrey Goldberg - Award winning journalist, currently editor-in-chief of The Atlantic - 1987
• Jon Huntsman, Sr. - Billionaire, founder of the Huntsman Corporation - 1959
• John B. Kelly Jr. - oarsman, four-time Olympian, and Olympic medal winner and president of the United States Olympic Committee - 1950
• John Legend - Soul singer, songwriter, and pianist - 2000
• Donald Lippincott - Winner of a silver and a bronze medal at the 1912 Stockholm Olympics - 1915
• Marc Turtletaub - Film producer and director, and, former CEO of The Money Store - 1967
• John Edgar Wideman - Two-time winner of the International PEN/Faulkner Award; currently professor at Brown University - 1963

Notes

References

References

1. Compiled by W.J. Maxwell. (1917). "General alumni catalogue of the University of Pennsylvania". University of Pennsylvania.
2. University of Pennsylvania. (1900). "The Record". Class of 1900.
3. Tamblin C. Smith. (1948). "Pennsylvania Pictures, January 1948 Vol. IV, No. 3". Franklin Society Publication.
4. "About 1".
5. (1971-02-07). "Male Honor Society At Penn Planning To Admit Women". The New York Times.
6. "History".
7. Glatsky, Genevieve. (September 22, 2016). "Inside Senior Societies".