The Innocents Society is the Chancellor's senior
honorary society at the
University of Nebraska-Lincoln, composed of 13 men and women who apply during the spring of their junior year and are selected on the basis of academic excellence, unparalleled leadership, and selfless service to the University and community. Members are known throughout campus, but the society still retains secrecy through rituals and a secret meeting room. Members work to promote school spirit and create an appreciation among the student body of the greater values for which Nebraska stands.
Founding
The society was founded on April 24, 1903, through the efforts of notable University of Nebraska alumni, including
George Condra and
Roscoe Pound
Nathan Roscoe Pound (October 27, 1870 – June 30, 1964) was an American legal scholar and educator. He served as Dean of the University of Nebraska College of Law from 1903 to 1911 and Dean of Harvard Law School from 1916 to 1936. He was a membe ...
, a famous legal scholar who would later become dean at
Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School (Harvard Law or HLS) is the law school of Harvard University, a private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest continuously operating law school in the United States.
Each class ...
. Pound and Condra drew on medieval customs of knighthood, as well as papal traditions, in forming the ritual and heraldry of the society. They named the society for the 13
Pope
The pope ( la, papa, from el, πάππας, translit=pappas, 'father'), also known as supreme pontiff ( or ), Roman pontiff () or sovereign pontiff, is the bishop of Rome (or historically the patriarch of Rome), head of the worldwide Cathol ...
s named Innocent, who have historically stood as champions against evil. The
Mephistopheles
Mephistopheles (, ), also known as Mephisto, is a demon featured in German folklore. He originally appeared in literature as the demon in the Faust legend, and he has since appeared in other works as a stock character (see: Mephistopheles in t ...
head represents the evil the society seeks to overcome.
History
During their early years, the Innocents Society selected the UNL cheerleaders, supervised an annual Olympics between the freshmen and sophomores, and planned Dandelion Day and Fete Day. Another tradition that started was that of the
Victory Bell exchange. A bell was stolen from a Seward, Neb. church in 1892 by members of
Delta Tau Delta and
Phi Delta Theta
Phi Delta Theta (), commonly known as Phi Delt, is an international secret and social fraternity founded at Miami University in 1848 and headquartered in Oxford, Ohio. Phi Delta Theta, along with Beta Theta Pi and Sigma Chi form the Miami Triad ...
fraternities. For years, the fraternities competed in athletic and scholastic competitions for possession of the bell. However, in 1926 it was suggested that an award for the winner of the
Nebraska
Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the southwe ...
-
Missouri
Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...
football game be established. It was decided that the bell be awarded to the winner, and it was engraved with a "M" on one side and an "N" on the other. The bell tradition ceased with the University of Nebraska's entrance to the Big Ten Conference, making the 106th class of the Innocents Society the last to trade (and keep) the oldest trophy in collegiate football. In 2011, 107th class of the Innocents Society began a new trophy exchange with the University of Iowa.
During the '40s and '50s, the Innocents coordinated freshmen beanie sales and would wear identical jackets one day each week. Like the Missouri bell exchange, at this time an exchange with the University of Colorado was coordinated. The head of a buffalo was mounted for a mere $20 and named 'Mr. Chips'. Mr. Chips was then given to the winner of the annual Nebraska vs. Colorado football game. Unfortunately, in 1962 Mr. Chips somehow got misplaced by members of Colorado's
Heart and Dagger Society, and the tradition was not continued. The Innocents of these years were quite the mischievous group, but many of these antics died down during the '70s. The '80s brought renewed spirit to the Innocents, and although the Innocents today no longer coordinate Dandelion Day or choose members of the spirit squad, they still carry on many of the traditions set forth by their founders. The Innocents of 2005-2006 sponsored a fundraiser for a local nonprofit organization, raising $10,000. The Innocents of 2007-2008 continued this philanthropic tradition by raising more than $14,000 for a local domestic abuse shelter.
Currently
The 2008-2009 Innocents coordinated iVan (Innocents Volunteer Across Nebraska), a service trip across the state of Nebraska. The 104th Class of Innocents went on the road, stopping at 13 towns over the course of four days and completed a service project in each town.
[3/30/09: Daily Nebraskan Article about iVan trip.http://www.dailynebraskan.com/news/innocents-society-spans-state-in-goodwill-trek-1.1633868] The service projects included painting rooms at an alcohol rehabilitation center, park beautification, presenting to students about the importance of serving the community, canned food drives, litter pick up, and assisting with the restoration of a town auditorium.
This tradition has been carried on since the 104th class, marking a new annual tradition for the Innocents Society.
Notable alumni
*
Herbert Brownell Jr.
Herbert Brownell Jr. (February 20, 1904 – May 1, 1996) was an American lawyer and Republican politician. From 1953 to 1957, he served as United States Attorney General in the administration of President Dwight D. Eisenhower.
Early life
Browne ...
- former
United States Attorney General
The United States attorney general (AG) is the head of the United States Department of Justice, and is the chief law enforcement officer of the federal government of the United States. The attorney general serves as the principal advisor to the p ...
*
Howard Buffett
Howard Homan Buffett (August 13, 1903 – April 30, 1964) was an American businessman, investor, and politician. He was a four-term Republican United States Representative for the state of Nebraska. He was the father of Warren Buffett, the Ameri ...
- former U.S. Congressman
*
Jon Bruning - former
Nebraska Attorney General
*
Robert Kerrey
Joseph Robert Kerrey (born August 27, 1943) is an American politician who served as the 35th Governor of Nebraska from 1983 to 1987 and as a United States Senator from Nebraska from 1989 to 2001. Before entering politics, he served in the Vietnam ...
- former Governor and United States Senator
*Ralph Knobel - former State Republican Party Chairman
*
James Milliken - former
University of Nebraska
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, the ...
President
*
Adam Morfeld - Current Nebraska State Senator
*Larry D. Johnson - former
United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...
Assistant Secretary General of Legal Affairs
*
Norbert T. Tiemann - former Nebraska Governor
*
Bill Thornton
William E. Thornton is an American politician who served as the mayor of San Antonio, Texas from 1995 to 1997. He succeeded Nelson Wolff and was himself followed by Howard Peak, after Thornton finished third in his bid for reelection. Thornton a ...
- Former
Nebraska Cornhuskers football player and coach, former
St. Louis Football Cardinals player and coach. First African-American member of the Society of Innocents.
*
Kyle Vanden Bosch
Kyle Dale Vanden Bosch (born November 17, 1978) is a former American football defensive end who played over ten years in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the University of Nebraska, and was drafted by the Arizona ...
- former
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at Ford ...
Defensive End
*
Don Wesely
Don Wesely (born March 30, 1954) was the 49th mayor of Lincoln, Nebraska. He previously served in the Nebraska Legislature from 1979 to 1999.
Biography
Wesely was born March 30, 1954, in David City, Nebraska. He graduated from Lincoln Northeast ...
- former
Lincoln Mayor and Nebraska State Senator
*John Wirtz -
Hudl cofounder
External links
Innocents Society WebsiteUniversity of Nebraska Official Website
References
{{University of Nebraska–Lincoln
University of Nebraska–Lincoln
Collegiate secret societies
Student societies in the United States
Student organizations established in 1903
1903 establishments in Nebraska