Mace and Chain is an "Ancient Eight" society, or one of the eight landed

secret societies A secret society is a club or an organization whose activities, events, inner functioning, or membership are concealed. The society may or may not attempt to conceal its existence. The term usually excludes covert groups, such as intelligence a ...

, at

Yale University Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wo ...

. It was founded in 1956 with the mission of providing fifteen rising seniors with the traditional senior society experience in a freer, more modern setting. Mace and Chain's tomb, a centuries-old colonial structure owned by the society, boasts various military artifacts, Revolutionary War documents, and a purposefully open appearance. As is tradition for Yale secret societies, the tomb is accessible only to current members and alumni. Benedict Arnold Home

History

The society was founded by Thornton Marshall with the help of poet and Yale professor

Robert Penn Warren Robert Penn Warren (April 24, 1905 – September 15, 1989) was an American poet, novelist, and literary critic and was one of the founders of New Criticism. He was also a charter member of the Fellowship of Southern Writers. He founded the liter ...

in 1956 (four years after

Manuscript A manuscript (abbreviated MS for singular and MSS for plural) was, traditionally, any document written by hand – or, once practical typewriters became available, typewritten – as opposed to mechanically printed or reproduced in ...

), together compiling what students refer to as the "Ancient Eight" societies on campus. Warren had encouraged Marshall "to start something which is a little closer to reality and that can exist in the sunlight," in contrast with other senior societies. Its regular meeting place (called a "tomb"—a 190-year-old, six bedroom Colonial-style house in downtown

New Haven New Haven is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound in New Haven County, Connecticut and is part of the New York City metropolitan area. With a population of 134,02 ...

)''The youngest secret society''
Schacter, Ron, Yale Alumni Magazine July/Aug 2007. Accessed 2008-05-10. was salvaged from Benedict Arnold's home in New Haven and is a New Haven Historical Landmark. The society's alumni trust, the Night's Trust Foundation, owns and operates the tomb. RPW

Mission

Like other societies at Yale, Mace and Chain conducts meetings on Thursday and Sunday evenings. Among other activities and traditions, each member takes one evening to relay their life story and personal development to the rest of the group. The name Mace and Chain is rooted in discussions amongst the founders about chivalry. The society has a tradition of rotating student leadership each week and is unique among Yale's societies in allowing each new "delegation" (new senior class) to determine its own ground rules, excluding a few secret guidelines. This has helped Mace and Chain develop a reputation for fostering unusually close-knit senior classes, as members together build their society experience. Mace and Chain alumni have gone on to become journalists, authors, academics, filmmakers and members of Congress. The society hosts Yale professors and outside guests during its weekly dinners. Past faculty advisors to Mace and Chain include Charlie Hill, a former senior advisor to Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, and John Wilkinson, a former vice president of Yale.

Members

Each year, the society admits a new tap class of fifteen rising seniors. Tap classes have historically included top-tier athletes and student leaders such as editors of the Yale Daily News and

Yale Herald ''The Yale Herald'' is a newspaper run by undergraduate students at Yale University since 1986. A weekly, the paper aims to provide in-depth, investigative reporting, and includes personal essays, interviews, opinion pieces, culture articles, revi ...

, Yale College Council officers, and various campus political activists. A valued criterion of all taps is adherence to the enduring values of chivalry, on which Mace and Chain was founded. That is, a reputation for respecting all members of the Yale community, demonstrating a strong moral compass and valuing ideas and others above oneself.

References

{{Authority control Secret societies at Yale Student organizations established in 1956

History

Mission

Members

See also

References