SPURS National Honor Society (Service, Patriotism, Unity, Responsibility, and Sacrifice) was a collegiate

sophomore In the United States, a sophomore ( or ) is a person in the second year at an educational institution; usually at a secondary school or at the college and university level, but also in other forms of post-secondary educational institutions. In ...

honor society In the United States, an honor society is a rank organization that recognizes excellence among peers. Numerous societies recognize various fields and circumstances. The Order of the Arrow, for example, is the National Honor Society of the Boy Sc ...

which disbanded in 2005. Several chapters remain in operation independently.

History

SPURS was founded at

Montana State University Montana State University (MSU) is a Public university, public land-grant university, land-grant research university in Bozeman, Montana. It is the state's largest university. MSU offers baccalaureate degrees in 60 fields, master's degrees in 6 ...

Bozeman Bozeman is a city and the county seat of Gallatin County, Montana, United States. Located in southwest Montana, the 2020 census put Bozeman's population at 53,293, making it the fourth-largest city in Montana. It is the principal city of th ...

as an honor society for Sophomore women in 1922.Zeitgeist SPURS
Chapters were spread across the United States, primarily at smaller colleges and

universities 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, t ...

and emphasis remained on community service and scholarship. Originally a women-only organization, SPURS became

co-education Mixed-sex education, also known as mixed-gender education, co-education, or coeducation (abbreviated to co-ed or coed), is a system of education where males and females are educated together. Whereas single-sex education was more common up to t ...

al in 1976. The national organization dissolved as of by decision of the October 2005 National Convention.

Surviving chapters

MSU Bozeman chapter

The MSU SPURS that were left decided to join with the MSU Student Alumni Association the following the year (as did the dissolved society "Fangs"—a branch from the

Intercollegiate Knights Intercollegiate Knights (IK) was a collegiate men's honorary service group founded in 1922. These chapters were oriented toward service to their campus. History The predecessor organization of Intercollegiate Knights was Knights of the Hook at Uni ...

). With this team up, MSU's student alumni association-"SPURS and Fangs"- is in rapid development.

Linfield College Chapter

After the dissolution of the national organization, the SPURS chapter at

Linfield College Linfield University is a private university with campuses in McMinnville, and Portland, Oregon. Linfield Wildcats athletics participates in the NCAA Division III Northwest Conference. Linfield reported a combined 1,755 students after the fall ...

in McMinnville,

Oregon Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...

decided to remain an honor society dedicated to the founding ideals. The club expanded to include juniors and seniors, abandoning its sophomore-only rule. The Linfield chapter may now be dormant.

University of Arizona Chapter

Students at the UofA reinstalled SPURS as a club in 2017 and has been a recognized club by the Associated Students of the University of Arizona since. “The purpose of SPURS shall be to offer service to the University, the surrounding community, and region...and to foster among all students a spirit of loyalty, helpfulness, and academic excellence.”

Chapter List

References

External links

Montana State University Archives SPURS National Honor Society records, 1922-2006
{{authority control Honor societies Service organizations based in the United States Defunct fraternities and sororities Student organizations established in 1922 Organizations disestablished in 2006 1922 establishments in Montana