The Sphinx Head Society is the oldest senior honor society at

Cornell University Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to teach an ...

. 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. In 1929 ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' held that election into Sphinx Head and similar societies constituted "the highest non-scholastic honor within reach of undergraduates."

Founding

Sphinx Head was founded on October 11, 1890 by a group of ten men from the senior class."History of Some of the Later Cornell Organizations", Cornell Alumni News, December 18, 1901, p. 89. http://ecommons.library.cornell.edu/bitstream/1813/3166/12/004_12.pdf 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." ''

'' referred to Sphinx Head as "a secret senior society of the nature of

Skull and Bones Skull and Bones, also known as The Order, Order 322 or The Brotherhood of Death, is an undergraduate senior secret student society at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. The oldest senior class society at the university, Skull and Bone ...

", a senior honor society 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 ...

of which

Andrew Dickson White Andrew Dickson White (November 7, 1832 – November 4, 1918) was an American historian and educator who cofounded Cornell University and served as its first president for nearly two decades. He was known for expanding the scope of college curricu ...

, Cornell University's co-founder and first president, was a member. White encouraged the formation of a secret society system on the Cornell campus. In 1926, the society built a clubhouse for itself designed to resemble an Egyptian tomb perched halfway down the cliff on the Fall Creek gorge. It sold the building in 1969, and it eventually became the home and office of astronomer

Carl Sagan Carl Edward Sagan (; ; November 9, 1934December 20, 1996) was an American astronomer, planetary scientist, cosmologist, astrophysicist, astrobiologist, author, and science communicator. His best known scientific contribution is research on ext ...

Membership

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.Willard Straight Hall
/ref> 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 ''The Cornell Daily Sun'' is an independent daily newspaper published in Ithaca, New York by students at Cornell University and hired employees. ''The Sun'' features coverage of the university and its environs as well as stories from the Associa ...

''. 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." Notable honorary members of Sphinx Head include

Tata Sons Tata Sons Private Limited is the parent company of the Tata Group and holds the bulk of shareholding in the Tata group of companies including their land holdings across India, tea estates and steel plants. It is a privately owned conglomerate of ...

Chairman Emeritus

Ratan Tata Ratan Naval Tata, GBE (born 28 December 1937) is an Indian industrialist and former chairman of Tata Sons. He was also the chairman of the Tata Group from 1990 to 2012, serving also as interim chairman from October 2016 through February 2017. ...

Atlantic Philanthropies The Atlantic Philanthropies (AP) was a private foundation created in 1982 by Irish-American businessman Chuck Feeney. The Atlantic Philanthropies focused its giving on health, social, and politically left-leaning public policy causes in Australia ...

founder

Chuck Feeney Charles Francis Feeney (born April 23, 1931) is an Irish-American businessman and philanthropist who made his fortune as a co-founder of the Hong Kong based Duty Free Shoppers Group. He is the founder of The Atlantic Philanthropies, one of the ...

, and the 12th President of Cornell University, David Skorton.

At Cornell

Sphinx Head has "retained an aura of mystery throughout its history on campus", holding some "closely guarded secrets and traditions." 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 Dragon Day is an annual event that occurs the Friday before spring break at Cornell University. The center of the event is the procession of a dragon, created by first-year architecture students at the Cornell University College of Architecture, ...

celebration, the use of "The Big Red" to describe Cornell athletics, as well as Spring Fest, the precursor to the current Slope Day celebration.''Cornell Alumni News'', October, 1950 Members of Sphinx Head have held many prominent positions within Cornell University serving as presidents, provosts, deans, directors of athletics, Cornell Council members, trustees and chairpersons of the board of trustees. More than one-third of the presidents of the Cornell University Alumni Association have been members and twenty percent of the chairpersons of the Cornell University Board of Trustees have been affiliated with the Society. Names of alumni can be found on the Cornell campus on Bartels Hall, Indimine Athletic Field, Samuel C. Johnson School of Business Management, Robert Kane Track, Jansen Noyes Community Center, Jerome H. Holland International Living Center, Robert Purcell Community Center, Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation & Archives,

Willard Straight Hall Willard Straight Hall is the student union building on the central campus of Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. It is located on Campus Road, adjacent to the Ho Plaza and Cornell Health. Background The construction of Willard Straight Hall ...

and Upson Hall. Numerous members are also profiled in ''The 100 Most Notable Cornellians''.

Notable alumni

;1890–1899 * Louis A. Fuertes''The Cornellian'', 1897, pg. 176. (1897): ornithologist; renowned bird artist Hirundo rusticaABP01CA

* Maxwell M. Upson''The Cornellian'', 1899, pg. 183. (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. ;1900–1909 * Neal D. Becker''The Cornellian'', 1905, pg. 261. (1905): Chairman of the

Board of Trustees (1947–1953); member of the

Council on Foreign Relations The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) is an American think tank A think tank, or policy institute, is a research institute that performs research and advocacy concerning topics such as social policy, political strategy, economics, mi ...

; co-founder of the American Australian Association in 1948 *

Romeyn Berry Romeyn Berry (1881-1957) was an American sports administrator and author. Nicknamed "Rym," Berry attended Cornell University, graduating in 1904 and earning a law degree in 1906. During his senior year, Berry was elected to the Sphinx Head Society ...

''The Cornellian'', 1904, pg. 263. (1904): dubbed Cornell Athletics "The Big Red" while composing the lyrics to "The Big Red Team" (a Cornell song) in 1905; Graduate Manager of Cornell Athletics (1919–1935); wrote ''Dirt Roads to Stoneposts'' (1949), ''Stoneposts in the Sunset'' (1950), and ''Behind the Ivy'' (1950) *

John Carpenter John Howard Carpenter (born January 16, 1948) is an American filmmaker, actor, and composer. Although he worked in various film genres, he is most commonly associated with horror, action, and science fiction films of the 1970s and 1980s. He ...

(1907): Olympic athlete in the 400 meter race at the

1908 Olympic Games The 1908 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the IV Olympiad and also known as London 1908) were an international multi-sport event held in London, England, United Kingdom, from 27 April to 31 October 1908. The 1908 Games were ori ...

* Frederick D. Colson (1900): Deputy Attorney General of New York State (1915–1924) * Adolph H. J. Coors, Jr. (1907): second President of the

Coors Brewing Company The Coors Brewing Company started as an American brewery and beer company in Golden, Colorado. In 2005, Adolph Coors Company, the holding company that owned Coors Brewing, merged with Molson, Inc. to become Molson Coors. The first Coors brew ...

* Charles M. French''The Cornellian'', 1910, pg. 359. (1909): Olympic athlete in the 800m race in the

David C. Munson David C. Munson Jr. is an American university professor and administrator and the current president of the Rochester Institute of Technology. Previously, Munson was dean of the University of Michigan College of Engineering from 2006 to 2016. H ...

(1906):

gold medal A gold medal is a medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture. Since the eighteenth century, gold medals have bee ...

ist in the 4 mile team race track & field event at the 1904 Olympic Games * John L. Senior''The Cornellian'', 1901, pg. 211. (1901): first Graduate Manager of Athletics for

(1901–1907); organized the first Spring Day, the predecessor to the current Slope Day * Richmond H. Shreve''The Cornellian'', 1902, pg. 227. (1902): architect who led the construction of the

Empire State Building The Empire State Building is a 102-story Art Deco skyscraper in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. The building was designed by Shreve, Lamb & Harmon and built from 1930 to 1931. Its name is derived from "Empire State", the nickname of the st ...

with his firm

Shreve, Lamb and Harmon Shreve, Lamb, and Harmon, founded as Shreve & Lamb, was an architect, architectural firm, best known for designing the Empire State Building, the tallest building in the world at the time of its completion in 1931. History The firm was founded in ...

* Willard D. Straight (1901): U.S. diplomat; namesake of

, a student union that was constructed in 1925 after his death in 1918; founder of Cornell's annual

; Cornell University Trustee; donated money for the construction of

Schoellkopf Field Schoellkopf Field is a 21,500-capacity stadium at Cornell University's Ithaca campus that opened in 1915 and is used for the Cornell Big Red football, sprint football and lacrosse teams. It is located just north of Cascadilla Creek on the so ...

Ray Van Orman Ray Van Orman (January 25, 1884 – May 24, 1954) was an American veterinarian and college football and lacrosse coach. He served as the head lacrosse and football coach at Johns Hopkins University, from 1920 to 1935 and 1926 to 1935 respectively, ...

(1908): U.S. Olympic lacrosse coach (1928–1932); inducted into the

National Lacrosse Hall of Fame The National Lacrosse Hall of Fame and Museum, is located in Sparks, Maryland at the USA Lacrosse headquarters. Prior to moving to its present location in 2016, the hall of fame and museum was located in Baltimore, Maryland, on the Homewood camp ...

in 1992 * William J. Warner (1903): inducted into the

College Football Hall of Fame The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and interactive attraction devoted to college football. The National Football Foundation (NFF) founded the Hall in 1951 to immortalize the players and coaches of college football that were vote ...

in 1971 ;1910–1919 * Tell S. Berna''The Cornellian'', 1913, pg. 307. (1912): gold medalist in the 3000m team track & field event at the 1912 Olympic Games * Edward T. Cook, Jr. (1910): gold medalist in the pole vault track & field event at the

* Babe Clark (1914): American football player * Ivan C. Dresser''The Cornellian'', 1919, pg. 433. (1919): gold medalist in the 3000 meter track & field event at the 1920 Olympic Games * John "Jack" E. O'Hearn (1915): inducted into the

in 1972 * Murray N. Shelton (1916): inducted into the

in 1973 *

Elbert P. Tuttle Elbert Parr Tuttle (July 17, 1897 – June 23, 1996) was the Chief United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit from 1960 to 1967, when that court became known for a series of decisions crucial in advanc ...

''The Cornellian'', 1918, pg. 395. (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 The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the highest civilian award of the United States, along with the Congressional Gold Medal. It is an award bestowed by the president of the United States to recognize people who have made "an especially merito ...

in 1981 ;1920–1929 *

Charles E. Ackerly Charles Edwin "Charley" Ackerly (January 3, 1898 – August 16, 1982) was an American Amateur wrestling, wrestler who competed in the 1920 Summer Olympics. He was a 1920 graduate of Cornell University where he competed for the Cornell Big Red wr ...

(1920): gold medalist in the wrestling (132 lb. weight class) at the 1920 Olympic Games * Victor L. Butterfield''Cornell Alumni News'', July, 1946 (1927): eleventh President of

Wesleyan University Wesleyan University ( ) is a Private university, private liberal arts college, liberal arts university in Middletown, Connecticut. Founded in 1831 as a Men's colleges in the United States, men's college under the auspices of the Methodist Epis ...

(1943–1967);

Trustee * Walker L. Cisler (1922): nuclear energy advocate; Chairman of

Detroit Edison Company DTE Electric Company (formerly The Detroit Edison Company) was founded in 1886. DTE Electric's power generation portfolio includes renewable energy, but is primarily generated by fossil fuels. In 2021, 67.32% of electricity generated by DTE came ...

(1948–1964); founder of

National Academy of Engineering The National Academy of Engineering (NAE) is an American nonprofit, non-governmental organization. The National Academy of Engineering is part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, along with the National Academy ...

; Chairman of the International Executive Council of the World Energy Conference; President of the

Atomic Industrial Forum The Atomic Industrial Forum (AIF) was an industrial policy organization for the commercial development of nuclear power and energy. History 1950s The Atomic Industrial Forum history dates to Autumn 1952, when it was being first organized: In re ...

and the Fund for Peaceful Atomic Development; recipient of the IEEE

Edison Medal The IEEE Edison Medal is presented by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) "for a career of meritorious achievement in electrical science, electrical engineering, or the electrical arts." It is the oldest medal in this fi ...

"for a career of meritorious achievement in electrical science, electrical engineering or the electrical arts" * Daniel E. Duryea''The Cornellian'', 1928, pg. 179. (1928): film and TV actor immortalized on the

Hollywood Walk of Fame The Hollywood Walk of Fame is a historic landmark which consists of more than 2,700 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, Californ ...

; actor in four

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

shows * Thomas C. Hennings, Jr.''The Cornellian'', 1924, pg. 375. (1924): U.S. Congress Representative for

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 ...

11th District (1934–1940); Senator of Missouri (1951–1960); vigorous proponent of civil liberties, Director of the

Foreign Policy Association The Foreign Policy Association (formerly known as the League of Free Nations Association) is a non-profit organization founded in 1918 dedicated to inspiring the American public to learn more about the world. The Foreign Policy Association aims to ...

and of

Big Brothers of America Big Brothers Big Sisters of America is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose mission is to "create and support one-to-one mentoring relationships that ignite the power and promise of youth". Adult volunteers are matched with children from a ...

* Eddie L. Kaw (1923): inducted into the

in 1954 * Edward B. Kirby (1924):

bronze medal A bronze medal in sports and other similar areas involving competition is a medal made of bronze awarded to the third-place finisher of contests or competitions such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. The outright winner receive ...

ist in the 3000m team track & field event at the 1924 Olympic Games * George R. Pfann (1924): Secretary of Staff to General

George S. Patton George Smith Patton Jr. (November 11, 1885 – December 21, 1945) was a general in the United States Army who commanded the Seventh United States Army in the Mediterranean Theater of World War II, and the Third United States Army in France ...

during his campaign in North Africa, Sicily and Germany;

Rhodes Scholar The Rhodes Scholarship is an international postgraduate award for students to study at the University of Oxford, in the United Kingdom. Established in 1902, it is the oldest graduate scholarship in the world. It is considered among the world' ...

;

Board of Trustees; inducted into the

in 1957 * Henry A. Russell''The Cornellian'', 1926, pg. 341. (1926): gold medalist in the 4 × 100 m race track & field event at the

1928 Olympic Games 1928 Olympics may refer to: *The 1928 Winter Olympics, which were held in St. Moritz, Switzerland *The 1928 Summer Olympics, which were held in Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the capital and most po ...

* Frank L. Sundstrom (1924): U.S. Congress Representative for

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

11th District (1943–1949); inducted into the

in 1978 *

Franchot Tone Stanislaus Pascal Franchot Tone (February 27, 1905 – September 18, 1968) was an American actor, producer, and director of stage, film and television. He was a leading man in the 1930s and early 1940s, and at the height of his career was known ...

''The Cornellian'', 1927, pg. 327. (1927): actor nominated for an

Academy Award for Best Actor The Academy Award for Best Actor is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is given to an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a leading role in a film released that year. The ...

in 1935 for ''

Mutiny on the Bounty The mutiny on the Royal Navy vessel occurred in the South Pacific Ocean on 28 April 1789. Disaffected crewmen, led by acting-Lieutenant Fletcher Christian, seized control of the ship from their captain, Lieutenant William Bligh, and set h ...

'' (1935); immortalized on the

; stage actor featured in 24

shows * Eugene Tonkonogy (1926): entrepreneur ;1930–1939 * Jerome "Brud" H. Holland''The Cornellian'', 1939, pg. 193. (1939): President of

Delaware State College Delaware State University (DSU or Del State) is a public historically black land-grant research university in Dover, Delaware. DSU also has two satellite campuses: one in Wilmington and one in Georgetown. The university encompasses four col ...

(1953–1959) and

Hampton Institute Hampton University is a private, historically black, research university in Hampton, Virginia. Founded in 1868 as Hampton Agricultural and Industrial School, it was established by Black and White leaders of the American Missionary Association aft ...

(1960–1970); U.S. Ambassador to Sweden (1970–1972); Chairman of the

American Red Cross The American Red Cross (ARC), also known as the American National Red Cross, is a non-profit humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief, and disaster preparedness education in the United States. It is the desi ...

Board of Governors (1980–1985); first African-American to serve on the board of the

New York Stock Exchange The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE, nicknamed "The Big Board") is an American stock exchange in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan in New York City. It is by far the world's largest stock exchange by market capitalization of its listed c ...

; inducted into the

in 1965 * Robert J. Kane''The Cornellian'', 1934, pg. 129. (1934): President of the

U.S. Olympic Committee The United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) is the National Olympic Committee and the National Paralympic Committee for the United States. It was founded in 1895 as the United States Olympic Committee, and is headquartered in Col ...

(1977–1980); Director of Athletics at Cornell (1946–1971); author of ''Good Sports: A History of Cornell Athletics''; namesake of the Robert J. Kane Track *

Theodore Kheel Theodore Woodrow Kheel (May 9, 1914 – November 12, 2010) was an American attorney and labor mediator who played a key role in reaching resolutions of long-simmering labor disputes between managements and unions and resulting strikes in New ...

(1935): Executive Director of the National War Labor Board; author of ''The Keys to Conflict Resolution'' * Oscar G. Mayer, Jr. (1934): business executive who served as chairman of

Oscar Mayer Oscar Mayer is an American meat and cold cut producer known for its hot dogs, bologna, bacon, ham, and Lunchables products. The company is a subsidiary of the Kraft Heinz Company and based in Chicago, Illinois. History Early years German immigr ...

; retired in 1971 after 41 years at the company and achieving over 1 billion dollars in annual sales * Jansen Noyes, Jr. (1939): Chairman of the

Board of Trustees (1978–1984); Director of Helen Keller International, 1946–1996 * Robert W. Purcell''The Cornellian'', 1933, pg. 183. (1932): Chairman of the

Board of Trustees (1968–1978); donor and namesake of Robert Purcell Community Center (RPCC) *

Henry S. Reuss Henry Schoellkopf Reuss (February 22, 1912 – January 12, 2002) was a Democratic U.S. Representative from Wisconsin. Early life Henry Schoellkopf Reuss was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He was the son of Gustav A. Reuss (pronounced ''Royce' ...

(1933): U.S. Congress Representative for

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

(1955–1983); co-founder of the

Peace Corps The Peace Corps is an independent agency and program of the United States government that trains and deploys volunteers to provide international development assistance. It was established in March 1961 by an executive order of President John F. ...

* Robert V. Tishman (1937): founder of

Tishman Speyer Properties Tishman Speyer Properties is an American company that invests in real estate. History The firm was founded in 1978 by Robert Tishman and Jerry Speyer. In March 1988, the company announced its first project in Europe, the construction of a 70 ...

* E. Stewart Williams''The Cornellian'', 1932, pg. 165. (1932):

Palm Springs, California Palm Springs (Cahuilla: ''Séc-he'') is a desert resort city in Riverside County, California, United States, within the Colorado Desert's Coachella Valley. The city covers approximately , making it the largest city in Riverside County by land a ...

-based architect with a distinctive

modernist Modernism is both a philosophical and arts movement that arose from broad transformations in Western society during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The movement reflected a desire for the creation of new forms of art, philosophy, an ...

style ;1940–1949 * Nicholas Drahos (1941): inducted into the

in 1981 * Edward T. Peterson (1948): professional basketball player with the

Syracuse Nationals The Philadelphia 76ers are an American basketball team currently playing in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The 76ers are third in NBA history in wins and playoff appearances. 1946– ...

and

Tri-Cities Blackhawks Tri-Cities most often refers to: *Tri-Cities, Tennessee, United States *Tri-Cities, Washington, United States Tri-City, Tricity or Tri-Cities may also refer to: Populated places Americas Canada *Tri-Cities (British Columbia), consisting of Co ...

* Samuel R. Pierce, Jr.''The Cornellian'', 1944, pg. 93. (1944): Secretary of the

United States Department of Housing and Urban Development The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is one of the executive departments of the U.S. federal government. It administers federal housing and urban development laws. It is headed by the Secretary of Housing and Urb ...

under President

Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician, actor, and union leader who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He also served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 ...

(1981–1989) ;1950–1959 *

Colin G. Campbell Colin Goetze Campbell (born November 3, 1935) is an American who served as the thirteenth president of Wesleyan University and the President of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund and the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. Early life He is the son of Jos ...

''The Cornellian'', 1957, pg. 295. (1957): Chairman, President, and CEO of the

Colonial Williamsburg Foundation Colonial Williamsburg is a living-history museum and private foundation presenting a part of the historic district in the city of Williamsburg, Virginia, United States. The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation has 7300 employees at this location and ...

; thirteenth and youngest President of

(1970–1988); President of the

Rockefeller Brothers Fund The Rockefeller Brothers Fund (RBF) is a philanthropic foundation created and run by members of the Rockefeller family. It was founded in New York City in 1940 as the primary philanthropic vehicle for the five third-generation Rockefeller brothe ...

(1987–2000) * Kenneth T. Derr''The Cornellian'', 1958, pg. 151. (1958): Chairman and CEO of

Chevron Corporation Chevron Corporation is an American multinational energy corporation. The second-largest direct descendant of Standard Oil, and originally known as the Standard Oil Company of California (shortened to Socal or CalSo), it is headquartered in S ...

(1989–1999); member of the

* Samuel C. Johnson, Jr.''The Cornellian'', 1950, pg. 161. (1950): former Chairperson of S. C. Johnson & Son, Inc.; major donor and co-namesake of the

Johnson Graduate School of Management The Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management is the Graduate school, graduate business school in the SC Johnson College of Business at Cornell University, a private university, private Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New Yor ...

at Cornell University * Robert D. Kennedy''The Cornellian'', 1954, pg. 139. (1954): President and CEO of

Union Carbide Union Carbide Corporation is an American chemical corporation wholly owned subsidiary (since February 6, 2001) by Dow Chemical Company. Union Carbide produces chemicals and polymers that undergo one or more further conversions by customers befor ...

(1986–1995) * Charles F. Knight (1957):

Emerson Electric Emerson Electric Co. is an American multinational corporation headquartered in Ferguson, Missouri. The ''Fortune'' 500 company manufactures products and provides engineering services for industrial, commercial, and consumer markets.

CEO (1973–2000), President (1986–1988, 1995–1997), and Board Chairman (1974–2000); board member of many other companies including

Anheuser-Busch Anheuser-Busch Companies, LLC is an American brewing company headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri. Since 2008, it has been wholly owned by Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV (AB InBev), now the world's largest brewing company, which owns multiple glo ...

(1987–present),

AT&T AT&T Inc. is an American multinational telecommunications holding company headquartered at Whitacre Tower in Downtown Dallas, Texas. It is the world's largest telecommunications company by revenue and the third largest provider of mobile tel ...

(2006–present), IBM (1993–present),

Baxter International Baxter International Inc. is an American multinational healthcare company with headquarters in Deerfield, Illinois. The company primarily focuses on products to treat kidney disease, and other chronic and acute medical conditions. The company ...

, British Petroleum (1987–2005),

Caterpillar Inc. Caterpillar Inc. (stock symbol CAT) is an American ''Fortune'' 500 corporation and the world's largest construction-equipment manufacturer. In 2018, Caterpillar was ranked number 65 on the ''Fortune'' 500 list and number 238 on the Global ''Fo ...

Missouri Pacific The Missouri Pacific Railroad , commonly abbreviated as MoPac, was one of the first railroads in the United States west of the Mississippi River. MoPac was a Class I railroad growing from dozens of predecessors and mergers. In 1967, the railroad ...

Morgan Stanley Morgan Stanley is an American multinational investment management and financial services company headquartered at 1585 Broadway in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. With offices in more than 41 countries and more than 75,000 employees, the fir ...

(1999–2005),

Ralston Purina Ralston Purina Company was a St. Louis, Missouri,–based American conglomerate with substantial holdings in animal feed, food, pet food, consumer products, and entertainment. On December 12, 2001, it merged with Swiss food-giant Nestlé's Fri ...

, SBC (1983–2006), and Southwestern Bell (1974–1983) *

Thomas C. Reed Thomas Care Reed (born March 1, 1934) was the 11th Secretary of the Air Force from January 2, 1976 to April 6, 1977 under Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter.Laurie, Clayton. Leaders of the National Reconnaissance Office 1961–2001. Office of the Hist ...

''The Cornellian'', 1955, pg. 195. (1955):

nuclear weapons A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission (fission bomb) or a combination of fission and fusion reactions (thermonuclear bomb), producing a nuclear explosion. Both bomb ...

expert; U.S. Secretary of the Air Force from January 2, 1976 – April 6, 1977 under Presidents Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter; 6th Director of the National Reconnaissance Office (August, 1976-April 1977) * Dick Savitt, Richard "Dick" Savitt (1950): professional tennis player; winner of List of Wimbledon Gentlemen's Singles champions, Wimbledon and the Australian Open in 1951; ranked 2nd in the world for tennis in 1951; inducted into several halls of fame including the International Tennis Hall of Fame (1976), the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame (1986), Tennis Association Men's Collegiate Tennis Hall of Fame (1986), and the USTA Eastern Tennis Hall of Fame (1999) * Dick Schaap, Richard "Dick" J. Schaap (1955): sports broadcaster for NBC, American Broadcasting Company, ABC and ESPN; received two Emmy Awards; author and co-author of 33 books ;1960–1969

* Steve Belkin, 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 * Dave Bliss (1965): former head basketball coach of Baylor University and Southern Methodist University; major participant in the Baylor University basketball scandal * Samuel Bodman, Samuel W. Bodman''The Cornellian'', 1960, pg. 105. (1961): former United States Secretary of Energy (2005–2009), former Deputy Secretary of the Treasury (2004), and former Deputy Secretary of Commerce (2001–2004); Cornell University Trustee * Peter Coors, Peter H. Coors''The Cornellian'', 1969, pg. 94. (1969): Chairman of the

* Pete Gogolak, Peter K. Gogolak''The Cornellian'', 1964, pg. 79. (1964): football player for the New York Giants, Buffalo Bills * Pete Larson (football), H. Peter Larson III (1967): professional football player with the Washington Redskins (1967–1968) * Gary Wood, Gary F. Wood (1964): professional football player for the New York Giants (1964–1966, 1968–1969) and the New Orleans Saints (1967); inducted into the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 1996 ;1970–1979 * Jon Anderson (runner), Jon P. Anderson''The Cornellian'', 1971, pg. 405. (1971): winner of the 1973 Boston Marathon and 1981 Honolulu Marathon; member of the 1972 US Olympic track and field team * Mike French (lacrosse), Michael G. French (1976): First Team All-American lacrosse player; inducted into the

in 1991 * Ed Marinaro (1972): runner-up for the 1971 Heisman trophy; inducted into the

in 1991; actor most known for his portrayal of Officer Joe Coffey in ''Hill Street Blues''; selected as one of the ''100 Most Notable Cornellians'' * John M. Paxton, Jr. (1973): United States Marine Corps General Officer; 33rd Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps; previously Commanding General, II Marine Expeditionary Force; previously J-3, Director for Operations for The Joint Chiefs of Staff ;1980–1989 * Darren Eliot, Darren J. Eliot (1983): professional hockey goaltender; member of the 1984 Canadian Olympic ice hockey team * Jim Knowles (American football), James Knowles (1987): Head Coach of the

Men's Football team (2004–2009) * Daniel P. Meyer (1986): Executive Director for Intelligence Community Whistleblowing & Source Protection (ICW&SP); former Naval officer and whistleblower during the investigation into the USS Iowa turret explosion, 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 * Lee Reherman, Leo J. Reherman (1988): professional football player (Miami Dolphins); competed on ''American Gladiators (1989 TV series), American Gladiators'' as "Hawk" (1993–1996); sports broadcaster for ESPN ;1990–1999 * Seth Payne, Seth C. Payne (1997): professional football player (Houston Texans) ;2000–present * Mitch Belisle, Mitchell D. Belisle (2007): Major League Lacrosse player on the Los Angeles Riptide (2007–present); recipient of the 2007 Schmeisser Award, awarded to the nation's most outstanding NCAA lacrosse defenseman * Tori Christ (2014): Professional Soccer Player Boston Breakers and the Swedish team Västerås BK30 * Sean Collins (ice hockey, born 1988), Sean Collins (2012): professional hockey player Columbus Blue Jackets in the National Hockey League and Springfield Falcons in the American Hockey League * Seth Flowerman, Seth N. Flowerman (2008): entrepreneur recognized for his business success while a student in high school and college * Jeff Mathews (2014): professional football player, Atlanta Falcons * Ryan McClay (2003): World Lacrosse Championship, 2010 Men's National Lacrosse Team * Brendon Nash (2010): professional hockey player Montreal Canadiens in the National Hockey League and Hamilton Bulldogs (AHL), Hamilton Bulldogs in the American Hockey League * Riley Nash (2011): player for the Carolina Hurricanes * Manuel Natal (2008): Member of the 29th House of Representatives of Puerto Rico (2013–present) * 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 * Max Seibald, Maxwell O. Seibald (2009): four-time All-American Lacrosse player; recipient of the 2009 Tewaaraton Trophy; recipient of the 2009 Lt. Raymond Enners Award; recipient of the McLaughlin Award; the only men's lacrosse player in the history of the Ivy League to be named a four-time first-team All-Ivy selection; World Lacrosse Championship, 2010 Men's National Lacrosse Team; currently plays for the Denver Outlaws * Luke Tasker (2013): professional football player, San Diego Chargers * Dominique Thorne (2019): actress, notably portraying Ironheart (character), Riri Williams / Ironheart in the upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe Disney+ television series Ironheart (TV series), Ironheart. * Bryan Walters (2010): wide receiver for the Jacksonville Jaguars of the National Football League * Cheryl Yeoh (2005): Chinese-Malaysian entrepreneur, speaker and angel investor.

References

{{Authority control Collegiate secret societies Honor societies 1890 establishments in New York (state) Student societies in the United States Student organizations established in 1890