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 tea ...

. 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 d ...

'' 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 university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Sta ...

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.

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

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* Charles M. French''The Cornellian'', 1910, pg. 359. (1909): Olympic athlete in the 800m race in the 1908 Olympic Games *

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 medalist 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 with his firm

Shreve, Lamb and Harmon Shreve, Lamb, and Harmon, founded as Shreve & Lamb, was an 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 1920 as ...

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

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in 1992 * William J. Warner (1903): inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame 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 1908 Olympic Games * 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 The 1920 Summer Olympics (french: Jeux olympiques d'été de 1920; nl, Olympische Zomerspelen van 1920; german: Olympische Sommerspiele 1920), officially known as the Games of the VII Olympiad (french: Jeux de la VIIe olympiade; nl, Spelen van ...

* John "Jack" E. O'Hearn (1915): inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1972 * Murray N. Shelton (1916): inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1973 * Elbert P. Tuttle''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 merit ...

in 1981 ;1920–1929 * Charles E. Ackerly (1920): gold medalist in the wrestling (132 lb. weight class) at the

* Victor L. Butterfield''Cornell Alumni News'', July, 1946 (1927): eleventh President of

Wesleyan University Wesleyan University ( ) is a private liberal arts university in Middletown, Connecticut. Founded in 1831 as a men's college under the auspices of the Methodist Episcopal Church and with the support of prominent residents of Middletown, the col ...

(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 of ...

; Chairman of the International Executive Council of the World Energy Conference; President of the Atomic Industrial Forum 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; 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 state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee): Iowa to the north, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee to the east, Arkansas t ...

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 * Eddie L. Kaw (1923): inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1954 * Edward B. Kirby (1924): bronze medalist 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;

Board of Trustees; inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame 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 * 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 College Football Hall of Fame 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 Hollywood Walk of Fame; 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

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(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 College Football Hall of Fame 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 Helen Keller International combats the causes and consequences of blindness and malnutrition by establishing programs based on evidence and research in vision, health and nutrition. Founded in 1915 by Helen Keller and George A. Kessler, the orga ...

, 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 Emerson Stewart Williams, FAIA (November 15, 1909 – September 10, 2005) was a prolific Palm Springs, California-based architect whose distinctive modernist buildings, in the Mid-century modern style, significantly shaped the Coachella Val ...

''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 College Football Hall of Fame 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 Council on Foreign Relations * 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),

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, 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 o ...

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 A secretary, administrative professional, administrative assistant, executive assistant, administrative officer, administrative support specialist, clerk, military assistant, management assistant, office secretary, or personal assistant is a w ...

from January 2, 1976 – April 6, 1977 under Presidents

Gerald Ford Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr. ( ; born Leslie Lynch King Jr.; July 14, 1913December 26, 2006) was an American politician who served as the 38th president of the United States from 1974 to 1977. He was the only president never to have been elected ...

and

Jimmy Carter James Earl Carter Jr. (born October 1, 1924) is an American politician who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he previously served as th ...

; 6th Director of the

National Reconnaissance Office The National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) is a member of the United States Intelligence Community and an agency of the United States Department of Defense which designs, builds, launches, and operates the reconnaissance satellites of the U.S. f ...

(August, 1976-April 1977) * Richard "Dick" Savitt (1950): professional tennis player; winner of

Wimbledon Wimbledon most often refers to: * Wimbledon, London, a district of southwest London * Wimbledon Championships, the oldest tennis tournament in the world and one of the four Grand Slam championships Wimbledon may also refer to: Places London * ...

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 The International Tennis Hall of Fame is located in Newport, Rhode Island, United States. It honors both players and other contributors to the sport of tennis. The complex, the former Newport Casino, includes a museum, grass tennis courts, an indo ...

(1976), the

International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame The International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame ( he, יד לאיש הספורט היהודי, translit=Yad Le'ish HaSport HaYehudi) was opened July 7, 1981 in Netanya, Israel. It honors Jewish athletes and their accomplishments from anywhere around ...

(1986), Tennis Association Men's Collegiate Tennis Hall of Fame (1986), and the USTA Eastern Tennis Hall of Fame (1999) * Richard "Dick" J. Schaap (1955): sports broadcaster for

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

and

ESPN ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...

; received two

Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

s; author and co-author of 33 books ;1960–1969 Samuel Bodman

* 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 The Atlanta Thrashers were a professional ice hockey team based in Atlanta. Atlanta was granted a franchise in the National Hockey League (NHL) on June 25, 1997, and became the League's 28th franchise when it began play in the 1999–2000 seaso ...

and

Atlanta Hawks The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta. The Hawks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern Conference Southeast Division (NBA), Sou ...

Dave Bliss David Gregory Bliss (born September 20, 1943) is an American basketball coach. He served as the head men's basketball coach at University of Oklahoma, Southern Methodist University, the University of New Mexico, Baylor University, and Southwester ...

(1965): former head basketball coach of

Baylor University Baylor University is a private Baptist Christian research university in Waco, Texas. Baylor was chartered in 1845 by the last Congress of the Republic of Texas. Baylor is the oldest continuously operating university in Texas and one of the fir ...

and

Southern Methodist University , mottoeng = "The truth will make you free" , established = , type = Private research university , accreditation = SACS , academic_affiliations = , religious_affiliation = United Methodist Church , president = R. Gerald Turner , prov ...

; major participant in the Baylor University basketball scandal * Samuel W. Bodman''The Cornellian'', 1960, pg. 105. (1961): former

United States Secretary of Energy The United States secretary of energy is the head of the United States Department of Energy, a member of the Cabinet of the United States, and fifteenth in the United States presidential line of succession, presidential line of succession. The po ...

(2005–2009), former

Deputy Secretary of the Treasury The United States Deputy Secretary of the Treasury, in the United States government, advises and assists the Secretary of the Treasury in the supervision and direction of the Department of the Treasury and its activities, and succeeds the Secret ...

(2004), and former

Deputy Secretary of Commerce The Deputy Secretary of Commerce is a high-ranking position within the U.S. Department of Commerce. It was created on December 13, 1979, when President Jimmy Carter sent a letter to the U.S. Senate and nominated Luther H. Hodges Jr., who then cu ...

(2001–2004); Cornell University Trustee * Peter H. Coors''The Cornellian'', 1969, pg. 94. (1969): Chairman of the

* Peter K. Gogolak''The Cornellian'', 1964, pg. 79. (1964): football player for the New York Giants, Buffalo Bills * H. Peter Larson III (1967): professional football player with the

Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...

(1967–1968) * Gary F. Wood (1964): professional football player for the

New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...

(1964–1966, 1968–1969) and the

New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...

(1967); inducted into the

National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame The National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame and Museum, in Commack, New York, is dedicated to honoring American Jewish figures who have distinguished themselves in sports. Its objective is to foster Jewish identity through athletics, and to commemo ...

in 1996 ;1970–1979 * Jon P. Anderson''The Cornellian'', 1971, pg. 405. (1971): winner of the 1973

Boston Marathon The Boston Marathon is an annual marathon race hosted by several cities and towns in greater Boston in eastern Massachusetts, United States. It is traditionally held on Patriots' Day, the third Monday of April. Begun in 1897, the event was i ...

and 1981

Honolulu Marathon The Honolulu Marathon (branded JAL Honolulu Marathon for sponsorship reasons) is a marathon (26.2 miles or 42.2km) in Honolulu, Hawaii, first held in 1973. It is one of the world's largest marathons, taking place annually on the second Sunday i ...

; member of the 1972 US Olympic track and field team * Michael G. French (1976): First Team All-American lacrosse player; inducted into the

in 1991 *

Ed Marinaro Ed Marinaro (born March 31, 1950) is an American actor and former NFL player. In 1971, he was a unanimous All-American and finished as a runner-up to Pat Sullivan for the Heisman Trophy, and from 2010 to 2011 starred in the football comedy s ...

(1972): runner-up for the 1971

Heisman trophy The Heisman Memorial Trophy (usually known colloquially as the Heisman Trophy or The Heisman) is awarded annually to the most outstanding player in college football. Winners epitomize great ability combined with diligence, perseverance, and hard ...

; inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1991; actor most known for his portrayal of Officer Joe Coffey in ''

Hill Street Blues ''Hill Street Blues'' is an American serial police procedural television series that aired on NBC in prime-time from January 15, 1981, to May 12, 1987, for 146 episodes. The show chronicles the lives of the staff of a single police station loca ...

''; 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 The II Marine Expeditionary Force (II MEF) is a Marine Air-Ground Task Force consisting of ground, air and logistics forces capable of projecting offensive combat power ashore while sustaining itself in combat without external assistance for a ...

; previously J-3, Director for Operations for

The Joint Chiefs of Staff The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) is the body of the most senior uniformed leaders within the United States Department of Defense, that advises the president of the United States, the secretary of defense, the Homeland Security Council and the ...

;1980–1989 * Darren J. Eliot (1983): professional hockey goaltender; member of the 1984 Canadian Olympic ice hockey team * 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 explosion onboard battleship USS ''Iowa'' (BB-61) *

Joe Nieuwendyk Joseph Nieuwendyk ( ; born September 10, 1966) is a Canadian former National Hockey League (NHL) player. He was a second round selection of the Calgary Flames, 27th overall, at the 1985 NHL Entry Draft and played 20 seasons for the Flames, Dallas ...

(1988): 21-year NHL veteran; three-time Stanley Cup winner; 2002 Olympic gold medal winner; General Manager of the Dallas Stars of the NHL * Leo J. Reherman (1988): professional football player (

Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team pla ...

); competed on '' American Gladiators'' as "Hawk" (1993–1996); sports broadcaster for ESPN ;1990–1999 * Seth C. Payne (1997): professional football player (

Houston Texans The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division, and play their home ga ...

) ;2000–present * Mitchell D. Belisle (2007):

Major League Lacrosse Major League Lacrosse (MLL) was a men's field lacrosse league in the United States. The league's inaugural season was in 2001. Teams played anywhere from ten to 16 games in a summertime regular season. This was followed by a four-team playoff f ...

player on the

Los Angeles Riptide The Los Angeles Riptide were a lacrosse team based in Carson, California. From 2006 to 2008, they played in Major League Lacrosse and ceased operations before the 2009 season. Franchise history In March 2005, Major League Lacrosse, MLL announced ...

(2007–present); recipient of the 2007

Schmeisser Award The William C. Schmeisser Award is an award given annually to the NCAA's most outstanding defenseman in men's college lacrosse. The award is presented by the USILA and is named after William C. "Father Bill" Schmeisser, a player and coach for John ...

, awarded to the nation's most outstanding NCAA lacrosse defenseman * Tori Christ (2014): Professional Soccer Player

Boston Breakers The Boston Breakers were an American professional soccer club based in the Boston neighborhood of Allston. The team competed in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). They replaced the original Breakers, who competed in the defunct Women's ...

and the Swedish team Västerås BK30 * Sean Collins (2012): professional hockey player

Columbus Blue Jackets The Columbus Blue Jackets (often simply referred to as the Jackets) are a professional ice hockey team based in Columbus, Ohio. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference, ...

in the

National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...

and

Springfield Falcons The Springfield Falcons were a former ice hockey team in the American Hockey League (AHL) and played in Springfield, Massachusetts, at the MassMutual Center. In 2016, the Falcons' franchise was purchased by the National Hockey League (NHL)'s Ar ...

in the

American Hockey League The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary Minor league#Ice hockey, developmental league for the National Hockey League (NHL). Since the 2010–11 AHL se ...

* Seth N. Flowerman (2008): entrepreneur recognized for his business success while a student in high school and college *

Jeff Mathews Jeffrey Kyle Mathews (born August 25, 1991) is a former American football quarterback who played four seasons in the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played college football at Cornell, where he was ranked among the top 20 quarterbacks in pas ...

(2014): professional football player,

Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The Falcons joined th ...

Ryan McClay Ryan McClay (August 6, 1981 ) is an American lacrosse player. He plays defense for the New Jersey Pride in Major League Lacrosse since he was drafted by the team in the first round in the 2003 college draft. He played his college lacrosse at Co ...

(2003): 2010 Men's National Lacrosse Team *

Brendon Nash Brendon Gregory Nash (born March 31, 1987) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. ...

(2010): professional hockey player

Montreal Canadiens The Montreal CanadiensEven in English, the French spelling is always used instead of ''Canadians''. The French spelling of ''Montréal'' is also sometimes used in the English media. (french: link=no, Les Canadiens de Montréal), officially ...

in the National Hockey League and

Hamilton Bulldogs The Hamilton Bulldogs are a major junior ice hockey team in the Ontario Hockey League that began to play in the 2015–16 OHL season, 2015–16 season. Based in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, the Bulldogs play their home games at FirstOntario Cent ...

in the American Hockey League *

Riley Nash Riley Nash (born May 9, 1989) is a Canadian professional ice hockey forward who is currently playing for the Charlotte Checkers of the American Hockey League (AHL). He was originally selected by the Edmonton Oilers in the first round, 21st over ...

(2011): player for the

Carolina Hurricanes The Carolina Hurricanes (colloquially known as the Canes) are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference, ...

* Manuel Natal (2008): Member of the 29th

House of Representatives of Puerto Rico The House of Representatives of Puerto Rico ( es, Cámara de Representantes de Puerto Rico) is the lower house of the Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico, the bicameral state legislature (United States), territorial legislature of Puerto Rico. ...

(2013–present) *

Rob Pannell Rob Pannell (born December 11, 1989) is an American professional lacrosse player who plays for Redwoods Lacrosse Club and formerly for Cornell University. He is the fourth leading scorer in men's Division I history, and holds the Cornell and Ivy ...

(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 An ESPY Award (short for Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly Award) is an accolade currently presented by the American broadcast television network ABC, and previously ESPN (as of the 2017 ESPY Awards the latter still airs them in the form ...

nominee; recipient of the 2013

Tewaaraton Trophy The Tewaaraton Award is an annual award for the most outstanding American college lacrosse men's and women's players, since 2001. It is the lacrosse equivalent of football's Heisman Trophy. The award is presented by The Tewaaraton Foundation and th ...

; currently plays for the

Long Island Lizards The New York Lizards, originally the Long Island Lizards, were a Major League Lacrosse (MLL) team based in Hempstead, New York, located on Long Island. They are original members of the MLL. They lost the league's inaugural game on June 7, 2001 to ...

* Maxwell O. Seibald (2009): four-time All-American Lacrosse player; recipient of the 2009

; recipient of the 2009

Lt. Raymond Enners Award The Lt. Raymond Enners Award is an award given annually to the NCAA's most outstanding player in men's college lacrosse. The award is presented by the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA) and is named after 1st Lt. Raymond J ...

; recipient of the

McLaughlin Award The Lt. Donald MacLaughlin Jr. Award — also known as the "Don MacLaughlin Award" — has been given annually since 1973 by the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA) to the NCAA's most outstanding college lacrosse midfielder. ...

; the only men's lacrosse player in the history of the

Ivy League The Ivy League is an American collegiate athletic conference comprising eight private research universities in the Northeastern United States. The term ''Ivy League'' is typically used beyond the sports context to refer to the eight schools ...

to be named a four-time first-team All-Ivy selection; 2010 Men's National Lacrosse Team; currently plays for the

Denver Outlaws The Denver Outlaws were a Major League Lacrosse professional men's field lacrosse team based in Denver, Colorado, United States. They began playing in the MLL in 2006 as an expansion team. Since joining the league, the Outlaws have played in the ...

Luke Tasker Lucas Steele Tasker (born January 18, 1991) is a former Canadian football wide receiver and sports broadcaster. He spent the entirety of his seven-season Canadian Football League career with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. Tasker played college football ...

(2013): professional football player,

San Diego Chargers The San Diego Chargers were a professional American football team that played in San Diego from 1961 until the end of the 2016 season, before relocating to Los Angeles, where the franchise had played its inaugural 1960 season. The team is now ...

Dominique Thorne Dominique Thorne is an American actress. She appeared in the films ''If Beale Street Could Talk'' (2018) and '' Judas and the Black Messiah'' (2021). In 2022, she began playing Riri Williams / Ironheart with the Marvel Cinematic Universe featu ...

(2019): actress, notably portraying Riri Williams / Ironheart in the upcoming

Marvel Cinematic Universe The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is an American media franchise and shared universe centered on a series of superhero films produced by Marvel Studios. The films are based on characters that appear in American comic books published by ...

Disney+ television series Ironheart. *

Bryan Walters Bryan Robert Walters (born November 4, 1987) is a former American football wide receiver. He played college football at Cornell, where he was elected to the Sphinx Head Society. With the Seattle Seahawks, he won Super Bowl XLVIII over the Den ...

(2010): wide receiver for the

Jacksonville Jaguars The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division. The team play ...

of the

National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...

* 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