The Dragon Society or Society of Dragons is a
secret society of senior men at
Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College (; ) is a private research university in Hanover, New Hampshire. Established in 1769 by Eleazar Wheelock, it is one of the nine colonial colleges chartered before the American Revolution. Although founded to educate Native ...
in
Hanover, New Hampshire
Hanover is a town located along the Connecticut River in Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States. As of the 2020 census, its population was 11,870. The town is home to the Ivy League university Dartmouth College, the U.S. Army Corps of En ...
, United States. The group's membership and organizational structure are unknown, with notable exceptions. Dragon has been in continuous operation since its founding in 1898.
History
The Dragon Society or Society of Dragons was established as a senior men's secret society at
Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College (; ) is a private research university in Hanover, New Hampshire. Established in 1769 by Eleazar Wheelock, it is one of the nine colonial colleges chartered before the American Revolution. Although founded to educate Native ...
. Because it is a secret society, little verifiable information is available about its activities, membership, and organizational structure.
Membership
Membership consists of a small number of senior men who are selected during their junior year in a school-wide selection process known as "tapping." Every winter and spring, juniors are tapped for the senior societies through a process semi-coordinated through the College. Members are thought to be leaders of Dartmouth's athletic teams and fraternities. Taps are voted on by the membership.
Members do not carry identifying canes at commencement, nor do they identify themselves in Dartmouth's yearbook,
''The Aegis''. Members of Dartmouth's other secret societies identify themselves in either or both ways.
Notable members
Despite the secrecy that surrounds the society, the Dartmouth Board of Trustees website lists trustee
Jeff Immelt
Jeffrey Robert Immelt (born February 19, 1956) is an American business executive currently working as a venture partner at New Enterprise Associates. He previously served as the CEO of General Electric from 2001 to 2017, and the CEO of GE's Medi ...
, the former CEO of
General Electric
General Electric Company (GE) is an American multinational conglomerate founded in 1892, and incorporated in New York state and headquartered in Boston. The company operated in sectors including healthcare, aviation, power, renewable en ...
, as a member of the Dragon Society.
"General Electric CEO Made Rapid Rise," The Harvard Crimson (newspaper), June 8, 2005
/ref>
See also
* Dartmouth College student groups
This article contains detailed information on a number of student groups at Dartmouth College. For more information on athletic teams, please see Dartmouth College athletic teams. For more information on college publications, please see Dartmouth ...
* Collegiate secret societies in North America
There are many collegiate secret societies in North America. They vary greatly in their level of secrecy and the degree of independence from their universities. A collegiate ''secret society'' makes significant effort to keep affairs, membership r ...
References
External links
The Dartmouth (newspaper) January 31, 1997
* ttps://web.archive.org/web/20091002213727/http://www.dartmouthindependent.com/archives/2005/09/covered_underco.html%3D "Covered Undercover," The Dartmouth Independent (newspaper), September 19, 2005
{{Authority control
Dartmouth College undergraduate societies
Collegiate secret societies
Student societies in the United States
Student organizations established in 1898
1898 establishments in New Hampshire