Sphinx Head Society

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The Sphinx Head Society is the oldest senior honor society at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. Sphinx Head recognizes Cornell senior men and women who, throughout their undergraduate years, have demonstrated respectable strength of character on top of a dedication to leadership and service at Cornell University.^[1]

Election into Sphinx Head has been recognized by The New York Times as "the highest non-scholastic honor within reach of undergraduates."[2]

Contents 1 Founding 2 Membership 3 At Cornell 4 After Cornell 5 Notable alumni 6 References

[edit] Founding

Sphinx Head was founded in 1890 by a group of men from the senior class.^[3]

 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."[3]

In 1891, The New York Times referred to Sphinx Head as "a secret senior society of the nature of Skull and Bones," a senior honor society at Yale University of which Andrew Dickson White, Cornell University's Co-founder and first President, was a member.[4]

  White encouraged the formation a secret society system on the Cornell campus.[5]

[edit] Membership

Each year, Sphinx Head usually taps fewer than forty members of the senior class for membership, both men and women.^[3]

 Since the Society's founding, membership has been "reserved for the most respected" members of the senior class at Cornell.[6]

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. ^[7]

[8]

[9]

  Sphinx Head also awards honorary membership to Cornell administration, 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." [1]

[edit] At Cornell

Sphinx Head has "retained an aura of mystery throughout its history on campus," holding some "closely guarded secrets and traditions."^[10]

Although membership in Sphinx Head is public, the proceedings of the Society remain concealed. Since the 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 Day, the precursor to the current Slope Day celebration. [11]

^{[12] [13]}

Members of Sphinx Head have held many prominent positions within Cornell University serving as Provosts, Deans, Director of Athletics, Cornell Council Member, Trustees and Chairman of the Board of Trustees. 20% of the Chairmans of the Cornell University Board of Trustees have been alumni of Sphinx Head and more than 1/3 of the Presidents of the Cornell University Alumni Association have also been alumni. ^{[14] [15]}

Names of alumni can be found on Bartles Hall, Fernow Hall, Samuel C. Johnson School of Business Management, Robert Kane Track, Jansen Noyes Community Center, Robert Purcell Community Center, Willard Straight Hall and Upson Hall.

[edit] After Cornell

Many Sphinx Heads have attained great success and distinction in their post-collegiate careers. Members have gone on to careers in government as U.S. Presidential Cabinet members; United States Senators, Members of the U.S. House of Representatives, U.S. Secretary of Armed Forces, U.S. Ambassadors and members of state and local legislators. In business, members have gone on to become CEO, Chairman and Board Members of American Red Cross, AT&T, British Petroleum, Chevron Corporation, Coors Brewing Company, Emerson Electric, IBM, Morgan Stanley, Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding, Paramount Pictures, S. C. Johnson & Son, Inc., Union Carbide and other Fortune 500 companies. In education, members have won Rhodes Scholarships and become deans and presidents of top universities. In athletics, members have gone on become Olympic Gold medalists and members of both Cornell University and National Athletic Halls of Fame. At Cornell, members have become chairmen and members of the Cornell University Board of Trustees, Cornell University Council, major Cornell University donors and Frank H.T. Rhodes Exemplary Alumni Service Award winners.^{[16] [17]}

Numerous members are also profiled in The 100 Most Notable Cornellians.[18]

[edit] Notable alumni

Some notable Sphinx Heads include:

• Charles E. Ackerly (1920): Gold medalist in the wrestling (132 lb. weight class) at the 1920 Olympic Games.^{[citation needed]}
• Jon P. Anderson^[19]

(1971): Winner of the 1973 Boston Marathon[20]

and 1981 Honolulu Marathon[21]

Member of the 1972 US Olympic track and field team.

• Walter S. Ashbaugh (1951): 4th Place in the triple jump track & field event at the 1952 Olympic Games.^{[citation needed]}
• George W. Bacon^[22]

(1892): Former President of Sierra and San Francisco Power Co. that became Pacific Gas and Electric Company.[citation needed]

• Henry E. Bartels (1948): Namesake of Bartels Hall on the Cornell campus.
• Neal D. Becker^[23]

(1905): Chairman of the Cornell University Board of Trustees (1947-1953); Member of the Council on Foreign Relations; Co-founder of the American Australian Association in 1948.[24]

• Tell S. Berna^[25]

(1912): Gold medalist in the 3000m team track & field event at the 1912 Olympic Games.^{[citation needed]}

• Romeyn Berry^[26]

(1904): Dubbed Cornell Athletics "The Big Red" while composing the lyrics to the  The Big Red Team (a Cornell song) in 1905[27]

Graduate Manager of Cornell Athletics (1919-1935)^[28]

Authored Dirt Roads to Stoneposts (1949), Stoneposts in the Sunset (1950)^[29]

, and Behind the Ivy (1950).

• Charles H. Blair^[30]

(1897): Grandson of Ezra Cornell and Cornell University Trustee[citation needed]

• William E. Blewett Jr. (1918): President and Chairman of Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding, recipient of President's Certificate of Merit.^[31]

• David G. Bliss (1965): Head coach of the Varsity Basketball team at Southern Methodist University (1980-1988).
• Samuel W. Bodman^[32]

(1960): Secretary of the United States Department of Energy.

• James L. Broadhead (1957): Chairman and CEO of Florida Power and Light for almost ten years; Namesake of the James L. Broadhead Award, the highest honor given to Florida Power and Light employees for their contributions to improving quality; President of the Foundation for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award.^[33]

• D. Craig Brush (1972): President of the Florida Everblades^[34]

.

• Knox B. Burger^[35]

(1943): Flew first Naval Mission in a B-29 over Tokyo during World War II.

• Victor L. Butterfield^[36]

(1927): Eleventh President of Wesleyan University (1943-1967)[37]

Cornell University Trustee.

• Robert S. Byfield (1917): United Nations General Assembly 1951-1953 ^[38]

• Colin G. Campbell^[39]

(1957): Chairman, President, and CEO of the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation[40]

Thirteenth and youngest President of Wesleyan University (1970-1988)^[41]

President of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund (1987-2000).

• William D. P. Carey (1923): Cornell University Trustee for 28 years; Rhodes Scholar; Endowed the D. P. Carey Exhibition Prize in the Cornell Law School.^[42]

• John C. Carpenter (1907): Olympic Athlete in the 400 meter race at the 1908 Olympic Games.^{[citation needed]}
• Charles E. Cassidy (1924): Served as Attorney General for the Territory of Hawaii and U.S. Commissioner after Hawaii became a state.
• Walker L. Cisler (1922): Nuclear Energy Advocate; Chairman of Detroit Edison Company (1948-1964), Founder of National Academy of Engineering; Chairman of the International Executive Council of the World Energy Conference; President of the Atomic Industrial Forum and the Fund for Peaceful Atomic Development^[43]

^[44]

Recipient of the IEEE Edison Medal "for a career of meritorious achievement in electrical science, electrical engineering or the electrical arts."

• Carlton P. Collins^[45]

(1917):Banker and former Director of Eastern Air Lines.

• Frederick D. Colson^[46]

(1900): Deputy Attorney General of New York State 1915-1924.

• Edward E. Conroy^[47]

(1919): Special Agent in charge of the New York office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and responsible for taking into custody four German agents involved in Operation Pastorius during World War II.

• Edward T. Cook, Jr. (1910): Gold medalist in the pole vault track & field event at the 1908 Olympic Games.
• Kevin M. Cook (1984): Inducted into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 2000.^{[citation needed]}
• Adolph H. J. Coors, Jr. (1907): Second President of the Coors Brewing Company.^{[citation needed]}
• Peter H. Coors^[48]

(1969): Chairman of the Coors Brewing Company.[49]

• William B. Cornell^[50]

(1907): Grandson of Ezra Cornell; First alumnus to be Life Trustee of Cornell University.

• Kenneth T. Derr^[51]

(1958):  Chairman and CEO of Chevron Corporation (1989-1999); Member of the Council on Foreign Relations.[citation needed]

• Nicholas Drahos (1941): Inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1981.^{[citation needed]}
• Ivan C. Dresser^[52]

(1919): Gold medalist in the 3000 meter track & field event at the 1920 Olympic Games. 

• Daniel E. Duryea^[53]

(1928):  Film and TV actor[54]

immortalized on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

• Darren J. Eliot (1983): Professional hockey goaltender; Member of the 1984 Canadian Olympic Ice Hockey team.^{[citation needed]}

• William H. Farnham (1918): Dean of the Cornell University Faculty, received the Romanian Chevalier of the Order of the Crown for his work with the American Relief effort following World War II ^[55]

• Louis C. Ferraro, Jr.^[56]

(1965):  U.S. Major General in the Air Force Reserves; Author of The Right Side of Leadership.[57]

• Bernard E. Fernow^[58]

(1904): Mechanical Engineer, inventor of the Electric Lifting Magnet, son of Bernhard Fernow, family namesake of Fernow Hall.[citation needed]

• Elmwood T. Foote (1906): Inducted into the National Rowing Hall of Fame (1956).^[59]

• Charles M. French^[60]

(1909):  Olympic athlete in the 800m race in the 1908 Olympic Games. 

• Michael G. French (1976): First Team All-American lacrosse player; Inducted into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 1991.^{[citation needed]}
• Louis A. Fuertes^[61]

(1897):  Ornithologist; Renowned bird artist.[62]

• Peter K. Gogolak^[63]

(1964): American Football player for the New York Giants, Buffalo Bills.

• Stanton Griffis (1910): U.S. Ambassador to Poland (1947), Egypt (1948), Argentina (1949), Spain (1951-1952); Former Chairman of Paramount Pictures, Lee Tire & Rubber Co. and Shuron Optical.^[64]

• James P. Hall (1894): Dean of the University of Chicago Law School; Cornell University Board of Trustees. ^[65]

• David P. Hanlon^[66]

(1966): President and COO of Rio Suites Hotel & Casino  (1996-1999).[67]

• Royal S. Haynes^[68]

(1899): Doctor and recipient of the Légion d'honneur, the highest civil honor awarded by the French government, for his work with French orphans following World War I.

• Thomas C. Hennings, Jr.^[69]

(1924): U.S. Congress Representative for Missouri 11th District (1934-1940); Senator, Missouri (1951-1960), vigorous proponent of civil liberties, Director of the Foreign Policy Association and Director of Big Brothers of America.[70]

• Jerome "Brud" H. Holland^[71]

^[72]

(1939):  President of Delaware State College (1953-1959) and Hampton Institute (1960-1970); U.S. Ambassador to Sweden (1970-1972); Chairman of the American Red Cross Board of Governors (1980-1985); First African-American to serve on the board of the New York Stock Exchange; Inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1965.

• David A. Howard^[73]

(1911): Professional baseball player with Washington in the American League and Brooklyn in the Federal League.

• George B. Howell^[74]

(1917): Elected to the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 1958.

• Samuel C. Johnson, Jr.^[75]

(1950): Former Chairperson of S. C. Johnson & Son, Inc.; Major donor and co-namesake of the Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell University.

• Christopher J. Kane (1978): First Team All-American lacrosse player; Inducted into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 1994.
• Robert J. Kane^[76]

(1934):  President of the U.S. Olympic Committee (1977-1980)[77]

Director of Athletics at Cornell (1946-1971); Author of Good Sports: A History of Cornell Athletics,^[78]

namesake of the Robert J. Kane Track. 

• Eddie L. Kaw (1923): Inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1954.
• Robert D. Kennedy^[79]

(1954): President and CEO of Union Carbide (1986-1995).

• Henry J. Kimball^[80]

(1911): Justice of the New York Supreme Court.

• Edward B. Kirby^[69]

(1924): Bronze medalist in the 3000m team track & field event at the 1924 Olympic Games. 

• Joseph B. Kirkland^[81]

(1918): Former Director of The Boys and Girls Club of America.

• William L. Kleitz^[82]

(1915): President of Guaranty Trust Company of New York that became JPMorgan Chase.

• Charles F. Knight^[39]

(1957): Emerson Electric CEO (1973-2000), President (1986-1988, 1995-1997), and Board Chairman(1974-2000); Board member of many other companies including Anheuser-Busch (1987-present), AT&T (2006-present), IBM (1993-present), Baxter International, British Petroleum (1987-2005), Caterpillar Inc., Missouri Pacific, Morgan Stanley (1999-2005), Ralston Purina, SBC (1983-2006), Southwestern Bell (1974-1983).

• Carlton E. Ladd (1893): Defending counsel to Leon Czolgosz, the assassin of United States President William McKinley^[83]

• George A. Larkin (1900): Justice of New York State Supreme Court (1923-1948) ^[84]

• H. Peter Larson III (1967): Professional football player with the Washington Redskins (1967-1968).
• Ed Marinaro (1972): Runner-up for the 1971 Heisman trophy^[85]

Inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame 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

• William G. Marino (1976): First Team All-American lacrosse player; Inducted into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 1996.^{[citation needed]}
• Charles "Chip" G. McClure (1975): Chairman and CEO of ArvinMeritor; Member of the President's Advisory group for the US Chamber of Commerce.^[86]

• David C. Munson (1906): Gold medalist in the 4 mile team race track & field event at the 1904 Olympic Games.^{[citation needed]}
• Andrew W. Newberry^[87]

(1905): Grandson of Andrew Dickson White, first President of Cornell University.

• Jansen Noyes (1910): Namesake of Noyes Community Center on the Cornell West Campus.
• Jansen Noyes, Jr.^[88]

(1939): Chairman of the Cornell University Board of Trustees (1978-1984)[89]

Director of Helen Keller International from 1946-1996.

• Nicholas H. Noyes (1906): Business Advisory Council of the U.S. Department of Commerce; Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago director; Eli Lilly and Company director; Owner and donor of a copy of the Gettysburg Address (handwritten by Abraham Lincoln) to Cornell University.^[90]

^[91]

• John "Jack" E. O'Hearn (1915): Inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1972.^{[citation needed]}
• John M. Paxton, Jr. (1973): United States Marine Corps general officer; chief of staff for Multi-National Force-Iraq; Nominated for a third star and appointment as director of strategic plans and policy, J-5, Joint Staff by President George W. Bush.^[92]

• Seth Payne (1997): American professional football player.
• Edward T. Peterson (1948): Professional basketball player with the [Philadelphia 76ers|Syracuse Nationals]] and Tri-Cities Blackhawks.
• Heber W. Peters^[93]

(1914): First Provost of Cornell University.

• George R. Pfann (1924): Secretary of Staff to General George S. Patton during his campaign in North, Africa, Sicily and Germany; Rhodes Scholar; Cornell University Board of Trustees ^[94]

Inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1957.

• Samuel R. Pierce, Jr.^[95]

(1944):  Secretary of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development under President Ronald Reagan (1981-1989).

• Julian A. Pollak^[96]

 (1907): Chairman of the Board of Pollak Steel Company and Founder of the Bureau of Government Research.[citation needed]

• Robert W. Purcell^[97]

(1932): Chairman of the Cornell University Board of Trustees (1968-1978); Donor and namesake of Robert Purcell Community Center (RPCC).

• Richard Ramin, Jr.^[98]

(1951): Vice President of Public Affairs for Cornell University (1971-1995); Namesake of the Ramin Room in both the Johnson Graduate School of Management and Bartels Hall on the Cornell campus.

• Phillip Ratner^[66]

(1966): Former President of Marie Callender's restaurants. 

• Thomas C. Reed^[99]

(1955): U.S. Secretary of the Air Force from January 2, 1976 - April 6, 1977 under Presidents Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter.

• Henry S. Reuss^[97]

(1933): U.S. Congress Representative for Wisconsin (1955-1983); co-founder of the Peace Corps.

• Henry A. Russell^[100]

(1926): Gold medalist in the 4x100m race track & field event at the 1928 Olympic Games.

• Henry H. Sanger^[101]

(1891): Organizer and Chairman of the Board of the National Bank of Commerce.

• Richard "Dick" Savitt^[75]

(1950): Professional tennis player; Winner of Wimbledon 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). 

• Richard "Dick" J. Schaap^[99]

(1955):  American sports broadcaster for NBC, ABC, & ESPN.

• John L. Senior^[102]

(1901):  First Graduate Manager of Athletics for Cornell University (1901-1907)[103]

, organized the first Spring Day, the predecessor to the current Slope Day^[104] .

• Murray N. Shelton (1916): Inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1973.^{[citation needed]}
• Richmond H. Shreve^[105]

(1902): Architect who led the construction of the Empire State Building with his firm Shreve, Lamb and Harmon.

• Andre Smith (1902): Architect and Sculptor, received the Distinguished Service Cross from the United States.^[106]

• Walker Smith (1920): 5th Place in the high hurdles track & field event at the 1920 Olympic Games.^{[citation needed]}
• William A. Stowe (1962): Gold medalist in the Rowing Mens-8 at the 1964 Olympic Games.^{[citation needed]}
• Willard D. Straight^[102]

( (1901): U.S. Diplomat; Namesake of Willard Straight Hall, a student union that was constructed in 1925 after Straight's death in 1918; Founder of Cornell's annual Dragon Day; Donated money for the construction of Schoellkopf Field^[107]

• Frank L. Sundstrom^[69]

(1924): U.S. Congress Representative for New Jersey 11th District (1943-1949); Inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1978. 

• Roy Taylor (1910): Inducted into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 1957; President of the U.S. Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association; Helped introduce Lacrosse to West Point; Served on the U.S. Olympic Committee.
• Robert V. Tishman (1937): Founder of Tishman Speyer Properties.^[108]

• Franchot Tone^[109]

(1927): Actor nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor in 1935 for Mutiny on the Bounty (1935)[110]

Immortalized on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

• Elbert P. Tuttle^[111]

(1918): Chief judge in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit in Atlanta, GA (overseeing many Civil Rights cases); Recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1981.

• Maxwell M. Upson^[112]

(1899): Namesake of Upson Hall on the Engineering Quad of the Cornell campus and was a member of the Cornell University Board of Trustees for over 35 years; former President of Raymond International Inc..

• Ray Van Orman (1908): U.S. Olympic lacrosse coach (1928-1932); Inducted into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 1992.^{[citation needed]}
• William J. Warner (1903): Inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1971.^{[citation needed]}
• George S. Warren III^[66]

(1966): Co-founder and President of Quaker Steak and Lube restaurants.

• R W. "Cy" Weed^[113]

(1909): Inducted into National Rowing Hall of Fame (1959), Stroke of the undefeated Cornell crew of 1909

• Charles M. Werly^[114]

(1927): Chairman of the George Putnam Fund of Boston.

• Charles C. West (1900): President of the The Manitowoc Company, received the President's Certificate of Merit for building 28 submarines in less than 5 year during World War II, President of Shipbuilders Council of America.^[115]

• Ward B. White^[116]

(1908): Former Chief of the Food Division, US Food and Drug Administration

• E. Stewart Williams^[117]

(1932): Palm Springs, California-based architect with a distinctive modernist style.

• 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.
• John H. Wynne^[118]

(1898): Executive of the American Locomotive Company, donated 30,000 volumes to the Cornell.

[edit] References