In the
United States, an honor society is an organization that recognizes individuals who excel in various domains such as academics, leadership, and other personal achievements, not all of which are based on ranking systems. These societies acknowledge excellence among peers in diverse fields and circumstances. The
Order of the Arrow, for example, is the National Honor Society of the
Boy Scouts of America. While the term commonly refers to scholastic honor societies, which primarily acknowledge students who excel academically or as leaders among their peers, it also applies to other types of societies. The origins of honor societies can be traced back to the establishment of
Phi Beta Kappa in 1776 at the
College of William and Mary, which began as a debate society and did not initially impose GPA restrictions for membership.[1][2]
Many honor societies invite students to become members based on the scholastic rank (the top x% of a class) and/or
grade point averages, either overall or for classes taken within the discipline for which the honor society provides recognition. In cases where academic achievement would not be an appropriate criterion for membership, other standards are usually required for membership (such as completion of a particular ceremony or training program). Scholastic honor societies commonly add a criterion relating to the student's character. Most honor societies are invitation-only, and membership in an honor society might be considered exclusive, i.e., a member of such an organization cannot join other honor societies representing the same field.
Academic robes and regalia identifying by color the degree, school, and other distinctions, are controlled under rules of a voluntary Intercollegiate Code. In addition, various colored devices such as
stoles,
scarves,
cords,
tassels, and medallions are used to indicate membership in a student's honor society. Of these, cords and
mortarboard tassels are most often used to indicate membership. Most institutions allow honor cords, tassels and/or medallions for honor society members. Stoles are less common, but they are available for a few honor societies. Virtually all, if not all honor societies have chosen such colors and may sell these items of accessory regalia as a service or fundraiser.
Many honor societies are referred to by their membership or by non-members as
fraternities and sororities. Honor societies exist at the
high school,
collegiate/
university,
postgraduate and
professional levels, although university honor societies are by far the most prevalent. In America, the oldest academic society,
Phi Beta Kappa, was founded as a social and literary fraternity in 1776. After a full century came the establishment of other honor societies including
Tau Beta Pi for Engineering (1885),
Sigma Xi for Scientific Research (1886), and
Phi Kappa Phi for all disciplines (1897).
Mortar Board was established in 1918, as the first national honor society for senior women.
The
Honor Society Caucus and
Association of College Honor Societies are two voluntary associations of national collegiate and post-graduate honor societies.[3] ACHS was formed in 1925 to establish and maintain desirable standards for honor societies.[3]Later, the
Honor Society Caucus was formed by several prestigious founding members who left ACHS, and felt the group had diluted and lost sight of the mission of its founding members.[4][5] While ACHS membership is a certification that the member societies meet these standards, not all legitimate honor societies apply for membership in ACHS.[6][3]
Historically, honor societies, including but not limited to the defunct
Ku Klux Klan Honor Society, have perpetuated systemic racism and exclusion based on racial and gender bigotry.[7]<[8][9][10][11]. During the era of honor society expansion in the early 20th century, people were products of a society steeped in racism, classism and sexism.[12] The presence of such historical societies underscores the necessity for a critical reassessment of the criteria and culture within honor societies.[13][14][15]
In response, initiatives like the founding of the
Bouchet Graduate Honor Society by
Yale University and
Howard University in 2005 have been significant.[16][17][18][19] This society, among others, was established with a strong commitment to inclusivity and the recognition of diverse scholarly contributions, marking a significant shift towards addressing historical biases. Modern honor societies are increasingly focused on creating supportive environments that promote the academic and personal development of all scholars, especially those from traditionally underrepresented groups.[20][21] This evolution reflects a broader movement within academic institutions towards a more equitable and comprehensive recognition of student excellence.[22][23][24]
These are collegiate-based honor societies for students in the armed forces. Other non-collegiate honor societies serve military branches and are often listed as professional fraternities.
Some universities have their own independent, open honor societies, which are not affiliated with any national or international organization. Such organizations typically recognize students who have succeeded academically irrespective of their field of study. These include:
^The Badger. Vol. 55. University of Wisconsin-Madison. 1940. p. 307.
^The Illio. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Urbana: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. 1922. p. 527 – via Internet Archive.{{
cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (
link)
^The Illio. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Urbana: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. 1909 – via Internet Archive.{{
cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (
link)