Bishop James Madison Society
Encyclopedia
The Bishop James Madison Society is a secret society
of the College of William and Mary
in Virginia
. Students founded the society in the year 1812 as a tribute to the life of the late Bishop James Madison
, eighth president of William and Mary and cousin to the U.S. president James Madison
. Like other secret societies at the college, the Bishop James Madison Society fell victim to the hostilities of the American Civil War
when William and Mary was occupied by Union troops and was forced to close its doors.
In the twentieth century, William and Mary students revived the society and it has thrived since. The society’s activities seek to foster pride in the college community. The society attempts through various small and private means to recognize and thank the college's unsung heroes. Recent public activities include placing a welcome banner on Old Campus to welcome new students during Convocation and families on parents' weekend, hiding plastic Easter eggs filled with candy and interesting facts about the college throughout the campus, and sponsoring coffee dates designed to increase dialogue among students, administrators, and faculty members. The society's most prominent activity is its "Last Lecture" Series, which honors one retiring faculty member each semester by inviting them to speak on issues of current social/academic importance. The lecture takes place in the historic Wren Chapel during the last week of classes.
Membership in the society is confidential. During the college's annual commencement exercises, some graduating members identify their involvement by wearing medals featuring the society's symbol, an elongated quatrefoil
.
Secret society
A secret society is a club or organization whose activities and inner functioning are concealed from non-members. The society may or may not attempt to conceal its existence. The term usually excludes covert groups, such as intelligence agencies or guerrilla insurgencies, which hide their...
of the College of William and Mary
College of William and Mary
The College of William & Mary in Virginia is a public research university located in Williamsburg, Virginia, United States...
in Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
. Students founded the society in the year 1812 as a tribute to the life of the late Bishop James Madison
James Madison (Episcopal Bishop)
James Madison was the first bishop of the Diocese of Virginia of The Episcopal Church in the United States, one of the first bishops to be consecrated to the new church after the American Revolution...
, eighth president of William and Mary and cousin to the U.S. president James Madison
James Madison
James Madison, Jr. was an American statesman and political theorist. He was the fourth President of the United States and is hailed as the “Father of the Constitution” for being the primary author of the United States Constitution and at first an opponent of, and then a key author of the United...
. Like other secret societies at the college, the Bishop James Madison Society fell victim to the hostilities of the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
when William and Mary was occupied by Union troops and was forced to close its doors.
In the twentieth century, William and Mary students revived the society and it has thrived since. The society’s activities seek to foster pride in the college community. The society attempts through various small and private means to recognize and thank the college's unsung heroes. Recent public activities include placing a welcome banner on Old Campus to welcome new students during Convocation and families on parents' weekend, hiding plastic Easter eggs filled with candy and interesting facts about the college throughout the campus, and sponsoring coffee dates designed to increase dialogue among students, administrators, and faculty members. The society's most prominent activity is its "Last Lecture" Series, which honors one retiring faculty member each semester by inviting them to speak on issues of current social/academic importance. The lecture takes place in the historic Wren Chapel during the last week of classes.
Membership in the society is confidential. During the college's annual commencement exercises, some graduating members identify their involvement by wearing medals featuring the society's symbol, an elongated quatrefoil
Quatrefoil
The word quatrefoil etymologically means "four leaves", and applies to general four-lobed shapes in various contexts.-In heraldry:In heraldic terminology, a quatrefoil is a representation of a flower with four petals, or a leaf with four leaflets . It is sometimes shown "slipped", i.e. with an...
.