Cadaver Society
Encyclopedia
The “Cadaver Society” is a secret society
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 students at Washington and Lee University
Washington and Lee University
Washington and Lee University is a private liberal arts college in Lexington, Virginia, United States.The classical school from which Washington and Lee descended was established in 1749 as Augusta Academy, about north of its present location. In 1776 it was renamed Liberty Hall in a burst of...

 in Lexington, Virginia, United States. The group's membership and organizational structure are unknown. Cadaver has been in continuous operation since its founding in 1957. The Cadavers have a bridge that bears their name, connecting the main campus to Wilson Field, as well as their symbol in many prominent places throughout the campus. In contrast with the non secretive membership of the Sigma Society
Sigma Society
The Sigma Society is a secret society at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia. Founded in 1880, it is one of the older secret societies in the United States, and remains "one of the oldest continuous social organizations at Washington and Lee." The Sigma Society is roughly 70 years...

, the Cadaver Society is strictly anonymous.

Membership

Membership is speculated to consist of older students at the University. The criteria for membership remains largely unknown, but it has long been rumored that the society consists of Pre-Med majors with high grade point averages. Members have also been speculated to be leaders of Washington and Lee's athletic teams and fraternities.

The selection process is not well known, but the members pride themselves on donating large amounts of money to the University. In 1988, the society donated $150,000 to the renovation of the fraternity houses on campus.

Passageways

The society has long been rumored to have underground passageways spanning throughout the campus. It is rumored that members of the society use this as transportation to remain undetected by the rest of campus. One entrance to the tunnels has been speculated to be through a small door in the Leyburn Library.
In addition to the Leyburn entrance, there's also an entrance at the basement of the Science Building, though the double doors that lead to it are usually locked. There is also appears to be an entrance through the manhole at the bottom of the hill near Leyburn Library.

Activities

The society has been criticized for their secrecy and many of their activities which include running around dressed in all black and masks late at night as well as drawing their symbol all over campus. They have been known to run through the Sorority houses, talking in high voices and attempting to wake everyone in the houses. One place in particular where the Cadaver's logo can be consistently seen is on Wilson Field, frequently painted before large athletic games. Since the renovation of the field in 2008, and the replacement of grass with Field Turf, the Cadaver symbol has been drawn on the hill separating Alumni from Wilson Field. They also frequently refer to themselves as "A Friend of the University," presumably referring to their propensity to donate large sums of money to the school.

Scholarship and Donations

A Cadaver Society scholarship was established in 1997. The scholarship is to be awarded every four years to an incoming freshman. Candidates are intended to be deserving students with strong character traits, academic achievement and an appreciation of the school’s values and traditions. The Cadaver Endowment was committed in 1981 to be designated as a residual fund in Cadaver's name to the school each year.

External links


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