Society of Innocents

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Mephistopheles' head above crossed tridents, the symbol of the Society of Innocents
Mephistopheles' head above crossed tridents, the symbol of the Society of Innocents

The Innocents Society is the Chancellor's senior honorary society at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, composed of 13 men and women who apply during the spring of their junior year and are selected on the basis of scholarship, leadership and service. Members are known throughout campus, but the society still retains secrecy through rituals and a secret meeting room. Members work to promote school spirit and create an appreciation among the student body of the greater values for which Nebraska stands.

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[edit] Founding

The society was founded on April 24, 1903, through the efforts of notable University of Nebraska alumni, including George Condra and Roscoe Pound, a famous legal scholar who would later become dean at Harvard Law School. Pound and Condra drew on medieval customs of knighthood, as well as papal traditions, in forming the ritual and heraldry of the society. They named the society for the 13 popes named Innocent, who have historically stood as champions against evil. The Mephistopheles head represents the evil the society seeks to overcome.

[edit] History

During their early years, the Innocents Society selected the UNL cheerleaders, supervised an annual Olympics between the freshmen and sophomores, and planned Dandelion Day and Fete Day. Another tradition that started was that of the Missouri - Nebraska Bell exchange. A bell was stolen from a Seward, Neb. church in 1892 by members of Delta Tau Delta and Phi Delta Theta fraternities.[1] For years, the fraternities competed in athletic and scholastic competitions for possession of the bell. However, in 1926 it was suggested that an award for the winner of the Nebraska-Missouri football game be established. It was decided that the bell be awarded to the winner, and it was engraved with a "M" on one side and an "N" on the other. The bell tradition is still practiced today.

During the '40s and '50s, the Innocents coordinated freshmen beanie sales and would wear identical jackets one day each week. Like the Missouri bell exchange, at this time an exchange with the University of Colorado was coordinated. The head of a buffalo was mounted for a mere $20 and named 'Mr. Chips'. Mr. Chips was then given to the winner of the annual Nebraska vs. Colorado football game. Unfortunately, in 1962 Mr. Chips somehow got misplaced by members of Colorado's Heart and Dagger Society, and the tradition was not continued. The Innocents of these years were quite the mischievous group, but many of these antics died down during the '70s. The '80s brought renewed spirit to the Innocents, and although the Innocents today no longer coordinate Dandelion Day or choose members of the spirit squad, they still carry on many of the traditions set forth by their founders. The Innocents of 2005-2006 sponsored a fundraiser for a local nonprofit organization, raising some $10,000. Most recently, the Innocents of 2007-2008 were able to continue this philanthropic tradition by raising over $14,000 for a local domestic abuse shelter.

[edit] Notable Alumni

[edit] External links

[edit] References

  1. ^ Knoll, Robert. "Prairie University."