Mystical Seven (Missouri)

Mystical Seven Made Public: May 24, 1907 at the University of Missouri Founder: Harold Spencer Williams Membership: 7 seniors Alumni: 700+ Purpose: known only to members[1] Official Colors: Black & Gold

Mystical Seven is one of the secret societies of the University of Missouri. Mystical Seven taps seven outstanding seniors for membership based on their good deeds and selfless leadership and service to the campus and community. Mystical Seven is the second oldest of the secret honor societies still in existence at the university. A rivalry continues to exist between Mystical Seven and QEBH. Other secret societies on campus include LSV, Rollins Society, ODK, and Mortar Board.

Origins

The origins of the society were made plain by its founder, Harold Spencer Williams. "I conceived the idea of a new and different Senior Society, [and] picked out six outstanding members of the Junior Class in 1907. I asked each one to come by the President's office for a chat. Each one was enthusiastic. We met and organized and would announce the society in the Spring of 1907. This was done." Williams was also a member of Delta Tau Delta and Phi Mu Alpha.^[2][3]

There is no relationship with the society of the same name at Wesleyan University, and although a relationship is often suggested between Missouri's Mystical Seven and a similar secret honor society at the University of Virginia known as the Seven Society,^[4] no direct evidence has ever been shown that any type of relationship exists between the two societies.

Although the society was historically all-male, it actually initiated its first female member in 1920. Mary Chorn Hazard was admitted due to her exception record of students activities and stout sponsorship by J. Craig Ruby, who was also a member of M7 as well as Phi Kappa Psi.^[5][6]

Tiger–Sooner Exchange

In 1929, Mizzou athletic director Chester M. Brewer, along with the Mystical Seven, began the tradition of smoking the Tiger–Sooner Peace Pipe at halftime of the annual Missouri–Oklahoma football game. The peace pipe became a traveling trophy in 1940, when a pipe was donated by John S. Knight, the former president of the MU’s Men’s Alumni Association. The pipe had belonged to Chief White Eagle of the Pawnee tribe, and it was believed to be at least 100 years old at the time it was donated.^[7] The tradition of the peace pipe as a traveling trophy was entrusted to MU's Mystical Seven and OU's PE-ET, who would share the peace pipe in the end zone at halftime to celebrate the two universities. The society of the winning university would return the peace pipe to its university until the next meeting of the two teams.^[8]

For unknown reasons, the exchange of the peace pipe stopped after the 1974 football season, with the pipe in possession of the University of Oklahoma. Following the 1998 victory over Oklahoma by Missouri, the Missouri Alumnus magazine published an article in 1999 regarding the former tradition that brought new interest in its revival. Oklahoma’s athletic director, Joe Castiglione, was quoted as promising to look for the missing peace pipe. Due to changes in the Big-12 alignment, Missouri and Oklahoma no longer play each other every year in football, but they do in basketball. The exchange now occurs during halftime of the basketball game. With the pipe still missing, the traditional exchange was replaced by a piece of slate from MU’s Memorial Union, as both Missouri and Oklahoma have a Memorial Union^[9][10]

Notable members

• Chuck Banta, Jr., Chairman, CEO and President of Banta Foods.^[11]
• Matt Bartle, Missouri State Senator (R)^[12]
• Byron Calame, Second public editor of the New York Times
• Walter McCormick, President & CEO, United States Telecom Association
• Brock Olivo, MU Football alum (jersey #27 retired), left Mizzou as all-time leading rusher and held record for most rushing touchdowns. The former NFL player (Detroit Lions, 5 seasons) ran for U.S. Congress in 2008.
• William S. Thompson, Jr., CEO and Managing Director of Pacific Investment Management Company (PIMCO)^[13]
• Roger Wehrli, Hall of Fame NFL cornerback^[14]

References