Mortar Board
Encyclopedia
Honor society
In the United States, an honor society is a rank organization that recognizes excellence among peers. Numerous societies recognize various fields and circumstances. The Order of the Arrow, for example, is the national honor society of the Boy Scouts of America...
whose purpose is to recognize outstanding students dedicated to the values of scholarship, leadership, and service. The Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
Der Hexenkreis chapter, founded in 1892, is the oldest and predates the national society's founding in 1918. Though many of the traditions within the society are secret, the membership of each chapter is public, which differentiates Mortar Board from many of the secret societies that were formed in the late 19th century.
Mortar Board has 226 chartered chapters nationwide and 19 alumni chapters. Since 1892, more than a quarter of a million college seniors have been initiated into the group.
Mortar Board and Women
Mortar Board was the first all-female honor society and continues to promote women's interests today. The organization became co-ed in 1975 following Title IXTitle IX
Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 is a United States law, enacted on June 23, 1972, that amended Title IX of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. In 2002 it was renamed the Patsy T. Mink Equal Opportunity in Education Act, in honor of its principal author Congresswoman Mink, but is most...
, at which point a clause was added in the Preamble to the Constitution to include a "commitment to the advancement of the status of women." Following a revision of the Mortar Board governing documents, that statement was incorporated into the organization's stated purpose.
Notable alumni
Nearly a quarter of a million members have been initiated nationwide, with established careers in numerous fields. Some of the notable alumni are:- Condoleezza RiceCondoleezza RiceCondoleezza Rice is an American political scientist and diplomat. She served as the 66th United States Secretary of State, and was the second person to hold that office in the administration of President George W. Bush...
, U.S. Secretary of State - Judith Resnick, space shuttle Challenger astronaut
- Aron RalstonAron RalstonAron Lee Ralston is an American mountain climber and inspirational public speaker. He is widely known for having survived a 2003 canyoneering accident in Utah in which he was forced to amputate his own right arm with a dull pocketknife in order to free himself from a dislodged boulder.The incident...
, mountain climber and author - Drew BreesDrew BreesDrew Christopher Brees is a quarterback for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the second round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played college football at Purdue....
, NFL player - Bruce Littlefield, author
- David Coleman, writer and motivational speaker
Additionally, numerous community and international leaders have been named honorary members. Notable ones include:
- Lance ArmstrongLance ArmstrongLance Edward Armstrong is an American former professional road racing cyclist who won the Tour de France a record seven consecutive times, after having survived testicular cancer. He is also the founder and chairman of the Lance Armstrong Foundation for cancer research and support...
, cyclist - Sandra Day O’Connor, Supreme Court associate justice
- Maya AngelouMaya AngelouMaya Angelou is an American author and poet who has been called "America's most visible black female autobiographer" by scholar Joanne M. Braxton. She is best known for her series of six autobiographical volumes, which focus on her childhood and early adult experiences. The first and most highly...
, poet - Jimmy CarterJimmy CarterJames Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
, U.S. President - Rudolph Giuliani, mayor of New York
- Sally RideSally RideSally Kristen Ride is an American physicist and a former NASA astronaut. Ride joined NASA in 1978, and in 1983 became the first American woman—and then-youngest American, at 32—to enter space...
, first female U.S. astronaut - Fred Rogers, educator, minister, and host of Mister Rogers' NeighborhoodMister Rogers' NeighborhoodMister Rogers' Neighborhood, also known as Mister Rogers, is an American children's television series that was created and hosted by Fred Rogers. The series is aimed primarily at preschool ages, 2-5, but has been stated by Public Broadcasting Service as "appropriate for all ages"...
National Structure
Mortar Board, Inc. is a student-governed organization with national officers coming from the ranks of its alumni (except for two student representatives on the national council). Each year, student delegates meet at the national conference to set policies for the organization to be carried out by the national officers.
Leadership from the students
Mortar Board is governed by active collegiate members. Members annually attend the national conference, with one delegate from each collegiate chapter serving as a voting member of the organization, a responsibility restricted to active student members. These voting delegates determine the national dues and goals of the organization, as well as elect the National Council. The structure of Mortar Board, including its purposes and Bylaws, is reviewed annually at the national conference.National Office
The national headquarters for the organization is located in Columbus, OhioColumbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
as an affiliate of the Ohio State University
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
. This office is the source of records and information related to chapter operations, national conferences, alumni, the Mortar Board National Foundation and the historical archives of Mortar Board. The staff enacts policies and procedures established by the National Council and the Mortar Board National Foundation. The National Office staff includes an Executive Director, Assistant Executive Director, Communications Coordinator, and Program Assistant.
National Council
The National Council, elected by collegiate members, is charged with guiding the long-term future of the organization, pending any changes decided upon by delegates to the national conferences. All National Council members volunteer to serve Mortar Board with two-year terms (with a maximum of two consecutive terms in any one office, with the positions of president, president-elect and student representative being limited to one term).National Foundation
The National Foundation was established in 1955 as the fundraisingFundraising
Fundraising or fund raising is the process of soliciting and gathering voluntary contributions as money or other resources, by requesting donations from individuals, businesses, charitable foundations, or governmental agencies...
arm of Mortar Board, as well as to serve the educational aims of Mortar Board, Inc. The mission of the National Foundation is to support Mortar Board, Inc. in furthering its ideals of scholarship
Scholarship
A scholarship is an award of financial aid for a student to further education. Scholarships are awarded on various criteria usually reflecting the values and purposes of the donor or founder of the award.-Types:...
, leadership and service. Its primary goals are to provide fellowships to Mortar Board alumni pursuing graduate and professional degrees, grant funds to collegiate chapters for special projects that will enhance their contributions to their campus and community and raise funds to support leadership and service initiatives through grants to Mortar Board.
A board of trustees governs the National Foundation. These trustees are volunteers who coordinate the fund raising efforts in collaboration with the staff at the National Office, oversee the investment of the funds and administer the fellowship program and chapter project grants. Fund raising sources include contributions from Mortar Board members, alumni and chapters, along with royalties and donations from corporate partnerships.
Section coordinators
Section coordinators work directly with chapters, serving as close primary contacts for chapters within a specified geographic region. The section coordinator is available to assist the chapters with a variety of tasks, including the completion of forms, execution of events and activities and assistance with communication with the National Office. Alongside the National Council, section coordinators communicate, facilitate and establish continuity within the organization.Affiliations
Mortar Board is an affiliate of the Association of College Honor SocietiesAssociation of College Honor Societies
The Association of College Honor Societies , founded in 1925, is a predominantly American organization that serves a number of functions with respect to national collegiate and post-graduate honor societies...
. Mortar Board was invited into the Association of College Honor Societies (ACHS) in 1937, the only female honor society of its kind to be invited at the time. ACHS is a national organization that provides resources and fosters communication between over sixty honor societies across the country.
Mortar Board is an affiliate of Ohio State University
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
. In 1970, the Mortar Board National Office was established on the campus of the Ohio State University. Today, the National Office remains an affiliate of The Ohio State University and the office is located near campus.
The Mortar Board National Foundation
The Mortar Board National Foundation, the fund raising arm of Mortar Board, was established in 1955 to serve the educational aims of Mortar Board, Inc. Its primary goals are to provide fellowships to Mortar Board alumni pursuing graduate and professional degrees; grant funds to active chapters for special projects that will enhance their contributions to their campus and community; and raise funds to support Mortar Board programs that further the ideals of scholarship, leadership and service.The National Foundation is governed by six trustees, who are volunteers and coordinate the fund raising efforts, oversee the investments of the funds, and administer the fellowship, chapter project grant and other programs. Fund raising sources include a contribution from Mortar Board members through their dues, donations from individuals and chapters, merchandise sales, and a Mortar Board credit card.