Cadaver Society

The Cadaver Society is a secret society for male students at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, United States.[1][2] It was founded in 1957.[1][3]

Cadaver Society
Founded1957
TypeSecret society
EmphasisPre-med
ScopeLocal
Chapters1
HeadquartersLexington, Virginia
United States

History

The Cadaver Society has been in continuous operation since its founding in 1957.[1] The society refers to itself as "A Friend of the University".[4] It is known for nocturnal pranks.[2]

The membership of the Cadaver Society is strictly anonymous.[3] Membership is speculated to consist of older students, pre-med students, or leaders of Washington and Lee's athletic teams and fraternities.[2][5]

Symbols and traditions

The Cadavers symbol is a skull with the letter C around it.[2] It can be found in many prominent places throughout the campus. One place in particular where the Cadavers' logo can be consistently seen is on Wilson Field; they painted it at the endzone every Friday before a game when the field was grass.[2] Since the renovation of the field in 2008, and the replacement of grass with Field Turf, the Cadaver symbol in permanently on the hill separating Alumni from Wilson Field.[2]

The society's members wear a skull mask and all black for anonymity while on campus excursions.[2][5] It has long been rumored to have underground passageways spanning the campus and surfacing in the campus library.[4][6]

Scholarship and endowment

A Cadaver Society Scholarship was established in 1997.[7] The scholarship is to be awarded every four years to an incoming freshman.[7] The Cadaver Endowment was committed in 1981 to be designated as a residual fund in Cadaver's name to the school each year.[8]

See also

References
  1. "University Chronology : Washington and Lee University". Archived from the original on 2015-07-22. Retrieved 2015-07-22.
  2. Sbar, Hyatt (November 9, 2021). "The Cadaver Society". The Ring-tum Phi. Retrieved 2023-07-08.
  3. Tibbott, Julie (2019-08-01). Members Only: Secret Societies, Sects, and Cults — Exposed!. Zest Books ™. ISBN 978-1-5415-8192-0 – via Google Books.
  4. "6 Strange Secret Societies You Probably Didn't Know About". thecommentsection.org. Retrieved 2023-07-08.
  5. Cock-Starkey, Claire (2016-09-14). "9 of the Most Exclusive College Secret Societies". Mental Floss. Retrieved 2023-07-08.
  6. Turitz, Neil; Zimmerman, Barak (2021-11-02). Inside Secret Societies: Behind the Scenes of the Knights Templar, the Order of Assassins, Opus Dei, the Illuminati, Freemasons, & Many More. Simon and Schuster. p. 111. ISBN 978-1-951274-91-7 – via Google Books.
  7. "Student Support". Washington and Lee Alumni Director. Retrieved 2023-07-08.
  8. "Other Endowment Gifts :: Washington and Lee University". Archived from the original on 2010-05-28. Retrieved 2009-07-08.
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