High school secret societies

High school secret societies are a type of secret society founded at, or featuring students associated with, a particular high school, primarily in the United States. While American universities have a long tradition of secret societies, initially started within East Coast colleges. However, their appearance at the high school level, seems to have occurred relatively infrequently.

Exeter's KEP badge
Kappa Epsilon PI House of Exeter. Now faculty housing since the abolition of fraternities in 1944.

Two documented examples occurred as an outgrowth of Phillips Exeter Academy's fraternal system, and in the public high schools of suburban Chicago, both in the first half of the 20th century.

Phillips Exeter Academy

Kappa Epsilon Pi (KEP) was founded at Phillips Exeter Academy in 1891, and was one of several fraternities at Exeter. Fraternities first appeared at the school in the 1870s, were banned in 1891, unbanned in 1896 and then again in 1942.[1] The meeting house was located at 8 Elliot Street and is today a faculty residence.[2] Its emblem is gold with a skull and laurel wreath creation, incorporating seed pearls, rubies and emeralds.

Illinois

By 1900, high school secret societies were a recognizable feature within the school systems in metropolitan Chicago, and Otto C. Schneider, President of the Chicago School Board of 1908, took an active role in stopping their influence within secondary schools.[3] Initial growth in the Midwest may have been fueled by competition with East Coast high school athletics teams.

Battles over whether secret societies within the village of Oak Park, Illinois could be banned by the schools was taken to the Illinois Appellate Court.[4]

See also

References
  1. academylibrary (2009-05-28). "The Story Behind KEP House". Academy Library Blog. Retrieved 2023-10-08.
  2. academylibrary (2009-05-28). "The Story Behind KEP House". Academy Library Blog. Retrieved 2023-10-08.
  3. "Illinois H.S.toric Article | News & Media | IHSA". www.ihsa.org. Retrieved 2023-10-08.
  4. "Illinois H.S.toric Article | News & Media | IHSA". www.ihsa.org. Retrieved 2023-10-08.
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