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Bishop James Madison Society

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The Bishop James Madison Society is a secret society of the College of William and Mary in Virginia. Students founded the society in the year 1812 as a tribute to the life of the late Bishop James Madison, eighth president of William and Mary and cousin to the U.S. president James Madison.[1] Like other secret societies at the college, the Bishop James Madison Society fell victim to the hostilities of the American Civil War when William and Mary was occupied by Union troops and was forced to close its doors.

In the twentieth century, William and Mary students along with Professor David L. Holmes revived the society and it has thrived since. The society's activities seek to foster pride in the college community. The society attempts through various small and private means to recognize and thank the college's unsung heroes. Recent public activities include placing a welcome banner on Old Campus to welcome new students during Convocation and families on parents' weekend, hiding plastic Easter eggs filled with candy and interesting facts about the college throughout the campus, and sponsoring coffee dates designed to increase dialogue among students, administrators, and faculty members. The society's most prominent activity is its "Last Lecture" Series, which honors one retiring faculty member each semester by inviting them to speak on issues of current social/academic importance. The lecture takes place in the historic Wren Chapel during the last week of classes.[2][3][4]

The Society is private in membership and public in its activities. During the college's annual commencement exercises, some graduating members identify their involvement by wearing medals featuring the society's symbol, an elongated quatrefoil.

Discover more about Bishop James Madison Society related topics

Secret society

Secret society

A secret society is an organization whose activities, events, inner functioning, or membership are concealed. The society may or may not attempt to conceal its existence. The term usually excludes covert groups, such as intelligence agencies or guerrilla warfare insurgencies, that hide their activities and memberships but maintain a public presence.

Virginia

Virginia

Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. Its geography and climate are shaped by the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Chesapeake Bay. The state's capital is Richmond. Its most-populous city is Virginia Beach, and Fairfax County is the state's most-populous political subdivision. Virginia's population in 2022 was over 8.68 million, with 35% living within in the Greater Washington metropolitan area.

James Madison (bishop)

James Madison (bishop)

James Madison was the first bishop of the Diocese of Virginia of The Episcopal Church in the United States, one of the first bishops to be consecrated to the new church after the American Revolution. He also served as the eighth president of the College of William and Mary. In 1780, Madison was elected to the American Philosophical Society.

James Madison

James Madison

James Madison Jr. was an American statesman, diplomat, and Founding Father. He served as the fourth president of the United States from 1809 to 1817. Madison is hailed as the "Father of the Constitution" for his pivotal role in drafting and promoting the Constitution of the United States and the Bill of Rights.

American Civil War

American Civil War

The American Civil War was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union and the Confederacy, the latter formed by states that had seceded. The central cause of the war was the dispute over whether slavery would be permitted to expand into the western territories, leading to more slave states, or be prevented from doing so, which was widely believed would place slavery on a course of ultimate extinction.

David L. Holmes

David L. Holmes

David L. Holmes is an American church historian. He is Walter G. Mason Professor of Religious Studies, Emeritus, at the College of William and Mary. He is the son of David L. Holmes, a university coach and director of athletics revered by his athletes. He is married to Carolyn Coggin Holmes, executive director of James Monroe's Highland from 1975 to 2012.

Quatrefoil

Quatrefoil

A quatrefoil is a decorative element consisting of a symmetrical shape which forms the overall outline of four partially overlapping circles of the same diameter. It is found in art, architecture, heraldry and traditional Christian symbolism. The word 'quatrefoil' means "four leaves", from the Latin quattuor, "four", plus folium, "leaf"; the term refers specifically to a four-leafed clover, but applies in general to four-lobed shapes in various contexts. In recent years, several luxury brands have attempted to fraudulently assert creative rights related to the symbol, which naturally predates any of those brands' creative development. A similar shape with three rings is called a trefoil.

Source: "Bishop James Madison Society", Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, (2022, October 12th), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bishop_James_Madison_Society.

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References
  1. ^ "Shhhhh....It's A Secret". College of William and Mary. Retrieved 21 May 2011.
  2. ^ Thompson, Camille (2003-04-25). "Professor delivers lecture on university hardships". The Flat Hat. College of William and Mary. Retrieved 2008-08-29.
  3. ^ Kahlenberg, Jessice. ""The Last Lecture, Almost"". The Flat Hat. College of William and Mary. Retrieved 21 May 2011.
  4. ^ Lidstrom, Nichole. ""College Legend Talks Tradition"". The Flat Hat. College of William and Mary. Archived from the original on 23 July 2011. Retrieved 21 May 2011.

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