The Raven Society is an

honor society In the United States, an honor society is an organization that recognizes individuals who rank above a set standard in various domains such as academics, leadership, and other personal achievements, not all of which are based on ranking systems. ...

at the

University of Virginia The University of Virginia (UVA) is a Public university#United States, public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States. It was founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson and contains his The Lawn, Academical Village, a World H ...

Charlottesville, Virginia Charlottesville, colloquially known as C'ville, is an independent city (United States), independent city in Virginia, United States. It is the county seat, seat of government of Albemarle County, Virginia, Albemarle County, which surrounds the ...

. It was founded in 1904 by William McCully James who named it in honor of the poem by

Edgar Allan Poe Edgar Allan Poe (; January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic who is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales involving mystery and the macabre. He is widely re ...

, who attended the University of Virginia in 1826.

History

In 1904, University of Virginia student William McCully James proposed a new merit-based student society to promote literary and forensic work and to recognize outstanding scholarship. Once the new society was approved, a faculty committee selected twelve students who demonstrated academic excellence; the twelve were invited to join the society and were sworn in on April 20, 1904. The twelve members met to adopt a constitution on April 27, 1904. It stated that one of the Raven Society's main goals is "to bring together the best men in the various departments of the university for mutual acquaintance and for cooperation in their efforts to protect the honor and dignity of the university." The initial twelve also chose additional members, bringing the number of charter members to 31 students and four faculty. The founding members and their campus affiliations were: The members decided on the name Raven Society, in honor of the poem by

, who attended the University of Virginia in 1826. The society was originally considered a ribbon society because its members wore identifying ribbons. Its second class of members was announced on June 1, 1905. In November 1906, the society donated $10 ($ in 2022 money) to a fund to create a statue of Poe in

Richmond, Virginia Richmond ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), U.S. commonwealth of Virginia. Incorporated in 1742, Richmond has been an independent city (United States), independent city since 1871. ...

; this was the first gift to the Poe Memorial Fund. University of Virginia room of Edgar Allan Poe

The Raven Society has been active in commemorating Poe's life, including helping to plan the celebration of his centenary in January 1909. In February 1908, the university's Board of Visitors assigned the care at 13 West Range, Poe's room as a student, to the Raven Society. The society used the room as its meeting place and also began work on restoring the room as a museum. They also acquired a collection of Poe's works, to be kept in the room. The Ravens served as room guides during the centenary. The society opened Poe's preserved room, which they had furnished with "a settee from the Allan home in Richmond" as well as "a real raven, stuffed,

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looked down from a coign of the room." In 1924, architecture professor Edmund S. Campbell helped the society restore the room. 1936 Raven Award

In 1933, the society started its Raven Award program to recognize outstanding contributions of students and faculty. The original award was in the form of a bust of Edgar Allan Poe, based on a larger bronze sculpture commissioned with artist Harold Cash and first shown at commencement in April 1933. John Lloyd Newcomb, president University of Virginia, was the first recipient of the Raven Award. Other notable recipients include Edward L. Ayers, Colgate Darden, Nicole Hurd, and John Strangfeld.Dabney, Virginius (1981). ''Mr. Jefferson's University: A History''. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press. p. 418. The Raven Society also celebrated Poe's bicentenary in 2009 by laying three roses and drinking cognac in 13 West Range. In 2011, it received a grant from the UVa Alumni Association for the restoration of 13 West Range.

Symbols and traditions

The Raven Society's name came from "

The Raven "The Raven" is a narrative poem by American writer Edgar Allan Poe. First published in January 1845, the poem is often noted for its musicality, stylized language and supernatural atmosphere. It tells of a distraught lover who is paid a visit ...

", a narrative poem by

, who attended the University of Virginia in 1826. The society's emblem is a black enamel

raven A raven is any of several large-bodied passerine bird species in the genus '' Corvus''. These species do not form a single taxonomic group within the genus. There is no consistent distinction between crows and ravens; the two names are assigne ...

mounted upon a gold-colored base. Members are referred to as the Ravens. The society's Initiation takes place in 13 West Range, Poe's former room. Members declaim of Poe's works and stanzas from "The Raven" as part of the initiation ceremony. Initiates sign their name in a book using a quill. When inducted, new members must write a parody of "The Raven".

Activities

Annually, the society presents Raven Fellowships to support undergraduate and graduate research projects. The society recognizes service and contributions to the University of Virginia by honor students, faculty, administrators and alumni with its Raven Award. The society is also responsible for the upkeep of Poe's student quarters on at 13 West Range at the University of Virginia.

Membership

The society recruits members when they are juniors, seniors, or first or second-year graduate students. Potential members must demonstrate academic distinction. Initiation takes place at midnight. Fewer than thirty students are initiated each year.

Notable members

Notable members of the Raven Society include: * Charles Greenleaf Bell, scholar, poet and writer * Staige D. Blackford, journalist who edited the '' Virginia Quarterly Review'' * L. D. Britt, professor of surgery at the Eastern Virginia Medical School * James O. Browning,

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of the United States District Court for the District of New Mexico * M. Caldwell Butler,

Virginia General Assembly The Virginia General Assembly is the legislative body of the Commonwealth of Virginia, the oldest continuous law-making body in the Western Hemisphere, and the first elected legislative assembly in the New World. It was established on July 30, ...

and the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...

* Robert Young Button,

Attorney General of Virginia The attorney general of Virginia is an elected constitutional position that holds an Executive (government), executive office in the government of Virginia. Attorneys general are elected for a four-year term in the year following a United State ...

and Virginia Senate * Mortimer Caplin,

Commissioner of Internal Revenue The Commissioner of Internal Revenue is the head of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), an agency within the United States Department of the Treasury. The office of Commissioner was created by United States Congress, Congress as part of the Reven ...

and professor emeritus at the University of Virginia * George M. Cochran, justice of the

Virginia Supreme Court The Supreme Court of Virginia is the highest court in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It primarily hears direct appeals in civil cases from the trial-level city and county circuit courts, as well as the criminal law, family law and administrativ ...

and member of the Virginia Senate, and

Virginia House of Delegates The Virginia House of Delegates is one of the two houses of the Virginia General Assembly, the other being the Senate of Virginia. It has 100 members elected for terms of two years; unlike most states, these elections take place during odd-numbe ...

* Gary Cuozzo, professional football player with the

Baltimore Colts The Baltimore Colts were a professional American football team that played in Baltimore from 1953 to 1983, when owner Robert Irsay moved the franchise to Indianapolis. The team was named for Baltimore's history of horse breeding and racing. It w ...

Dabney, Virginius (1981). ''Mr. Jefferson's University: A History''. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press. p. 557. * Douglas Day, biographer, novelist, critic, University of Virginia professor * Bascom S. Deaver, physicist and academic * Armistead Mason Dobie, dean of the University of Virginia School of Law, circuit judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, and judge the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia * John S. Edwards,

Senate of Virginia The Senate of Virginia is the upper house of the Virginia General Assembly. The Senate is composed of 40 senators representing an equal number of single-member constituent districts. The Senate is presided over by the lieutenant governor of Vir ...

* S. Bernard Goodwyn, chief justice of the

Supreme Court of Virginia The Supreme Court of Virginia is the highest court in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It primarily hears direct appeals in civil cases from the trial-level city and county circuit courts, as well as the criminal law, family law and administrativ ...

* Kossen Gregory, member of the Virginia House of Delegates * Lapsley W. Hamblen Jr., judge of the

United States Tax Court The United States Tax Court (in case citations, T.C.) is a Federal judiciary of the United States, federal trial court court of record, of record established by US Congress, Congress under Article One of the United States Constitution, Article ...

* Frank Hereford, president of the

Dabney, Virginius (1981). ''Mr. Jefferson's University: A History''. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press. p. 598. * C. Harrison Mann,

* Ernest Mead, professor of music at the

* W. Tayloe Murphy Jr.,

and Virginia Secretary of Natural Resources * Charles S. Russell, senior justice of the

* D. French Slaughter Jr.,

and

* John Strangfeld, former chairman, chief executive officer, and president of

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* Gilbert J. Sullivan, director of the

Alumni Association for 35 years * Alexander Theroux, novelist and poet * F. Palmer Weber, activist and member of

Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), also known as FDR, was the 32nd president of the United States, serving from 1933 until his death in 1945. He is the longest-serving U.S. president, and the only one to have served ...

New Deal The New Deal was a series of wide-reaching economic, social, and political reforms enacted by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the United States between 1933 and 1938, in response to the Great Depression in the United States, Great Depressi ...

group known as the Brain Trust * Robert Whitehead,

* Henry H. Whiting, justice of the

* Murat W. Williams, Ambassador to

El Salvador El Salvador, officially the Republic of El Salvador, is a country in Central America. It is bordered on the northeast by Honduras, on the northwest by Guatemala, and on the south by the Pacific Ocean. El Salvador's capital and largest city is S ...

References

External links

The Raven Society

Raven Award Winners
{{authority control 1904 establishments in Virginia Honor societies University of Virginia Virginia culture History of the University of Virginia Student organizations established in 1904 Secret societies in the United States Student organizations in the United States Local fraternities and sororities