The Sphinx Senior Society is one of the oldest senior honor societies at the

University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn or UPenn) is a private research university in Philadelphia. It is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and is ranked among the highest-regarded universit ...

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; (Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, Ma ...

. The organization, founded in 1900, is self-perpetuating and consists of a maximum of 30 members selected annually. Its members are a diverse and varied group, coming from all areas of achievement, community, activities, and backgrounds. Each member is chosen because of the singular achievements from his or her committed leadership to the university, community and public. The Sphinx Senior Society, Inc. is a recognized nonprofit organization with 501(c)(3) status.

Membership

The undergraduate society consists of 30 members, with 23 being inducted each spring and an additional 7 being inducted each fall. Members, officially called "Sphinges," represent student leaders that have served the university community in some form or manner and are selected based on their character, involvement, leadership, and vision. This membership perpetuates through a "tapping" process every spring, during which current members personally nominate deserving juniors to attend a smoker. This informal smoker provides an opportunity for the taps to pick up an application as well as for the current members to meet and screen nominees before starting the selection process. This process is repeated each fall to tap, select, and induct an additional 7 seniors as members of the given class.

Board of Governors

The Sphinx Senior Society Board of Governors guides, plans and coordinates all activities of the Society, especially expanding alumni outreach and supporting the undergraduate membership. The 17-member Board consists of a President, Vice-President, Treasurer, Secretary, President-Emeritus, and Chief, Pharisee, or Scribe Emeritus from the most recent graduating Sphinx class, as well as eight alumni Members-at-Large elected by the entire Sphinx alumni membership. These alumni members cover as wide a range of Penn alumni classes as possible. The three officers from the current class of the undergraduate membership also serve on the Board in an ex officio capacity. 2018-19 Board of Governors Gregory Suss, Esq., PhD., C’75, ''President'' Elizabeth Katz Miller, W’87, ''Vice President'' Louis Hornick III, C’02, ''Treasurer'' Anita Saggurti, C’12, ''Secretary'' Stephen H. Klitzman, Esq., C’66, ''President-Emeritus'' Dhruv Agarwal, E’18, ''Chief-Emeritus'' Eric Apple Joshua Chilcote Luis Ernesto Del Valle John Fiorillo Urja Mittal Jeremy Pincus Kiera Reilly David Scollan Jay Shah, ''Undergraduate Chief''

Selected notable members

* Mitchell J. Blutt - Executive Partner,

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and CEO of Consonance Capital - 1978 * Bill Carr - Winner of two gold medals at the

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- 1933 * Richard Clarke - Author,

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Director under Presidents

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and

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- 1972 * William T. Coleman, Jr. -

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, 1975–77, and recipient of the

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- 1995 *

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- Award winning journalist. Currently Editor-in-Chief of

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magazine - 1987 *

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- Billionaire, founder of the

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- 1959 *

John B. Kelly Jr. John Brenden "Jack" Kelly Jr. (May 24, 1927 – March 2, 1985), also known as Kell Kelly, was an American athlete, an accomplished rower, a four-time Olympian, and an Olympic medal winner. He was the son of triple Olympic gold medal winner Jac ...

- accomplished oarsman, four-time Olympian, and Olympic medal winner and President of the

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; brother of actress

Grace Kelly Grace Patricia Kelly (November 12, 1929 – September 14, 1982) was an American actress who, after starring in several significant films in the early to mid-1950s, became Princess of Monaco by marrying Prince Rainier III in April 1956. Kell ...

; Kelly Drive in Philadelphia is named for him - 1950 * John Legend/John Stephens - American soul singer, songwriter, and pianist - 2000 *

Donald Lippincott Donald Fithian Lippincott (November 16, 1893 – January 9, 1963) was an American athlete who competed in the sprint events. He competed for the United States in the 1912 Summer Olympics held in Stockholm, Sweden where he finished third in the ...

- Winner of a silver and a bronze medal at the 1912 Stockholm Olympics - 1915 *

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- Film producer and director, and, former CEO of The Money Store - 1967 *

John Edgar Wideman John Edgar Wideman (born June 14, 1941) is an American novelist, short story writer, memoirist, and essayist. He was the first person to win the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction twice. His writing is known for experimental techniques and a focus o ...

- American writer,

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recipient and two-time winner of the International

PEN/Faulkner Award The PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction is awarded annually by the PEN/Faulkner Foundation to the authors of the year's best works of fiction by living American citizens. The winner receives US$15,000 and each of four runners-up receives US$5000. F ...

; currently professor at Brown University - 1963

Notes

References

{{Authority control 1900 establishments in Pennsylvania Honor societies University of Pennsylvania Student societies in the United States Student organizations established in 1900 Collegiate secret societies Secret societies in the United States