Concise Encyclopedia of Tufts History

Sauer, Anne

Branco, Jessica

Bennett, John

Crowley, Zachary

2000

Sword and Shield, 1902-1970

 

Sword and Shield, the sophomore honor society, was founded in 1902.The creation of Sword and Shield reflected the intense class rivalries of the day. It was intended to promote good fellowship and, more immediately, "the political and social interests of the Sophomore class."

One of Sword and Shield's historic functions was to provide what might be called the student version of freshman orientation. When freshmen arrived on campus in the fall they were greeted with "posters outlining their privileges or lack thereof, and freshmen who disregarded the admonition received a summons to meet with Sword and Shield, which emphasized by methods painful to the freshmen the importance of observing the regulations established for their good and the good of the College." In later years, the society became the keeper of Tufts undergraduate customs and in the 1960s was officially known as the Sword and Shield Traditions Society.

The duties assigned to Sword and Shield by the student council were to act as welcomers of visitors, to run not more than five informal dances per year, to usher at athletic and dramatic functions, to encforce freshmen traditions, to act as vigilance committee for the college, including policing outdoor sings, and to assume responsibility for college song books in the chapel. The group also ran blood drives for the local Red Cross.

Election to the society at first was by vote of the faculty, but after the first class was elected, election was by the membership of the society, who selected the following year's members from the Junior class. During the academic year 1923-24, there was criticism as some felt that fraternity politics and popularity had undue weight in the selection process. A revision of the rules in 1929-30 changed the process and from that time forward the society nominated qualified members of the rising class, and the class as a whole voted to elect members of the society.

The last elections for the society were held in April 1969 for the 1969-70 academic year.

Source: LOH1; TN, Spring 1946, 143-44; AO14

 
 
Subject terms:
Description
  • The encyclopedia seeks to capture more than 150 years of Tufts' achievements, societal contributions and outstanding alumni and faculty in concise entries. As a source of accurate factual information, the Encyclopedia can be used by anyone interested in the history of Tufts and of the people who have made it the unique institution it is.
This object is in collection Subject Temporal Permanent URL
ID:
f1881x54h
Component ID:
tufts:UA069.005.DO.00001
To Cite:
TARC Citation Guide    EndNote
Usage:
Detailed Rights
View all images in this book
 Introduction
 Content
Numeric Entries
A
B
C
D
Dame, Lorin Low, 1838-1903
Dana, Charles A., 1881-1975
Dana Laboratory, 1963
Daniel Ounjian Prize in Economics,
Davies, Caroline Stodder, 1864-1939
Davies House, 1894
De Florez Prize in Human Engineering, 1964
de Pacheco, Kaye MacKinnon, ca. 1910-ca. 1985
Dean Hall, 1887-1963
Dean, Oliver, 1783-1871
Dearborn, Heman Allen, 1831-1897
Department of Anatomy and Cellular Biology, 1893
Department of Anesthesia, 1970
Department of Art and Art History, 1930
Department of Biochemistry, 1893
Department of Chemistry, 1882
Department of Community Health, 1930
Department of Dermatology, 1897
The Department of Economics, 1946
Department of Medicine, 1893
Department of Molecular Biology and Microbiology
Department of Neurology, 1893
Department of Neuroscience, 1983
Department of Neurosurgery, 1951
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 1893
Department of Ophthamology, 1893
Department of Orthopedic Surgery, 1906
Department of Otolaryngology, 1895
Department of Pathology, 1893
Department of Pediatrics, 1930
Department of Pharmacology, 1915
Department of Physics and Astronomy, 1854
Department of Physiology, 1893
Department of Psychiatry, 1928
Department of Radiation Oncology, 1968
Department of Radiology, 1915
Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, 1955
Department of Surgery, 1893
Department of Urban and Environmental Policy, 1973
Department of Urology, 1910
Dental Health Sciences Building, 1969
Dewick, Cora Alma (Polk), 1875-1977
Dewick/MacPhie Dining Hall, 1959
Dickson Professorship of English and American History, 1913
Dirlam, Arland A., 1905-1979
Dog Cart, 1900
Dolbear, Amos Emerson, 1837-1910
Donald A. Cowdery Memorial Scholarship, 1946
Dr. Benjamin Andrews Professorship of Surgery, 1987
Dr. Philip E. A. Sheridan Prize, 1977
The Drug Bust, 1970
Dudley, Henry Watson, 1831-1906
Dugger, Edward Jr., 1919-75
Durkee, Frank W., 1861-1939
Durkee, Henrietta Noble Brown, 1871-1946
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
R
S
T
U
V
W
Z
 List of Sources