Secret Societies at The University of Virginia - Recent Societies

Recent Societies

Other secret societies have appeared on Grounds in the last ten years, including the 21 Society and the Sons of Liberty. The 21 Society announced its founding on June 21, 1999, citing "direct challenge(s) to student self-governance" and claiming an intention to "unify the politically active students of the University." The society has subsequently contributed to the University of Virginia Center for Politics.

The Sons and Daughters of Liberty were established in the early 2000s, and are said to pursue liberty while decrying tyranny. Though the judgements passed by the SDL are done in secrecy, it is well known and documented that they stand firmly against the Jefferson Literary and Debating Society, the most notable debating society of The University. The SDL began when the Sons of Liberty were founded in the early 2000s. Shortly after, the Daughters of Liberty were founded, and the two combined in 2011 to form the Sons and Daughters of Liberty. The group appears to mimic the ideals of the original Sons of Liberty, a group of well-known rebels during the American Revolution. They are known to write and speak with the dialect of the 1700s, and date their writings 1773. Once every year, on the eve of Thomas Jefferson's birthday, the SDL post lists of 13 individuals they deem "Rebels", and a limited number of individuals or organizations they deem "Tyrants". These lists are posted around the University. Short explanations accompany the list of Tyrants, and the Jefferson Society is always listed as a Tyrant. The SDL are also known to march down the Lawn on George Washington's birthday, placing a wreath and letter by his statue on the south end of the Lawn.

When spotted in public, the members of the SDL can be easily identified by their clothes. They garb themselves in colonial dress, and typically wear the American flag around their necks. Though the outfits differ between individuals, they all wear colonial tricorns, as well as white masks to conceal their identities. It is not clear how many members are in the society.

The SDL are known to carry out pranks and stunts around The University, a notable prank being the dumping of tea down the chimney of a lawn room in 2008. The lawn room belonged to a member of the Jefferson Society, and the act was sternly looked down upon by members of The University, prompting an apology from the SDL. Since then, the group appears to have maintained its devious nature on a less damaging scale, and acts against the Jefferson Society may be witnessed throughout the year. In April 2012 the SDL gifted the Jefferson Society with a cake containing a whole, uncooked fish. On the same night, a well-known member of the Jefferson Society was coaxed from his lawn room, only to have what appeared to be flour dumped on him from the balcony above. Previously, the SDL have entered the debate hall of the Jefferson Society and rearranged furniture, placed the pedestal in a bucket of tea, and carried out other harmless pranks. In the fall of 2011 there was an incident where artwork and furniture in the Hall was damaged, but it has since been confirmed that the SDL played no part in this. Though the SDL commonly poke fun at the Jefferson Society, they have also been known to bring lightheartedness to the student body by interrupting meetings, streaking libraries, and raucously decrying tyranny to any who may listen.

There is no known way to contact the SDL, though some claim to know select members. The SDL have no known enemies besides the Jefferson Society, and no clashes with other secret societies have taken place. The tapping rituals and processes, like those of other societies, is not known. The group appears to have no connection to the student-organized company of volunteer soldiers, also called the Sons of Liberty, who conducted training drills on the Lawn in 1861 after the outbreak of the Civil War.

The Rotunda Burning Society is a secret organization, presumably founded sometime after 1974 and before 1993, that commemorates the 1895 burning of the Rotunda by burning an effigy of the building each year at the base of the south steps.

Little is known about the Order of the Claw and Dagger, save their contribution to the recent capital campaign for the McIntire School of Commerce; their logo is now found on the side of Rouss Hall on The Lawn next to that of the IMP Society. The Delphi Society is a secret organization apparently connected to the McIntire School of Commerce; They have recognized faculty contributions and have sponsored scholarships for students.

Similarly, little is known about the Six Column Society - the only visible remnant of the supposedly-active group are faded white symbols on a number of buildings around the lawn.

In addition, The Yellow Journal, the University's humor publication, functions as a secret society in that it is published anonymously and members are publicly unknown. Historically, the publication has always been published anonymously though throughout the 1980s and 1990s the nature of the paper and its members were not secretive.