Florida State University Mortar Board Memorabilia, 1925-2006
Collection context
Summary
- Extent:
- 3.71 Linear Feet
- Language:
- English
- Preferred citation:
[Name of Item], [Date of Item], Florida State University Mortar Board Memorabilia, Heritage & University Archives, Florida State University Libraries, Tallahassee, Florida. https://purl.lib.fsu.edu/fa/MSS-2008-026
Background
- Scope and content:
This collection consists of various items documenting the activities of the Florida State University (FSU) Torchbearer Chapter of Mortar Board. It consists of a scrapbook with profiles of initiated members from 1925 to 1935, a scrapbook with various clippings from 1967 to 1974, plaques showing member lists from 1975-1976 and 1977-1978, and a folder with "chapter of distinction" awards given in 1991-1992 and 2002-2003. Also contained in the folder is a press release for a distinguished alumna award to be presented to Janice Platt.
- Biographical / historical:
Mortar Board National College Honor Society was founded in 1918 at Syracuse University as a society dedicated to honoring senior college women. It was the first national honor society for women in the United States. In more recent years Mortar Board has accepted both men and women, and has a strong presence nationwide with chapters on 226 college campuses in 47 states. The Florida State University Torchbearer chapter of Mortar Board was originally founded as "the Torchbearers" in 1925 at the Florida State College for Women with the idea of a local, female-only, honor society that would eventually join the national Mortar Board Honor society. In 1931, the idea came to fruition with the acceptance of the FSCW chapter into the National Senior Honorary Mortar Board Fraternity. According to Robin Sellers's book Femina Perfecta, Mortified, a satirically quasi-academic organization, was founded on April 27, 1937. Its purpose was "to recognize leadership and service and to counsel its members to strive for scholarship during the remainder of theor college years." It offered alternative recognition for girls who contributed their time and efforts to the campus but did not maintain a superior grade point average, one of Mortar Board's requirements. Sellers noted that while Mortar Board conducted itself in a dignified manner at the close of its tapping assembly, Mortified members "leaped noisily to their seats in the auditorium wings, vaulted over the modesty railing, and dragged their newest members to the stage for a brief but raucous ceremony."
- Acquisition information:
- Scrapbooks were acquired by Florida State University Libraries Special Collections department at an unknown time. The member plaques and award notifications were donated by Annelise Leysieffer in March 2008.
- Custodial history:
The charter certificate and Scholastic Award for Freshmen Plaque were given by Barbara McCartney to Hazel Richards. Richards gave these items to the FSU Libraries in the 1970s.
- Processing information:
Processed by Carlos Pearman in November 2008
- Rules or conventions:
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Access and use
- Restrictions:
Collection is open to all researchers.
This collection is in an offsite storage location. Please contact lib-specialcollections@fsu.edu with requests for access or for more information.
- Terms of access:
To request permission to quote, publish, broadcast or otherwise reproduce from the archives, please contact Heritage & University Archives, Florida State University Libraries, Tallahassee, Florida. Researchers must obtain separate permission from the copyright holders of material held within University Archives collections for which the institution does not hold copyright.
- Preferred citation:
[Name of Item], [Date of Item], Florida State University Mortar Board Memorabilia, Heritage & University Archives, Florida State University Libraries, Tallahassee, Florida. https://purl.lib.fsu.edu/fa/MSS-2008-026
- Location of this collection:
-
116 Honors WayTallahasseeFL32306-2047USA
