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SPHINX History One brisk and blustery afternoon in January 1907, seniors James Rothwell and Richard Logan were chatting on the steps of University Hall when their discussion turned toward the idea of forming a senior honorary. They were soon joined by Charles Cooper and Harry Dodson, who were informed of - and instantly backed - the project. The following Saturday, the four held a covert logistical meeting in a small back room of Leachman's Chop House. There, the basic outline for the organization was established; it would be a small group of involved and talented seniors with the membership set at sixteen. Anonymous letters invited twelve other unsuspecting members-to-be to a 10:30 pm meeting at the Busy Bee restaurant which would be held the following Saturday night. Nobody knew who else would be in attendance at the Busy Bee; the letters said only that the recipient had been chosen to help create and organize a new society on campus. Once assembled, it was apparent that all sixteen men were in favor of establishing this yet unnamed honorary. The method of selecting new members was established, the constitution was adopted, and the society became known as SPHINX. The first linking was held on the second Wednesday in May, 1907. The traditions of the Long Walk, the sundial, and the singing of "Carmen Ohio," which new links experience each and every year are the same as those experienced by the links of the class of 1907. To put the founding of SPHINX into historical perspective, it occurred nine months after the San Francisco earthquake; Oklahoma had just been admitted as the 46th state; and a new Cadillac cost a mere $800. Ohio State's campus consisted of eight buildings: University Hall, Brown Hall, Hayes Hall, Mendenhall Laboratory, Orton Hall, Page Hall, Townshend Hall, and the Armory. Did You Know? · SPHINX alumni made the largest contribution of any organization to the Ohio Stadium Construction Fund in 1921. · What is known today as the President's Undergraduate Leadership Awards Banquet originally began as the SPHINX Student Leader Recognition Banquet in 1938. · SPHINX was the first student organization to hold a meeting in the Ohio Union when it opened in 1951. · In 1952, SPHINX was sued in the University Student Court by one of its own members to force nullification of the sixteen-member limit. The current membership is set at twenty-four · In 1957, the 50th anniversary celebration brought over 50% of the SPHINX alumni together for a celebratory weekend. A link from 1911 rode a bus for three days from California to be at the event! · In 1977, the University Student Court ordered SPHINX to comply with Title IX and admit women into its membership. SPHINX refused and a student who had been denied membership on the basis of her gender threatened to take SPHINX to civil court. The SPHINX constitution was amended; in 1978 SPHINX broke a 71-year tradition and linked two women into its membership. · To celebrate 75 years of SPHINX service to The Ohio State University, SPHINX alumni raised enough funds to design and build SPHINX Plaza on the north side of the Main Library. It was formally presented to the University in 1982. · In spite of world war; in spite of changing tastes and the campus turmoil of the 60's and 70's; in spite of a societal move towards technology and attitudes of (an almost) new millennium, SPHINX has continued to recognize not only campus excellence, but also personal qualities - such as dedication, perseverance, and integrity - which make for success in life after graduation. SPHINX MEMBERSHIP SPHINX membership has always gone to those with the character and potential for accomplishment. And while inevitably some names, such as, Jesse Owens, Milton Caniff, John Havlicek, and Woody Hayes have become better known than others, it is difficult to find a link who has not proven worthy. It is appropriate to reflect with pride on every one of our fellow members and to truly recognize in them the embodiment of the ideals of SPHINX. As links, we are all responsible for preserving traditions whilst creating new ones; for creating links to the University and to each other; for keeping the SPHINX spirit alive. The following was written in the anonymous membership invitation sent by the original four to their twelve classmates. Each was asked to join in forming a senior society that would be: Something to establish an honorable precedent forever to be perpetuated. May we always remember |