The Seal & Serpent Society is Cornell's oldest independent fraternal organization. Founded in 1905 by a small group of classmates, our founders did not set out to build a fraternity. They soon found, though, that they had "the nucleus for one and a definite place for it among organizations as they then stood on the Hill." Because we are exclusively and singularly a Cornell society, we are free to define ourselves on our own terms. We answer to no national organization. Instead, we hold ourselves to a distinctly Cornellian standard: "egalitarian excellence" in our character, our scholarship, and our morality. In 2020, the Society honored that standard when its members voted unanimously to open full membership to all genders.

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Membership in Seal & Serpent

All new members of the Society are invited by the active chapter. To receive an invitation, a student must exemplify our core values and show high character in all aspects of their life. They must show legitimate interest in advancing our Society's founding principles. The best way to demonstrate these traits is simply to meet the members and let us know you're interested.