Iron Arrow Honor Society facts for kids
The Iron Arrow Honor Society is a special group at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida. It includes students, teachers, staff, and former students. Being chosen for Iron Arrow is the highest honor you can get from the university.
The society started at the University of Miami in 1926. Each year, about thirty new members are chosen. These members come from different parts of the university, like undergraduate studies, the law school, and the medical school. They also include alumni (former students) and university staff. To become a member, everyone in the society must agree. Members are chosen based on their good grades, leadership skills, strong character, humility, and love for their university.
History of Iron Arrow
The Iron Arrow Honor Society began in 1926. Back then, it was called "The Highest Honor Attained by Men." In 1937, another group called Nu Kappa Tau was formed. This was a separate sister group for women at the university. It was known as "The Highest Honor Attained by Women."
In 1966, Nu Kappa Tau joined a national honor society called Mortar Board. This meant Iron Arrow was the only group left carrying on its unique traditions.
Changes for Women Members
In 1976, the U.S. government told the University of Miami something important. They said the university was helping Iron Arrow a lot. But this was against a rule called Title IX. This rule says that schools getting federal money cannot treat people differently based on gender.
Because of this, the university asked Iron Arrow to hold its special ceremonies off campus. They also talked with Iron Arrow about allowing women to join. Iron Arrow then sued the government. They wanted to keep their right to be a male-only group on campus.
In 1982, the university president, Edward T. Foote II, sent a letter to Iron Arrow. He said that no matter what the court decided, Iron Arrow would not be allowed back on campus if it stayed male-only. This made the court case less important. The case was supposed to go to the U.S. Supreme Court in 1983.
Finally, in 1985, Iron Arrow made a big change. After more than fifty years, the male members voted to let women join. After this vote, Iron Arrow was allowed back on campus.
Two books have been written about the Iron Arrow Honor Society. The first, Iron Arrow: A History, came out in 1976. The second, Iron Arrow: A History, Seventy-Five Years, was published in 2001.
Famous Members
Many well-known people have been members of the Iron Arrow Honor Society. Here are some of them:
| Name | What they are known for |
|---|---|
| Bowman Foster Ashe | A former president of the University of Miami |
| Xavier Cortada | A famous artist |
| Gloria Estefan | A singer and songwriter who has won many awards |
| Dante Fascell | A former member of the U.S. Congress |
| Michael Johns | A health care leader and former speechwriter for President George H. W. Bush |
| Dexter Lehtinen | A former U.S. attorney for Southern Florida |
| R. Fred Lewis | A former chief justice of the Supreme Court of Florida |
| Russell Maryland | A former professional football player for teams like the Dallas Cowboys |
| Jackie Nespral | A news anchor for WTVJ and NBC News |
| Alex Penelas | A former mayor of Miami-Dade County, Florida |
| Jon Secada | A musician who has won Grammy Awards |
| Donna Shalala | A former president of the University of Miami and a former U.S. Secretary of Health |
| José Szapocznik | A clinical psychologist |
| Lauryn Williams | An Olympic silver medalist in the 100-meter sprint |
