The Clariosophic Society, also known as MΣΦ (Mu Sigma Phi), is a literary society founded in 1806 at the University of South Carolina, then known as South Carolina College, as a result of the splitting in two of the Philomathic Society, which had been formed within weeks of the opening of the college in 1805 and included virtually all students. At what was called the Synapian Convention held in February, 1806, the members of Philomathic voted to split into two separate societies, one of which became known as Clariosophic, while the other society became known as Euphradian. Two blood brothers picked the members for the new groups in a manner similar to choosing up sides for an impromptu baseball game. John Goodwin became the first president of Clariosophic. Other early presidents include Stephen Elliott, Hugh S. Legaré. George McDuffie and Richard I. Manning.
Latin Diploma and key
Applicants who had fulfilled all the requirements for membership were given the society's Latin Diploma along with its key to signify their membership. Somewhere along the way, the giving of keys ceased but the key still appeared on the diplomas, The key was shaped like a rhombus or lozenge except that the sides did not meet at the top and bottom, but were blunted off. The front had two overlapping hearts at the top with the Greek letters, Mu Sigma Phi (MΣΦ,) in the center and the initials C.S., for Clariosophic Society, at the bottom. The reverse side had the two hearts at the top and two Greek words beginning with the letters, Delta and Phi (ΔΦ) in the center and the initials S.C.C, for South Carolina College, at the bottom.
Notable members of the 19th Century include:
Preston Brooks, later U.S. Representative from South CarolinaAndrew Pickens Butler, later U.S. senator from SCWilliam Butler, later physician and U.S. Representative from South CarolinaPatrick C. Caldwell, later U.S. Representative from South CarolinaJames Calhoun, later president of the Georgia Senate and mayor of Atlanta, GeorgiaJohn C. Calhoun US Vice President (Honorary member)William Capers, later pastor of Columbia's Washington Street Church and a bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church, SouthWilliam K. Clowney, later U.S. Representative from South CarolinaMark Anthony Cooper, later U.S. Representative from GeorgiaAnderson Crenshaw, the first graduate of the South Carolina College, now the University of South Carolina, and later Alabama supreme court justice.James Dellet, later U.S. Representative from AlabamaStephen Elliott, later First Episcopal Bishop of Georgia & Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church in the CSAJohn Gayle, Clariosophic president, later governor of AlabamaRobert Budd Gilchrist, U.S. federal judge in SCWilliam Henry Gist, later governor of SCWade Hampton III, later governor of SC and U.S. senator from SCHopkins Holsey, later U.S. Representative from GeorgiaHugh S. Legaré, later US Attorney GeneralDixon Hall Lewis, later U.S. Senator from AlabamaCharles James McDonald, later governor of Georgia and Georgia supreme court justiceGeorge McDuffie, later SC Governor and U.S. Senator from SCBasil Manly, later Baptist minister and president of the University of AlabamaRichard I. Manning, later SC Governor and U.S. Representative from South CarolinaJohn Murphy, later governor of AlabamaJohn Belton O'Neall (1793-1863), South Carolina State Representative 1816-1828, Judge of the South Carolina Court of Appeals 1830, and member of the U.S. O'Neall political familyEugenius Aristides Nisbet, later U.S. Representative from Georgia and Georgia supreme court justiceWilliam T. Nuckolls, later U.S. Representative from South CarolinaFrancis Wilkinson Pickens, later U.S. Representative from South Carolina, U.S. ambassador to Russia and Governor of South CarolinaHenry L. Pinckney, later U.S. Representative from South CarolinaHenry William Ravenel, BotanistJames Rogers, later U.S. Representative from South CarolinaBenjamin Glover Shields, later U.S. Representative from Alabama and United States Chargé d'Affaires in VenezuelaEdwin G. Seibels, while a student served in the SC House; later becama an insurance executive and invented the vertical filing cabinet.Waddy Thompson, Jr., later U.S. Representative from South CarolinaLouis T. Wigfall, US Senator from Texas & Confederate Senator from TexasThurmond Bishop, Retired Chief Judge US Bankruptcy Court for SCVictor Laurie, Retired Chemistry Professor, Princeton UniversityWalton James McLeod, III, Member of SC LegislatureEugene Platt, Poet, and 2010 SC State House CandidateCecil Winfield Scott, B.S., 1927, M.Ed. 1928, Philanthropist and Professor Emeritus of Chemistry, Rutgers University
