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The Iron Arrow Honor Society is an honor society at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida for students, faculty, staff and alumni. It is the highest honor that can be bestowed by the university.
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Founded at the University of Miami in 1926, the society admits about thirty members annually, including undergraduates, students at the School of Law, and Miller School of Medicine. Membership requires unanimous votes of the membership. Criteria include scholarship, leadership, character, humility, and love of alma mater.
History
Historically, the society was male-only, founded as the "The Highest Honor Attained by Men." In 1937, Nu Kappa Tau, a separate sister organization, was founded as "The Highest Honor Attained by Women." In 1966, Nu Kappa Tau became affiliated with the national women's honor society, Mortar Board, and as Randy Femmer wrote in his book Iron Arrow: A History,"leaving Iron Arrow to carry the tradition alone".
In 1976, the federal government notified the University of Miami that it was providing significant assistance to Iron Arrow in violation of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. The university responded by having Iron Arrow move its tapping ceremony off campus and negotiated with it to accept women members. In turn, Iron Arrow sued the federal government seeking the right to continue on campus as a male-only organization. In 1982, University President Edward T. Foote II wrote to Iron Arrow stating that regardless of how the court case came out, Iron Arrow would not be allowed back on campus as a male-only organization. This rendered the court case moot before it was scheduled to be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court, in Iron Arrow Honor Soc. v. Heckler, 464 U.S. 67 (1983)
In 1985, breaking with over forty years of tradition, the society's all-male membership voted to admit women, and Iron Arrow was allowed back on campus.
Prominent members
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