Mortar Board
The Mortar Board is an American national honor society for college seniors. Mortar Board has 231 chartered collegiate chapters nationwide and 15 alumni chapters.
| Mortar Board, Inc. | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Founded | February 15, 1918 Syracuse, New York |
| Type | Honor Society |
| Emphasis | Scholarship, Leadership, Service |
| Colors | Gold and Silver |
| Publication | The Mortar Board Forum |
| Chapters | 232 |
| Members | 250,000+ collegiate |
| Headquarters | 1200 Chambers Road, Suite 201 Columbus, Ohio United States |
| Website | Official website |
Mortar Board and Women
Mortar Board was the first national honor society for college senior women and continues to promote women's interests in higher education today. The Society admitted men in 1975 as a ramification of Title IX, at which point a clause was added in the Purpose to include additional "commitment to the advancement of the status of women."
Notable alumni
More than quarter of a million members have been initiated nationwide, with established careers in numerous fields. Some of the notable alumni are:
- Condoleezza Rice, former U.S. Secretary of State
- Judith Resnik, space shuttle Challenger astronaut
- Aron Ralston, mountain climber and author
- Drew Brees, NFL player[1]
- Bruce Littlefield, author and lifestyle expert
Additionally, numerous community and international leaders have been named honorary members, including:
- Sandra Day O’Connor, Supreme Court associate justice
- Maya Angelou, poet
- Jimmy Carter, U.S. President
- Sally Ride, first female U.S. astronaut
- Fred Rogers, educator, minister, and host of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood
National structure
Mortar Board, Inc. is governed by collegiate chapters. National officers come from the ranks of alumni and collegiate members.
National Office
The National Office, located in Columbus, Ohio, is the source of records and information related to chapter operations, national conferences, alumni, the Mortar Board National Foundation and the historical archives of Mortar Board. The staff enacts policies and procedures established by the National Council and the Mortar Board National Foundation.
National Foundation
The National Foundation was established in 1955 as the fundraising arm of Mortar Board, as well as to serve the educational aims of Mortar Board, Inc. The mission of the National Foundation is to support Mortar Board, Inc. in furthering its ideals of scholarship, leadership and service.
Section coordinators
Section coordinators work directly with chapters, serving as close primary contacts for chapters within a specified geographic region. The section coordinator is available to assist the chapters with a variety of tasks, including planning and execution of events.
Affiliations
Mortar Board is an affiliate of the Association of College Honor Societies. Mortar Board was invited into the Association of College Honor Societies (ACHS) in 1937, the only women’s honor society to be invited up until that time. ACHS is a national organization that provides resources and fosters communication among 70 honor societies with chapters around the world.