Aurelian

Aurelian is one of the Ancient Eight in Leigh Bardugo's Ninth House. Established in 1910, it is the fifth oldest landed secret society at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut

Book Information
The following is information found in the final pages of Ninth House provided by Leigh Bardugo on the Houses of the Veil.
 * Motto:
 * Teachings: Practices logomancy, word binding and divination through language.
 * Famous Alumni: Admiral Richard Lyon, Samantha Power, John B. Goodenough

History
The Constitution of the society reads: "The object of this Society is to encourage and promote high character, gentlemanly conduct and the molding of one's career to a life to the community, and to bring the active members into contact with the honorary members who shall have been selected with the view that their careers shall be a source of inspiration".

Besides discussing issues of the University, Aurelian has, since its inception, overseen a variety of important philanthropic activities in support of the University:
 * a scholarship fund (in place since 1953 administered by the financial aid office),
 * an undergraduate science contest, the Chester Harding Plimpton award
 * a public lecture series
 * the prep-school cup award

After the unification of Yale College and the Sheffield Scientific School, and through the tumultuous era of the 1960s, the Aurelian Honor Society's role in University governance declined.

Aurelian continued to be a supra-senior society, drawing its membership from throughout the University and other societies. Largely due to the sponsorship of Aurelian alumnus Loomis Havemeyer (author of the history of the Society), Aurelian continued to meet for Tuesday lunches with faculty and honorary members. When Yale went co-ed, Aurelian followed suit, making it one of the few societies to do so at their first opportunity.


 * In 1981, Aurelian was revived after a period of a few years in the late 1970s when all societies and fraternities were in decline.
 * In 2009, the delegation modified the constitution, officially declaring itself a Senior Society and thereby formally adopting the practices of those societies such as mutual exclusivity from other societies, conducting student biographies, and participating in the tap process.

The Society still seeks to attract members from all walks of student life and maintains contact with the faculty. In this way, Aurelian still maintains the leadership role on which it was founded, emphasizing a sense of history and inquisitiveness. This legacy persists in its annual speakers program and monthly lunches with members of the faculty and administration.

Real World Information

 * Aurelian Honor Society at Yale

Trivia

 * Aurelian Name and emblem - The name was chosen in honor of the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius, whose career and philosophy represented those ideas for which the organization wished to strive. These ideals are symbolized by the Society's emblem: a seven-pointed star surrounded by a wreath. The wreath represents a reward of merit, and the star stands for a single body (originally seven members) radiating light in the seven principal lines of college activity—Scientific, Athletic, Literary, Oratorical, Executive, Scholarship, and Religious.