Founded at the University of Miami in 1926, the Iron Arrow Honor Society is the University of Miami's highest attainable honor. Among the university population of 15,000, the society very selectively admits only 30 or so members from the university's undergraduate, law and medical schools each year, based on unanimous votes of the membership. The society uses five criteria in the selection of its members: scholarship, leadership, character, humility and love of alma mater, each of which must rank as exemplary.

Historically, the society was a men's only honor society. But in 1985, a high profile and nationally publicized motion to admit women was passed by the society's all male membership. The vote to admit women followed several years of contentious litigation, which ultimately reached the Supreme Court of the United States. Plaintiff and government arguments on the compulsory admission of women to Iron Arrow, and the implications for federal assistance to a university, were heard by the Supreme Court on November 14, 1983 in "Iron Arrow Honor Society, et.al. vs. Heckler (U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services)" and in numerous prior U.S. Federal Court motions.

Membership in the Iron Arrow Honor Society is deemed one of the highest and most selective honors at any major U.S. university or college. Members of the society are sworn to secrecy about the details of the society's initiation ceremony, which reportedly is held twice annually in the Florida Everglades and includes various Miccosukee Indian traditions.

The society includes many prominent members who have gone on to become engaged in high profile public service.

Prominent members

• Bowman Foster Ashe, first President of the University of Miami
• Dante Fascell, former Member of Congress
• Michael Johns, health care executive and former White House speechwriter
• Alex Penelas, former Mayor, Miami-Dade County, Florida
• José Szapocznik, clinical psychologist

External links

• Iron Arrow Honor Society official web site.
• Iron Arrow Honor Society profile, NNDB.