The Société d’Honneur was formed by the Board of Trustees in 1986 to recognize the exceptional lifetime generosity of alumni, parents and friends.

The financial support of the 29 inaugural members spanned the first 160 years of the College’s history and has strengthened every facet of campus life. Since their induction, the Société has grown to 145 members, including 45 inducted during the Live Connected, Lead Change campaign.

In addition to being listed in the Summary of Giving, members’ names are inscribed on the Société d’Honneur Plaza, located near the southwest corner of Pardee Hall. When inducted each Société member receives an exact-scale bronze copy of a statue of the Marquis de Lafayette cast by Aimé-Jules Dalou, a brilliant French sculptor, in 1881.  The original, from which the recastings are made, was presented to the College in 1950 by Allan P. Kirby ’15, a charter member of the Société, and is housed in the Kirby Library.