Raven's Claw Society

The Raven's Claw is an all-male senior honorary society at Dickinson College. It was founded in 1896, making it the first society unique to Dickinson College and one of the oldest in the country. Membership is limited to seven senior men who are selected by the seven previous members. The new members are chosen based on a variety of factors, which are speculated to include: campus leadership, a solid academic record, and athletic participation. While those are often the factors associated with membership in the Raven's Claw Society, no one knows for certain how or why members are selected.[1] New members are inducted in a "Tapping Ceremony" which is held on the "Old Stone Steps of Old West." The ceremony is traditionally conducted during commencement weekend. They are called "claws" or "white hats", denoting the white caps they wear around campus to signify unity and loyalty on certain days throughout the year.[2]

The Raven's Claw emblem (current)

History

1965 Raven's Claw Tappings Ceremony on the steps of Old West

The Raven's Claw Society is very loyal and has been a part of Dickinson's history for over 100 years. While the members of the group are known, the majority of their actions and traditions are concealed. The group prides itself in serving the Dickinson College and Carlisle, Pennsylvania communities through discreet service activities.[3] The group's alumni organization is also responsible for founding one of the college's largest scholarship funds and the McAndrews Fund for athletics. Additionally, there are many buildings on campus named after Raven's Claw members in recognition of their generous service and dedication to the College and/or large financial contributions to the school.

Alumni

Business

• Merkel Landis, President of Carlisle Trust Company, responsible for establishing the first Christmas club savings fund.[4]
• Robert M. Waidner, President of Standard Fusee Corporation.[5][6]
• George V. Hager, Chairman and CEO of Genesis HealthCare Corporation.[7]
• John R. Stafford, CEO of American Home Products International Inc.[8][9]
• Gary A. Poliner, CFO and Executive Vice President of Northwestern Mutual Financial Network.[10]
• Doug Pauls, BankUnited Chief Financial Officer.[11]
• Abram Bosler, President of Carlisle Deposit Bank and Carlisle Shoe Company; President of the Carlisle City Council; Co-founder of Carlisle Country Club[12]
• David S. Freysinger, Executive Vice President of Reliant Energy, Inc.[13]
• Kyle Miller, President and CEO of Hudson Castle Group, Inc.[14]
• Richard W. Schey, Partner, Management Committee, Regional Coordinator, New England Offices of Jackson Lewis LLP; Author of 'The New Jersey Wage and Hour Handbook.'[15]
• Daniel J. Sheridan, President and Chief Operating Officer, Extensis Group LLC.[16]

Arts and entertainment

• Philip Capice, television producer (Raven's Claw Productions).[17]
• Leon Rose, President of the New York Knicks and former prominent sports agent to LeBron James and others.[18]
• John Griesemer, Motion Picture and Television Actor, Author of No One Thinks Of Greenland, among others.[19][20]
• Henry Boye, Publisher of the Harvard Business Review.[21]
• Byron Quann, president and chief executive officer of Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts.[22]
• Hugh Beistle Woodward, prominent 20th Century Conservationist.[23]

Politics and public service

• Edward J. Bonin, member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania
• Samuel W. Witwer, politician credited as the "Father of the Illinois Constitution."[24][25]
• S. Walter Stauffer, United States Representative from Pennsylvania and President of the National Lime Association.[26]
• Robert E. Woodside, Jr., Pennsylvania State Congressman, Pennsylvania Attorney General and Superior Court Judge.[27]
• John D. Hopper, Pennsylvania State Senator.[28][29]
• Henri S. Rauschenbach, Massachusetts State Congressman and Senator.[30]
• Dallas Winslow, Delaware Public Service Commissioner and Delaware State Senator.[31]
• Jim Gerlach, U.S. Representative and 2010 Gubernatorial Candidate from Pennsylvania.[32]
• Harry Nice, member of the Baltimore City Council and the 50th Governor of Maryland.[33]
• Luke Bernstein, Executive Director of the Republican Party of Pennsylvania.[34]
• Richard Barclay Surrick, United States federal judge on the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania
• Dennis J. Crawford, New Jersey Supreme Court Certified Trial Attorney.[35]
• James A. Kenney, III, Judge of the Maryland Court of Special Appeals[36]
• Jeffrey Truskey, Senior Legal Counsel for the Chevron Corporation.
• John E. Jones III, U.S. District Judge who decided the Dover Intelligent Design Case.[37] In 2014 he ruled that Pennsylvania's 1996 ban on same-sex marriage was unconstitutional.[38]

Athletics

• W. J. Gobrecht, Author, Historian and Coach.[39][40]
• Dave Webster, Dickinson College Head Men's Lacrosse Coach.[41]
• John Carroll (basketball), former Boston Celtics head coach.
• Bernie Driscoll, Kutztown University Head Men's Basketball Coach.[42]
• Jim Engles, New Jersey Institute of Technology Head Men's Basketball Coach.[43]
• Peter J. Sivess, Philadelphia Phillies pitcher and Central Intelligence Agency Cold Warrior.[44]
• Steve Hoffman (American football), former NFL player and current NFL coach[45][46]
• Eric Amsler, Miami Heat, Scouting and Player Personnel

Education

• Boyd Lee Spahr, President of Dickinson College Board of Trustees.[47][48]
• Don W. Llewellyn, Dean of Graduate Legal Studies, Villanova University School of Law[49]
• John "Milt" Davidson, member emeritus of the college’s board of trustees; most senior living Raven's Claw member[50]
• Edward A. Polloway, Dean of Graduate Studies and Distinguished Professor of Education, Lynchburg College.[51]
• Gilbert "Red" Malcolm, 23rd President of Dickinson College.[52]
• Stephen A. Saltzburg, Distinguished University Professor, The George Washington University Law School.[53]
• Benjamin James, educator, dean, coach, honorary president, and beloved Dickinsonian.[54][55]
• Former/current members of the Dickinson College Board of Trustees, among others.

References

1. Raven's Claw Archived 2007-12-20 at the Wayback Machine
2. History of Raven's Claw Archived 2008-02-08 at the Wayback Machine
3. Dickinson College - The Dickinsonian
4. Merkel Landis from NY Times
5. Waidner Recognized as one of America's Most Generous Donors
6. Dickinson Named Beneficiary in Waidner Trust Archived 2006-09-14 at the Wayback Machine
7. George Hager, Genesis Healthcare Archived 2011-07-11 at the Wayback Machine
8. Stafford recognized as a Great American Business Leader of the 20th Century
9. Dickinson Receives Multi-Million Dollar Gift From Raven's Claw Member Archived 2005-01-02 at the Wayback Machine
10. Gary A. Poliner Executive Profile
11. The opening bell at the NYSE signals the start of a good day for Doug Pauls ’80 Archived 2011-04-16 at the Wayback Machine
12. Abram Bosler Archived 2008-12-02 at the Wayback Machine
13. Dave Freysinger, Reliant Energy Archived 2011-07-25 at the Wayback Machine
14. Kyle Miller: Executive Profile & Biography - BusinessWeek
15. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2010-12-31. Retrieved 2010-12-30.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
16. http://www.extensisgroup.com
17. "Remembering a Former Trustee and Television Pioneer". Archived from the original on 2010-02-02. Retrieved 2010-01-23.
18. Cavs.com’s Exclusive Interview with LeBron James, Agent Leon Rose, and Cavs’ GM Danny Ferry
19. John Griesemer Author Profile
20. Griesemer from IMDB
21. Henry Boye Named Publisher of Harvard Business Review
22. Byron Quann-Whitaker CEO
23. Hugh B. Woodward Biography Archived 2007-04-30 at the Wayback Machine
24. Witwer Hall, Dickinson College Archived 2008-10-07 at the Wayback Machine
25. Quest for a Constitution: A Man Who Wouldn't Quit : A Political Biography of Samuel Witwer of Illinois
26. National Lime Association
27. Robert Elmer Woodside, 1904-1998
28. John D. Hopper - Dickinson Chronicles Archived 2007-08-20 at the Wayback Machine
29. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Legislative Journal, June 26, 1996 (Page 8)
30. Henri Rauschenbach of Massachusetts Archived 2009-12-04 at the Wayback Machine
31. Dallas Winslow
32. Gerlach For PA
33. Exhibit of Governors' Portraits in the Governor's Reception Room, Maryland State House
34. Politics Magazine Names Bernstein ‘Rising Star' Archived 2008-10-08 at the Wayback Machine
35. Law Offices of Dennis J. Crawford Archived 2010-10-04 at the Wayback Machine
36. JAMES A. KENNEY III, Judge, Court of Special Appeals
37. Dickinson College - Commencement Archived 2006-06-20 at the Wayback Machine
38. Noteworthy Opinions
39. "Gobrecht Receives Distinguished Dickinson Alumnus Award". Archived from the original on 2006-09-08. Retrieved 2009-04-16.
40. "Goby" Recognized for Service Archived 2008-08-28 at the Wayback Machine
41. Dave Webster, Claw of 1988
42. Bernie Driscoll Archived 2009-02-27 at the Wayback Machine
43. Jim Engles, NJIT
44. Obituary for Peter J. Sivess Archived 2008-10-07 at the Wayback Machine
45. Steve Hoffman, Kansas City Chiefs Archived 2009-04-24 at the Wayback Machine
46. Steve Hoffman, Miami Dolphins Archived 2007-10-19 at the Wayback Machine
47. Boyd Lee Spahr, Class of 1900 Archived 2008-10-07 at the Wayback Machine
48. Boyd Lee Spahr Library Archived 2008-08-29 at the Wayback Machine
49. Don W. Llewellyn, Dean of Legal Studies Archived 2010-07-16 at the Wayback Machine
50. 2004 DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD Archived 2008-09-06 at the Wayback Machine
51. Dr. Edward Polloway Archived 2009-02-26 at the Wayback Machine
52. President Gilbert Malcolm Archived 2008-11-21 at the Wayback Machine
53. Stephen A. Saltzburg
54. Benjamin D. James Archived 2008-05-12 at the Wayback Machine
55. Benjamin James - Honorary President

External links

• Dickinson-Raven's Claw Website
• Raven's Claw Website
• Article from The Dickinsonian
• Dickinson Clubs and Organizations