The Bishop James Madison Society is a secret society of the College of William and Mary in Virginia. Students founded the society in the year 1812 as a tribute to the life of the late Bishop James Madison, eighth president of William and Mary and cousin to the U.S. president James Madison. It is William and Mary’s and the nation's second oldest secret society with only the Flat Hat Club predating it. Like other secret societies at the College, the Bishop James Madison Society fell victim to the hostilities of the American Civil War when William and Mary was occupied by Union troops and was forced to close its doors. In the twentieth century, William and Mary students revived the society and it has thrived since. Membership in the society is exclusive and confidential and honors those most dedicated and vibrant members of the student body. The society’s activities seek to further the reputation, pride, and mirth of the College community. Recent public examples include placing a welcome banner on Old Campus to welcome new students during Convocation and families on parents' weekend, hiding plastic Easter eggs filled with candy and interesting facts about the college throughout the campus on Pentecost weekend, the decoration of a tree outside dreary Morton Hall with ornaments before winter break, and the sponsorship of monthly lunches designed to increase dialogue between student leaders and faculty members. The society’s most prominent activity is its promotion of a “Last Lecture” in which it invites a noted faculty member to speak on issues of current social/academic importance. The lecture takes place in the historic Wren Chapel during the last week of classes of each semester. During the school's annual commencement exercises, some graduating members identify their involvement by wearing medals featuring the society's symbol, an elongated quatrefoil.
