The F.H.C. is the oldest secret society and collegiate fraternal organization in the United States, and was the forerunner to fraternity life at the College of William and Mary. Founded on November 11, 1750 at the Raleigh Tavern in Williamsburg, Virginia, the society was active from 1750 through the early 1770s, when membership dwindled.
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Acc. 2008.128 was a gift of Mrs. Robert Hornsby received prior to 2007. Acquisition information for material received after 7/13/2009 is available by consulting a Special Collections Research Center staff member.
Two sample F.H.C. Society certificates and news clippings were pulled from the University Archives Subject File Collection on 5/26/2009 and were made part of this collection; the correspondence and St. George Tucker lecture were pulled from the Student Organizations Collection on 5/26/2009 and was made part of this collection; the rest of the F.H.C. Society certificates were pulled from the University Archives Faculty-Alumni Collection on 5/26/2009 and were made a part of this collection.
Processed by Steven Bookman, University Archives Specialist, in May 2009.
Before reproducing or quoting from any materials, in whole or in part, permission must be obtained from the Special Collections Research Center, and the holder of the copyright, if not Swem Library.
This collection is open to all researchers. Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations, such as the Virginia Public Records Act (Code of Virginia. § 42.1-76-91); and the Virginia Freedom of Information Act (Code of Virginia § 2.2-3705.5). Confidential material may include, but is not limited to, educational, medical, and personnel records. If sensitive material is found in this collection, please contact a staff member immediately. The disclosure of personally identifiable information pertaining to a living individual may have legal consequences for which the College of William and Mary assumes no responsibility.
F.H.C. Society Collection, Special Collections Research Center, Swem Library, College of William and Mary.
Medals from the F.H.C. Society can be found in the University Archives Artifact Collection (UA 13). Additional material is available in the following collections: Ralph Stambaugh Papers (UA 5.042); Robert Hunt Land Papers (UA 6.012), Box 2; University Archives Oral History Collection (UA 43) in the Yelverton Oliver and Elizabeth Cleveland Kent interview, p. 20; University Archives Photograph Collection (UA 8) including P77.8, P1985.54, P1986.58-59, and P1989.304-305; Tucker-Coleman Collection (Mss. 40 T79) under Letters, 6/7/1773, 3/19/1774, 9/7/1777, 3/30/1779, 7/29/1781, and 10/8/1783; Thomas Jefferson Papers (Mss. 39.1 J35) Lot 2, F7 #238, Letter, 6/14/1819, Jefferson to Thomas McAuley.
This collection contains correspondence, news clippings and articles, and certificates from and about the F.H.C. Society at the College of William and Mary. Some of the certificates are for membership in the student group while others were given to College of William and Mary faculty. Also included in the collection is a lecture given by Professor Hans C. von Baeyer about St. George Tucker to the society.
Typed copy of a letter from Elizabeth C Brock of Richmond,VA, about May 25, 1939, to Oscar M. Voorhees, New Brunswick, NJ, containing an extract from a letter of Innes Randolph, about 1881, regarding the Flat Hat Club and the medal worn by COl. James Innes. Also photo of Innes's FHC medal on cardboard taken Dec 1916
Acc. 2008.128
Acc. 2010.443
Certificate of membership with wax seal