Academic Associations and Honor Societies

The Benjamin Franklin Financial Services Honor Society brings together the top business students at F&M. The selective Benjamin Franklin Financial Services Honor Society holds weekly meetings in finance, investing and practice with stock pitches preparation.

F&M’s Benjamin Rush Pre-Health Honor Society is an organization that hosts programs and events and creates a sense of community among pre-med and pre-health students. The Benjamin Rush Society for Healing Arts Professionals — named for a charter member of the college's board of trustees, signer of the Declaration of Independence, and preeminent physician of the Revolutionary War Dr. Benjamin Rush — was founded in 1989 by Dr. Stanley J. Dudrick ’57 in order to connect alumni in the healing arts professions, and to raise funds for the construction of the Martin Library of the Sciences.

The Black Pyramid Senior Honor Society recognizes the most accomplished students at F&M who embody the three pillars of our society: academic achievement, leadership and service. As one of F&M's longest-standing organizations, the Black Pyramid Senior Honor Society hopes to strengthen their alumni base, connect with as many students as possible, and continue to serve others while cultivating our rich history.

The John Marshall Pre-Law Honor Society is an exclusive, student-based organization that brings together pre-law students to enjoy law-oriented functions and other programming to foster their personal growth and development.

The Junto Society was created to be a prime exemplar of some of the virtues and practices the faculty seeks to encourage among the student body: intellectual curiosity; informed, reasoned and civil discourse; and engagement with ideas outside the classroom.

The Junto Society is patterned after Benjamin Franklin's own organization of the same name. In his Autobiography, Franklin explained the operation of his Junto Society as follows:

 "We met on Friday Evenings.  The Rules I drew up requir'd that every Member in his Turn should produce one or more Queries on any Point of Morals, Politics or Natural Philosophy, to be discuss'd by the Company, and once in three Months produce and read an Essay of his own Writing on any Subject he pleased.  Our debates were to be under the Direction of a President, and to be conducted in the sincere Spirit of Enquiry after Truth, without Fondness for Dispute, or Desire for Victory; and to prevent Warmth all Expressions of Positiveness in Opinion, or of direct Contradiction, were after some time made contraband and prohibited under small pecuniary Penalties" (Yale UP edition, pp.116-17).

The F&M Junto Society operates similarly. The Society meets on five Sunday evenings during the academic year.  Two rising juniors per College House are selected each year by the dons and House deans.  Membership carries over into the senior year. 

Each of the senior members of the society presents one paper to the organization (which is made up of 10 seniors and 10 juniors) on a topic of public interest and current debate. Following the reading of the paper, all society members respond to and discuss the paper.

Since its founding in 1776, Phi Beta Kappa has celebrated excellence in the liberal arts and sciences and championed freedom of thought. As America’s most prestigious academic honor society, Phi Beta Kappa is uniquely equipped to advocate for the value and benefits of liberal arts and sciences education.

The F&M Chapter (Theta of PA) identifies candidates whose academic records demonstrate not only excellence but also breadth and depth in the traditional disciplines of the natural sciences, mathematics, social sciences, and humanities.

The Williamson Medal is the highest student award presented each year at Franklin & Marshall’s Commencement. It is given to the member of the graduating class who has, during his or her senior year, reached the highest standing in character, leadership and scholarship. The medal was endowed by Owen Moon Jr., in memory of former trustee Henry S. Williamson, and it has been presented annually since 1922.