The Society of the Pacifica House is the sole secret society at Brown University. The Latin motto of the Society is, "Videte igitur ut probe integreque in emolumentum Dei et Republicae et Universitatis," which means, "Serve with integrity in respect to God, the Republic, and the University." The crest of Pacifica House is a heraldic shield adorned with a rose, a thistle, and three lions rampant. Relatively little is known about the Society—even the origin of its name "Pacifica" is mired in debate. In recent years, however, former members have volunteered information; also, the organization has authored a public website, perhaps to appear less arcane to observers.

History

Pacifica House was founded in 1823 as a literary and debating club called the Franklin Society, with libraries and a reception room at Hope College (now a dormitory). Franklin members relocated to a residential complex on nearby Hope Street in the 1840s, which fellow Brunonians would--for reasons unknown--nickname "The Pacifica House." The Latin version--"Societas Domi Pacificae"--became the common moniker for the group after the Civil War. In the closing decades of the 19th century, Pacifica House rose to become the de facto undergraduate board at Brown, establishing formal institutions like the student government and the Brown Debating Union.

Following World War II, Pacifica House alumni established a corporation in New York to manage the Society's holdings, and soon redirected its collegiate members to accomplish on-campus projects. Pacifica House has since served as an "activist" forum, a medium of communication and representation between the administration and students; for instance, it was instrumental in implementing the infamous "New Curriculum" of the late 1960s, which still comprises the undergraduate educational system and philosophy today. Members continue to engage in similar projects, though it is unclear how much influence the elders wield upon the Society's undergraduate cohort.

Membership

Pacifica House maintains an undergraduate membership of 15 students. Departing seniors "tap" junior students to replace them, and after graduation many continue to participate in the Society's other boards. Pacifica House performs elaborate nighttime rituals and initiation rites during each semester for inducted students. Leaked memos reveal that its members use Latin terms and titles to address each other; they also suggest a pattern of monthly meetings and mandatory dinners, which alumni attend.

Membership criteria are predictable. Pacifica House admits leading officials from the most prestigious extracurricular groups (e.g., political clubs, student council, fraternities, athletic teams), but it also has been known to tap "legacies" and scions of wealthy Brown families. Known alumni include, allegedly, Ted Turner (who never graduated!) and Ira Magaziner, one of the two student authors of the New Curriculum reform. It is also rumored that several officers from Brown's Corporation and Faculty Executive Committee are also Pacificans.

Reputation and Controversy

Though portrayed as Brown's parallel to the underground societies at Yale University, such as Skull and Bones and Book and Snake, Pacifica House denies that it is an elitist, "old boy" club. According to public documents, its charter is to contribute to the university's quality of life while improving the moral character of its membership. However, most Brunonians doubt this pedantic explanation. Pacifica House reveals little about its internal governance and links to outside groups, and it has never divulged the identity of its members.

Even more questionable are its financial holdings. In 1997, the local newspaper College Hill Independent discovered tax records revealing the Society's declared assets from its managing corporation, an entity called "Brunensis, Ltd.," to be valued at nearly $400,000. This is a small endowment compared to the wealthier societies at fellow Ivy League institutions (Scroll and Key at Yale, for instance, wields a reputed value of over $6 million), but it serves as proof for many at Brown—by far the most liberal university in the Ivy League, and ranked among the most liberal institutions in the nation—that Pacifica House is a living anachronism, an outmoded platform of East Coast networking for the privileged few.

External links

• Official Brown University site
• Official Pacifica House site