Esse quam videri
Encyclopedia
Esse quam videri is a Latin phrase meaning "To be, rather than to seem (to be)". It has been used as motto
by a number of different groups.
's essay "On Friendship" ("De amicitia", chapter 98). "Virtute enim ipsa non tam multi praediti esse quam videri volunt" (Few are those who wish to be endowed with virtue rather than to seem so).
Just a few years after Cicero, Sallust
used the phrase in his Bellum Catilinae (54.6), writing that Cato the Younger
"esse quam videri bonus malebat" (He preferred to be good rather than to seem so).
Previous to both Romans, Aeschylus
used a similar phrase in Seven Against Thebes
at line 592, at which the scout (angelos) says of the seer/priest Amphiaraos: "ou gar dokein aristos
, all' einai thelei" (his resolve is not to seem the best but in fact to be the best). Plato
quoted this line in Republic
(361b).
In The Prince
, Niccolò Machiavelli
reverses this phrase to Videri Quam Esse (To seem rather than to be) with respect to how a ruler ought to act.
Esse quam videri is the state motto of North Carolina
, adopted in 1893.
It is unusual that, until the act of 1893, the state of North Carolina had no motto since its declaration of independence. It was one of the few states that did not have a motto, and the only one of the original thirteen without one.
The state motto had also been adopted as a temporary motto by the Virginia class submarine
USS North Carolina until being replaced by primus in proelio, which means First in Fight, a play-on-words for First in Flight.
St. Clare's College, Colombo 6, Sri Lanka
of the following families: Acraman, Adams, Bakewell, Barnard, Bostock, Bourne, Bowen,Bowne, Breamore, Brownlee, Brownlow, Cady, Cambria, Roy Clarke, Clavering, Cook, Coutts, Crawley, Creer, Croft, Dickinson, Downes, Frank, Harmer, Halliday, Hamill (O'hAdhmaill), Hannum, Hood, Houk, Isserman, Ivey, Longley, McManners, Manning, Panon-Desbassayns de Richemont,Proud, Partridge family coat of arms, see A genealogical and heraldic dictionary of the landed gentry of England..., Volume 2 By Sir Bernard Burke, Pickard-Cambridge, Pridgen, Renshaw, Reynes, Round (Essex County), Seward, Shreeve, Sherriff, Sibley, Sturges, Swire, Thurston, Thruston, Turner, Tyler, Walmsley, Womack and Woodgate.
It was also the motto used within the Brockman
coat of arms circa 1700.
The Motto is part of the family coat of arms of Sir William Hooker Lord mayor of London in the 1600 hundreds mentioned by Samual Pepys in his diareys also the English Kent Hookers on memorials in Brenchley Church Kent
It is also the motto of the Carolina Wilderness EMS Externship, a wilderness EMS training program based in western North Carolina.
inverts this statement on his show The Colbert Report to be Videri Quam Esse, meaning "to seem to be rather than to be" in reference to his TV personality as seemingly being a serious, right-wing pundit. It is also engraved above the digital fireplace in his studio, under his portrait.
Motto
A motto is a phrase meant to formally summarize the general motivation or intention of a social group or organization. A motto may be in any language, but Latin is the most used. The local language is usual in the mottoes of governments...
by a number of different groups.
History
Esse quam videri is found in CiceroCicero
Marcus Tullius Cicero , was a Roman philosopher, statesman, lawyer, political theorist, and Roman constitutionalist. He came from a wealthy municipal family of the equestrian order, and is widely considered one of Rome's greatest orators and prose stylists.He introduced the Romans to the chief...
's essay "On Friendship" ("De amicitia", chapter 98). "Virtute enim ipsa non tam multi praediti esse quam videri volunt" (Few are those who wish to be endowed with virtue rather than to seem so).
Just a few years after Cicero, Sallust
Sallust
Gaius Sallustius Crispus, generally known simply as Sallust , a Roman historian, belonged to a well-known plebeian family, and was born at Amiternum in the country of the Sabines...
used the phrase in his Bellum Catilinae (54.6), writing that Cato the Younger
Cato the Younger
Marcus Porcius Cato Uticensis , commonly known as Cato the Younger to distinguish him from his great-grandfather , was a politician and statesman in the late Roman Republic, and a follower of the Stoic philosophy...
"esse quam videri bonus malebat" (He preferred to be good rather than to seem so).
Previous to both Romans, Aeschylus
Aeschylus
Aeschylus was the first of the three ancient Greek tragedians whose work has survived, the others being Sophocles and Euripides, and is often described as the father of tragedy. His name derives from the Greek word aiskhos , meaning "shame"...
used a similar phrase in Seven Against Thebes
Seven Against Thebes
The Seven against Thebes is the third play in an Oedipus-themed trilogy produced by Aeschylus in 467 BC. The trilogy is sometimes referred to as the Oedipodea. It concerns the battle between an Argive army led by Polynices and the army of Thebes led by Eteocles and his supporters. The trilogy won...
at line 592, at which the scout (angelos) says of the seer/priest Amphiaraos: "ou gar dokein aristos
Arete
Areté is the term meaning "virtue" or "excellence", from Greek ἈρετήArete may also be used:*as a given name of persons or things:**Queen Arete , a character in Homer's Odyssey.***197 Arete, an asteroid....
, all' einai thelei" (his resolve is not to seem the best but in fact to be the best). Plato
Plato
Plato , was a Classical Greek philosopher, mathematician, student of Socrates, writer of philosophical dialogues, and founder of the Academy in Athens, the first institution of higher learning in the Western world. Along with his mentor, Socrates, and his student, Aristotle, Plato helped to lay the...
quoted this line in Republic
Republic (Plato)
The Republic is a Socratic dialogue written by Plato around 380 BC concerning the definition of justice and the order and character of the just city-state and the just man...
(361b).
In The Prince
The Prince
The Prince is a political treatise by the Italian diplomat, historian and political theorist Niccolò Machiavelli. From correspondence a version appears to have been distributed in 1513, using a Latin title, De Principatibus . But the printed version was not published until 1532, five years after...
, Niccolò Machiavelli
Niccolò Machiavelli
Niccolò di Bernardo dei Machiavelli was an Italian historian, philosopher, humanist, and writer based in Florence during the Renaissance. He is one of the main founders of modern political science. He was a diplomat, political philosopher, playwright, and a civil servant of the Florentine Republic...
reverses this phrase to Videri Quam Esse (To seem rather than to be) with respect to how a ruler ought to act.
North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, adopted in 1893.
It is unusual that, until the act of 1893, the state of North Carolina had no motto since its declaration of independence. It was one of the few states that did not have a motto, and the only one of the original thirteen without one.
The state motto had also been adopted as a temporary motto by the Virginia class submarine
Virginia class submarine
The Virginia class is a class of nuclear-powered fast attack submarines in service with the United States Navy. The submarines are designed for a broad spectrum of open-ocean and littoral missions...
USS North Carolina until being replaced by primus in proelio, which means First in Fight, a play-on-words for First in Flight.
Schools
Esse quam videri is (or was) the motto of a number of schools around the world including:- Academy at the LakesAcademy at the LakesAcademy at the Lakes is a private-independent college preparatory co-educational JK–12 school in Land O' Lakes, Florida .The school is non-denominational school and has two campuses separated by Collier Parkway...
, Land O Lakes, Florida - Academy of the Holy Names Tampa, Florida
- Accra Academy High SchoolAccra Academy High SchoolThe Accra Academy is the first private Academy to be established in the then Gold Coast now Ghana. The Academy is one of the foremost secondary educational institutions in Ghana today and currently operates as a non-denominational Day and Boarding Boys School, located at Bubuashie in the Greater...
Accra, Ghana - Albert AcademyAlbert AcademyThe Albert Academy is a secondary school in Freetown, Sierra Leone. It was founded on 4 October 1904 and named after American missionary Rev. Ira E. Albert. The school's motto is Esse Quam Vederi . It is situated at Berry Street in Freetown...
Freetown, Sierra Leone - Amarillo High SchoolAmarillo High SchoolAmarillo High School is a school located in the city of Amarillo, Texas, United States, in the Amarillo Independent School District.- History :...
Amarillo, Texas - S. Anselm's Preparatory SchoolS. Anselm's Preparatory SchoolS. Anselm's Preparatory School is a preparatory school in Bakewell, Derbyshire, founded in 1888. S. Anselm's sits in of the Peak National Park, overlooking the market town of Bakewell.-History:...
Bakewell, England - Appalachian State UniversityAppalachian State UniversityAppalachian State University is a comprehensive , public, coeducational university located in Boone, North Carolina, United States. Appalachian State, also referred to as Appalachian, App State, or simply App, is the sixth largest institution in the University of North Carolina system...
(1899) BooneBoone, North CarolinaBoone is a town located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina, United States. Boone's population was reported as 17,122, as of 2010...
, North CarolinaNorth CarolinaNorth Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, USAUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... - Ashford SchoolAshford SchoolAshford School is an independent school in East Hill, Ashford, Kent. For the vast majority of its 111 years of existence it has been a school purely for girls but in 2006 boys were admitted in some year groups and it is now a school for both sexes from the age of 3 to 18 offering boarding and day...
(1899) Ashford, KentAshford, KentAshford is a town in the borough of Ashford in Kent, England. In 2005 it was voted the fourth best place to live in the United Kingdom. It lies on the Great Stour river, the M20 motorway, and the South Eastern Main Line and High Speed 1 railways. Its agricultural market is one of the most...
, EnglandEnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental... - Ashville CollegeAshville CollegeAshville College is a co-educational independent school for both day and boarding pupils aged 4–18 in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England. It was founded as a Methodist boarding school for boys in 1877, and subsequently merged with Elmfield College and New College in the 1930s...
(1877) HarrogateHarrogateHarrogate is a spa town in North Yorkshire, England. The town is a tourist destination and its visitor attractions include its spa waters, RHS Harlow Carr gardens, and Betty's Tea Rooms. From the town one can explore the nearby Yorkshire Dales national park. Harrogate originated in the 17th...
, EnglandEnglandEngland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental... - Augusta Preparatory Day SchoolAugusta Preparatory Day SchoolAugusta Preparatory Day School is a non-sectarian private school in Martinez, Georgia.It accepts students from Preschool through Twelfth Grade.-APDS:...
(1972) AugustaAugusta, GeorgiaAugusta is a consolidated city in the U.S. state of Georgia, located along the Savannah River. As of the 2010 census, the Augusta–Richmond County population was 195,844 not counting the unconsolidated cities of Hephzibah and Blythe.Augusta is the principal city of the Augusta-Richmond County...
, GeorgiaGeorgia (U.S. state)Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
, USA - Beaconsfield Primary School (1883) Tasmania, Australia
- Ben Franklin Academy (1987) Atlanta, GeorgiaAtlanta, GeorgiaAtlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
, USA - Bennett, Instituto Metodista, Rio de JaneiroRio de JaneiroRio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
, BrazilBrazilBrazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people... - Berklee College of MusicBerklee College of MusicBerklee College of Music, located in Boston, Massachusetts, is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known primarily as a school for jazz, rock and popular music, it also offers college-level courses in a wide range of contemporary and historic styles, including hip...
Boston, Massachusetts, USA - Boys' Latin School of MarylandBoys' Latin School of MarylandBoys' Latin School of Maryland is an all-boys, college-preparatory school located in Baltimore, Maryland. Founded in 1844, it is the oldest independent, non-sectarian secondary school in the state of Maryland. The school is divided into Lower, Middle and Upper Schools...
, Baltimore, Maryland, USA - Brigham Young University Men's Chorus, Provo, Utah, USA
- Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering, North Carolina State UniversityNorth Carolina State UniversityNorth Carolina State University at Raleigh is a public, coeducational, extensive research university located in Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. Commonly known as NC State, the university is part of the University of North Carolina system and is a land, sea, and space grant institution...
Raleigh, North Carolina, USA - University of Central Oklahoma, Edmond, OK, USA
- Cégep du Vieux-Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
- Central Technology College,Gloucester England.
- Clifton House Preparatory School Harrogate, England
- The Colleton Primary School, Twyford, Berkshire, UK.
- Colyton Grammar SchoolColyton Grammar SchoolColyton Grammar School is a co-educational grammar school located in the village of Colyford in East Devon and teaches students from years 7 to 13 ....
(1546) Colyford, England - Columbia College ChicagoColumbia College ChicagoColumbia College Chicago is one of the largest art colleges in the United States with nearly 12,000 students pursuing degrees within 120 undergraduate and graduate programs...
(1890) Chicago, IllinoisIllinoisIllinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, USA - Connells Point Public School, Sydney, Australia.
- Cranbrook School SydneyCranbrook School SydneyCranbrook School is an independent, Anglican, day and boarding school for boys, located in Bellevue Hill and Rose Bay, both eastern suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia....
(1918), Sydney, Australia. - Desert Heights Prepatory Academy, Glendale, Arizona http://www.desertheightsprep.org/
- Darwin High School, Darwin, Australia.
- Dubbo High School, Australia
- Ellis Robins High SchoolEllis Robins School, HarareEllis Robins School is a Zimbabwean boys' high school that was founded in Salisbury, Rhodesia in 1953. It is located in the suburb of Mabelreign in Salisbury . Next door is Mabelreign Girls High School, the school's sister school...
, Harare, Zimbabwe - Esquimalt High School, Esquimalt, BC, Canada
- The Episcopal AcademyThe Episcopal AcademyThe Episcopal Academy, founded in 1785, is a private, co-educational school for grades Pre-K through 12. In 2008, it relocated from its Merion, Pennsylvania campus and Devon, Pennsylvania satellite campus to its new campus in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania...
, Newtown Square, PennsylvaniaPennsylvaniaThe Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, USA - The Forest SchoolForest School (Winnersh)Forest School is a comprehensive, all-boys' secondary school in Winnersh, Berkshire, England judged to be "Good" with some "Outstanding" aspects in it's most recent OFSTED inspection. It is located on Robin Hood Lane, the B3030 road, next to Winnersh railway station.-Grammar school:Forest School...
Winnersh, Wokingham, Berkshire, UK - Friarwood Ltd, London, England
- Garrison Forest School for Girls (1910) Owings Mills, Maryland, USA
- St. George School, Havana, Cuba
- Groton SchoolGroton SchoolGroton School is a private, Episcopal, college preparatory boarding school located in Groton, Massachusetts, U.S. It enrolls approximately 375 boys and girls, from the eighth through twelfth grades...
(1884), Groton, Massachusetts, USA. The motto changed to "Cui Servire est Regnare" shortly after the school's founding. - The Hermitage School (1906), Geelong, AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
which has subsequently become that of The Hermitage House, Geelong Grammar SchoolGeelong Grammar SchoolGeelong Grammar School is an independent, Anglican, co-educational, boarding and day school. The school's main campus is located at Corio, on the northern outskirts of Geelong, Victoria, Australia, overlooking Corio Bay and Limeburners Bay....
. - Hampden DuBose Academy, Zellwood, Florida, USA
- Hartford Public High SchoolHartford Public High SchoolHartford Public High School was founded in 1638. It is the second-oldest public secondary school in the United States , second to the Boston Latin School. It is a part of the Hartford Public Schools district.-History:...
, Hartford, Connecticut, USA - Highsted Grammar SchoolHighsted Grammar SchoolHighsted Grammar School is a state-funded selective secondary school for girls in Sittingbourne, Kent.The school was established in 1904 in Brenchley House on the High Street as Sittingbourne County School for Girls....
, Sittingbourne, Kent, England - Homewood SchoolHomewood SchoolHomewood School and Sixth Form Centre is a comprehensive school in Tenterden, Kent, England. It has over 2500 students and 250+ staff. Homewood is a comprehensive school but is situated within the Kent selective system so it has a student profile that is half way between comprehensive and secondary...
, TenterdenTenterdenTenterden is a Cinque Port town in the Ashford District of Kent, England. It stands on the edge of the Weald, overlooking the valley of the River Rother....
, KentKentKent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, England - Hudson Catholic High SchoolHudson Catholic High School (Hudson, Massachusetts)Hudson Catholic High School was a coeducational Catholic school in Hudson, Massachusetts, USA. It is within the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston. On March 29, 2009, the parents and students were told that the high school would close in June, after it graduated its 50th class...
, Hudson, Massachusetts - The Hemel Hempstead SchoolThe Hemel Hempstead SchoolThe Hemel Hempstead School is a specialised performing arts secondary school located in the town of Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire in the United Kingdom.-Admissions:...
, (1931), Hemel Hempstead, England. - The Ellis SchoolThe Ellis SchoolThe Ellis School is an independent, age 3 – grade 12 college preparatory school in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1916, the school is a private all-girls institution with a current enrollment of 470 students.-Notable alumnae:...
, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA - Instituto Metodista Bennett (1888) Rio de JaneiroRio de JaneiroRio de Janeiro , commonly referred to simply as Rio, is the capital city of the State of Rio de Janeiro, the second largest city of Brazil, and the third largest metropolitan area and agglomeration in South America, boasting approximately 6.3 million people within the city proper, making it the 6th...
, BrazilBrazilBrazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
. - JMA Armstrong High SchoolJMA Armstrong High SchoolJMA Armstrong High School is a secondary public school located in Salisbury, New Brunswick.The school opened in the fall of 1981 and instructs students from grades 9 to 12...
, Salisbury, New Brunswick, Canada - The King's College, NY (House of Susan B. Anthony)
- KIPP Houston High School, Houston, Texas, USA
- Kingsfield Grammar School, Kingswood, Bristol, UK in the form 'Esse non videri'
- Kingsley SchoolKingsley SchoolThe Kingsley School is situated in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, England, just to the north of the town centre. Kingsley is an independent girls' day school taking girls from 3 to 18; the Junior School also takes boys up to the age of seven....
, Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, England - Kutama CollegeKutama CollegeKutama College , is an all-boys high school located near the town of Norton in the Zvimba area, 80 kilometres southwest of the Zimbabwean capital Harare...
Norton, Zimbabwe - Leicester High School(1962)The last graduating class before changing to Leicester Elementary School, Leicester, NC, USA.
- Littlemead (Grammar) School, Oving, Chichester, Sussex, England. School dated from mid 60s in Chichester, then moved to Oving in 1974 and finally closed in the mid/late '90s due to retirement of Ivan Bowler
- Magee Secondary SchoolMagee Secondary SchoolMagee Secondary School is one of the first public high schools located in the Kerrisdale neighbourhood of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Magee is fed by the surrounding elementary schools in its catchment area. They include Maple Grove Elementary School, Dr. R.E. McKechnie Elementary School,...
, Vancouver, BC, Canada - Miami Coral Park Senior High School, Miami, Florida, USA
- Moravian AcademyMoravian AcademyMoravian Academy, whose headmaster is George King, is a prekindergarten through 12th grade coeducational college preparatory school located in historic Bethlehem, Pennsylvania in the United States...
Bethlehem, PennsylvaniaBethlehem, PennsylvaniaBethlehem is a city in Lehigh and Northampton Counties in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 74,982, making it the seventh largest city in Pennsylvania, after Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown, Erie,...
, USA current motto is "mind, body, spirit", - The Mount School, Mill Hill. London, United Kingdom.
- National University of Health SciencesNational University of Health SciencesAlthough it originally began as a chiropractic educational institution, National University of Health Sciences now offers degree programs in chiropractic, naturopathic medicine, acupuncture, Chinese medicine and biomedical sciences...
, Lombard, IL (previously National Chiropractic College) - New Orleans Academy, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
- North Adelaide Primary School, (1877), Adelaide, Australia
- Peace CollegePeace CollegeWilliam Peace University is a small liberal arts college located in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina, United States. It is affiliated with the Presbyterian church.-History:...
, (1857), Raleigh, North Carolina, USA - Queen's CollegeQueen's College (South Africa)Queen's College is situated at the foot of the picturesque Stormberg Mountains in the pleasant Eastern Cape town of Queenstown. Established in 1858, it is the oldest school on the Border - a region famous for its fine schools...
, Queenstown, South Africa - Rhodesway School, (1958), Bradford, UK
- Rockridge Secondary SchoolRockridge Secondary SchoolRockridge Secondary School is a five-year secondary school located in West Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It is one of the three principal high schools in West Vancouver. The school has a grass field and one baseball diamond...
, West Vancouver, B.C., Canada - Royal Holloway, University of LondonRoyal Holloway, University of LondonRoyal Holloway, University of London is a constituent college of the University of London. The college has three faculties, 18 academic departments, and about 8,000 undergraduate and postgraduate students from over 130 different countries...
, Egham, Surrey, UK - Salisbury SchoolSalisbury SchoolSalisbury School is an all-boys, private college-preparatory boarding school founded in 1901 and located in Salisbury, Connecticut. Its school newspaper is The Cupola. Its mascot is the Crimson Knight. The School's motto is Esse quam videri, which translates to To be rather than to seem to...
, Salisbury, Connecticut, USAUK - Scott Park Secondary School(1967)Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
- Selaiyur Hall, Madras Christian College, Chennai, India
- Seton Hall High SchoolSeton Hall High SchoolSeton Hall High School was located on Roe Boulevard in Patchogue, New York. It opened in the late 1940s and was closed in the mid-1970s. Seton Hall was one of very few co-educational Catholic high schools on Long Island, New York. The team mascot was the eagle. The school motto was "Esse quam...
in Patchogue, New YorkPatchogue, New York-Notable citizens:* Franc D'Ambrosio, Broadway Actor, best known for being the longest running Phantom in Phantom of the Opera. Graduated Pat-Med HS 1981* Michael Fagan, professional bowler...
, United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... - Southampton Grammar School for Girls http://www.essequamvideri.co.uk, Southampton, UK
- St. Joseph's College in Patchogue, New YorkPatchogue, New York-Notable citizens:* Franc D'Ambrosio, Broadway Actor, best known for being the longest running Phantom in Phantom of the Opera. Graduated Pat-Med HS 1981* Michael Fagan, professional bowler...
, United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. - St. Malachy's Memorial High SchoolSt. Malachy's Memorial High SchoolSt. Malachy's Memorial High School is a high school in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada.-History:...
in Saint John, New BrunswickSaint John, New BrunswickCity of Saint John , or commonly Saint John, is the largest city in the province of New Brunswick, and the first incorporated city in Canada. The city is situated along the north shore of the Bay of Fundy at the mouth of the Saint John River. In 2006 the city proper had a population of 74,043...
, CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. - St. Peters School in Mazagaon Mumbai, India
- St Thomas à Becket Catholic College in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, United KingdomUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
- Streetsville Secondary SchoolStreetsville Secondary SchoolStreetsville Secondary School is a high school in the Peel District School Board located in the Streetsville community of Mississauga, Ontario, Canada....
, Streetsville, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada - Suffield AcademySuffield AcademySuffield Academy is a private coeducational preparatory school located in Suffield, Connecticut, USA. It was founded in 1833. The Headmaster is Charles Cahn III.-Overview:...
in Suffield, ConnecticutSuffield, ConnecticutSuffield is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. It had once been within the boundaries of Massachusetts. The town is located in the Connecticut River Valley with the town of Enfield neighboring to the east. In 1900, 3,521 people lived in Suffield; and in 1910, 3,841. As of the...
, USA. - The Taieri High SchoolTaieri CollegeTaieri College, formerly called The Taieri High School, is a co-educational state school in Mosgiel, Dunedin, New Zealand.In 2003 a review of the schools on the Taieri Plains by the New Zealand Ministry of Education proposed that the high school would merge with Mosgiel Intermediate School to...
, Mosgiel, Otago, NZ - Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy (1999–Present), Rutherford County, NC.
- Trevecca Nazarene UniversityTrevecca Nazarene UniversityTrevecca Nazarene University is a private Christian liberal arts college located in Nashville, Tennessee.-History:TNU was founded in 1901 by Cumberland Presbyterian minister J. O. McClurkan as the "Pentecostal Literary and Bible Training School"...
, Nashville, TN - Truro SchoolTruro SchoolTruro School is a mixed independent school located in the city of Truro, Cornwall, UK. The current Headmaster is Paul Smith. Deputy Headteachers are Nick Fisher and Anita Firth . Phil Brewer is Assistant Head and Head of Sixth Form...
http://www.truroschool.com, (1880–Present), Truro, Cornwall, UK - Boys' Latin School of MarylandBoys' Latin School of MarylandBoys' Latin School of Maryland is an all-boys, college-preparatory school located in Baltimore, Maryland. Founded in 1844, it is the oldest independent, non-sectarian secondary school in the state of Maryland. The school is divided into Lower, Middle and Upper Schools...
(1844), Baltimore, Maryland, USA - University of TampaUniversity of TampaThe University of Tampa , is a private, co-educational university in Downtown Tampa, Florida, United States. It is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. In 2006, the University celebrated its 75th anniversary...
, Tampa, Florida - Villa Devoto School http://vdevoto.esc.edu.ar/ (1908) Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Wavell State High SchoolWavell State High SchoolWavell State High School is a high school in Wavell Heights, Queensland, Australia, a suburb of Brisbane.Founded in 1959, it is named after the community where it is located, Wavell Heights. The suburb, in turn, is named after Field Marshal Archibald Percival Wavell, 1st Earl Wavell , a World War...
Brisbane, Australia - St Audries School, West QuantoxheadWest QuantoxheadWest Quantoxhead is a small village and civil parish in the West Somerset district of Somerset, England. It lies on the route of the Coleridge Way and on the A39 road at the foot of the Quantock Hills, from East Quantoxhead, from Williton and equidistant from Bridgwater and Taunton...
, Taunton, SomersetSomersetThe ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
, England (since closed and now a hotel) - Wyomissing Area School District http://www.wyoarea.org, Wyomissing, PA, USA
- Yeovil School, Yeovil, Somerset, UK
St. Clare's College, Colombo 6, Sri Lanka
Sororities
"Esse Quam Videri" is also the motto of the- Delta Phi EpsilonDelta Phi Epsilon (social)Delta Phi Epsilon is an international sorority founded on March 17, 1917 at New York University Law School in New York City...
sororityFraternities and sororitiesFraternities and sororities are fraternal social organizations for undergraduate students. In Latin, the term refers mainly to such organizations at colleges and universities in the United States, although it is also applied to analogous European groups also known as corporations...
http://www.dphie.org, founded in 1917 at New York University Law School. - Lambda Kappa SigmaLambda Kappa SigmaΛKΣ headquartered in Muskego, Wisconsin is an international pharmacy fraternity founded in 1913 by Ethel J. Heath and eight other female students at Massachusetts College of Pharmacy...
sororityFraternities and sororitiesFraternities and sororities are fraternal social organizations for undergraduate students. In Latin, the term refers mainly to such organizations at colleges and universities in the United States, although it is also applied to analogous European groups also known as corporations...
http://www.lks.org, founded in 1913 at Massachusetts College of Pharmacy. - House of Susan B. Anthony http://www.tkc.edu, founded exclusively at The King's College in the Empire State Building.
- Shirreff HallShirreff hallShirreff Hall is the oldest residence hall still in use at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. It was utilized as a single-sex female dormitory until September 2005....
residence at Dalhousie UniversityDalhousie UniversityDalhousie University is a public research university located in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. The university comprises eleven faculties including Schulich School of Law and Dalhousie University Faculty of Medicine. It also includes the faculties of architecture, planning and engineering located at...
in Halifax, Nova ScotiaNova ScotiaNova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
. - Alpha Chi Lambda at Trinity University.
- Phi Delta Alpha http://phideltaalpha.com/, founded in 2002 at University of Oklahoma
Fraternities
- Phi Lambda Sigma, Lebanon Valley College, est. 1867.
- Alpha Pi Alpha, SUNY Albany, 1952 through 1987.
- Epsilon Kappa Delta, Florida Institute of Technology, 1968 through 1972.
- Archons, Kenyon College
Sporting Organisations
Kingswood Rugby Football Club, Bristol, UK, use a variant of the motto, "Esse Non Videri" as their club motto. http://www.kingswoodrfc.co.ukCompanies
- A computer and management training company, http://www.eqv.co.uk/ who are based in Leicestershire, UK. http://www.eqv.co.uk/
- The phrase is found on the Sibley MillSibley MillThe Sibley Mill is a historic building located on the Augusta Canal at 1717 Goodrich Street near downtown Augusta, Georgia. Designed by Jones S. Davis, it was built on a site previously occupied by the Confederate Powderworks, and was completed in 1882...
along the Augusta CanalAugusta CanalThe Augusta Canal is a historic canal located in Augusta, Georgia. The canal connects two points of the Savannah River. It was devised to harness the power of the fall line of the Savannah River for mills, to provide transportation of goods, and to provide drinking water for the city...
in Augusta, Georgia. The structure was completed in 1882 and operated until 2006.
Families
Esse quam videri is the motto used on the coats of armsCoat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
of the following families: Acraman, Adams, Bakewell, Barnard, Bostock, Bourne, Bowen,Bowne, Breamore, Brownlee, Brownlow, Cady, Cambria, Roy Clarke, Clavering, Cook, Coutts, Crawley, Creer, Croft, Dickinson, Downes, Frank, Harmer, Halliday, Hamill (O'hAdhmaill), Hannum, Hood, Houk, Isserman, Ivey, Longley, McManners, Manning, Panon-Desbassayns de Richemont,Proud, Partridge family coat of arms, see A genealogical and heraldic dictionary of the landed gentry of England..., Volume 2 By Sir Bernard Burke, Pickard-Cambridge, Pridgen, Renshaw, Reynes, Round (Essex County), Seward, Shreeve, Sherriff, Sibley, Sturges, Swire, Thurston, Thruston, Turner, Tyler, Walmsley, Womack and Woodgate.
It was also the motto used within the Brockman
Brockman
The Brockman surname is not common, but has spread to several countries around the world. The name can be a topism combining "wet/water" and "man". However, in Old English and in heraldry a "brock" is also a badger, and some have claimed it to mean "broker". Thus, there may be multiple meanings of...
coat of arms circa 1700.
Other Organizations
Esse quam videri is the motto of the hat society The Order of Scroll and Key at Dickinson CollegeDickinson College
Dickinson College is a private, residential liberal arts college in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Originally established as a Grammar School in 1773, Dickinson was chartered September 9, 1783, five days after the signing of the Treaty of Paris, making it the first college to be founded in the newly...
The Motto is part of the family coat of arms of Sir William Hooker Lord mayor of London in the 1600 hundreds mentioned by Samual Pepys in his diareys also the English Kent Hookers on memorials in Brenchley Church Kent
It is also the motto of the Carolina Wilderness EMS Externship, a wilderness EMS training program based in western North Carolina.
Popular culture
Television personality Stephen ColbertStephen Colbert
Stephen Tyrone Colbert is an American political satirist, writer, comedian, television host, and actor. He is the host of Comedy Central's The Colbert Report, a satirical news show in which Colbert portrays a caricatured version of conservative political pundits.Colbert originally studied to be an...
inverts this statement on his show The Colbert Report to be Videri Quam Esse, meaning "to seem to be rather than to be" in reference to his TV personality as seemingly being a serious, right-wing pundit. It is also engraved above the digital fireplace in his studio, under his portrait.