The Red Dragon Society is a secret society

Secret society

A secret society is a club or organization whose activities and inner functioning are concealed from non-members. The society may or may not attempt to conceal its existence. The term usually excludes covert groups, such as intelligence agencies or guerrilla insurgencies, which hide their...

 based at New York University

New York University

New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...

, in New York, New York

New York

New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

. The Red Dragon has long held the title to the most selective society at NYU, and has been notorious for its secrecy since its founding in 1898.

Background and History

Founded in 1898, the Red Dragon Society inducts only rising seniors from the College of Arts and Science

New York University College of Arts and Science

The New York University College of Arts and Science is the oldest and largest academic unit of New York University, founded in 1832. This private liberal arts college is located at Washington Square in Manhattan and the administrative offices of the college are in the Silver Center for Arts &...

 prior to their graduation. By reputation, "Dragons" tapped are mavericks in some way.

The Red Dragon is NYU's second oldest and perhaps most well known senior society. It was founded to create a robust network for the most distinguished students in the senior class of the College of Arts and Science, and it continues to pursue this goal today. The Red Dragon is thought to be the most selective society at NYU, tapping only a small group of seniors for membership each year. While the precise requirements to be inducted as a "Dragon" are largely unknown to those outside the society, the Red Dragon emphasizes the following qualities: academic excellence, a commitment to the betterment of the school and community, an intuitive sense of leadership, and dedication to moral action. The society is known for valuing merit above all else, and to date it is the only secret society at NYU that inducts both women and men.

There is little publicly available information about the specific traditions and practices of the society, but lists of new members have been published sporadically over the last century.

The Red Dragon tends to maintain a relatively low profile on campus, but periodically makes its presence known. In January 2002, the Bun, an NYU icon, disappeared from College of Arts and Science

New York University College of Arts and Science

The New York University College of Arts and Science is the oldest and largest academic unit of New York University, founded in 1832. This private liberal arts college is located at Washington Square in Manhattan and the administrative offices of the college are in the Silver Center for Arts &...

 Dean Matthew Santirocco's desk. Days later, the dean received a ransom note reading, "I have the bun."
. The "Bun Bandits" remained at large for several months and occasionally sent the Dean photos and kidnap notes, Eventually, a member of the Society facilitated its safe return to Dean Santirocco.

Membership

New inductees are selected utilizing an ancient (and still) secret formula by members of the Society. Little is known about this process, but membership is not a closely guarded secret. In addition to the periodic publication of the society's roster, Dragons can be identified at University

University

A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...

 events, such as commencement ceremonies

Graduation

Graduation is the action of receiving or conferring an academic degree or the ceremony that is sometimes associated, where students become Graduates. Before the graduation, candidates are referred to as Graduands. The date of graduation is often called degree day. The graduation itself is also...

 in Washington Square Park, with Red Dragon Society pins

Lapel pin

A lapel pin is a small pin often worn on the lapel of a dress jacket. Lapel pins can be purely ornamental or can indicate the wearer's affiliation with an organization or cause; for example, American Flag lapel pins became very popular in the United States, especially among politicians, following...

.

The Red Dragon Society boasts many of NYU's most influential alumni as members. These include some of America's most prominent doctors, attorneys, politicians, business people, artists and wealthiest alumni of the College.