ndsu blue key
History of Blue Key
1924 Blue Key was founded by Major B. C. Riley at the University of Florida. The society had its foundations first in Riley's idea that college and university student leaders are young citizens who believe that worthwhile progress can best be made through the orderly processes of evolution. Major Riley selected twenty-five outstanding student leaders, who by election or attainment, held places of prominence and confidence in the student body. These individuals were called together, and to each was assigned the duty to look after some particular phase of the program.
1925 The progress and the results obtained by this group were amazing and there came the need for the exchange of ideas with similar groups on other campuses. No similar working organization could be found; therefore, Major Riley passed his idea along, wholly with the intention of cooperating with other schools. An honor society with a service slogan immediately appealed to students in other colleges and in 1925 began the phenomenal growth of Blue Key.
Other schools adopted the name, the constitution, the pledge, and the insignia which were all produced by Major Riley without suggestion or assistance form anyone else. The privilege of using these properties was given in the early days of the society by Major Riley without expense or other obligation to those groups which proved themselves to be made up of student leaders in recognized institutions.
1927 Only a few years later on May 4th 1927, the NDSU chapter was founded. The Blue Key chapter at North Dakota State University, the 28th in the country, is now one of the oldest active chapters in existence.
1929 Bison Brevities, a now annual variety show, made its first appearance at NDSU in 1929.
1930 NDSU Blue Key's giving of the Doctor of Service started in 1930. The tradition still continues today -- the recipients of the D.S. award, as well as our other prestigious awards, can be viewed under the Award Recipients category on this website.
1937 In 1937, the Nickel trophy was coined by the NDSU and UND chapters of Blue Key. The trophy is a large model of the "Liberty" nickel which features a bison on one side and a Native American profile on the other. This trophy was awarded to the winner of the annual Bison-Sioux football game and has long been a prized possession among the Bison-Sioux rivalry. Since the transition of NDSU into D-1 football, the fate of the Nickel is now in jeopardy.
1976 Blue Key, which was historically a men's only fraternity, officially became open to women in 1976.
1979 In 1979, Kathy Dean became president of the NDSU chapter, a first among the 124 Blue Key chapters in the country.
2003 Blue Key officially changed its name from Blue Key National Honor Fraternity to Blue Key National Honor Society in 2003.
2004 This year marked a new rivalry between NDSU and our southern neighbors, the SDSU Jackrabbits. Playing each other 89 times since 1903, the teams now battle for the Dakota Marker Trophy every year in the Great West conference. The Marker replicates the quartzite monuments placed along the border between North and South Dakota in the 1890's and are engraved "ND" on the north sides and "SD" on the south sides.
2008 North Dakota State University hosted the Annual National Leadership Conference in Fargo, ND. Over 70 members from Truman State University, University of Georgia, Colorado School of Mines, Missouri University School of Technology, Monmouth College, University of Louisiana-Lafayette, Northern Arizona, University of Toledo, Clemson University, University of Portland and NDSU gathered to attend the conference held on January 18-19th, 2008. Students gathered for breakout sessions, service learning projects, and a chance to learn about other chapters. Keynote Speakers included Micheal Solberg and Blue Key Alum Steve "Lazer" Symons. Theme: IGNITE YOUR POTENTIAL