SOCIETY HISTORY

In 1991, under the leadership of Dr. Sandra Rackley, Dean of Undergraduate Studies at Florida State University, a local honor society was formed in honor of W. E. B. Du Bois. Seventy-five members were inducted. In 1993 and again in 2003, Dr. David G. Du Bois, the step-son of W.E.B. Du Bois was the keynote speaker for the induction ceremonies. It is with his support that the local W.E.B. Du Bois Honor Society has continued to expand and flourish.

In 2005, through the initiative of Dr. Karen Laughlin, Dean of Undergraduate Studies at Florida State University, members of the local society, faculty and staff came together with the purpose of establishing a national office for the W. E. B. Du Bois Honor Society. This National Office seeks to establish and nurture local chapters at other Universities and to join together local chapters to form a society whose purpose is to nurture a spirit of scholarship, to recognize and encourage leadership, to provide service and to establish the opportunity for a meaningful exchange of ideas as individuals and as a group. Our intention is to support the self-awareness of our members, to promote equal opportunities among all peoples, and to emphasize the scholastic advancement of African American scholars.