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right|thumb|The Franklin Society 'Kite'The Franklin Society is the first fraternity founded at Whittier College (Whittier, CA) on December 9, 1921. It is also the oldest student organization of the College.

The Society began as a literary society that based itself on "virtues" espoused by Benjamin Franklin. The Sons of Ben (SOBs) remain active members of Whittier College despite their probationary status imposed by the Whittier College administration for alleged violations of new member education procedures. The Franklin Society boasts a distinguished roll of members ranging from academics, public servants, and successful business owners. Among those who have been denied membership to this exclusive society is former president Richard Nixon.

The Franklins flourished for 85 years as the most recognizable organization on campus. Society members were easily recognized by their purple "sleeves", a white shirt with purple sleeves emblazoned with the image of Benjamin Franklin on the back. Franklins would assemble every Tuesday afternoon at the top of Founder's Hill to promote their society and celebrate brotherhood.

Brief history
Whittier College’s first actual literary society was the Atheneum Society. It was founded during the first year of the college, 1891 (Elliot, 48). By the late 1910s the society waned and others sprung, but those also disappeared. During December 1921, Whittier College President Wright stated that he wished to reanimate the old literary society tradition and student Gerald Kepple became the chairman of creating a new literary society (Elliott, 126). On December 9, 1921, the students and faculty unanimously voted to organize a literary society. Distinct from the old Atheneum Society, the new literary society was for men only (Elliott, 126).

In March 1922, the literary society had its first organizational meeting. During the meeting, President Wright and several professors were assumed into the literary society as honorary members (Elliott, 126). Later in April, the literary society chose for its name “Franklin Literary Society." Other names that were nominated were the Lincoln Literary Society and the Olympic Literary Society (Elliott, 126). The officers were as follows: Warren Mendenhall, president; Arthur Corey, vice-president; Leonidas Dodson, critic; Gurney Reece, vice-critic, Alonzo Frazier, marshal (Elliott, 126).

Early in its history, the Franklin Literary Society became a social society and soon thereafter it became the fraternity known as it is today, the Franklin Society. The Franklins were responsible for publishing the Student handbook and would annually present the Stag Follies, which were plays used to raise funds for the handbook (Elliott, 133). In good humor, the Franklins would dress up in women's clothing, to which Richard Nixon was not too thrilled nor enjoyed the "Franklins' idea of fun" (Elliott). Although today the Society no longer performs the show but the tradition of dressing up in costumes continues. Every year in January during the New Member Convocation Ceremony, the Franklin actives and their pledges will dress up in comical costumes in the spirit of celebration and fun in keeping the tradition of Ben Franklin’s humor and wit.

Currently
As of January 2006, Whittier College placed the Franklin Society on a 3 and a half year suspension for alleged violations of their probationary terms in 2005. The suspension has thus been lifted and the Franklins will be in good standing with the College in the Fall of 2007.

Both the Franklin Alumni Association and the Actives have modified the fraternity's new member education program and have produced a more elaborate purpose and values document for the fraternity.

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The Orthogonian Society is a local fraternity at Whittier College, co-founded by Richard Nixon. Richard Nixon was the first president of the society.

History
When Richard Nixon enrolled in Whittier College, a fraternity called the Franklins existed on campus. The Franklins consisted mainly of the children of the wealthy local residents, and others who came from some degree of privilege. Nixon unsuccessfully attempted to join the Franklins, and when he was rejected, he founded the Orthogonians in 1929.

Origin of "Orthogonian"
The word "Orthogonian" is mock latin meant to translate as upstanding or standing straight, and was selected by Nixon as a means to define its members (and by extension, himself) as honest, hard-working, law-abiding citizens who earned their keep.

The name was intended to also draw a stark contrast to the Franklins, who in comparison were implied to be less than upstanding and prone to the vices and corruption of wealth.

Orthogonian Members
The Orthogonian charter explicitly stated that the organization was meant as a group for regular students, opposed to the privileged Franklins. As a means of emphasizing the distinction, the group's photograph has its members in open collars, contrasting with the formal coat and tie of the Franklins.

The Orthogonians during Nixon's time had a considerable number of athletes as members. Students who won scholarship to Whittier College and who otherwise would be without the means to pay for the education.

Orthogonian Success
Not surprisingly, the Orthogonians quickly became one of the more popular clubs in Whittier College and were seen by a majority of the students as a statement against the Franklins and privilege as a whole.

Interestingly, the success of the Orthogonians quickly made it one of the more exclusive organizations on campus, and soon Nixon's club for the regular guy was at least as exclusive (if not more so) than the Franklins, allowing Nixon to be a member of an elite group.

Orthogonians and Nixon's Philosophy
The Orthogonian vs Franklin battle was one which Nixon would wage in one form or another until his death. Nixon's searing and all-consuming distaste for Ivy educated, East Coast intellectuals was well known, and one of the main sources of his paranoia. Every political campaign brought out this conflict, and in every case Nixon employed a strategy of aligning himself with the common people to rally against the elite, intellectuals, wealthy, or privileged - whom he portrayed as being out of touch or downright hostile to the average American.

Often, Nixon would portray these "Franklins" as being un-American by accusing them of communist sympathies, or of otherwise wishing to destroy the fabric of American society.

Nixon's greatest achievement in the Orthogonian vs Franklin battle came during the presidential campaign of 1972 when he essentially embraced anyone sympathetic to him as an Orthogonian under the more populist sounding Great Silent Majority, helping lead him to a landslide victory over Sen. George McGovern.

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The Palmer Society was founded as the first women's society of Whittier College, USA. Originally a literary society, The Palmer Society founding members started meeting as a group in 1921, the year the organization officially recognizes for its founding and celebrates for anniversaries. The group was recognized as a student organization by Whittier College in mid-1922. Its founder and first president was Ida Crum, a Whittier College student who would later become a middle school teacher. The group reorganized in 1928 and became a social society for women. The organization is named in honor of Alice Freeman Palmer (1855-1902), a role model and a leader in women's education.

The Palmer Society is devoted to promoting the ideals of American womanhood as exemplified by Alice Freeman Palmer. The Society achieves this goal by striving for excellence in the areas of scholarship and service, and through the friendship and loyalty shared by its members. The members of the organization are involved in campus activities in addition to their Palmer Society duties. While events and projects are primarily social in nature, the society contributes to the community through hosted service events and through individual participation. Members participate in the college's annual Spring Sing event and host the annual rush event for recruiting new members.

Jessamyn West, a founding member and author of "Friendly Persuasion", and children's book author, Zilpha Keatley Snyder, a three-time Newbery Honor Book award recipient, are among the 1,000+ members of the group.