Iron Cross

The Iron Shield Society (formerly the Iron Cross Society) is an exclusive undergraduate honors society at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. The student organization was historically a secret society but the existence of the organization is now public and its members are publicly identified on their web site. Society inductees who have graduated are also honored by having their names listed at the Memorial Union. History The Iron Shield Society was founded in 1902. The most visible accomplishment of Iron Shield is the founding of the Memorial Union. In 1907, the UW–Madison president asked Iron Shield members to help convert the failing Madison YMCA into a more meaningful student institution. Initially only open to men in their senior year of college, The Iron Shield later allowed both juniors and women to join.