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Edward A. Bouchet Graduate Honor Society
About
The Edward A. Bouchet Graduate Honors Society (Bouchet Society) is named after Edward Alexander Bouchet (1852-1918). The first self-identified African American to earn a doctorate from an American university, Bouchet earned a Ph.D. in physics from Yale University in 1876. At the time, he was the sixth person in the western hemisphere to earn a doctorate in physics. The Bouchet Society recognizes outstanding scholarly achievement and promotes excellence in doctoral education and the professoriate. The Bouchet Society was inaugurated on Thursday, September 15, 2005 with a simulcast ceremony held at Yale University and Howard University.
Mission Statement
The Bouchet Society seeks to develop a network of preeminent scholars who exemplify academic and personal excellence, foster environments of support, and serve as examples of scholarship, leadership, character, service, and advocacy for students in the academy. In the spirit of Bouchet’s commitment to these pursuits both within and without the academic realm, inductees into the honor society bearing his name should also exhibit these qualities.
The Five Thrusts of the Bouchet Society
Scholarship: The Bouchet Society is an academic honor society that is committed to the goals of lifelong education, as well as the production and the dissemination of knowledge in the humanities, social sciences and sciences. Members of the Society are committed to contributing to the development of their field(s) of study and to the application of knowledge into action that improves the lives and conditions of their communities.
Character: Bouchet Society members exhibit the highest values of their university, through their integrity, honor, and exemplary conduct and behavior. Character may be exemplified through an individual’s emotional courage, principles, endurance, and perseverance. They must be reliable and consistent. At each member’s core must be an awareness of the importance of contributing to society and working for the good of society.
Leadership: Bouchet Society members take personally their responsibility for their departments and their academic fields. Bouchet Society members are the embodiment of the ideals of their respective universities. They not only represent the mission of their university but they must also demonstrate strong initiative.
Service: Each member is expected to actively contribute to the well-being of society by giving, remaining involved in the community, sharing personal gifts and talents, and exhibiting a Bouchet-like commitment to the service of others. Examples of service might include participating in an educational program for youth, serving in local or state politics, or volunteering with a local non-profit organization.
Advocacy: Each member should actively support and advocate for broader access to graduate education and other resources within the academy. Activities might include advocating for the concerns of faculty members and students, serving as a mentor, helping to address the needs of communities, and educating others on the issues that may be at the heart of the continued inequities and disparities in our society, particularly in education.