UVA's early years were marked by contentious relations between students and the faculty, which culminated on November 12, 1840, when John Davis, a professor, was shot to death in an attempt to quell a disturbance on The Lawn. Davis refused to identify his assailant, stating that an honorable man would step forward on his own.
On July 4, 1842, College of William and Mary alumnus Henry St. George Tucker, who had replaced Davis on the faculty, proposed that in the future, students sign examinations in the form "I, A.B., do hereby certify on my honor that I have derived no assistance during the time of this examination from any source whatsoever."
The idea succeeded with the students. The wording of the honor pledge has changed over time, and the definition of what constitutes an honor offense has evolved as well, at times including matters such as smoking, cheating at card games or insulting ladies.
Full Wiki.
If there is anything I hate-hate-hate, it is when I mention the honor principle to a class, and I can hear snickering.
ReplyDeleteConfused: "John Davis, a professor, was shot to death . . . Davis refused to identify his assailant, stating that an honorable man would step forward on his own."
ReplyDeleteDid he refuse to identify his assailant after being killed?
Well, you know that seances were gaining popularity at the time. But of course, since Wikipedia is researched so poorly, they don't mention this.
DeleteBeing Wikipedia it may not have been proofread, giving the poster the chance to amend the sentence to, "Before he succumbed to his fatal wound, Davis refused to identify his assailant, stating that . . ."
ReplyDeleteStudents! Those p'tach have no honor!
ReplyDelete