The honor society, Kappa Mu Epsilon, was founded in 1931 by Dr. Emily Kathryn Wyant for the sole purpose of promoting mathematics excellence for undergraduate students and to “develop an appreciation for the beauty in mathematics.”

According to their website, KME’s primary purposes are:

• to further the interests of mathematics in those schools which place their primary emphasis on undergraduate programs;
• to help undergraduate students realize the important role that mathematics has played in the development of civilization;
• to develop an appreciation of the power and beauty possessed by mathematics, due, mainly, to its demand for logical and rigorous modes of thought;
• to provide a society for the recognition of outstanding achievement in the study of mathematics at the undergraduate level;
• to disseminate the knowledge of mathematics and familiarize its members with the current progress in this important area of human interest. 

KME has a series of symbols representing their organization:

• Insignia: The five-pointed star and the pentagon to symbolize the Pythagorean which is a nod to the original form of the honor society, the Society of Pythagoras.
• Badge: The pentagon with concave sides and a five-leaf rose
• Seal: A five-pointed star with a five-leaf rose
• Crest: A shield enclosing the five-pointed star and rose with an equation symbol of pure mathematics. Around the star are five symbols relative to mathematics applications, biological sciences, physical sciences, business, engineering, and teaching.
• Colors: Pink and silver
• Flower: The wild rose

In order to qualify for membership, students must be regularly enrolled at an institution where a Kappa Mu Epsilon chapter is installed, have completed at least three semesters of undergrad courses, and rank in the upper 35% of his/her class. KME currently has over 80,000 members at over 150 chapters across 35 states. You’ll see them stand out on graduation day while wearing rose pink and silver honor cords.

As a reminder, our team continues to operate with a modified business solution, complete with remote and isolated order processing locations. Our goal is to safely deliver honor and recognition gear to schools and institutions to have ready for their students once graduation dates have been reworked. We understand the importance of graduation regalia and what it means to students and faculty and want graduates to mark their accomplishments in a way in which they deserve. No matter what your commencement ceremony looks like this year, our honor and recognition gear means the same and looks just as great!