The American Whig-Cliosophic Society (short form: Whig-Clio) is the world's oldest college political, literary, and debating society. Its precursors, the American Whig Society and the Cliosophic Society, were founded at Princeton University in 1769 and 1765.

Originally two separate organizations, the American Whig Society and the Cliosophic Society were the primary student organizations at Princeton until the end of the 19th century, when competition from eating clubs, sports teams, and other student activities drew members away from the socieities.

Prompted by declining memberships, at the beginning of the twentieth century, the societies were merged to form the American Whig-Cliosophic Society. The organization's modern role is to serve as a meta-organization for poltical and debating activity at Princeton. It sponsors invited speakers and speaking contests, and counts Princeton's Model Congress, intercollegiate debate, Mock Trial, and Model United Nations organizations as subsidiaries.

External links

  • [1], the official Whig-Clio website
  • [1], the official Whig-Clio historian's website