The Iron Arrow Honor Society is an honor society at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida for students, faculty, staff and alumni. It is the highest honor that the university can bestow upon someone.
The distinctive Seminole patchwork jackets worn by members of the University of Miami's Iron Arrow Honor Society, the highest honor bestowed by the university
Gloria Estefan
In the United States, an honor society is an organization that recognizes individuals who excel in various domains such as academics, leadership, and other personal achievements, not all of which are based on ranking systems. These societies acknowledge excellence among peers in diverse fields and circumstances. The Order of the Arrow, for example, is the National Honor Society of the Boy Scouts of America. While the term commonly refers to scholastic honor societies, which primarily acknowledge students who excel academically or as leaders among their peers, it also applies to other types of societies.
"Honor Societies", illustration from the 1909 Tyee (yearbook of the University of Washington)