the society of brothers in unity at yale college was founded by 21 members of the yale classes of 1768, 1769, 1770 and 1771. the founders included david humphreys, who is noted in the society's public 1841 catalogue as the "cornerstone" of the founding class. the society was founded chiefly to combat existing class separation among literary societies; prior to 1768, yale freshmen were not "received into any society", and junior society members were forced into the servitude of seniors "under dread of the severest penalties". humphreys, a freshman of the class of 1771, persuaded two members of the senior class, three junior class members, two sophomores, and 14 freshmen to support the society's founding.