The Cum Laude Society was founded at the Tome School in 1906 as the Alpha Delta Tau fraternity.

[2] Alpha Delta Tau was created to be similar to the collegiate society, Phi Beta Kappa.

[4] The fraternity's board of regents set goals of expansion, countering the influence of athletics, and encouraging support for academics.

The society's Greek motto is Areté, Diké, Timé, which translates as "Excellence, Justice, Honor".

[6] Participating secondary institutions may nominate up to twenty percent of their graduating class for induction into the society.