We consider the emergence of "notables" within the disciplines of the modern university, the foremost among whom may be selected to appear on postage stamps. Noting that disciplinary culture is as important as content in university education, we suggest that some knowledge of the identity of these notables, passed on by encultured tutors, should be part of it. We observe that notability means different things to different communities, and may arise by some form of nomination or emergence, and in the latter case case may not coincide with formal lists of prizewinners. We illustrate with two case studies of disciplinary communities being polled for views of who occupies their pantheon.