Actually my fraternity, Chi Phi, was founded in 1824 at the College of New Jersey (now Princeton). It had to go underground though after Princeton banned secret societies.

DRau,

For what it's worth, I lifted this from the History of Delta Tau Delta on www.delts.org.

It would seem to confirm the Kappa Alpha/Union College information above.

Hope it helps.

1776 Phi Beta Kappa, the first Greek letter society, is formed at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, in response to strict faculty members' attempts to rule all phases of students' lives. Nine men chronologically and geographically at the heart of impending revolution in the asyetunformed United States create for themselves an opportunity to secure freedom and the chance to govern their own affairs outside the classroom. Those nine students meet in the Raleigh Tavern on December 5 where they adopt a secret oath, a badge, a handshake, and mottoes in Greek and Latin. They devise an initiation ceremony and adopt a Greek letter name. The stage is now set for other Greek letter societies to follow suit.

You should recognize some of the same qualities in the story of Phi Beta Kappa's founding as those we at Delta Tau Delta embrace. The nine men who pledged their loyalty to each other in 1776 were also committed to excellence; they found strength in brotherhood, saw the importance of courage in the face of what they considered injustice. So you see, the quest for excellence extends deep into our roots, beyond even our own founding as a Fraternity, to the very beginning of the Greek system itself.

1825 Kappa Alpha Society is founded at Union College in New York. Two years later, Sigma Phi and Delta Phi are founded at Union; later, Psi Upsilon, Chi Psi, and Theta Delta Chi are also founded at Union, giving it the title "Mother of Fraternities."

Perhaps the main reason Union College was the birthplace of so many fraternities is that Eliphalet Nott, President of Union, was forwardthinking enough to actually encourage such organizations. He understood the value of fraternities to enhance young men's academic performances, provide them with a common goal, and support them with a system of values to achieve that goal. Nott's contribution to the Fraternity System is yet another example of excellence, foreshadowing the benefits of the values we embrace today.

1858 Delta Tau Delta is founded at Bethany College. Eight undergraduates, angered by a fixed vote for a prize in oratory to be given at the Neotrophian Literary Society the only real forum for students to practice and demonstrate skills in poetry, public speaking, and writing essays respond by forming a secret society. The purpose of the new society, known only by the Greek letters Delta Tau Delta, is to see that the Neotrophian is returned to popular control, and delivered from the hands of the group of students who seized it.

Re: Re: Re: ADPi
 

Nope, not us.

There was some speculation that it was patterned after Delt because of the letters used in the movie -- were they Delta Tau Chi? Can't remember for sure.

However, there were a couple of things in the movie that reminded me of my college experiences back in the 60's.

We'll just leave it at that.

Re: Beta Theta Pi
 

Beta Theta Pi was founded in 1839, not 1847. August 8th to be specific. Phi Delta Theta was founded in 1848, and Sigma Chi in 1855 to complete the Miami Triad. Phi Kappa Tau and Delta Zeta were later founded at Miami in the early 1900's.

Here is a website with some info.

http://www.abaris.net/freemasonry/m...ek_letters.html

Re: Re: Re: Re: ADPi
 

That's right -- DTC.

Try http://www.abaris.net/freemasonry/ma...ek_letters.htm

I don't care what anyone says...

1851 is still older than any other women's greek organization.

I don't think anyone is disagreeing with that... Basically, every organization tries to find some "XYZ sorority firsts" for their NMs to learn! The differences come with technicalities like whether the societies had greek letters, were called fraternities or sororities, or were national (which had other chapters first). But ADPi was definately the first of the now NPC groups. :D

Hope that clears some things up.... Sometimes pride in/knowledge of our organizations gets in the way of other thinking. Lucky we have GreekChat to help us out!!! :cool:

Thank you breathesgelatin... I was definitely not disagreeing with the fact that ADPi was the first women’s society. It's just that some people were confused as to why Pi Phi states we are the first national women’s fraternity when it's obvious that ADPi and Phi Mu were founded before us. Just clearing things up. Thanks :)

They still might be the first NATIONAL sorority. Did the others have chapters in other states first or did your?

Can someone explain the difference between women's sororities and women's fraternities? Is it just the name different groups claim for themselves or is does it have something to do with the way they were founded?

After a little research we can conclude that Pi Phi was the first national women's fraternity...

Pi Phi established their second chapter in 1868 at Iowa Wesleyan

Phi Mu established their second chapter in 1910 at Brenau University.

ADPi established their second chapter in 1905 at Salem College.

I don't think that it's really important that someone was founded first, second or whatever-I think that it's what they are accomplishing today that is outstanding that ought to be talked about the most. Of course it's fun to know facts about all of this, but what we do today is what will save the system from self imploding. Which organization donated the most to charity this last year? Which one went without a single infraction for hazing? That's something that an organization can really brag about-especially given the climate that is negative in the press.

And I think that name thing is just relative to when the organization was founded. After the word sorority came along, I don't know for sure, but I don't think any of the groups called themselves fraternities anymore.

The oldest, continuously existing men's group is Delta Phi (St. Elmo's), founded in 1828.