In 1994, Wake Forest University mandated that its traditional women's secret societies colonize as national sororities or leave campus. Tri-Delta had already been on campus since I believe or '89. The various societies chose national sororities to become. Strings became Pi Beta Phi, Fideles became Chi-O, Lynks became KD, etc. Kappa was a society too I think but I can't remember the name. Some groups (ADPi and Theta, namely) did not make a successful transition to nationals. Since then, both Phi Mu and Delta Zeta (currently a colony) have colonized. As for DG, I was actually not aware that they had ever been on campus. I will see what I can find out. Occasionally issues still surface for the former societies.

Wake Forest
 

BG -

Were the fraternities always local? Was WF a men's college previously and then the women were admitted in smaller numbers so they started the societies instead of just going w/ national sororities from the start?

Sorry for my hijack, I'm just fascinated with things like this.

Re: Wake Forest
 

A friend of mine who went to Wake Forest in the 1980's said that fraternities were allowed (I don't know if they were national or not), but there was a clause in the College Charter that didn't allow for sororities; therefore, the societies. I forget which society she was in.

Ahh, I think I remember hearing about that. It clears everything up! Thanks!! :)

One thing that has always amazed me is the sheer number of chapters that Delta Zeta has had! Just looking at the list, it seems that there are more closed chapters than some sororities ever had!!! Is there a reason behind that? And if it's none of my business, please say so!

I think that they absorbed quite a few groups and there was probably 1) some overlap 2) some chapters that wanted to stay independent. Whether they got counted in I don't know.

That is true. Baird's manual tells of two sororities (I believe) that DZ merged with/acquired during their history. That probably explains a lot of them.

Thanks for the explanation - that makes a lot of sense!

Re: Wake Forest
 

Wake Forest was all male at one point I think--it used to actually be located in Wake Forest, NC before the Winston-Salem campus was built (by the RJ Reynolds tobacco family so that W-S would have an elite college campus). It went co-ed in '42 and moved to W-S in '52.

Not sure about the local fraternity thing--the fraternities were always around, I think they were always national. My uncle tells funny stories about it.

I think that when you talk about closed chapters it is important to look at not just which chapters an organization has closed over time but also which chapters they have closed in recent years so you can see how strong or stable their membership programs are. My sorority tracks chapter closings and one of my friends provided me with this list of each organization’s closings since 2000.

ACW (4)
James Madison
Southern Illinois – Carbondale
Cincinnati
Delaware

ADP (2)
OSU
Washington State

AEF (5)
Yale
SUNY Oneonta
Duke
Miami
NYU

AGD (6)
Clemson
U Tennessee Martin
Cal
Western Michigan
Syracuse
Michigan State

AOP (5)
DePauw
Illinois Wesleyan
Syracuse
Purdue
Southwest Texas State
+1 colony (Mississippi State)

AF (4)
Emory
Franklin & Marshall
NCSU
Creighton

ASA (6)
Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts
Elon
SUNY Brockport
Miami
College of New Jersey
Western Illinois

AST(2)
Valparaiso
Wingate

AXD (9)
Florida
Michigan State
Iowa State
Kentucky
Gettysburg
Rockhurst
Missouri Valley
Case Western
Culver Stockton

CW (6)
UT El Paso
Drake
Sam Houston
Alabama
Brenau
Cornell

DDD (4)
Oregon
Minnesota
Dickinson
Maine

DG (3)
Union College
University of South Carolina
Clemson

DFE (6)
Hartford
Embry-Riddle
Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts
Ohio State
Embry-Riddle
Cornell
+1 colony (Southern Indiana)

DZ (5)
Western State College of Colorado
Santa Clara
Pittsburgh – Johnston
North Texas
UNC-Chapel Hill

GFB (3)
Maryland
Texas Tech
Oregon State

KAQ (6)
Pittsburgh
Wash U
Rollins
Auburn
Wake Forest
Virginia Tech

KD (3)
Pittsburg State
WVU
Towson

KKG (0)

FM (9)
Atheno State
Wright State
Bucknell
Frostburg State
Clarkson
Arkansan Polytechnic U
Loras College
UNC-Chapel Hill
Michigan State

FSS (5)
Frostburg State
Bradley U
Toledo
Buffalo State
Rutgers

PBF (1)
University of Pennsylvania

SDT (3)
OSU
SUNY Oneonta
Stanford

SK (6)
Miami
Pepperdine
Missouri
CSUN
Arizona State
U of Louisiana- Monroe

QFA (4)
Bryant College
UWI Platteville
Johnson & Wales
Kettering

SSS (6)
Duquesne
Eastern Washington
San Francisco State
Arizona State
Maryland – Mannheim
Georgia Southwestern


ZTA(1)
David & Elkins
+1 colony (Kansas)


Please accept my apologies if I have misspelled your school’s name or made any other mistake about a closing.

SB

Interesting list. (How nice of your friend to provide it.)

My only comment...I'm not sure these closures speak only to membership programs. It's never that simple.

Interesting....does your friend also track colonizations as well? Or chapters chartered? Reasons for closings? ie, voluntary or involuntary?

OK...one more comment!

The Chi Omega chapter at Alabama-Huntsville closed, not the University of "Roll Tide" Alabama.

I bet her friend lives on Mount Olympus & sees ALL that stuff! ;)

Kappa Alpha Theta also closed at The University of South Carolina in 2001.