Greek Trivia and Fun Facts
 

I know there was a trivia quiz for NPC. This is to post fun/little known facts about Greek Life.

David Lettermen originally pledged Sigma Phi Epsilon. He depledged and pledged Sigma Chi.

At one time, Kappa Delta Rho and Tau Kappa Epsilon were in discussions to merge. They were going to be called Tau Kappa Delta.

I'm such a trivia nerd. I'm not that big of a Greek trivia buff compared to some people on here, but my chapter is amazed at how much random Kappa stuff I know.

I wish I had a question/fun fact to put up here! I'll think about it...

ADPi once had a dragon at the top of its crest. If you've been to our chapter at Washington State University, it's on the fireplace.

One of Gamma Phi Beta's founders, Helen M. Dodge, was invited to join Alpha Phi fraternity, and even helped to write their constitution.

I always thought it was really cool that Sarah Ida Shaw (Ida Shaw Martin after marriage) was the nation president of two NPC sororities. She was one of Tri Delta's founders and Tri Delta's first national president, and then for 16 years she was Alpha Sigma Alpha's national president as a sort of motherly figure/guide. http://www.alphasigmaalpha.org/colle...ritage/history How very panhellenic of her:)

ETA: She also wrote the first 11 volumes of The Sorority Handbook.

I heard this from one of our advisors awhile ago:

AOII was founded because all 4 founders wanted to be in the same sorority. Apparently, they all rushed and only 3 out of the 4 received invites to join, so they just started their own sorority so the fourth (Stella George Stern Perry) wouldn't be left out :) How sisterly!

I'm a big greek trivia nerd. Unfortunately I can't think of anything particularly good at this early hour...

The best I've got right now: One of Delta Chi's founders, Monroe Marsh Sweetland (I know awesome name, right?), was also a member of Delta Tau Delta. Both of our letters appear on his tombstone. It's funny because before I rushed and joined Delta Chi I was trying to organize an interest group to bring Delta Tau Delta to campus.

We have a helmet at the top of our coat of arms but our Canadian chapters are not allowed to utilize a helmet in the coat of arms because it depicts royalty and their history with Britain and the Queen prohibits it. So, our Canadian chapters have a slightly different version.

Because Delta Chi was originally intended to be a fraternity for students intending to go to law school, it was non-exclusive. Several of its founders and early members belonged to other fraternities at Cornell. In addition to the Delt at least one was a D U.

that's pretty wild, we also have a helmet on the top of our COA, i'll have to check to see if our canuck brethren are allowed to have it on theirs.

I think it's obvious, but to my knowledge that's the case with most fraternities/sororities in Canada.

I'm not familiar enough with other coats of arms to know that very many had helmets, particularly those with chapters in Canada. Good to know that there are others as well.

Alpha Phi's original colors were blue and gold. In 1879, the colors were changed to the more distinctive silver and bordeaux after learning that a men's fraternity had adopted blue and gold for its colors. The men's fraternity? Delta Upsilon.

PKA and Kappa Sigma were founded across the quad from eachother.

PKA and Sigma Nu discussed a merger (I think pre-1900), obviously, it never happened.

Before someone from UVa comes on and has a hissy fit, it's the Lawn, not the quad. ;)

And if I remember right (I've seen the rooms), they're not exactly across from each other. There are four ranks of buildings that run parallel to each other: West Range, West Lawn, East Lawn and East Range. The Lawn is between East and West Lawn, and there are gardens between West Range and West Lawn and between East Lawn and East Range. The Lawn rooms face the Lawn; the Range rooms face away from the Lawn (so that the gardens are in the back of all rooms).

Pike was founded at 47 West Range and Kappa Sig at 46 East Lawn, so West Lawn runs between them. Both rooms face west, not each other. But yes, very close together.

BTW, both rooms have markers commemorating the founding of the respective fraternities, and as I understand, each fraternity can choose a rising fourth year member (they don't have "seniors" at UVa) to live in the room fourth year, if that member has been otherwise selected to live on the Lawn.

Alpha Chi Omega was founded because Kappa Alpha Theta wouldn't accept students from the School of Music.

actually, our northern brothers do still showcase the helmet on our coat of arms. i don't know if they were always allowed to, but i know they do now.

Gamma Phi Beta's original colors were dark and light blue. They were changed to dark and light brown in 1875 in honor of Dr. JJ Brown, who allowed our founders to hold their first meetings in his office.

Actually, it's not.

The issue is not use of a helmet per se, but the kind of helmet used. Traditionally, the style and position of the helmet on a coat-of-arms indicates the rank of the bearer of the arms. Alpha Gamma Delta's armorial bearings use a gold, barred helmet facing forward, which is traditionally reserved to the sovereign. (This is why it is seen in the arms of some American states, to indicate the state's sovereignty.) In Britain and Canada, no one but the queen and other royalty use this kind of helmet.

(Sigma Nu and Alpha Xi Delta also use barred or open helmets facing foward, but they are not gold. SAE and APO also use use royal helmets, but I don't think either has chapters in Canada, do they?)

By contrast, TKE. Lambda Chi, Theta Chi, Theta Xi, Pike and probably others that I'm not thinking of use a barred or closed helmet turned to the side, a sign of nobility but not sovereignty. These don't raise the same issue.

My guess is also that unless Alpha Gamma Delta's armorial bearing are registered with the Canadian Heraldic Authority, the decision not to use the helmet in Canada is one of propriety, not legality.

I never knew that! That's a cool piece of info to have. :)

in addition, 3 out of 4 of Delta Chi's Principles are the same as DU's word for word.

That when Alpha Phi Omega was formed the majority of its founders came from the Sigma Alpha Epsilon House at Lafayette College.

Also, that on the same campus before the founding of APO there existed another scouting fraternity which went by the name "Fraternity of Mound Builders"

I've always thought that was interesting! The one difference is Education (Delta Chi) and Culture (Delta Upsilon) and I think they can be considered pretty similar. I can't find which founders were DUs mentioned in our Cornerstone, they do mention the Delt though. Does anyone know?

On another note 9/10 of Delta Chi's Basic Expectations are identical to Tau Delta Phi's. I think its a little fishy to be honest, I just wonder who had them first...

Alpha Sigma Phi was founded at Yale in 1845 and expanded to five chapters; however, by 1865 all but one had closed. That lone chapter at Marietta College remained as a local fraternity for more than thirty years. In 1907 it decided to expand and once again revive Alpha Sigma Phi as a national. Thus, this one chapter can claim credit for the fraternity as we know it today.

One of the more interesting sorority chapter histories has to be that of Alpha Omicron Pi at Auburn. It has operated under five different names. It started as a local sorority name Phi Delta Rho in 1923 as the third group on campus (following Kappa Delta and Chi Omega). It became Gamma chapter of Phi Alpha Chi in 1927. In 1928 that sorority was absorbed by a slightly larger group and it then became Sigma Phi Beta. In 1933 Phi Omega Pi absorbed Sigma Phi Beta so the chapter next became Psi chapter of Phi Omega Pi. Finally, in 1946 Phi Omega Pi voted to be absorbed by Delta Zeta; however, there was already a strong DZ chapter at Auburn and the group opted out of the merger. They petitioned for a charter from Alpha Omicron Pi and became Delta Delta chapter of that organization on 8/10/46. There are other cases of chapters going through name changes but I am unaware of any with this many.

Sigma Chi's song, "The Sweetheart of Sigma Chi" was turned into two movies, in 1933 and 1946. It was also featured prominently in the 1981 movie, "Ghost Story".

Bump for spammers.

Francis E. Haven was the founder who declined a bid to Alpha Phi, then asked 3 friends to form Gamma Phi Beta. Helen M. Dodge was tasked with writing our constitution; I've never heard of her helping with Alpha Phi's. She may have, but I've never heard of this.

I feel like I got that from ye old pledge manual...the one that came before the Legacy one that was navy (my pledge manual). I could be wrong, and if so I welcome the correction!

Gamma Phi Beta's Omicron (Illinois) chapter was the only chapter to be founded by a founder, Frances E. Haven.

The newest manuals tell the part about Francis declining Alpha Phi, and Helen writing the constitution, I don't know about Helen helping with Alpha Phi's constitution.

Reviving an old thread to lighten the mood from the many troubling things going on right now, here is some interesting trivia:

1) No institution has ever been home to all 26 NPC sororities. Illinois & Penn State come close with 25, followed by Indiana, Miami & Ohio State with 24.

2) Only 31 schools can claim active chapters of half or more of the 26 groups. Currently, Indiana has 22 active, followed by Illinois, Washington & Georgia with 19.

3) Only seven sororities have ever had chapters at al 31 institutions and none currently have chapters at all. Alpha Chi Omega, Kappa Delta & Kappa Kappa Gamma have 30, followed by Pi Beta Phi with 29.

Lots of potential. Too bad the cost of housing makes it almost prohibitive at many of these schools.

Oops!!!! Missed one. Syracuse also has had all but one. Thanks, Fran

On the 26 NPCs that's something I would love to see someday at a school.

That would be one l-o-o-o-o-n-g recruitment.

Yeah I can't wrap my head around doing 13 houses over 2 days and then afterwards the max for philanthropy/sisterhood/etc.

Just my hunch but I feel like Indiana or some huge school like that could have it happen in the future. But that's me speculating ;)

I found this to be really interesting so I did a little more digging (thanks insomnia) to see how many each campus had open at the same time. All of my years are based off the list that IrishPipes puts out for her NPC recruitment thread.

1) A lot of chapters closed and reopened in the late 80s at Illinois so this might be wrong but according to the dates in IrishPipes's thread, Illinois has only ever been home to 24 NPCs at one time, in 1988.
Tri Sigma's chapter became inactive in 1987, but in 1988 Zeta Tau Alpha and Delta Zeta reopened their chapters. Alpha Sigma Tau has never had a chapter at Illinois.


2) Penn State has also only ever had 24 NPC chapters at one time, between 1962-1966. Alpha Sigma Alpha colonized in '62 and the Delta Phi Epsilon chapter became inactive in '66. However, Sigma Kappa didn't join the campus until '92. Alpha Sigma Tau has also never had a chapter at Penn State.


3) Indiana has only ever been home to 23 of the 26 current NPC organizations at the same time - in 2016, after Sigma Kappa recolonized but before Tri Delta's chapter became inactive in 2017.
Alpha Sigma Tau and Phi Sigma Sigma have never had chapters at IU, and Tri Sigma's chapter has been inactive since 1994.


4) Miami University has only had 21 NPC chapters open at the same time, in 1992 after Alpha Sigma Alpha recolonized but before Tri Sigma became inactive in 1993.
The Alpha Sigma Tau chapter has been inactive since 1929, Sigma Delta Tau became inactive in 1987 and Phi Sigma Sigma didn't join the campus until 2016. Delta Phi Epsilon and Theta Phi Alpha have never had chapters at Miami University.

5) Ohio State has only had 20 NPC chapters open at the same time, between 1948-1958 after Delta Phi Epsilon recolonized and ending when the Phi Sigma Sigma chapter became inactive in '58.
The Alpha Sigma Alpha chapter has been inactive since 1934, the Theta Phi Alpha chapter has been inactive since 1944, the Sigma Kappa chapter was inactive between 1940-1991, and Alpha Omicron Pi didn't join the campus until 1993. Alpha Sigma Tau and Tri Sigma have never had chapters at Ohio State.

In 1930 University of Illinois had 33 sororities & 80 fraternities active! That includes NPHC, locals & small nationals then existing. I would love to hear a first-hand account of how rush was conducted then. Almost all of the groups had housing of some sort and for a few years in the 1920s more than 20 Greek houses were under construction at the same time.

Which chapters were not at Penn State? Or Illinois?

Both campuses actually never had Alpha Sigma Tau on them! This was just looking at the irishpipes threads and counting each chapter.