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Sororities & fraternities at Big Ten Universities
In conversation with an old friend who once was very active in Big Ten University Greek activities, she was wondering which groups are the most prominent in those schools today. I did some research & listed below are the groups with the most chapters and the average age of their chapters:
12: Kappa Kappa Gamma 117 Kappa Alpha Theta 113 Delta Gamma 109 Pi Beta Phi 109 Alpha Chi Omega 99 Alpha Phi 91 11: Chi Omega 99 10: Gamma Phi Beta 89 9: Delta Delta Delta 100 7: Alpha Xi Delta 90 Kappa Delta 89 Zeta Tau Alpha 87 Alpha Omicron Pi 84 Delta Zeta 82 Alpha Epsilon Phi 77 Sigma Delta Tau 66 12: Phi Gamma Delta 120 Pi Kappa Alpha 83 11: Sigma Chi 128 Phi Kappa Psi 120 Delta Upsilon 113 Sigma Phi Epsilon 93 10: Beta Theta Pi 146 Delta Tau Delta 129 Sigma Alpha Epsilon 122 Kappa Sigma 114 Delta Chi 89 Lambda Chi Alpha 89 Tau Kappa Epsilon 83 Sigma Pi 80 Alpha Esilon Pi 64 9: Phi Delta Theta 146 Alpha Tau Omega 107 Theta Chi 87 Pi Kappa Phi 77 8: Sigma Nu 114 Alpha Gamma Rho 99 Triangle 91 Sigma Alpha Mu 78 7: Acacia 106 Phi Kappa Sigma 90 Proves nothing because we know nothing about the strength of any of the above chapters, but I thought it might be interesting trivia. |
Why does this have a sad face?
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Why the frownie face with the title?
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Does anyone know what the point is of this post? Is there something I don't get?
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lane swerve// GO Big Ten! {shameless plug} // going back in my lane now
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And subject to change. Alpha Xi Delta is re-colonizing at MSU, Minnesota is apparently open for expansion, I would bet Wisconsin will open for expansion soon and maybe Michigan (all for NPC).
I'd be interested to see about the Divine 9, but I bet they are strongly represented at these schools. I remember several at Iowa from back in the stone age. |
I think it's somewhat interesting, from the standpoint of which groups colonized/proliferated in the midwest in their early years, but I don't get the sad face, either. It looks to me like quite a few groups are well represented in the Big 10.
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The Big Ten Schools provided a fertile ground for the NPC groups in a time before NPC existed. The term "sorority" was coined when Gamma Phi Beta's second chapter at Michigan was founded, so it, too, has Big Ten connections. The University of Illinois was late to the game (in terms of when chapters were founded there), but it became the home to one of the largest fraternity systems. Its Student Life Archive is also a wonderful place to research the history of the Greek letter organizations. Thanks for compiling this list.
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Sir Thomas More used the word "sorority" in his writings in the early 16th Century. But it was never a common word in English prior to the founding of Gamma Phi. Who knows whether the professor at Syracuse was drawing on a knowledge of More's writings in suggesting the word "sorority" or whether he was unaware of the previous use of the word and just followed the example of others before him, went back to the Latin sororitas and anglicized it in a manner consistent with the anglicization of fraternitas. |
Thanks for the reminder
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I do appreciate your footnoting this. |
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Frank Smalley
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On page 20 of the 1921 Story of Gamma Phi Beta, he is recognized as "Professor Frank Smalley of the Latin department - now Vice Chancellor Emeritus." |
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We have had chapters at 11 of the 12 with 6 currently open. Of those 11, 5 are single letter chapters. I'd love to see all of them re-colonized some day! Some are closer to reality than others.
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Theta Phi Alpha & Big 10
Considering that my fraternity is on the smaller side (the installation of Gamma Psi this weekend marked our 95th charter and 50th active chapter), I thought it was interesting how well-represented we were in the Big 10.
Our chapters: Alpha - University of Michigan Beta - University of Illinois Gamma - The Ohio State University Zeta - Indiana University Mu - University of Nebraska-Lincoln Nu - University of Wisconsin-Madison Xi - University of Iowa Rho - Penn State No presence at Purdue, Michigan State, Northwestern, or Minnesota. That means we have chapter charters for 2/3 of the Big 10 schools and they're all single letter designations. Like AGDee, I'd be thrilled to get any of them back, but I'd be over the moon for our Alpha and Gamma chapters to come home (my #3 choice being Delta at Ohio University). My secret wish was that we would recolonize our Alpha chapter for our centennial. Of course, if Michigan wanted to open for expansion before our 100th Founders' Day, I would still totally count it. |
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Go Alpha chapters!
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Northwestern University
Alpha Phi Beta 1881 Delta Gamma Sigma 1882 Kappa Kappa Gamma Upsilon 1882 Kappa Alpha Theta Tau 1887 Gamma Phi Beta Epsilon 1888 Alpha Chi Omega Gamma 1890 Pi Beta Phi Illinois Epsilon 1894 Delta Delta Delta Upsilon 1895 Chi Omega Xi 1901 Kappa Delta Lambda 1907 Alpha Omicron Pi Rho 1909-1973 Phi Omega Pi Epsilon 1913-1943 Alpha Gamma Delta Lambda 1913-1995 Delta Zeta Alpha Alpha 1920 Zeta Tau Alpha Alpha Phi 1920-1969/2007 Alpha Epsilon Phi Omicron 1921-1988 Alpha Xi Delta Alpha Theta 1921-1972 Theta Upsilon Epsilon Alpha 1933-1940 Sigma Delta Tau Sigma 1938-1970 Alpha Delta Pi Gamma Beta 1945-1971/2002-2006 University of Illinois Pi Beta Phi Illinois Zeta 1895 Kappa Alpha Theta Delta (New) 1895 Kappa Kappa Gamma Beta Lambda 1899 Alpha Chi Omega Iota 1899 Chi Omega Omicron 1900 Alpha Xi Delta Kappa 1905-?/1983-1995/2008 Delta Gamma Iota 1906 Sigma Kappa Theta 1906-1941/1946-1968/1975 Alpha Omicron Pi Iota 1911 Phi Omega Pi Gamma 1911-? Alpha Delta Pi Sigma 1912 Gamma Phi Beta Omicron 1913 Alpha Gamma Delta Sigma 1918 Theta Phi Alpha Beta 1919-1953 Alpha Epsilon Phi Mu 1920 Delta Delta Delta Delta Pi 1920 Delta Zeta Alpha Beta 1921-?/1988 Zeta Tau Alpha Alpha Kappa 1921-1988 Kappa Delta Sigma Omicron 1921 Phi Mu Delta Beta 1921-1939?/1946-2011 Alpha Phi Beta Alpha 1922 Alpha Delta Theta Delta 1922-1939 National merger with Phi Mu Phi Sigma Sigma Theta 1923-2011 Theta Upsilon Gamma 1923-1940/1946-1962 National absorbed by Delta Zeta Beta Phi Alpha Beta 1923-1941 National absorbed by Delta Zeta Sigma Delta Tau Kappa 1926 Delta Phi Epsilon Rho 1927-1933/1945-1990 Iota Alpha Pi Phi 1954-? Pi Kappa Sigma Alpha Psi 1954-1958 Sigma Sigma Sigma Gamma Alpha 1957-1965/1979-1987 Alpha Sigma Alpha Epsilon Beta 1982-1992 Indiana University Kappa Alpha Theta Beta 1870 Kappa Kappa Gamma Delta 1873 Pi Beta Phi Indiana Beta 1893 Delta Gamma Theta 1898 Delta Zeta Epsilon 1909 Alpha Omicron Pi Beta Phi 1916-1996/1999 Delta Delta Delta Delta Omicron 1917 Sigma Kappa Tau 1918-1994 Theta Phi Alpha Zeta 1920-1959/Colony Fall 2011 Phi Mu Delta Alpha 1920 Phi Omega Pi Xi 1922-? Alpha Chi Omega Alpha Mu 1922 Zeta Tau Alpha Alpha Xi 1922 Chi Omega Theta Beta 1922 Kappa Delta Sigma Upsilon 1923-1941/1955 Alpha Delta Pi Beta Alpha 1926-1952/1984 Sigma Delta Tau Upsilon 1940 Alpha Xi Delta Beta Pi 1946-1970/1987 Delta Phi Epsilon Delta Delta 1946-1952 Alpha Gamma Delta Beta Delta 1947 Alpha Phi Beta Tau 1947 Gamma Phi Beta Beta Phi 1957 Alpha Epsilon Phi Epsilon Epsilon 1958 Sigma Sigma Sigma Epsilon Xi 1989-1994 Alpha Sigma Alpha Epsilon Phi 1990?-1994/Colony Fall 2012 Purdue University Kappa Alpha Theta Alpha Chi 1915 Alpha Chi Omega Alpha Beta 1918 Kappa Kappa Gamma Gamma Delta 1919 Chi Omega Chi Beta 1919 Alpha Xi Delta Alpha Eta 1921-?/2001 Zeta Tau Alpha Alpha Theta 1921-1934/1947 Pi Beta Phi Indiana Delta 1921 Phi Mu Delta Epsilon 1929 Beta Phi Alpha Phi 1929-1934 Delta Gamma Beta Iota 1940 Alpha Delta Pi Gamma Epsilon 1947-1993 Alpha Epsilon Phi Alpha Upsilon 1948-1951/1968-1976 Sigma Delta Tau Alpha Epsilon 1948-1953/2000 Sigma Kappa Beta Sigma 1948 Alpha Omicron Pi Phi Upsilon 1963-2003/Colony Fall 2012 September 7-23, 2012 Alpha Phi Alpha Mu 1963 Alpha Gamma Delta Beta Xi 1968 Gamma Phi Beta Delta Iota 1975 Delta Delta Delta Gamma Iota 1988 Delta Zeta Xi Omega 1988 Kappa Delta Colony Fall 2014 University of Iowa Kappa Kappa Gamma Beta Zeta 1882 Pi Beta Phi Iowa Zeta 1882 Delta Gamma Tau 1887 Delta Delta Delta Phi 1904 Phi Omega Pi Beta 1910-1934 Alpha Chi Omega Sigma 1911 Alpha Xi Delta Sigma 1912 Delta Zeta Iota 1913 Alpha Delta Pi Alpha Beta 1915 Gamma Phi Beta Rho 1915 Chi Omega Psi Beta 1919 Zeta Tau Alpha Alpha Omicron 1922 Kappa Delta Sigma Rho 1923-1933 Sigma Kappa Alpha Xi 1924-1934/1981-? Phi Mu Zeta Theta 1925-1941 Theta Phi Alpha Xi 1926-1934 Kappa Alpha Theta Beta Omicron 1926 Sigma Delta Tau Pi 1933-1971/1982-1988 Alpha Phi Delta Epsilon 1961 Alpha Gamma Delta Beta Kappa 1964-1977/1985-1994 Alpha Epsilon Phi Epsilon Phi 1968-1974/? Michigan State University Alpha Gamma Delta Chi 1921-2002 Alpha Phi Beta Beta 1922 Kappa Delta Alpha Alpha 1924 Kappa Alpha Theta Beta Pi 1926 Chi Omega Xi Gamma 1926 Sigma Kappa Alpha Tau 1927 Alpha Chi Omega Beta Epsilon 1928 Kappa Kappa Gamma Delta Gamma 1930 Zeta Tau Alpha Beta Phi 1931 Alpha Xi Delta Beta Theta 1934-2001/Colony Fall 2013 Alpha Omicron Pi Beta Gamma 1934-1969/1989 Delta Zeta Beta Rho 1941-1979 Gamma Phi Beta Beta Delta 1944 Pi Beta Phi Michigan Gamma 1945 Delta Gamma Beta Xi 1946 Delta Delta Delta Phi Gamma 1948-1992 Alpha Epsilon Phi Epsilon Alpha 1952-1973 Phi Mu Delta Nu 1955-2002 Alpha Delta Pi Gamma Omega 1956-1978 Sigma Delta Tau Beta Beta 1964-1972/1984 Did not participate in FR University of Michigan Kappa Alpha Theta Eta 1879-1886/1893 Gamma Phi Beta Beta 1882-2005 or 2006? Delta Gamma Xi 1885 Pi Beta Phi Michigan Beta 1888 Kappa Kappa Gamma Beta Delta 1890 Alpha Phi Theta 1892 Delta Delta Delta Iota 1894-1900/1915 Alpha Chi Omega Theta 1898 Chi Omega Eta 1905 Theta Phi Alpha Alpha (Founding Chapter) 1912-1944 Alpha Xi Delta Alpha Epsilon 1920-2000 Zeta Tau Alpha Alpha Gamma 1920-1951/1956-?/2010 Alpha Epsilon Phi Pi 1921-2005/2008 Alpha Omicron Pi Omicron Pi 1921-196?/1978-1993 Kappa Delta Sigma Zeta 1921-1969 Alpha Gamma Delta Alpha Beta 1922-2000/2000 Delta Zeta Alpha Eta 1922-? Phi Sigma Sigma Eta 1922-? Sigma Kappa Alpha Mu 1924-1934/1955-1971/1984 Alpha Delta Pi Beta Eta 1929 Sigma Delta Tau Chi 1944 Delta Phi Epsilon Delta Eta 1954-1971/1985 Phi Mu Delta Xi 1957-1967 University of Minnesota Kappa Kappa Gamma Chi 1880 Delta Gamma Lambda 1882 Delta Delta Delta Theta 1894-2004 Kappa Alpha Theta Upsilon 1889-1891/1892 Alpha Phi Epsilon 1890 Pi Beta Phi Minnesota Alpha 1890-1897/1905 Gamma Phi Beta Kappa 1903 Alpha Xi Delta Mu 1907-1960/1983-1986 Alpha Gamma Delta Delta 1908 Alpha Omicron Pi Tau 1912 Phi Omega Pi Kappa 1916-? Kappa Delta Sigma Beta 1918-1972 Alpha Chi Omega Alpha Lambda 1921 Sigma Kappa Alpha Eta 1921-1961 Chi Omega Pi Beta 1921-1989 Delta Zeta Gamma 1923-1965 Zeta Tau Alpha Alpha Tau 1923-1959 Phi Mu Zeta Eta 1925-1935/1946-1970 Beta Phi Alpha Kappa 1926-1939 Alpha Delta Pi Alpha Rho 1928-1987 Delta Phi Epsilon Tau 1929-1932 Sigma Delta Tau Nu 1929-200? Alpha Delta Theta Tau 1931-1939 National merger with Phi Mu Alpha Epsilon Phi Alpha Iota 1938-1978/Colony 2009 University of Nebraska Kappa Kappa Gamma Sigma 1884 Kappa Alpha Theta Rho 1887-1891/1896 Delta Gamma Kappa 1888 Delta Delta Delta Kappa 1894 Pi Beta Phi Nebraska Beta 1895 Alpha Omicron Pi Zeta 1903 Chi Omega Kappa 1903 Alpha Phi Nu 1906 Alpha Chi Omega Xi 1907 Delta Zeta Zeta 1910-1971 Phi Omega Pi Alpha (Founding chapter) 1910-1935 National absorbed by Delta Zeta Alpha Xi Delta Rho 1912 Gamma Phi Beta Pi 1914 Alpha Delta Pi Alpha Epsilon 1915-1932/1963 Kappa Delta Pi 1920-1943/1947 Phi Mu Zeta Gamma 1921-?/? Zeta Tau Alpha Beta Eta 1922-1937/1956-1980 Alpha Delta Theta Zeta 1923-1939 National merger with Phi Mu Sigma Kappa Alpha Kappa 1923-1972 Theta Phi Alpha Mu 1924-1937/2011 Sigma Delta Tau Theta 1925-1970 The Ohio State University Kappa Kappa Gamma Beta Nu 1888 Kappa Alpha Theta Alpha Gamma 1892 Pi Beta Phi Ohio Beta 1894 Delta Delta Delta Nu 1896 Delta Gamma Epsilon 1911 Delta Zeta Theta 1911 Alpha Phi Rho 1912 Phi Mu Upsilon 1913-1998 Alpha Xi Delta Psi 1916 Theta Phi Alpha Gamma 1919-1944 Sigma Kappa Chi 1919-1940/1991-1998 Chi Omega Zeta Alpha 1919 Phi Omega Pi Mu 1920-?/1933-1940 Alpha Delta Pi Alpha Xi 1921-2002 Alpha Epsilon Phi Rho 1921-1973/1977 Sigma Delta Tau Gamma 1921-2000 Zeta Tau Alpha Alpha Zeta 1921-1989 Alpha Sigma Alpha Lambda Lambda 1922-1934 Kappa Delta Sigma Kappa 1922-1984/1985 Alpha Chi Omega Alpha Omicron 1923 Theta Upsilon Delta 1923-1940/1946-1952 Alpha Delta Theta Eta 1924-1939 National merger with Phi Mu Beta Phi Alpha Xi 1927-1932 Delta Phi Epsilon Sigma 1928-?/1948-1987/1990-2001 Phi Sigma Sigma Rho 1928-1938/1947-1952/1952-1958/1974-1977 Alpha Gamma Delta Alpha Lambda 1946-1972/1979 Gamma Phi Beta Beta Xi 1951-1967 Alpha Omicron Pi Chi Epsilon 1993 Pennsylvania State University Chi Omega Nu Gamma 1926 Alpha Omicron Pi Epsilon Alpha 1929-1973/1982 Theta Phi Alpha Rho 1929-1969 Phi Mu Beta Mu 1929-?/? Delta Gamma Alpha Chi 1930 Kappa Kappa Gamma Delta Alpha 1930 Kappa Alpha Theta Beta Phi 1931 Alpha Chi Omega Beta Mu 1932 Gamma Phi Beta Alpha Upsilon 1932 Alpha Epsilon Phi Alpha Zeta 1937-1978 Zeta Tau Alpha Gamma Epsilon 1939 Kappa Delta Beta Theta 1939 Alpha Xi Delta Beta Lambda 1942 Sigma Delta Tau Phi 1943-1971/1978 Delta Zeta Gamma Delta 1946 Phi Sigma Sigma Beta Eta 1946-1970 Alpha Gamma Delta Alpha Mu 1947-2000 Delta Delta Delta Alpha Phi 1947-2009 Pi Beta Phi Pennsylvania Epsilon 1953 Sigma Sigma Sigma Beta Upsilon 1954-1969/1989 Alpha Delta Pi Delta Kappa 1958-1975/1991 Alpha Phi Gamma Rho 1958 Delta Phi Epsilon Delta Pi 1960-1966 Iota Alpha Pi Beta Alpha 1962-? Alpha Sigma Alpha Gamma Eta 1962 Sigma Kappa Theta Psi 1992 University of Wisconsin Kappa Kappa Gamma Eta 1875 Delta Gamma Omega 1881 Gamma Phi Beta Gamma 1885 Kappa Alpha Theta Psi 1890 Pi Beta Phi Wisconsin Alpha 1894-1970/1986 Alpha Phi Iota 1896 Delta Delta Delta Mu 1898 Chi Omega Nu 1902 Alpha Chi Omega Kappa 1903 Alpha Gamma Delta Beta 1905-1987 Alpha Xi Delta Theta 1905-1972/1980-199? Phi Omega Pi Theta 1915-? Alpha Omicron Pi Eta 1917-1942 Delta Zeta Tau 1918-1971 Sigma Kappa Psi 1919-1958 Phi Mu Zeta Beta 1919-1941 Alpha Delta Pi Alpha Mu 1920-1934 Kappa Delta Tau 1920-1972/1990-1993 Alpha Epsilon Phi Sigma 1921-1972/1983 Beta Phi Alpha Iota 1925-1933 Theta Phi Alpha Nu 1926-1955 Phi Sigma Sigma Phi 1930-1969 Sigma Delta Tau Alpha Nu 1958-1971/1982 |
I don't think I realized just how many single letters are in the Big Ten, especially places like Wisconsin; that's really surprising.
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DBB, I'm not surprised. It's COLD there for MONTHS and MONTHS (like snow and ice and stuff like that), so our sisters needed to get busy indoors, because they couldn't be outdoors hiking, picnicking, climbing, swimming, sunbathing...
*ducks and runs back out into the Arizona sunshine, wearing shorts and a tank top after going swimming at 7:00 a.m. in an outdoor pool* |
For more than a half century chapters & alumni of Big Ten schools were very dominate in the affairs of almost every national F/S. It was the place to be for young fledging nationals on the rise. There are few groups who have not, at one time or another, had chapters at a vast majority of B10 schools, more so than any other conference of schools. Unfortunately, today many have more inactive chapters there than anywhere else. (Except for a bloc of eastern schools with some fraternities.)
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I hadn't heard that Alpha Xi Delta was recolonizing at MSU in 2013. I remember reading somewhere they had first rights to come back to MSU so I guess they are exercising it.
I totally get the frown face when it comes to the Big Ten Greek systems as a whole. Yes, there are some really strong Greek systems in the Big Ten. But given the strength of the Big Ten academically and athletically, it's really sad to see the Greek systems not thrive. The MSU administration was never very friendly and supportive of the Greek system. I'm not surprised it has struggled. IIRC, we didn't even have a full time Greek adviser when I was there in the late 1980's and we had 17 sororities and over a thousand women going through rush (and a zillion fraternities). I remember having conversations with national officers and field reps at the time (we got a LOT of help trying to turn our chapter around) and not fully grasping how bad the campus Greek situation was compared to other big Greek schools. It was all I knew since I did not come from a Greek background and there was nothing like Greek Chat. I thought every Greek system was full of snarky tiers and a campus culture where the administration basically ignored the Greeks. I sincerely hope it works out well for Alpha Xi Delta. I'm sure some of the other groups that left (DDD, AGD, Phi Mu) will be watching with interest. |
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Thanks. You could probably include the NPHC groups too, as most of them had chapters early at several B10 schols.
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If you look at where some of the NPC sororities were founded (in Illinois) and where most of the Big 10 schools are, it makes sense that there is a strong concentration of single letter chapters. Kappa, Pi Phi and Alpha Xi Delta, for instance are all within about 4 hours of 6 of the Big 10 schools. And just a bit further than that to Ohio State. So it makes sense that they expanded in concentric circles.
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