First Sorority...
 

Ok, here' my question sisters: I know a lot of GLO's claim this, but who was the first "sorority" (NOT fraternity for women)? I know we are right up there, but I wouldn't want to claim if it wasn't true. Anyone know?

SLAM,
Melissa

The Winner would be ADPi

Actually, that's what I thought too, but they are actually a fraternity for women. I'm talking about the first ever Sorority, with that title.

Delta Zeta

I thought it was Gamma Phi?

It is Gamma Phi Beta. Professor Frank Smalley of Syracuse University (GO SYRACUSE TRIAD--woohoo!) coined the term "sorority" especially for GPhiB in 1882. Most organizations at that time were either "Women's Fraternities" or "Societies".

1882, huh? Well, I thought that there were some GLO's before that who were calling themselves (and chartered/founded as) sororities (not fraternities) before that. I may be wrong, but I thought I would find out for sure.. or as sure as we know. I think that Gamma Phi Beta was founded the same year as Sigma Kappa (1874, please correct if I am wrong) and probably a few others around that time, but before 1882...

For further reading, this thread may be helpful:

PANHELLENIC SORORITIES

Hope this helps!

Hi Melissa and everyone else!!!:)

I have wondered this for so long. See, as a member of Sigma Kappa we are taught that Sigma Kappa is today what it was from the beginning...a sorority. We were founded two days earlier than Gamma Phi Beta. Regardless though, the term "sorority" was supposedly not coined for some years later. Therefore, it's a little confusing for some of us Sigma Kappas who were taught the aforementioned. I always assumed this was brought to our attention since so many sororities today, were once known as fraternities. Therefore, it's one thing that sets us apart from the other sororities.

Just my thoughts...

LIS,
Christina

funny I thought ADPI was, because on its website it said they started out as the Adelphian society but then changed to a sorority quickley...oh well .

The term sorority is commonly used to refer to many Greek letter societies for women, but not all were founded as sororities. ADPi was the first secret society for women, and also the first fraternity for women (it pays to have a best friend who is an ADPi, she tells me all these cool facts). Later, the term sorority was coined specifically for these groups and was used in charters after 1874 (give or take 8-10 years). I think that all Greek Letter sororities before that are actually "fraternities for women" and it probably uses that word in the original charters.

One thing to keep in mind is that even though the word sorority was around after 1882 (or 1874 or whenever :) ), not all women's greek social organizations are sororities. Alpha Omicron Pi was founded in 1897 as a fraternity. The official name is Alpha Omicron Pi Fraternity--though sometimes, to keep from adding to confusion, we are referred to as a sorority. I'm sure there are other groups out there that were founded after 1882 that carry the name Fraternity rather than Sorority. It is a rather interesting discussion about who was the first 'sorority.' Who's to say the word wasn't used prior to 1874 but no organization is still around that can verify this. :)

Sarah
AOII-Beta Gamma

In 1872, Alpha Phi was the first women's fraternity to be founded on the east coast. Our official name is "Alpha Phi Fraternity," but like Beryana said, we often refer to ourselves as "Sorority" instead of "Fraternity" as to not confuse anyone.

DZ was founded in 1902, so I doubt they were the first to use "sorority."

I think I may have solved the SK vs. GPhiB mystery!
 

Hi Sigma Kappa ladies...
I put this up on another thread, but I wanted to see what you thought...

I just found this tidbit as well, from an old, old thread, posted by localsororities:
Actually, the word "sorority" was coined specifically for the Gamma Phi Betas by Professor Frank Smalley of Syracuse U in 1882. Before that time, all the new women's groups were called "women's fraternities" or "societies," making Gamma Phi Beta the first "sorority." ..
and also an old post by SoCalGirl:
Okay this is what GPhiB's website says:
"Eight years after their first meeting, two members of the Alpha chapter went to the University of Michigan to charter the Beta chapter. Upon their return to Syracuse, Professor Frank Smalley commented, "I presume that you young women are now members of a sorority." Thus, Gamma Phi Beta became the first women’s fraternity to be called a sorority."


I think I have solved the Sigma Kappa / Gamma Phi Beta mystery!!!
This is what I surmised happened.......
Sigma Kappa founded on November 9, 1874
(perhaps it was called Sigma Kappa Society or just Sigma Kappa)
Gamma Phi Beta founded on November 11, 1874
(perhaps it was called Gamma Phi Beta Society or just Gamma Phi Beta...it was NOT YET called "Gamma Phi Beta Sorority" as the name did not exist yet)
So, it cannot be argued that Sigma Kappa, is indeed the OLDER group of the 2. However, Professor Frank Smalley invents the word SORORITY not until 1882 in Syracuse (where Gamma Phi Beta is, so they would have had "access" to the word first).
What must have happened is that Gamma Phi Beta adopted the word first , calling themselves "Gamma Phi Beta Sorority", since they were right there in Syracuse...Frank Smalley would have said the word to them directly. Then Sigma Kappa must have adopted the word themselves after, calling themselves "Sigma Kappa Sorority". Therefore, Gamma Phi Beta kind of beat Sigma Kappa to the word "Sorority" first, so in that line of thinking, Gamma Phi Beta is the first "sorority", even though Sigma Kappa is technically the older of the 2 groups! Ai yi yi! So confusing!

What do you all think? That is the only explanation that I can think of, as I was always led to believe that Gamma Phi Beta was the first group to adopt the word, even though Sigma Kappa is technically the older group!

hiya sorry to intrude... adpi isn't a fraternity, we're a sorority, but as you've said :) we weren't the first to be called that... in fact it was after the 1900's even began before we became a greek letter society, we were simply a (the first) secret society (the adephean society) for women. kappa alpha theta was the first Greek Letter Fraternity for women, founded from the beginning with that name.... and i too have heard that gamma phi beta was the first to be called a sorority from the beginning...

first in a heck of a lot!
 

Hey Girls! I busted out my new member education notebook novel thing and this is what it says in there on this sorority mystery: Sigma Kappa was the first Greek letter organization recognized by the National Panhellenic Council to be called a sorority. I think a lot of the sorities/fraternities switched over after we came in. Or maybe we were just called that first who knows, but I think it's cool and Nationals seems to think we're first so I guess we kinda are in our own little special way! :)

Sigma Love,
Melissa

I don't know about the first to coin the term sorority. However, I do know that Pi Beta Phi was founded in 1967 and is considered to have been the first to join the NPC also the first to have more than one chapter.
Peace, Love, and Pi Phi- Leah

1967? Um, no.

Welcome to GreekChat. There are lots of threads here with nifty NPC trivia that might be of interest to you.

Hahahahahahahhaaha.



Off topic, but this thread was started by one of my chapter sisters... even funnier, we're in the same family! I actually met her for the first time this past spring at alumni weekend.

How could there be a first organization to join the NPC? By definition it is an association of organizations, so one org wouldn't be much of an association. And if two sororities got together and said "let's form some thing," then one wouldn't have primacy.

Although if you wanted to credit one organization with starting the NPC, it would have to be Kappa Kappa Gamma, since they issued the invitations to a joint conference in 1891. Or you could give credit to Alpha Phi, which in 1902 called a conference on rushing methods, out of which actually grew the NPC.

Sorry to crash . . .
 

. . . but I must point out that Gamma Phi Beta Sorority was one of the founders of the NPC in 1902 - and Sigma Kappa did not join until 1905. So, as one of the founders of the NPC, Gamma Phi Beta beats Sigma Kappa in terms of being "recognized" by 3 years! (check out www.npcwomen.org for the dates!)

Uh oh, now it's on like donkey kong!

But seriously, I always thought it was GPhiB who used the term sorority first. I'm really amused by the 2002 posts of indignant sisters exclaiming that they're in a sorority, NOT a fraternity. Missed the mark, just a little bit.

Wasn't there a post in the NPC triva thread about SK starting as a non-GLO, and used their founders initials as their name/letters? In that case, it would make perfect sense that SK was founded before GPhiB, but GPhiB was the first to use the word "sorority".

For clarification -
 

Sigma Kappa (as you know) celebrates Nov.9 (1874) as Founder's Day.
Gamma Phi Beta celebrates Nov. 11 (1874). So Sigma Kappa can claim (at least officially) a two-day headstart on Gamma Phi. Gamma Phi Beta was never officially referred to as a fraternity. It was mentioned in The University Herald as "a new ladies' society" (1875) and the minutes of Alpha Chapter mention the First Anniversary of "The Gamma Phi Beta Society". Like many of the NPC orgs, Gamma Phi sprang from a "literary society".

As to the issue of the word "sorority" -
"In the summer of 1882, when Gamma Phi Beta extended to another university, Alpha Chapter celebrated the creation of Beta Chapter with an event, which was mentioned in the local social column. One who read the news was Professor Frank Smalley of the Department of Latin at Syracuse University, who mentioned to a member of Alpha Chapter that , "I presume that you young women feel very elated over being members of a sorority". The members of Alpha Chapter found this new term most attractive and accurate, and since that time Gamma Phi Beta has been a sorority and affirmed as the first women's fraternity to be referenced as such." (The Legacy of Gamma Phi Beta, pg.27)

I collect NPC org histories, but alas, do not have a Sigma Kappa book to cross-reference. (I'm looking for a Sigma Kappa song book too - HINT HINT if anyone wants to sell me them - after my departure to the Chapter Eternal my collection of songbooks and histories will go to Gamma Phi IHQ). At any rate, I'd love to know the official Sigma Kappa word on this.

You must be thinking of another group. SK started as SK. :D

I saw that post as well but have never seen anything in our actual history to confirm nor deny it. It wouldn't make much sense, unless it's just what they called themselves while they were thinking of their purpose. Particularly since they had fraternities on campus to use as models (why use their initials when fraternities used Greek letters).

The Sigma Kappa website always refers to the Alpha group as a sorority - but if y'all were using the term before us in 1882 I've got to believe that SK would have noted it.

the virtual violet a few months ago mentions something about the founders using their initials as the meaning of sigma kappa but it was easy to figure out. ill double check what issue it was cuz it was in the "did you know" section

Our founder's did use their initials at first, but switched to Sigma Kappa very early on (the article didn't give a date) but the meaning behind the initials was easily figured out, so that is when they switched to SK.

In terms of the word sorority. I have asked this question to HQ. We did not use the term first, as it was coined for GphiB. We were just simply known as sigma kappa, it wasn't until we expanded in 1904 that we started to use the term sorority. Most likely as one GphiB has pointed out we were just referred to as a society until we started to use sorority. But we were founded on November 9th 1874 making us 2 days older than GphiB

I also want to mention that it was not a Sigma Kappa poster who posted about the NPC, we never once said that we joined the NPC before GphiB, that was a Pi Beta Phi (maybe, since she posted her founding date wrong). Yes, GphiB joined the NPC before us as did many other chapters as we did not expand off our original campus of Colby College until 1904.