First Women's Fraternity?
 

I'm curious. Now that we have the internet and ability to research archives from a distance, does anyone know which GLO was the First Fraternity for women? This post sparked my interest: http://womensfraternities.blogspot.c...rnity.html?m=1

Also there was a thread on here in 2003 where a member of a local claimed they were the first fraternity for women. It was Phi Nu I think? At MacMurray College?

Bound By a Mighty Vow is a good source of information on early history.

Theta was the first women's group to use Greek letters (January 1870) followed closely by Kappa (in October 1870). Not sure about counting a literary society which later became a social sorority as being "first".

IMHO, I think this whole "first" thing is kind of silly and has been argued ad infinitum and beaten to death. I think of ADPi and Phi Mu as being "first" even if they didn't use Greek letters. And in the big picture, what difference does it make? Besides I wish we had those big badges (like the Adelphean badge,the Kappa key and Theta kite that were so huge you couldn't miss them).

Yeah, it REALLY depends on how you want to frame the argument/discussion. There's no question that Phi Mu & ADPi have existed the longest, but they were formed as literary societies, not women's fraternities. Pi Phi was the first to be formed specifically as a women's fraternity. Theta & Kappa were the first to use the Greek letters, Gamma Phi (I think?) was the first to use the term "sorority."

Secret society =/= fraternity.

Hmmm, I'm not sure what you're taking issue with here (if anything?). Phi Mu & ADPi never claimed to be women's fraternities when they started, and only became that later. Pi Phi was specifically founded as a women's alternative to men's fraternities. In my mind that makes them (us) the "first" but not, as noted above, the oldest, since both Phi Mu & ADPi have existed longer. If you're correcting me on my definitions for Theta, Kappa, or Gamma Phi, then I defer to you as I know less about their foundings.

Gamma Phi Beta - first sorority (?)
 

I think the "first" thing is silly, too. That said . . .

Gamma Phi Beta was the first of the NPC sororities to use the word "sorority" in referring to itself, although not from the very beginning. To quote from our history:


It was Professor Frank Smalley who coined the term 'sorority' for Gamma Phi Beta. "Translate 'fraternity' into its real English equivalent of brotherhood and think how that sounds when applied to a society of women. Why then should the exact Latin equivalent be regularly so used?"

"The word 'sorority' or 'sisterhood,' moreover, is precise and definite and means exactly what we wish to denote when speaking of a society composed wholly of women."

I take issue with your statement that "Pi Phi was the first to be formed specifically as a women's fraternity. " That is not accurate. Pi Phi was established as a secret society for women. That is not the same as a fraternity.

Having said that, I don't understand the point of this thread. Many organizations have the right to claim "first" in important aspects of our histories.

I immediately pulled out the popcorn when I saw the title of this thread. Thankfully I don't have a dog in this hunt. Alpha Xi Delta is indeed a fraternity, but I know for sure we aren't first in anything related to this thread since we were initially intended to be a chapter of Kappa. I think the only safe statement to make on this issue is Gamma Phi is first to be called a sorority and any older than Gamma Phi were/are fraternities. From then on, you pull out the gloves to argue your point. And then only if you have time on your hands and maybe hating your boss today and needing to take it out on strangers ;)

I didn't know that! How interesting!! :)

I'm sorry, but I got the popcorn out first. :p

I will KILL you for saying that!

And regarding the Kappa tie in, we added the gold to the colors (although I think the tone of the colors have become dissimilar over time) and a similar badge style. Whether any of our secrets are similar, I have no idea.

Let's let it go. It's dumb dumb dumb dumb dumb. Call me anything, as long as you don't call me late for dinner.

I am actually more interested in finding the year that women started to form their own social organizations either Greek or literary. Like how the Theta founder wanted to be initiated into a fraternity for men but they instead asked her to be their mascot. I think it's AMAZING that instead she formed her own fraternity for women.

I'm wondering if this happened with others and lead to the founding of a local organization that is less known due to its local status. Or that it is defunct.

Who came first is not really an issue. All that matters is we are here now. My curiosity is in the year that women started to pioneer this. It could forever be a mystery but I'm wondering if others jave stumbled across any info in their research.

Well then it sounds like Phi Mu and ADII are probably what you're after. Mid 19th century in round numbers, when women started going to college, or about 100 years later than fraternities.

And here's a plug for my alma mater. The University of Iowa was the first to accept women and men on an equal basis, at its founding in the mid 19th century. It should come as no surprise there are so many single letter chapters there.

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Okay, first off I would like to say that the "first" thing is definitely a little silly. My original post was meant as a brief explanation of why a few groups can/do claim to be the "first." (I realize it's preaching to the choir to most of y'all, but someone did ask). I then became confused by thetalady's reply, and tried to elaborate. I would add that I was doing it all on my phone at work, and thus in haste.

Lastly, the Pi Phi website says it was formed as the
I would argue that "patterned after men's groups" is the more important phrasing than "secret society," but I will admit that I had thought the term "fraternity for women" was a lot more prominent in our history (It's been a few years since my new member education).

I want to stress, again, that I really don't care who claims the title of being the "first" and I got sidetracked by theta lady's reply.

The end.

Oh, and finally, to get back to what was apparently the REAL original question before we (okay it was me) got off on a tangent, Pi Beta Phi was formed as IC Sorosis in 1867.

NO. You got that wrong. FIJI asked Bettie Locke to wear their badge as a "welcomed supporter" and as a symbol of their affection for her. Her brother was a FIJI at Indiana Asbury (now DePauw). She was said to have replied (paraphrasing) that if she was to wear their badge, it would be as an initiated member. They pow-wowed, and politely declined. She talked to her dad (a Beta Theta Pi) and he planted the idea of forming her own. The rest of the story is readily found online.

Like I said, Bound By a Mighty Vow - and the official website(s) (for Kappa Alpha Theta and any other NPC/NPHC organization) are sources for information. Don't mess with me, I know my Theta history.

I'm not arguing first, because I already said this is DUMB. I'm correcting the record.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQfXRk8Hico

That's on my rotation. You should see the looks I get when I've got the windows down, going home late at night, and a car full of youngsters pulls up next to me.

What ever happened to Big Daddy Kane?

http://www.officialbigdaddykane.com/tour/

He still does great tours. :)

Sigma Kappa was never a fraternity. Although sorority obviously came at some point later.

If it is the first secret society for women date that you are looking for I think it would be May 15, 1851...the Adelphean Society, which was founded at Wesleyan College...the first college chartered to grant degrees to women. They later became Alpha Delta Pi in the early 1900's. Phi Mu started in 1852, also at Wesleyan.

He was in AZ and I missed it b/c I was out of the country.

Yeah we got that, see upthread. Thanks.

Really? Were you just Sigma Kappa? Or Sigma Kappa Society?

From everything that I've been able to figure out, simply Sigma Kappa.

Wasn't SK founded only 2 days before Gamma Phi?

ADPi was not formed as a literary society. It was founded as the Adelphean Society, and from the beginning it was founded as a secret society for collegiate women with a focus on sisterhood and strong academic and social ideals. While it may not have used the name "fraternity" or "sorority," the Adelphean Society was the first secret society for collegiate women.

Was Phi Mu originally a literary society? I may have conflated them since they were formed around the same time, at the same school. My apologies for misrepresenting your history.

i don't know about Phi Mu, but until the late 19th Century, the line between fraternities vs. secret societies vs. literary societies could be a very thin, very vague line. Even now, there are NIC fraternities that describe themselves in literary society-like terms.

I think there is a much mistaken idea about much of the history of collegiate groups. Many seem to think that their society was founded as "secret societies" and then later added terms like fraternity, or sorority......

The idea that "Alpha Beta Gamma" or "Philomathean" or "phi beta kappa" whatever the name may be were "secret societies" but in fact none of them ever were. "Secret Societies" are just that.....secret, none knows who the members are, or even knows what the groups real name is.

Any organization founded after Phi Beta kappa are merely "societies with secrets". The Freemasons also consider themselves to no longer be a "secret society" but rather the above, a Society with secrets.

So, ADPi, Phi Mu, Kappas, Thetas, or any other groups really aren't true secret societies. ;)

Just a friendly info tip......

BadgeGuy just can't help himself. Get banned and he's back.

Why was he banned?

Ask sinfonia, I'd love to see what he says.

Caveat: DrPhil, you need to understand that he will avoid any responsibility for his repeated bannings, and will not be truthful.

ETA: in addition, the info he posted is incorrect. It's his opinion.

Y'all are really ban-happy around here.

This message brought to you by the "block" feature. Blocking: Free. Useful. Relieving.

Excuse me? I think you totally have me confused with someone else. Who is Badgeguy?

I'm just a college student who recently joined Sinfonia. I'm also a member of the Masons.

Right. ISP addresses don't lie.

I hope he did something more profound than annoy some usernames.

Ohhhhh, Greekchat....