Oldest Group
 

I am SURE this has been discussed before but a search of more than a few terms hasn't really turned up anything.

I am writing a report on the history of Greek Orgs and Masonic socities, and to start me in the right direction:

Which fraternity was the VERY first (after Phi Beta Kappa) to be founded in any way, shape, or form? The IFC website has the directory portion password-protected and I didn't want to browse a million websites.

If anyone knows a thread I could be pointed to it would be great.

Thanks all

This info is in my manual but I dont have it in front of me so I might be off a little. An order of Kappa Alpha was started in 1812 but they were short lived and then later restarted. I think Kappa Alpha Society at Union College was the next oldest and longest continuous behind Phi Beta Kappa.

I will check tonight and get back to you.

KA Society (not to be concused with KA Order) according to my book started in 1825 at Union College. Which was later joined by Sigma Phi and Delta Phi in 1827 forming the Union Triad. In 1847 Beta Theta Pi was established at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. It was joined by Phi Delta Theta and Sigma Chi to form the Miami Triad. Alpha Delta Pi was established at Wesleyan Female College in 1850, being the first female Greek organization.

Right. I know that the Kappa Alpha Order wasn't founded until after the civil war. The Kappa Alpha Society is probably the older one.

I posted this somewhere else recently but as far as NPC sororities go:

Alpha Delta Pi was the first sisterhood, in 1850 (founded as Adelphian Society... *I think* (ADPis, help me out!))

Pi Beta Phi was the first women's fraternity, in 1867 (founded as IC Sorosis), founded at Monmouth College, Monmouth Illinois

and Kappa Alpha Theta was the first women's GLO. Not sure of the date on that one. And I think at what is now DePauw University.

And I believe that Alpha Kappa Alpha was the first of the future NPHC sororities, founded at Howard University.

Thanks! That helps a lot!

Alpha Delta Pi WAS the first secret society for college women! We were founded as the Adelphean Society on May 15, 1851. If you have any other questions about us, just ask, I'm pretty much an expert! :) I believe Phi Mu was the second sorority. They were also founded at Wesleyan Female College, but in 1852.

Lindsey

Kappa Alpha Theta was founded at DePauw University, January 27, 1870... I don't know what you mean about the first women's society... Alpha Delta Pi is the first women's fraternity, and Kappa Alpha Theta is still technically a fraternity. I'm not sure, I'll need help from an Alpha Chi on this one, but I think Alpha Chi Omega was the first sorority to actually be a sorority not a women's fraternity. Anyone founded before Alpha Chi is called a fraternity.

And Phi Mu was the second women's fraternity founded, on January 4, 1852 at Wesleyan College.

(I don't have this memorized, I'm getting it out of a book... so don't start to worry about me.:) )

ADPi
 

ADPi is the first womens secret society b/c they wern't a greek letter org originally. They were the Adelphean Society (there are still adelphian chapters out ther !) and Phi Mu was the second-the Philanthropian (spell?) society. They bothe got greek letter names later-after pi phi. I believe Pi Phi (If I am wrong let me know) likes to say they are the first GLO for women. That's really just a technicality. The word sorority was coined by a man for Gamma Phi Beta although they are a womens fraternity. Delta Zeta was the first womens GLO to use the name sorority instead of womens fraternity. ADPi is not a womens fraternity though, they are a sorority. They just got greek letters a bit later some of the sororities. I think some one here posted before, but there are really only 6-I think-"sororities" and the rest are womens fraternities. But it doesn't really matter. I mean, I consider them all sororities and I thinkmost others do too.

**these are just the facts as I (think I) remember themfrom pledging...so...long...ago.. I could be off a bit.***:)

Well, technically, Gamma Phi Beta was the first sorority, as the word was coined for us. ;)

Re: ADPi
 

No, we are a sorority, not a women's fraternity.

I know this subject has been hashed and rehashed but...

1851 Adelphian Society -- became Alpha Delta Phi, then Alpha Delta Pi around the turn of the century (1890s/1900s?).

1852 Philomathean Society -- became Phi Mu around the same time.

1867 I.C. Sorosis -- Became Pi Beta Phi around 1880 something, I believe

1870 Kappa Alpha Theta -- had greek letters from the beginning.

And of course Gamma Phi Beta, the first sorority.

Even though Sigma Kappa is older than Gamma Phi Beta and still a sorority, Gamma Phi Beta is the 'first' sorority because the name was given to it first.

Re: ADPi
 

Phi Mu's correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the original name was the Philomathean Society (as in FiloMathean.

ADPi did start out as the Adelphian Society, so when they decided to "go greek" they chose the name ADF (as in ADelFian.) Soon, they discovered however that there is an ADF Fraternity, founded in 1832 at Hamilton College. (ADF also uses the name "Adelphian," and its Dartmouth Chapter was the inspiration for "Animal House.")

Re: Re: ADPi
 

EVERYONE says they're the inspiration for Animal House:D

You're loaded with info though. Interesting stuff.

Re: ADPi
 

Actually Pi Phi is the first national women's fraternity. We were the first women's fraternity to have more than one chapter.

Re: Re: Re: ADPi
 

Ain't that the truth! :rolleyes:

The Dartmouth Adelphians are the only ones who can do it legitimately, though. Chris Miller, one of the writers of "Animal House" (along with Harold Ramis and Doug Kenney) was an ADF at Dartmouth. "Animal House" started as Miller's short story, The Night of the Seven Fires in the National Lampoon (although some characters -- Pinto and Mandy Pepperidge -- made their appearance earlier in Doug Kinney's High School Yearbook in the Lampoon.)

Actually my fraternity, Chi Phi, was founded in 1824 at the College of New Jersey (now Princeton). It had to go underground though after Princeton banned secret societies.

DRau,

For what it's worth, I lifted this from the History of Delta Tau Delta on www.delts.org.

It would seem to confirm the Kappa Alpha/Union College information above.

Hope it helps.

1776 Phi Beta Kappa, the first Greek letter society, is formed at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, in response to strict faculty members' attempts to rule all phases of students' lives. Nine men chronologically and geographically at the heart of impending revolution in the asyetunformed United States create for themselves an opportunity to secure freedom and the chance to govern their own affairs outside the classroom. Those nine students meet in the Raleigh Tavern on December 5 where they adopt a secret oath, a badge, a handshake, and mottoes in Greek and Latin. They devise an initiation ceremony and adopt a Greek letter name. The stage is now set for other Greek letter societies to follow suit.

You should recognize some of the same qualities in the story of Phi Beta Kappa's founding as those we at Delta Tau Delta embrace. The nine men who pledged their loyalty to each other in 1776 were also committed to excellence; they found strength in brotherhood, saw the importance of courage in the face of what they considered injustice. So you see, the quest for excellence extends deep into our roots, beyond even our own founding as a Fraternity, to the very beginning of the Greek system itself.

1825 Kappa Alpha Society is founded at Union College in New York. Two years later, Sigma Phi and Delta Phi are founded at Union; later, Psi Upsilon, Chi Psi, and Theta Delta Chi are also founded at Union, giving it the title "Mother of Fraternities."

Perhaps the main reason Union College was the birthplace of so many fraternities is that Eliphalet Nott, President of Union, was forwardthinking enough to actually encourage such organizations. He understood the value of fraternities to enhance young men's academic performances, provide them with a common goal, and support them with a system of values to achieve that goal. Nott's contribution to the Fraternity System is yet another example of excellence, foreshadowing the benefits of the values we embrace today.

1858 Delta Tau Delta is founded at Bethany College. Eight undergraduates, angered by a fixed vote for a prize in oratory to be given at the Neotrophian Literary Society the only real forum for students to practice and demonstrate skills in poetry, public speaking, and writing essays respond by forming a secret society. The purpose of the new society, known only by the Greek letters Delta Tau Delta, is to see that the Neotrophian is returned to popular control, and delivered from the hands of the group of students who seized it.

Re: Re: Re: ADPi
 

Nope, not us.

There was some speculation that it was patterned after Delt because of the letters used in the movie -- were they Delta Tau Chi? Can't remember for sure.

However, there were a couple of things in the movie that reminded me of my college experiences back in the 60's.

We'll just leave it at that.

Re: Beta Theta Pi
 

Beta Theta Pi was founded in 1839, not 1847. August 8th to be specific. Phi Delta Theta was founded in 1848, and Sigma Chi in 1855 to complete the Miami Triad. Phi Kappa Tau and Delta Zeta were later founded at Miami in the early 1900's.

Here is a website with some info.

http://www.abaris.net/freemasonry/m...ek_letters.html

Re: Re: Re: Re: ADPi
 

That's right -- DTC.

Try http://www.abaris.net/freemasonry/ma...ek_letters.htm

I don't care what anyone says...

1851 is still older than any other women's greek organization.

I don't think anyone is disagreeing with that... Basically, every organization tries to find some "XYZ sorority firsts" for their NMs to learn! The differences come with technicalities like whether the societies had greek letters, were called fraternities or sororities, or were national (which had other chapters first). But ADPi was definately the first of the now NPC groups. :D

Hope that clears some things up.... Sometimes pride in/knowledge of our organizations gets in the way of other thinking. Lucky we have GreekChat to help us out!!! :cool:

Thank you breathesgelatin... I was definitely not disagreeing with the fact that ADPi was the first women’s society. It's just that some people were confused as to why Pi Phi states we are the first national women’s fraternity when it's obvious that ADPi and Phi Mu were founded before us. Just clearing things up. Thanks :)

They still might be the first NATIONAL sorority. Did the others have chapters in other states first or did your?

Can someone explain the difference between women's sororities and women's fraternities? Is it just the name different groups claim for themselves or is does it have something to do with the way they were founded?

After a little research we can conclude that Pi Phi was the first national women's fraternity...

Pi Phi established their second chapter in 1868 at Iowa Wesleyan

Phi Mu established their second chapter in 1910 at Brenau University.

ADPi established their second chapter in 1905 at Salem College.

I don't think that it's really important that someone was founded first, second or whatever-I think that it's what they are accomplishing today that is outstanding that ought to be talked about the most. Of course it's fun to know facts about all of this, but what we do today is what will save the system from self imploding. Which organization donated the most to charity this last year? Which one went without a single infraction for hazing? That's something that an organization can really brag about-especially given the climate that is negative in the press.

And I think that name thing is just relative to when the organization was founded. After the word sorority came along, I don't know for sure, but I don't think any of the groups called themselves fraternities anymore.

The oldest, continuously existing men's group is Delta Phi (St. Elmo's), founded in 1828.

On the first part, I agree and disagree. I think it's really fun to learn facts and be knowledgeable about NPC--it's something that GreekChat has really helped me with, and it's made my sorority experience so much richer. It's important to know the history of the NPC, NIC, and NPHC, as well as the history of the newer LGLOs and multi-cultural GLOs. However, we can't get caught up in thinking that more funding/age/size/numbers gives any particular group superiority! :)

On the second part, I know that Pi Beta Phi is incorporated as a women's fraternity. On this part, I think some groups have changed over to "sorority" officially and others have retained the "fraternity", Pi Phi being one of the latter. It would be interesting to know which ones are which! :)

Kappa Kappa Gamma is a fraternity.

Okay, here is what I heard...

ADPi, Phi Mu and Pi Phi were obviously the first three female orgs. founded. However, they were found without Greek letters and as societies that concentrated on interests such as sewing and reading (this is what I heard, may not be true).

Theta was the first female org. to be modeled after male fraternities by calling themselves a fraternity and incorporating the use of Greek letters from the start.

ADPi, Phi Mu, and Pi Phi later adopted Greek letters.

Then, Gamma Phi Beta came along later when there were already several other groups for women. They were the first to be called a "sorority" though.

Everyone has their firsts!

Things that seems to get clearer to me the more I hear people argue about this are:

Phi Beta Kappa was the first greek letter organization. but it's an honor society! Not like a fraternity in the sense we think of it. (like brothers living in a house, with a ritual etc. etc.) That's why Kappa Alpha is the first Social Fraternity. And since their fouding all but two US presidents have been alumni of greek organizations.
and most fraternities were formed either by masons or children of masons who wanted to be part of something special like their fathers.


I'm also very interested in other secret collegiate societies, like skull and bones etc etc. if anyone can list stuff on that I'd appreciate it.



PS that link was very informative (and my fraternity was on there, oh yeah, :) )

Again, thank you all so much for the help. Now just pray that I can get this paper done on time ;)

According to Kappa Sigma history we were founded in Bologna Italy in 1400. We weren't transplanted into a US chapter until 1869.

But that would make us by far the oldest group . . .

www.kappasigma.org

Minor correction: Pi Phi did not originally have Greek letters, but its intent was always to be a fraternity for women. That is why we call ourselves the first national women's fraternity: we were formed in response to the lack of opportunities for women to participate in fraternity life (at Monmouth College), and we were the first to start a second chapter. But yes Theta was the first women's GLO! :) I don't want to be seen as arguing on this... I think all women's GLOs are due great respect no matter when they were formed... Especially some of the newer ones (NPC, NPHC, and otherwise!) since they were formed in response to prejudice/lack of open-mindedness! :) :)

Actually, when Phi Beta Kappa first began, it was more like the GLOs in their original conception (obviously GLOs have evolved since then). Phi Beta Kappa, however, was "discovered" by the oppressive college faculty and forced to reveal their ritual and secrets. That is when they evolved into an honor society. So the first regular social GLO that is still in existence in its original form is (per our discussion, I don't know my NIC like I know my NPC :() the Kappa Alpha Society....

hehe... I'm a history major... Can anyone tell?? :D

Re: ADPi
 

This really confuses and intrigues me! WHERE are there still Adelphean Societies that are in any way connected to Alpha Delta Pi?

FYI, all of our Alpha Delta Pi literature states that Alpha Delta Pi was the first secret society for college women. Just in case anyone was interested! :cool: If you go to Georgia Wesleyan College, you will see the exact same symbols (and not see the exact same ritual, although it's "there") as in 1851. And Georgia Wesleyan was (approopriately!) the first college for women in the US, if I'm correct.

Panhellenically,
honeychile

Yep, once again I am right!

We have some of the Greatest Minds in the world on GC!

Ask and Ye will receive!:)

Greek History is very interesting and valuable to each of us!

I know LXA has changed many things over the years!

Pledge/New Associate

No Hazing

Kinder Ritual (PC)

What you learn from History evolves into today and tomarrows values!

I can't believe how I just spelled "appropriately"!!! :eek:

honeychile