Iota Alpha Pi??
 

I was looking at canadiangreeks.com and came across a chapter of sorority called Iota Alpha Pi. They had their Kappa Chapter on the University of Toronto campus from 1926-1956. In 1971, their IHQ disbanded. So, it turns out that this sorority is no more. I had never heard of this and I was wondering if anyone else knows anything about it? All other inactive sorority chapters on UofT's campus are NPC sororities.
SO my question is, was Iota Alpha Pi an NPC sorority and why did their IHQ disband? Does anyone know anything about this org?

I'm just curious.

PPL,

Emily

IAPi was an NPC sorority, specifically a Jewish sorority. I don't know if they had any membership clauses but they were still predominantly Jewish when they folded. They did not merge with anyone else.

Thanks FuzzieAlum for the info :)

Iota Alpha Pi
 

yes, this is three years late to post on this -- but I just came across the site while trying to locate information about my long-ago sorrority: Iota Alpha Pi -- don't remember the chapter, but it was at Syracuse University. At that time (1953), membership in a Greek house at Syracuse was pretty much determined by religious affiliation. Iota was primarily Jewish. It disbanded in the 70s, and I, alas, lost touch with many of my sisters.
mly

This is really interesting! I'm sorry you lost touch with your sisters though.

There are some sorority history buffs on Greek Chat that I'm sure would love to hear about your Iota Alpha Pi experience, myself included, if you were willing to post about it.

I would love to hear about your sorority!

So would I. Until I came to GC, I didn't know there had been any historically Jewish sororities other than AEPhi, SDT, and some locals/regionals here and there.

Did any IAPi chapters merge into AEPhi or SDT or other NPC sororities, or continue to operate as locals, when the national folded?

This was discussed at length in another thread: http://www.greekchat.com/gcforums/pr...1&page=2&pp=15

Iota Alpha Pi
 

I was one of the founding members of an Iota Alpha Pi chapter at The City College of New York in 1965. I have not been in touch with anyone from my sorority since shortly after I graduated.

Carolyn (Stern) Fleischer

Another Iota soror
 

I was a member of Iota at Brooklyn College in the '60s. We are having a reunion in NYC this month (Sept 2007) and I was looking for a digital image of the Iota logo. I guess the organization disbanded before digital images, because this posting was about the only thing that showed up on Google, and nothing in Wikipedia. If anyone knows more, I'd love to hear it.
:)

Iota from Brooklyn College
 

Hi, Carolyn,
I was in Iota at Brooklyn College--a neighbor. Are you still in NYC? We are meeting later this month (Sept 2007). Do you know where I could get a digital or scanned copy of the Iota logo?
Ann Middleman
BC '67:)

http://www.fratpin.com/Scans/7-12-06...a%20Pi0001.JPG

Not the logo, but the badge.

There was a flannel blanket for Iota Alpha Pi on ebay a few months ago. I don't remember people bidding on it, so maybe the picture is still on ebay.

The image used looked like the crest. It had a pyramid with a candle on each side. Then, the letters IAPi around the pyramid. A very nice crest, I might add!!!

Good luck!

Iota Alpha Pi sorority
 

Iota Alpha Pi sorority was founded by ten Jewish women at Brooklyn college around 1910. I belonged to sigma chapter at the Temple university from 1960-64.We are having a reunion of our local chapter this Spring in Philadelphia. The national sorority was disbanded in the early seventies. The money in the treasury was donated to Camp Ramah in the Poconos and Camp Harlem to provide scholarships to young Jewish girls

another iota alum
 

I was sad to find out that IAPi is no more. I was a member of the Omicron chapter at Queens College in Flushing NY, graduating in 1964. It was a predominately Jewish sorority and one of the most active and highly regarded sororities on campus. Because Queens was a very large, commuter school, it made it harder make a place for yourself, but, being in a sorority made it possible. We met a our "spot" on the Quad and had a specific table in the Cafeteria. There was always a sister around to hang out with. Our pledges put on Greek Letter Day skits competing against the other sororities. Happily, Iota won more times than not. We had parties with Phi Ep, AEPi, TEP. Many of my sisters married men (boys) from these fraternities, myself included.
I, too, have lost touch with my sisters, but have vivid memories of very happy times.

"We had parties with Phi Ep, AEPi, TEP. Many of my sisters married men (boys) from these fraternities, myself included."

When you say "Phi EP" I am assuming you mean PHI EPSILON PI....correct?


ZBT:"Inspiring today's college men to be leader of tomorrow."

Temple was also a commuter college and Iota made us feel grounded at school and a great way to become involved in other activities on campus. We had one room in the panhellenic house and there were ten other sororities in the building. We shared common living room, dining room and kitchen and even had large ceremonies in the "carriage house". Mrs Littlehouse was the house mother/guard. No men allowed above the first floor and eveyone had to be in by 11! The ten sororites shared one pay phone and that was in the days when cell phones were only a far off dream.

For Devodude,
Yes, I was referring to Phi Epsilon Pi at Queens College. Did you know anyone from @'62-'64?

I love reading about stuff like this....:)

I know 2 alumni that were in Phi Epsilon Pi (now ZBT) from NYU that are currently members of ZBT Internat'l Assembly. In fact, this past summer at our International Conference I was introduced to their wives, who were sisters of Iota Alpha Pi from NYU.


ZBT: "Inspiring today's college men to become leaders of tomorrow."

I do, too! It's a part of history that we'll never know intimantly, yet seems so fascinating!

One of my favorite people from high school has a Phi Ep father; my friend & his brother were considered ZBT legacies because of that. I thought that was a class act.

That was one of the major contract agreements with the merging of Phi Ep into ZBT, that all Phi Ep ALumni were to be given Alumni recognition status under ZBT and all active Phi Ep brothers were to be automatically inducted and pinned as Active ZBT brothers. This created a lot of legacies for ZBT that came from Phi Ep. I myself thought this was a very smart move made by both Phi Ep and ZBT National Advisors.

Hello IAPi Sorors from whatever school you went to. My name is Diane Zaconick Feit and I was in Iota at Syracuse University 1958-1962. Before I launch into many various topics, memories, etc. (although you should know the house was torn down recently)....let me say I am trying to stage a reunion in Breckinridge, Colorado this coming summer - probably July or August. Families welcome....all chapters welcome !!
One of my sisters now sets up ski trips there and can do the same for summer.
So I need a head count....anyone interested? Please send note and answer. Diane.............dianezw@comcast.net

iota alpha pi summer reunion
 

Hi, FYI Sigma chapter of Iota Alpha Pi (Temple University) is holding a reunion in Philadelphia area on March 30,2008 .contact marilynsteiner@aol.com if you are interested.
I will pass on the information about the national reunion to my sigma sisters at the reuion on March 30

Let's hear about some of those Iota memories. :)

I pledged, but did not join, Iota at Syracuse U. in January (?) 1971. My mother insisted that I "rush". This is what I remember; a beautiful house on Comstock Ave opposite the back of Haven Hall. Marble floors. A cedar closet for formal dresses upstairs. I had just returned from winter break in NYC where I had my hair cut at Vidal Sassoon. Two things that stick in my mind; the girl hanging up my coat looked at the label and when I received a positive comment on my hair, I dropped "Sassoon". Needless to say, I was invited back, although the other 2 Jewish sororities (AE Phi and some other one in a really modern house on Euclid Ave) did not want me. I was Jewish but not "Jappy" and never found my niche at Syracuse. It was a hard 3 1/2 years and I graduated early by taking extra credits. I spent a summer and a semester abroad in Israel, and loved the kids (not Jappy) but then I wasn't at all religious as they were so that was weird. Fish with feathers = my college experiences

My mom started Iota Alpha Pi at Syracuse in the early 40's. She said she did it cause she was barred from joining any other house due to her religion.

Thanks for digging this thread back up! It is so interesting to read the history of this sorority! It just makes me think about how many other sororities have been forgotten? I hope the Iota Alpha Pi sisters find a way to keep in touch.

Quick question: Was D Phi E (Delta Phi Epsilon) founded upon Jewish traditions?

No. D Phi E was founded as a nonsectarian sorority. Some of the founders just happened to be Jewish.

Phi sigma Sigma was the first non-sectarian sorority (1913 in NYC) and DPhiE was also founded as a non-sectarian (1917 in NYC) but they didn't know PSS was also doing this in same city. This was long before email and facebook folks :)

Many members in the first 50 years of our existence were Jewish but that has diversified over the years.

IAPi Queens College
 

I joined Iota at Queens College in 1968. The chapter was vibrant and very active even at that time. I vividly remember the Iota table in the "Caf" , which if I am recalling correctly, was between Phi Ep on one side and Delta Phi Epsilon on the other. I recall wearing one red knee sock and one black knee sock as well as my red pledge beenie to school every day during pledging. You would not have been able to predict for an instant that the National would have been dissolved by 1971.

phi-ep/iota
 

I remember you, and of course Michael, from those very good days. I was a year behind you so you may not remember me but I have very fond memories of the phi-ep/ iota interactions and the yearly skits we put on together. The Iota "girls" I hung out with were Sue Schlitsky (?) and Ellen Katz (married phi-ep Lonney Coven), who is giving senior aerobic courses out on the Island. Your posting brought back so many good memories of the three plus years I was in phi-ep. Thanks! Marc

PhiEp/iota
 

I'm sure I would remember you, but I assume that Berger is your married name. Sue was my pledge daughter. You were the pledge class that did the NY Times/Daily News skit for Greek Letter Day. I actually taught that skit to my campers one summer and they put it on for the whole camp. Everyone loved it. I've been in touch with a few sisters on Facebook and we are hoping to get a list of names together for a possible reunion. Maybe you can check it out.

I was a member of the Iota Alpha Pi chapter at Adelphi College (now Adelphi University), in Garden City, N.Y., between 1957-1961. At the time, Adelphi was largely a commuter college and, as others have mentioned in this thread, joining a sorority gave me a sense of being connected to the campus and to a large group of friends I could always find sitting in the Panhellenic Lounge or in the cafeteria. In those days, all of the sororities and fraternities on campus restricted membership by religion, although there was nothing remotely religious, about any of IAPi's activities, it was simply a sorority which a young Jewish woman was able to join.
Our chapter was large and robust and, particularly in my Freshman and Sophomore years, it formed the core of my social circle. I spent considerably more time in the cafeteria drinking coffee, and playing bridge, with my sisters than I spent in classes. I fondly remember the red pledge beanies, practicing for our competitions with the other sororities, and the feeling of pride I had as a member of Iota Alphi Pi. During my Junior year I became more academically serious and began focusing on graduate school and a Ph.D. program, and a profession, at a time when most of my sorority sisters, like most young women of that era, were more concerned with finding husbands and settling into marriage soon after graduation from Adelphi. So, while I remained active in Iota, it became less and less central in my life those last two years at Adelphi. I did not maintain contact with my sisters after I went on to graduate school.
But I cannot imagine what my college experience would have been like without the sense of belonging and solid social support I gained from being a member of Iota Alpha Pi. I had just turned 17 when I started college, and was still very much an adolescent, not particularly sophisticated or self confident. My older sorority sisters seemed so knowing and more mature, I still remember how I looked up to them, with more than a tinge of envy for their greater sense of self-assurance. How I might have floundered without their help.
I also still remember how, in the days before the Women's Movement, we would sit in the cafeteria and discuss a woman's place in society, and whether many would be wasting their education, and their potential, by becoming only housewives and mothers, and whether woman deserved to expand their sexual freedom, as men seemed able to do so easily. This was at a time when women were not even allowed to wear pants on our campus, unless there was snow on the ground. Those discussions in the late 1950's certainly made me think, and definitely influenced how I felt about conformity and conventional norms of femininity. And it was my older and wiser IAPi sisters who encouraged me to think about such things years before the larger culture began grappling with the same feminist issues.

I am sorry to learn that Iota no longer exists. In the safe, protected sphere of my memory, those lively, lovely young women will always be hanging out together in Panhellenic Hall.

I seriously think this is one of the coolest posts I have ever seen on Greekchat!

I was jist reading the last lengthy quote on this thread, and re-read your posting and my reply. I neglected to notice you signed it Marc, and i replied as if you were one of my sisters. A little late, but i apologize. Sue Shlitsky was my "little sister" and i thought she was terrific. I'm glad you remember Michael. He passed away about 14 years ago, so it's nice to know you recall who he is. Sorry again for the error in gender.