The oldest local fraternity?
 

Pi Beta Sigma at Otterbein (www.pibetasigma.org) claims the honor of being the oldest local fraternity. their founding was 1908. Anyone have anything earlier? i was just fascinated by this...anyone know off hand who the oldest local sorority is?

I believe the oldest local fraternity is Lambda Iota - founded in 1836 at the University of Vermont.

Oldest local
 

What about the Porcellin Club at Harvard founded in 1791, although Porcellin is not Greek letter it is a local fraternal group.

What about Tri Kappa at Dartmouth founded in 1842,
or IKA founded at Trinity in 1829, this local affiliated with Delta Phi in 1917 but they went local again in the mid 1960's.

RSE was founded at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1866

http://www.rsejm.org

Re: Oldest local
 

Do they still exist?

I know Tri-Kappa still exist.

The Website

Yeah, but they're not as old as Lambda Iota.

At Ursinus College we have a local sorority, Phi Alpha Psi, which was founded in 1907 and still going strong :D

Kappa Phi Delta, a local sorority at IIT was founded in 1904

Well at UofT up here there is the "secret society" Episkopon - they got the greek name and all... but I don't see them as a fraternity/sorority (they have both male and female branches) - but they do have many of the same traditional elements of GLOs... anyways they were founded in 1858 and count Canada's current Governor General as a member.

Link for info:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Univers...rinity_College

Link for society:
http://www.episkopon.com/

Sigma Psi at Case Western Reserve University is a local sorority that was founded in 1897.

Adelante Fraternity at Iowa State was founded in 1907.

www.adelante.org

I think we've discussed this before, and Lambda Iota is the oldest.

I believe my sorority (which once was local) was the earliest local in Wisconsin in 1867.

yes i know
 

As a matter fact they happen to be on the campus of which i attend.... they were founded 1868 the oldest sorority in the country by the name of Iota Kappa Omicron better known to us student at Olivet College as Soroiana.... or IKO...


Mu Omega Pi Fraternity Inc.
Est.2001
Upholding The Standards of Perfection

Re: yes i know
 

The oldest local sorority is Phi Nu, founded in 1853 at MacMurray College.

Lone Star (Pi Kappa Epsilon) was founded at The University of Akron in 1882. Might not be the oldest-- but is pretty old!! They are still in existence today!!

Wisconsin's oldest local sorority is Alpha Sigma/ Aureolia Society founded in 1898 and is still an active chapter. The women of AS are the greatest.

Alpha Simga

Re: yes i know
 

Their site scares me just a bit...

It wouldn't if you actually knew the members :rolleyes:

Most at UofT think of them as a joke (particularlly if you've watched one of their alcohol fueled rituals... although their hazing is kinda funny in a "arty" way) - or just a way for people to be even more of an elitist in the elitist college here.

OKE
 

Our Brother Frat was established in 1834 a local still going strong, but had a location change... but I think they are the oldest by far

that Episkopon group really intrigues me. I wish I could find out more or what all that criptic stuff means.

are they a non-secret scret society? as you said you've seen one of their rituals.

do you have any idea how they started.....?

some have "public" rituals, where it can be seen by anyone walking by, but the meaning is still veiled in some way. We have one such ritual.

All of the locals at OC have been around for 80+ years, one is approaching 100 quickly. None have expanded to other campuses.

I think you are correct in stating that Lambda Iota is the oldest local fraternity. Interesting fact, at my school we have a Lambda Iota sorority and its kind of cool because they have the same chapter colors as the fraternity in Vermont. They go and visit the boys twice a year I think.

Re: OKE
 

i was just about to say them... dude, you're a sigma?

Re: The oldest local fraternity?
 

Do they mean oldest on your campus or oldest period?

ETA: Nevermind...I see. Well, they do qualify it with "and Finest" and who can dispute that? LOL!

Re: OKE
 

Their own history says that they were founded at Union in 1834, and existed for only 25 years before becoming an Alpha Delta Phi chapter. Then the fraternity did not exist at all for 5 years before a second chapter was formed at a secondary school in a different state in 1864. That school, which didn't even exist in 1834, doesn't become a college for two more years until 1866.

No reasonable arguement can be made for that chapter to claim to be any older than 1864.

Re: Re: The oldest local fraternity?
 

hehe, that's because they're our brothers ;) hehe. No,they've done really well for themselves lately...the completely turned their chapter rep around in like 2 years time, and have the biggest pledge class this year, and have been Chapter of the Year 2 years running.

SOphie
 

Yeah-- Im a sigma

Tri-Kappa
 

Our new faculty advisor here at UA Sigma Pi was a Tri-Kappa at Dartmouth. Just wanted to share that. I know they're from the early 1800s.

Oldest Fraternity
 

I am part of the Oldest Fraternity in Michigan and one of the oldest in the entire country. Our house is Phi Alpha Pi and we were established in 1847 three years after our college was founded. It is located at Olivet College in Olivet Michigan. Our clolors are Blue and White and our motto is "Progress, Truth, and Friendship"

Re: Oldest Fraternity
 

My boyfriend is in a local fraternity at Hope College (Phi Kappa Alpha/Cosmopolitan) and their motto is very similar.... "Friendship, Progress, and Truth." :)

(And while they're certainly not the oldest local around, they're one of the best!!)

are you in a local as well?

Heh, nope, she's a Pi Phi (Pi Beta Phi), national (NPC) sorority. http://www.pibetaphi.org/

It's true! I didn't go to Hope. But the Cosmos love to give me a hard time about being in a non-local. ;)

This is great!! Pi Sig..............We tend to Rule!!

We meant Oldest on campus. But it is also qualified by:

No Name change.
Uninterrupted campus presence.
No merging with other organizations.
Never been associated with a National.

And we are the "Finest"!http://www.greekchat.com/forums/ubb/icons/icon12.gif

My frats been on campus longer, but then again has gone from local to National and back again.

Oldest Local
 

Lambda Iota Fraternity founded at the University of Vermont in 1836, is the oldest local. It was offered by many nationals to become a chapter because of the character and traditions they represented however; the Society elected to stay local and maintains strong membership and all its traditions.

V/R
CG '99

That's what I thought. I remember that from my time at UVM, before I transferred.

Though I wouldn't call it a fraternity in the sense you probably mean, the Jefferson Society (Phi Pi Theta) at Virginia was founded in 1825 and claims to be the oldest continually operating GLO in America. Apparently, Phi Beta Kappa is older but was disbanded at some point.

In case you are interested: Its web site