Early Fraternity Magazines...
 

It's been interesting to see some of the early (prior to 1920) Fraternity and Sorority magazines on books.google.com.

I've found poems written by brothers published, some that go on for multiple pages, and yet given the number of fraternities founded as literary societies, I guess I shouldn't be surprised.

Another of the things that most strikes me is how more than 100 years ago, every fraternity magazine editor appears to have read every other fraternity magazine. For example, one fraternity's magazine contained a rebuttal to an newspaper article saying that this fraternity pledged Jews and two other fraternity magazines commented on it.

It also seems like for the early magazines, the editors couldn't imagine anyone outside the fraternity system reading them and there would have almost no way that anyone anti-fraternity or preparing to pledge would have gotten access to them. For example, for one fraternity, brothers in the 21st century consider why their fraternity's letters were chosen to be something private to the fraternity, however the first two years of the fraternity magazine (which were in the 19th century) go into fairly complete depth about it. (as does one of the 19th century issues of Baird's Manual!)

With these fraternities having at the time only a relatively few chapters, it is interesting to see every chapter's activity mentioned in every magazine, not really something that can be done with National Fraternities of 150, 200 or even 300 chapters.

For my own National fraternity, I've learned what the other possible name for the fraternity was and why they didn't pick it, the degree of control of which Boy Scouts of America had over our fraternity in the 1930s.

These magazines truly represent a wonderful opportunity to learn what fraternity and sorority life was like more than 100 years ago.

I've been doing the same (rather infrequently) for a while.

The most interesting article I read in Delta Chi's Quarterly was an editorial from a member of our chapter at the University of Virginia who discussed how the chapter struggled to keep up with other social fraternities since they were restricted to legal students. Due to the content I would assume it was from the brief time between single membership (only law students who were not already affiliated) and general social membership. The Virginia Chapter did close soon after, one can only assume they were one of the casualties of the the switch in membership regulations.

Can read all of our magazines, from the first issue to the latest one here:
http://www.archive.org/details/SigEpJournals

Very interesting read, especially during the 50s and 60s

I have copies of the Alpha Xi Delta from 1905 and 1907 from books.google.com. I'm facinitated by the membership list in one issue that has everyone ever initiatied and their member number .. even to the blanks of a few expelled members.

I was also astounded by the reporting of chapter members grades on the manditory annual membership test and the admonishment to those chapter members who did poorly.

I somehow have a copy of Banta's Magazine from 1974 (?). Think of it as a Greek Magazine for every fraternity and sorority, not just your own. Oh, the Miss America section is huge!

Interesting I have never heard of this publication before...just found a copy on Google Books!

I too have read some of the old AOII To Dragmas on Google Books, along with some other NPC groups' magazines. All are very interesting and seem to be much more honest on how chapters are doing.

I have a bound edition of The Key from 1926 or so. It is so interesting reading about Convention preparations and typical chapter activities. I got it right before Founders Day last fall. I read the section for the local chapter, and they held their post-initiation brunch in the same location we had last year's Founders Day lunch!

Old magazines are so much fun to read. They really tell a different story and perspective.