Question: NPC Sorority Firsts?
 

As a member of Alpha Delta Pi, I know that we're the "first and finest" in terms of founding as an individual organization: we were founded in 1851 as the Adelphean Society. However, we only opened Beta, Gamma, and Delta chapters in 1905-1906ish. I believe that our Delta chapter may be the longest continually open chapter, since I have no idea if they were ever closed and recolonized (don't think so).

I'm curious as to which NPC organizations were the first in these areas:

* Which NPC org (or precursor to an org) was the first to "go national"? Where did they start, where did they expand, and when?

* Which NPC org has the oldest continuous chapter? How many still have Alpha chapters around?

* Any info on non-NPC groups that went national earlier than the NPC orgs, but folded or merged?

Yeah, I could look on 26 sorority websites to find most of the answers, but I figure it may have been discussed before. And besides, it's more fun to hear y'all comment on all of the neat historical tidbits!

* Pi Beta Phi (founded as IC Sorosis) was the first national women's fraternity.

*I know ADPi and Phi Mu's Alpha chapters no longer exist. Pi Phi's (at Monmouth college) does, but it was forced to close for a period of time. So I don't know what the oldest CONTINUOUS Alpha chapter is. Perhaps Theta's chapter at DePauw. It is still in existence, but I do not know if it was continuous.

*No clue, but interesting question.

Gamma Phi Beta's Alpha chapter has been open since 1874, to the best of my knowledge...another kind of cool tidbit is that my chapter (Gamma Omega) has been operating continuously since 1867! We were Nulli Secundas, then Athenauem Society, then Alpha Theta Chi, and in 1969 became Gamma Phi Beta. It's kind of cool being older than your Alpha!

ASA's still got their Alpha along with the Farmville 4 in Farmville VA! (I THINK it's ASA, Tri-Sigma, KKG, and KD, but I'm sure I have at least one of them wrong, sorry!).

Go DG!
 

Delta Gamma was the first and only to have its flower officially registered with the American Rose Society (Cream rose=the Delta Gamma)


The First Panhellenic group to build its own facility, the Delta Gamma Executive Office located in Columbus, Ohio.

First womens fraternity to have an "in-house" printing press to create print handbooks, pamphlets and stationery.

First womens fraternity to hold training seminars for advisers

Gamma Phi was also the first group to be called a "sorority." The word was coined for Gamma Phi Beta.

Gamma Phi Beta's Alpha Chapter is still going strong! :)

Interesting poll...

TriSigma Firsts
 

Just to clarify, the Farmville Four were: TriSigma, ASA, KD, and ZTA. :) I know Sigma Sigma Sigma's Alpha chapter has never been closed (founded in 1898) and is still going strong. But I'm not sure about the other three...

** Sigma was the first NPC group with chapters in Alaska (Zeta Mu at the University of Alaska Fairbanks and Eta Zeta at the University of Alaska Anchorage)

** Sigma was the first NPC group to have a chapter in Europe (Eta Mu in Germany)

** Sigma was one of the first to have a hearing-impaired chapter (I don't know if we were first, though)


~~ Laura :)
Zeta Mu Chapter
TriSigma

Alpha Phi's alpha chapter at Syracuse University is still going strong. I think they've been continually open since our founding in 1872.

I know that our Beta chapter at Northwestern was founded not terribly long after that, but I'm not sure on the exact time.

Although Alpha Xi Delta was founded in 1893, the Beta chapter was founded as a collegiate chapter of PEO in 1869 and has been in continous operation since. Chapter S of PEO at Iowa Wesleyan College became Beta chapter of Alpha Xi Delta in 1902.

Phi Sigma Sigma was the first Non-sectarian sorority.

From www.phisigmasigma.org

"The early 1900's were turbulent times. Racial vindictiveness emerged as a result of earlier waves of emigration, and divisions developed along religious, ethnic, and economic lines. The city of New York was seen as a cauldron for social change.

In 1913, our Founders — Lillian Gordon, Ethel Gordon, Josephine Ellison, Shirley Cohen, Fay Chertkoff, Claire Wunder, Estelle Melnick, Rose Sher, Jeanette Lipka, and Gwen “Rae” Zaliels — approached the Dean of Women at Hunter College in New York City with a vision. They wanted to start a sorority that would promote open membership to all women of character regardless of background; a sorority committed to sisterhood, excellence in scholarship, and selfless giving.

On November 26, 1913, Phi Sigma Sigma was born, unobtrusively, without the thought of expansion. It was the first nonsectarian sorority; the only one that was open to diverse membership from inception and the only one with a ritual that was not based in scripture. "

Alpha Gamma Delta was the first sorority to...

-- Colonize in Hawaii (Delta Sigma at UH-Manoa)
-- initiate a non-caucasian member (1953, University of British Columbia)

and set a minimum GPA (1947).

Delta Phi Epsilon was the first and only NPC sorority founded at a professional school, NYU School of Law. :)

Yay for that! If it weren't for Delta Sigma, I wouldn't be Greek!

Kappa Alpha Theta's Alpha and Beta chapters (at DePauw and Indiana, respectively) have been open and operating continuously since 1870.

Go Theta!

Greekgrrl

KKG is not part of the Farmville Four but one of the Monmouth Duo with Pi Phi.