The Seven Sisters & all-female schools
 

My understanding is that other than Barnard College, none of the other Seven Sisters (Barnard, Bryn Mawr, Mount Holyoke, Radcliffe, Smith, Vassar, Wellesley) ever had sororities. Does anyone know if this is correct?

And other than Wesleyan Female College, Virginia's State Female Normal School, and The Lewis School, are there any other current or former female only colleges that have/had sororities? More specifically, did they have sororities while they were female only?


Schools and the sororities founded at the time the school was female only.

Barnard College (*1)
AEF, AOP

The Lewis School (*2)
DG

Virginia's State Female Normal School (*3)
ASA, ZTA, KD, SSS

Wesleyan Female College (*4)
ADP, FM

(*1) Barnard is affiliated with Columbia University. Sororities no longer at Barnard.
(*2) The Lewis School no longer exists.
(*3) Renamed Longwood University. All four sororities founded are currently active on campus.
(*4) Renamed Wesleyan College. Sororities no longer allowed.

Goucher College in Baltimore used to be called The Baltimore Women's College. It didn't become coeducational until 1986. Alpha Phi's Zeta chapter was established there in 1891. My history book tells me that the Psi chapter of Delta Gamma started there in May of the same year.

According to our recent Chapter Roll list, Kappa Alpha Theta had the following chapters:

Alpha Delta, Goucher, 1896-1950
Alpha Zeta, Barnard, 1898-1915 (then Epsilon Upsilon, Columbia, 1986 to present)

We also have a chapter (Alpha Phi) at Newcomb/Tulane, founded in 1914. Was Sophie Newcomb all-women and then merged with Tulane? If so, when did the merger happen?

My understanding is that Newcomb has always been affiliated with Tulane.

Newcomb has been always affliated with Tulane. My great-grandmother and great-aunt were initiated at the Alpha Phi Chapter of Kappa Alpha Theta. My grandmother was a member of Pi Chapter of Alpha Omicron Pi. I could be wrong but I think you still can go to just Newcomb.

I think there are some AOII GCer's on here that went to Newcomb...maybe they can give some insite.

my mom was a theta at goucher in the 1940s.

ASA also had chapters at:

1903 [Beta] Lewisburg (WV) (inactive since 1904)
1905 [Delta] Mary Baldwin (inactive since 1907)
1905 [Epsilon] Fauquier Institute (inactive since 1907)
1905 [Zeta] Fairmont Seminary (inactive since 1906)
1905 [Eta] Ward Seminary (inactive since 1909)
1908 [Iota] Randolph - Macon (inactive since 1913)

1909 [Sigma Phi Epsilon] Brenau (inactive since 1914)

I think these were all female only, if someone knows differently please correct me. I believe ZTA was at a bunch of these schools too.

zta-brenau university in gainesville, georgia, richmond womens college,hanna more academy in maryland,randolph macon womens college in virginia,mary baldwin college in virginia, judson college in alabama,wesleyan college in macon ga.,hollins university in virginia

Our Beta Chapter was at Randolph-Macon as well (also closed)

Our Delta Chapter is at Newcomb/Tulane still :)

Our Mu Chapter is at Brenau still.

Radford Teachers College in Radford Virginia (now Radfird University) had sororities before it became coed. AST was founded there in 1953, ans it didn't become coed until 1979.

I know Randolph-Macon Women's College had several back in the day in addition to Phi Mu and Sigma Sigma Sigma. A lot of my older teachers went there and were greek :)

Spelman College in Atlanta Georgia (www.spelman.edu) was founded in 1881 and did not get sororities until the late 70s (If I remember correctly, it was around'78 or '79) because the administration felt that it would be devisive to the universal Spelman Sisterhood. Before that time Spelman women sometimes joined as "general" members at their sororities national convention.

All four NPHC sororities have charters at Spelman or students have the ability of joining through a citywide chapter, but I am not sure if all are currently active.

There are several other Spelman Alumna that post on this board that might be able to give more insight

*Hijack*
Spelman is an absolutely beautiful campus!! I visited there last year during spring break.
*/hijack*

Both Alpha Omicron Pi and Kappa Alpha Theta had early chapters at Pembroke College, which merged with Brown in the 1970s. After the merger, the Theta chapter came back on the co-ed campus.

Now, it appears that Greek life, in some form, is available to students at some Seven Sisters. Wellesley women have the option of joining the MIT chapter of AKA. Harvard women have the same option. SOME chapters of sororities at UMASS (Amherst) allow students of the Five Colleges (which include Mount Holyoke and Smith) to join.