Phi Mu history help
 

Hi, everyone --
I posted this to the ADPi forum. I extend the question to you: does your Philomathean history indicate anything about the original chapter suspending operations or becoming dormant in the second half of the 19th century?

Thanks!

AGD Alum
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ADPi History help!!
Could someone please verify this?

"The first known secret society for women: the Adelphean Society...It was a small group, active only a few years, being suspended during the Civil War when enrollment dropped to an extremely low level. The Adelphean Society lay dormant for almost half a century before it was revived as Alpha Delta Phi in 1905, to become Alpha Delta Pi in 1913."

My questions are about "suspended" and "dormant." I thought that Adelphean continued as a local for those 50-some years. Does ADPi claim "continuous existence" since 1851, or just having been founded then?

I'm not slamming you. I'm trying to refute someone else's statement and want to get my facts straight.

Thanks!!

AGDAlum

(and wondering if "suspended" and "dormant" apply to the Philomatheans as well)

I don't know if the Philomathean Society did anything to recognize existance of the civil war (like going inactive/dormant). I had always recieved the impression that it existed continuously at the school until sororities were disbanded at Wesleyan College. You might find more answers by checking out Wesleyan's history...for example: the society would have gone dormant if the school had closed for the duration of the war, etc.

It's a really good question though. I'm a history teacher and I've always wondered (being from the north) about how universities, especially for females, survived the war.

History of Wesleyan College There isn't anything about the Civil War included, but it is interesting all the same.

I e-mailed Phi Mu HQ to pose my question. A short time later I got a nice reply from the Phi Mu historian. She wrote,

"I can confirm that at no time were we dormant and have been continously meeting since 1852. Between the publication of the Philomathean Gazette which started in 1857 and meeting minutes plus other documents, we can show our continuous existence.....It's interesting that there was an allegation about the Adelphean Soc. being dormant. I wonder what made the author...think that? I believe I recall hearing that classes at Weselyan College were suspended for a brief time (a matter of weeks) during Sherman's March to the sea but it was certainly not years."

I thought you all would like this official confirmation!

An appreciative
AGDAlum