6 sororities can claim largest
 

At the request of NutBrnHair I pulled out my research and offer this tidbit about sorority growth:

Six different national sororities can lay claim to the title of largest number of chapters.

Until 1876, Kappa Alpha Theta, Kappa Kappa Gamma and Pi Beta Phi, the three oldest national sororities, were the only groups with more than one chapter. All three were of comparable size.

Kappa Kappa Gamma became more aggresive at expansion and by 1879 was largest with eleven chapters. This lead continued until 1896 when Pi Beta Phi first tied (with 26 chapters) then surpassed Kappa Kappa Gamma in size. Expanding more rapidly, Delta Delta Delta with 46 chapters caught up with and surpassed Pi Beta Phi in 1913. For several years the lead shifted between these two sororities.

However, Chi Omega was growing at an even faster pace and took the title of largest sorority in 1924 with its 72 chapters. This dominance continued until 1957. With the absorption of Delta Sigma Epsilon (the largest sorority merger ever), Delta Zeta became the largest with 120 chapters. Delta Zeta held the lead for more than twenty years until Chi Omega again became largest, a title it presently holds.

Wow, this is really interesting! Where did you get your information?

Fascinating stuff.

That's really interesting. I read something in the Kappa history book (I forgot what it's called) that I find SHOCKING. It said something about a women who was initiated into the Beta Beta chapter in 1882. That's 12 years after we were founded. Did we even have a Beta Beta chapter then?

I just looked on HQ's website and apparently BB Deuteron is # 50 but it was started in 1881 (St. Lawrence University). I have no idea what that's all about.

So I guess that you're excluding ADPi and Phi Mu because in 1876, they were still called the Adelphean and Philomathean societies, respectively, even though the idea was the same?

Did ADII and Phi Mu have more than one chapter in 1876?

ADPi did not (Beta in 1905)
Phi Mu - I can't find a founding date for a Beta or otherwise second chapter.

Largest?
 

Chi Omega has the most collegiate chapters. Is that what you mean by largest?

Phi Mu's Beta chapter was founded in 1904, and I believe we didn't even consider expansion until right around that time, give or take a few years (I heart my history book!). I think the OP is considering groups that were called women's fraternities or sororities from the beginning; I know in Phi Mu's case, and I think in ADPi's, they were referred to as women's secret societies, so they weren't under consideration (even though they wouldn't be anyway, since they made the decision to expand much later than other groups). Hope the long-windedness helps!

I have to imagine that Phi Mu & ADPi share this, too: many of the future NPC groups were trying to either take over ADPi/Phi Mu or otherwise downplay the importance of a secret society for college women. That's what forced the decision to go national and to Greek Letters.

Sorry if I did not make myself clear.

Everyone respects that the predecessors of Alpha Delta Pi and Phi Mu were local societies that were founded during the 1850s; however, by the time they decided to take Greek letter names and expand as sororities there were already more than a dozen national sororities in existence --most with 15 to 30 chapters. This is no way meant to be disrespectful. Rather, it is a more accurate reflection on the order of the develpoment of national sororities. Perhaps the most accurate gauge is to note the point which each group developed so as to be invited to be a member of the National Panhellenic Conference. Thus, while Alpha Delta Pi and Phi Mu are the two oldest as organizations, they are among the younger as national sororities.

In the early years, the Fraternity would re-use chapter designations after an early chapter had closed. They discontinued that practice after the 1890 convention and decided to add a Beta prefix to those chapters showing they were the second chapter of that letter.

See my post here for more info on our early chapters. :)

oldu, thank you once again for the information that you have dug up and given all of us.

This is so interesting to us who have no clear picture of the evolvement of Sororities.

I am always interested in both sides of the Greek equation.

Yeah, I figured that out yesterday! I had always thought our Beta chapter closed, but it's still alive! Have you read History 2000: History of KKG? I loooove it! I need to get my own copy to keep. That's where I figured out this Beta Beta business.