Thought a little background on professional fraternal groups might be useful to those without much exposure to them. (Taken from the PFA site -
www.profraternity.org.)
"Professional*A professional fraternity is a specialized fraternity which limits its membership to a specialized field of professional education in colleges and universities offering courses leading to recognized degrees therein. It maintains a mutually exclusive membership in that field and organizes its group life specifically to promote professional competency and achievement within its field -- as well as providing social opportunities for its members.
The same incentives that moved men to form general fraternities brought about the creation of professional fraternities as professional schools came into prominence in the 1800's. In order to advance their own professional interests, these fraternities limited their membership to students pursuing courses in their particular field of study.
The factors which brought about the formation of the first professional fraternity are not well known, but historical records indicate that about 1819 at Transylvania University, Lexington, Kentucky, a society was formed known as the Kappa Lambda Society of Aesculapius, organized for the purpose of bringing the members of the medical profession together.
Of the professional fraternities in existence today, Phi Delta Phi in the field of law was the first established, being founded in 1869 at the University of Michigan. Nu Sigma Nu, the first organization admitting medical students only, was established at Michigan in 1882. Also in the same year and on the same campus, Delta Sigma Delta, the first dental fraternity, was founded. In 1902, Alpha Chi Sigma was founded at the University of Wisconsin for students in chemistry. Two years later, 1904, Alpha Kappa Psi was organized at New York University for students of commerce, closely followed on the same campus by Delta Sigma Pi in 1907. About this same time Theta Tau was founded at the University of Minnesota for engineering students, and Phi Delta Kappa was chartered at Indiana University for students in education.
A rapid growth in the number of professional fraternities followed until today there are nearly 50. A large majority of these, representing fields like architecture, business, chemistry, dentistry, economics, education, engineering, law, medicine, music, nursing, pharmacy and veterinary medicine are banded together in the Professional Fraternity Association.
NOTE: Comprehensive information on fraternal history can be obtained from Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities, which served as the source for the information above."