Which was the "best of times" for Greek life?

[oldu]

Our Greek system has had many ups and downs but, in my opinion, the following two eras have to be out best of times:

The 1920s was a golden era for fraternities and sororities. It was a time of dizzying growth and prosperity. Students from middle class families who had never before "tasted the good life" were enrolling in college, and big-time athletics and Greek life were the beneficiaries. The explosive growth in the Greek system was breathtaking. The number of national fraternities rose to approximately 100 and the sororities to approximately 50. Schools opened their doors to the Greek system at the rate of ten or more per year. Grand new Greek houses were being built everywhere -- even by the new young groups. The size of chapters also increased substantially during the decade because of the financial necessity to support the larger houses.

Another era of significant growth occurred during the two decades following World War II. College enrollments exploded. The percentage of women seeking a college degree continued to increase each year. The returning veterans added to the normal male enrollment saw typically 60-70 man chapters jump to 100-150 for a few years. The rate of expansion by both fraternities and sororities hit a new high. Former teacher's colleges were becoming state universities and for a period of several years it was not uncommon for the Greek system to be invited to a dozen or more new institutions annually.

Look at your fraternity or sorority chapter roll and you will note the extensive growth during the two above eras.