A Phi Mu question

Blaire · #1 08-01-2002, 01:16 PM

Dear Phi Mu ladies,
I'm sorry to crash your board, but I have a question....I have heard from several people that Phi Mu was created by Alpha Delta Pi. I know that Phi Mu was founded in 1852 (happy 150th, by the way!

) and that Alpha Delta Pi was founded in 1851. Oh, and I read somewhere that at one point (I'm guessing in the early 1850s) that ADPi and Phi Mu were rivals. Can anyone clear this up for me? I would appreciate it! (I don't want to tell anyone any false information, which is why I'm asking)

Greek love and mine,
Blaire

ladybug1116 · #2 08-01-2002, 03:33 PM

Phi Mu was not created by ADPi. Both ADPi and Phi Mu were founded at the same school however (so it's possible that they were "rivals"). Phi Mu was actually around first...but they were known as "The Philomethean Society" and ADPi was the "Adelphean Society" (someone feel free to correct me if I'm wrong) Anyway...ADPi was the first of the 2 organizations to become a Greek letter society, thereby making it the first "sorority" (I believe ADPi might be a fraternity...I know Phi Mu is) as we know it. Hope that helps somewhat.

VSUPhiMu · #3 08-01-2002, 03:55 PM

Phi Mu wasn't founded by ADPi. They were, however, founded at the same school - Wesleyan College in MAcon, GA. ADPi was founded in 1851, and Phi Mu was founded in 1852. They may have been rivals, which would be somewhat understandable being at the same college and attempting to "win over" the same girls for membership, but the first president of the Philomathean Society was the roommate of the first president of the Adelphian Society.

The Philomathean Society was a secret literary society and none of the Adelphians were members, so I'm thinking ADPi didn't found it. If they had, I think the two organizations would now be one as far as rituals, etc. are concerned. Also, none of our manuals ever mentions Adelphians in our founding history. I hope that clears ap any questions you have!

-VSUPhiMu

Blaire · #4 08-01-2002, 10:19 PM

Thanks for clearing that up ladies! Now I will be better informed when someone asks that question!

Blaire

bets · #5 08-02-2002, 04:55 AM

Mary Ann Dupont, one of our founders, was roommates with one of the founders of ADPi, from all accounts of history that we know of. They were not rivals, but good friends, from what we know from letters.

The purposes of both original orginizations were different, which is why the two friends did not join together to make a single orginization.

MoonStar17 · #6 08-03-2002, 12:15 AM

One night while fighting a bad case of insomnia i was sitting in the living room of one of my older sisters apartments as she slept very soundly..and i picked up the Phi Mu history book..

i read almost all of it...(reading usually puts me to sleep but it was sooooo interesting to read about my own history in so much more depth that i stayed awake more)
ANYWAYS....
turns out that back in the day when both org.s were around they would hold once a month literary reading days or talent show type things where they would both get together and share interesting tid bits... usually they would take turns hosting...these once a month meetings were open and they would invite faculty etc... whoever was hosting it at the time would usually try to go out of the way to make it better than the other org's day...kinda like oh we did it better sort of thing...

that is the only bit of rivarly i found...besides the obvious fighting for the same incoming girls...but they shared the same campus and im sure the same cares and concerns for their school...there is alot of history behind the school that both ADPi and Phi Mu had a VERY big part of...

many of the alum association presidents of the school were Phi Mu's and also ADPi's...

the Phi Mu history book has alot more info on the relationship between the two org. But NO WHERE does it mention that they were founded by one another or vise versa...the only symbolic thing i can see is the lion as the mascot...

I advise any Phi Mu out there to pick up the history book its awesome and filled with alot of great info... like for example why our creed does not have an official author.... (tid bit..the woman who wrote it felt that it belonged to ALL sisters and should not be given credit by one sister so she refused to put her name on it..she was not a founder but one of the main sisters from Alpha chapter)

k im done being historian for today!!!
LIOB

"PINK IS PERFECT!!"

sweetie adpi · #7 09-18-2002, 02:14 PM

definitely not at all part of one another, ever, but friends and 'friendly competition' for one another for members, etc... as has been said... the first two secret societies, and organizations of our kind for women. while we weren't originally named with greek letters, we Are recognized as being the first!!!
adpi & phi mu.... we started it all, baby! oh and adpi is a sorority not a fraternity, btw...
anyways i am in a hurry sorry for crashing in ladies... have a great day!

MoonStar17 · #8 09-19-2002, 01:06 AM

Hmmm why isnt ADPi a fraternity? interesting...
Phi Mu calls itself Phi Mu Fraternity for women... interesting... is there really a difference between fraternity and sorority?? i know sorority is supposed to mean sisters or something along those lines...and fraternity links to frats men or clan of some sort...not sure..anyone know the meaning out there?

OUlioness01 · #9 09-19-2002, 01:23 PM

During my Phi period it was explained to us that we are a "fraternity" because the word sorority didn't exist until the late nineteenth century. I believe that fraternity refers to a family or something along those lines....it should be in your phi book. i would check, but i left mine at home

sweetie adpi · #10 09-20-2002, 12:37 AM

by the time we changed to greek letters, the term sorority was in use

HotDamnImAPhiMu · #11 09-21-2002, 12:22 PM

"fraternity" refers to a clan (although a looser translation has "fraternity" meaning "brotherhood," which is why men's organizations are fraternities.)

"sorority" is a fairly recently coined word, and only applies to women, as it's derived from the latin word for sisters.