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.

[Senusret I]

I can agree with that for the original NPHC organizations, even though some were very very young in the 1920s.

[honeychile]

At Pitt, women weren't accepted until the 1890's, but societies started to spring up within the next ten years. The first one to go NPC was in 1915, and I think it was Pi Beta Phi, which is sadly no longer on campus.

I'm not sure about the other greeks, but ADPi closed their chapter to support the war effort during WWII. The chapter was recolonized immediately afterwards, and yearbooks from that time show as many as 15-16 sororities on campus. Since the 60's, though, there seems to have been a steady 11 sororities at Pitt - not always the same ones, but as one goes off, another colonizes.

[Wolfman]

Originally Posted by Senusret I

I can agree with that for the original NPHC organizations, even though some were very very young in the 1920s.

D'accord. In the latest history of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, written in the 1960s, the late Dr. Robert Gill characterized the 1920s as the "Golden Age" of Omega.

[AnchorAlumna]

Now, baby, NOW!!!!

[vtgreekalum]

Having gone to a college with a Greek history of only about 40 years, I would say for Fraternities the 1980's, and for Sororities now.

[PhiGam]

Now, at least at FSU.

[fantASTic]

I would say between WWII and the Vietnam War. GLOs had a lot more freedom from schools, and their risk management policies weren't overboard like they are today. (I do recognize they are overboard to protect us; however, that wasn't necessarily needed in those times.) Also, I was informed by our Head of Greek Life after I got my bid that most hazing didn't occur until after the Vietnam war, when soldiers joined GLOs and started it. Assuming that is true, then that is why I say until the Vietnam War.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by fantASTic

Also, I was informed by our Head of Greek Life after I got my bid that most hazing didn't occur until after the Vietnam war, when soldiers joined GLOs and started it. Assuming that is true, then that is why I say until the Vietnam War.

Not so sure about that. There was definately hazing 100 years ago, although it may have been of a more playful nature.

Even so, I wonder if your Head of Greek Life meant WWII? That's when, thanks to the GI Bill, former soldiers poured into colleges and joined fraternities in unprecedented numbers. I have seen many sources claim that they brought along more "intense" hazing with them, so that they late 40s were when hazing as we know it really geared up.

[fantASTic]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

Not so sure about that. There was definately hazing 100 years ago, although it may have been of a more playful nature.

Even so, I wonder if your Head of Greek Life meant WWII? That's when, thanks to the GI Bill, former soldiers poured into colleges and joined fraternities in unprecedented numbers. I have seen many sources claim that they brought along more "intense" hazing with them, so that they late 40s were when hazing as we know it really geared up.

Hmm...maybe. It made sense to me about Vietnam because those soldiers were VERY young; 18 or 19 years old. Many also suffered severe psychological damage and saw a lot of violence, as well as propagating drug and alcohol abuse. I think these things would contribute to 'intense' hazing.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by fantASTic

Hmm...maybe. It made sense to me about Vietnam because those soldiers were VERY young; 18 or 19 years old. Many also suffered severe psychological damage and saw a lot of violence, as well as propagating drug and alcohol abuse. I think these things would contribute to 'intense' hazing.

True, but as oldu points out in his parallel thread, the Vietnam era saw a sharp decline in numbers and prestige for all GLOs. Returning WWII vets who took advantage of the GI Bill swelled the ranks of fraternities; returning Vietnam vets who took advantage of the GI Bill did not.

Perhaps it's not so much an either/or as a cyclical thing after all wars. I found this in an article on hazing in Lambda Chi's Cross and Crescent (the complete article is here):

War’s Influence

Hazing in fraternities dates back to almost the start of Greek-letter organizations, but several events contributed to the severity and frequency.

One of the biggest events that led to the rise in fraternity hazing was from the affects of war. Many believe the beginning of hazing started after soldiers came back from World War II, but there is evidence that earlier wars also had an influence.

One of the first well-known charges against hazing in fraternal organizations occurred just after the Civil War. In 1868, James Frank Hopkins, Greenfield Quarles, and James McIlvaine Riley formed the Legion of Honor after witnessing the hazing acts of a fraternity at the Virginia Military Institute.

This secret society opposed any acts of hazing within their institution and emphasized that the Principle of Honor as most important in forming strong relationships. This Legion of Honor soon became known as the Sigma Nu Fraternity.

The way fraternities were set up, members could easily implement hazing. Because most fraternities revolved around secrecy and self-governance, it was easy to hide the hazing from the rest of the world.

Individual classes would try to one up the previous class because of experience. This segregation between classes and ideas of rank within the fraternity gave rise to class distinction and in turn to hazing.

[exlurker]

Originally Posted by 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.

It’s true that the 1920s and a 15-20 year period after WWII were times of significant growth for many (not all) fraternities and sororities. Still, I personally hesitate to give them a “best of times” or “golden era” designation. Why? My reason is that in those times most NPC and NIC groups still had “Caucasian and Christian” membership restrictions.

Consequently, while for “Caucasian Christians” there may have been more groups to choose from on large campuses, we probably shouldn’t forget that for students who didn’t fit within those restrictive requirements the choices were limited or at times nonexistent.

(Of course, even well into the post-WWII era there were some colleges, even public ones, that simply refused to admit African-American students, and it wasn’t particularly unusual for private colleges to have “Jewish quotas” to keep the number of Jews admitted relatively low.)

To me, there’s quite a difference between a student being able to choose whether or not to pursue the possibility of membership in an NPC, IFC, NPHC, Asian, Multicultural, Latino/a GLO versus being completely shut out of one or more options simply because of ethnicity or religion. (I say “possibility” because mutual selection means that not everyone will “click” with a group, or groups, that he or she is most interested in.)

So that’s part of my thinking; I’m fine with saying those were times of expansion, but “best of times”? Not necessarily.

[AGDee]

Originally Posted by fantASTic

I would say between WWII and the Vietnam War. GLOs had a lot more freedom from schools, and their risk management policies weren't overboard like they are today. (I do recognize they are overboard to protect us; however, that wasn't necessarily needed in those times.) Also, I was informed by our Head of Greek Life after I got my bid that most hazing didn't occur until after the Vietnam war, when soldiers joined GLOs and started it. Assuming that is true, then that is why I say until the Vietnam War.

My dad pledged in the mid 50's and he was most definitely hazed.

[SWTXBelle]

Oh jeez yeah - my father pledged 1960 . . . and he was hazed.

[Tom Earp]

In the just post WWII times, these people who came back from the war were boys who became men.

I am sure that when they came back they were used to the rigors of military life and the hazing that went along with it or some said, "hell from I/We have seen no one lays a paddle on me".

So, because of that and the GI bill, they could go to college and joined GLOs to feel the same closeness they had in the military.

Granted the white/christian clause was in effect because those were the times that they lived in and Truman broke the color barrier in the military but, not the colleges or any public schools.

In 1965, Kansas, decided to not allow any new chapters of GLOs in the State Colleges that had such a clause. I do not know if they were the first one, but, they were at the fore front of the times. Of course, that did not change the mind set of the current chapters and members.

We cannot change history so why say it has to be changed?

BGLOs came about for this reason, but now there is assimilation into "all" GLOs, supposedly.

Who or what GLOs are more prejiduce?