PANHELLENIC SORORITIES

[ZetaAce]

So I know a little bit! Yeah!

[SoCalGirl]

Actually...


SIGMA KAPPA SORORITY was founded November 9, 1874 and went national 30 yrars later in 1904.

Gamma Phi Beta Sorority was founded Nov. 11, 1874 and went national 8 years later.


So GPhiB was the first SORORITY TO GO NATIONAL but NOT THE FIRST SORORITY.

[DirectorDST99]

I only attend a predominately white university for a few years before transferring, but I thought the white organizations were part of the Hellenic not the Pan Hellenic Council.

Can someone enlighten me please.

[Rain Man]

For the record, DirectorDST, here's how it goes:

The coalition of mainstream sororities is known as the [National] Panhellenic (one word) CONFERENCE.

The coalition of Black Greek fraternities and sororities is known as the National Pan Hellenic (two words) COUNCIL.

A little bit of trivia for the "Animal House" fans: During the scene when the Delta Tau Chi fraternity was being tried for numerous unethical violations, on the chalk board being Greg Marmalard was written the "Pan Hellenic COUNCIL"...etc, etc...
Could this mean that the Delta House was a member of the NPHC although all the members were white? Hmmm. I learn something new about the NPHC every day. *grin*

If you don't believe me, rent the video and check it out yourself. I'm not kidding about the scene.

I'm Out

"We present Karen Lesko....Doesn't she have pretty nipples--ah, er, pretty dimples?"

Match Game '74 host Gene Rayburn introducing a contestant with a honest slip of the tongue.

[AlphaChiGirl]

Why are the names the same in NPC and NPHC? It causes a lot of confusion, especially when you're trying to explain basics about the Greek system to an independent.

I learn something new about the NPC sororities every day, and I'm a member of one!

[12dn94dst]

As someone posted earlier:

NPC= National Panhellenic CONFERENCE
NPHC= National Pan-Hellenic COUNCIL

Last time I checked, "Council" and "Conference" were not the same word, therefore the names are different. It's not confusing if you take the time to learn what each acronym means and explain it appropriately to an independent.

------------------
Kelli
Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
12-Delta Nu-94
MAL, Southern Region
Savannah State University c/o 1997

[blu_theatrics]

Originally posted by Rain Man:

The coalition of mainstream sororities is known as the [National] Panhellenic (one word) CONFERENCE.

The coalition of Black Greek fraternities and sororities is known as the National Pan Hellenic (two words) COUNCIL.

Who clarifies "mainstream"? I really don't think that is an appropriate word.

[NUPE4LIFE]

I'M A MEMBER OF A BGLO, KAPPA ALPHA PSI, FRATERNITY INC. I'M HERE AT FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY WHERE WE HAVE A VERY LARGE GREEK POPULATION. I WAS JUST CURIOUS ABOUT YOUR SYSTEM AND HISTORY. I HAVE KNOWN A FEW GIRLS IN PANHELLENIC SORORITIES. MY QUESTION IS WHAT WAS THE FIRST WHITE SORORITY. WAS IT PHI MU OR DELTA ZETA? I KNOW THAT THE FOUNDER OF PHI MU AND ADPI WHERE ROOMMATES. I BELIEVE THAT'S WHY THEY BOTH SHARE THE LION AS A MASCOT. BUT WHAT ARE SOME OTHER INTERESTING FACTS THAT US NPHC ORGANIZATIONS SHOULD KNOW ABOUT YOU. I BELIEVE THAT ALL GREEKS SHOULD SUPPORT ONE ANOTHER AND I WAS JUST CURIOUS.

------------------
KAPPA ALPHA PSI FRATERNITY, INC.
SPR 97
XI LAMBDA

[ZetaAce]

Nupe4Life- Good question! I would be interested to know more about the history behind the Panhellinic sororities also.

If I'm not mistaken, the first panhellenic sorority was ADPi, founded in 1851.

ZetaAce


[This message has been edited by ZetaAce (edited July 14, 2000).]

There are many firsts!
Alpha Delta Pi (started out as Adelphian Society): 1851

Phi Mu (started out as Philomathean Society, second oldest sorority): 1852

Kappa Alpha Theta (the first to be FOUNDED with a Greek name): 1870

Gamma Phi Beta (the first Greek letter women's organization to call themselves a SORORITY): 1872

Pi Beta Phi (started out as I.C. Sorosis, it was the first sorority to be founded with the intent of setting up a chain of chapters at other schools): 1867

[AlphaChiGirl]

Originally posted by 12dn94dst:
As someone posted earlier:

Last time I checked, "Council" and "Conference" were not the same word, therefore the names are different. It's not confusing if you take the time to learn what each acronym means and explain it appropriately to an independent.

Whoops, I made a mistake...am I worthy of your forgiveness?

[SoCalGirl]

Okay this is what GPhiB's website says:

"Eight years after their first meeting, two members of the Alpha chapter went to the University of Michigan to charter the Beta chapter. Upon their return to Syracuse, Professor Frank Smalley commented, "I presume that you young women are now members of a sorority." Thus, Gamma Phi Beta became the first women’s fraternity to be called a sorority."

But Sigma Kappa Sorority was NEVER known as anything else. So I guess that means its been a sorority eight years longer the GPhiB.

[SoCalGirl]

Part of the confusion with NPC and NPHC is that eventhough NPC uses CONFERENCE for the national org, the college and alumni level of the org is called Panhellenic COUNCIL.

Most members forget or don't properly learn the national name, so they get it wrong.

I had forgotten too. Just last night I was thinking that if I were to pick a name that is almost identical (except for a hyphen) I would change it. But as long a NPC members (and everyone else) remembers that it's CONFERENCE and not COUNCIL there shouldn't be a problem.


Can anyone cite where they got the info about Sigma Kappa being the first NPC sorority to admit a non-caucasian woman (Barbara Delaney,1956 at Cornell). It's not mentioned anywhere on their website.

[AlphaChiGirl]

Originally posted by SoCalGirl:


Can anyone cite where they got the info about Sigma Kappa being the first NPC sorority to admit a non-caucasian woman (Barbara Delaney,1956 at Cornell). It's not mentioned anywhere on their website.

SoCalGirl, it's in a book called "Our Kind of People: The Story of America's Black Upper Class", by Lawrence Otis Graham. It's a pretty good book--I got it as a gift a few years back. I'm not sure if they say she was the FIRST nonwhite woman to pledge, I don't know if that information can really be found, since I don't know how many NPC sororities do racial breakdowns of their membership.



[This message has been edited by AlphaChiGirl (edited February 25, 2001).]

[SIUAGD]

Okay, I don't know if this helps anyone, but Alpha Gamma Delta was the first women's fraternity founded with intent on becoming a national(later international) organization. We were never considered a 'local'.