where did sororities come from

[meheron]

Ok so a while back there was a thread about Frat's and how they started. This is how I have learned about girls frat's and sororities. Has anyone heard different.

There were greek organizations for men but not women until 1870. Now don't get me wrong there were tons of women organizations but not any that called themselves a fraternity.

One women from Alsberry college. (Now Depaul in greensburg IN) wanted to become a member of FIJI. Well they said no that it was for men only. She decided to get her friends (three other women) and develop her own fraternity. She consulted her father (a Beta) and her brother (a FIJI) and came up with her own ideas of how she wanted the women's fraternity to run. Hense the beginning of the First Greek Letter Fraternity for women. KAPPA ALPHA THETA........ (If you look at some of the things that the two orgaizations hold to heart such as their badge (theta and FIJI) you will see a lot of things that are similar such as Kite or diamond symbols and stars) Now if I can recall some history I think Phi Mu was the first Greek Letter Sorotiy. See they were an organization way before Kappa Alpha Theta but they were not Greek. After Kappa ALpha Theta was founded they founded Phi Mu and a sorority for women. (this is when the word soroirty was first used).


Anyway that is a basic explanation of what I have been taught. Now we have all been taught something so if you have another view of women greek organizations please respond.

[TriSigmaTX]

Fraternities actually started out as literary societies. Baird's has a great book on Greek Life, check it out. I'd go into more detail right now, but I'm tired of school and this is stuff we learned in grad school. I'll explain more if anyone would like.

[AXWhoah]

Oh dear, your story is so full of things that are just wrong. Dude, let me set you straight. Okay Kappa Alpha Theta was not the first sorority. Alpha Delta Pi was in 1851 and then Phi Mu in 1852. And Theta was founded at DEPAUW University in GreenCASTLE, Indiana (I should know AXO was founded there too). Where on earth did you hear this story??

Everyone relax...because this topic's been always the focus of debate between organizations.

Though Alpha Delta Pi and Phi Mu are the NPC's two eldest organizations, they are not the considered one of the first sororities.

This is what I know from doing some research--believe if you like--but I'm throwing this in the ring:

The word "sorority" was coined specifically for Gamma Phi Beta by Professor Frank Smalley of Syracuse U in 1882. Before that time, all the new women's groups were called "women's fraternities" or "societies," making Gamma Phi Beta the first "sorority."

Though Sigma Kappa is older than Gamma Phi Beta, the GPhiBs were actually the first ones to adopt the word--taken from the GPhiB website:

"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." **Thanks CP2000 and SoCalGirl!

Might I suggest reading the thread in the Sigma Kappa forum entitled "First Sorority?"?

If you want to be even more technical, Sigma Kappa was the first GLO recognized by the NPC as a sorority.

[PsychTau]

I learned that the first GLO for women was originally I.C. Sorosis, which then became Pi Beta Phi. I cannot remember the actual year, nor do I remember learning what the first "sorority" was.
(I just went along in life thinking this was what everyone was taught!!!)

Please don't flame me if I'm wrong!! (It's been awhile and I will be soooo embarassed if I'm way off!

I think I will make this one of my first Gamma Chi Educational Presentations! Sounds like a good topic to lead off with.

[TrojanGirl]

from Pi Beta Phi's Official Website

Pi Beta Phi Fraternity was founded at Monmouth College in Monmouth, Illinois, on April 28, 1867, as I.C. Sorosis. Pi Beta Phi was the first national secret college society of women to be modeled after the Greek-letter fraternities of men.

IC Sorosis was changed to Pi Beta Phi in 1888.

Greek Love
TG

[nucutiepie]

Pi Beta Phi was the first women's fraternity to be founded as a NATIONAL organization. While other groups were founded before it, they were at first local in aim. Pi Beta Phi, from the moment of its founding, planned on becoming a national organization and only waited a year to start their second chapter, Iowa Alpha, at Iowa Wesleyan University.

[MoonStar17]

Ok... Hmm
I know there is alot of debate on these issues...
but here is a lil info about Phi Mu and ADPi and the info i learned as a phi ....

Alpha Delta Pi was founded in May 1851 @ Wesleyan college (the first college in the nation to grant degrees to women) it was originally called the Adelphian society for women..

a year later Phi Mu was founded at the same school in March 1852 and was known as the Philomathean society for women...

both groups had secret ritual that was sacred to each organization...

(a lil side note, both the founder of ADPi, and Phi Mu were roomates @ Wesleyan before they created their organizations...they also have the same mascot...the Lion)

Both organizations are considered a Fraternity...

As for the rest here is a list of the dates each organization was founded and whether they are called a Fraternity or Sorority...

*****************THE LIST*********************

Alpha Delta Pi- Fraternity May 15, 1851

Phi Mu Fraternity- March 4, 1882

Pi Beta Phi Fraternity- April 28, 1867

Kappa Alpha Theta Fraternity- January 27, 1870

Kappa Kappa Gamma Fraternity- October 13, 1870

Alpha Phi Fraternity- October 10, 1872

Delta Gamma Fraternity- December 1873

Sigma Kappa Sorority- November 9, 1874

Gamma Phi Beta Sorority- November 11, 1874

Alpha Chi Omega Fraternity- October 15, 1885

Delta Delta Delta Fraternity- November 28, 1888

Alpha Xi Delta Fraternity- April 17,1893

Chi Omega Fraternity- April 5, 1895

Alpha Omicron Pi Fraternity-January 2, 1897

Kappa Delta Sorority- October 23, 1897

Zeta Tau Alpha Sorority- October 15, 1898

Sigma Sigma Sigma Sorority- April 20, 1898

Alpha Sigma Tau Sorority- November 4, 1899

Alpha Sigma Alpha Sorority- November 15, 1901

Delta Zeta Sorority- October 24, 1902

Alpha Gamma Delta Sorority- May 30, 1904

Alpha Epsilon Phi Sorority- October 24, 1909

Theta Phi Alpha Sorority- August 30, 1912

Phi Sigma Sigma Sorority- November 26, 1913

Delta Phi Epsilon Sorority- March 17, 1917

Sigma Delta Theta Sorority- March 25, 1917


That is the information I was taught....Now whether the organization had a different name was founded earlier, was the first for this or the first for that I dunno...but this is what i know and what i assume other people were taught as well....

my two pennys

[LeslieAGD]

Originally posted by Lisa Fishman
And as a side note: Our 98th Birthday is tommorrow (May 5).

Umm, Lisa...don't you mean it's the 30th?

[Lisa Fishman]

Leslie, Yes, it's the 30th. I don't know where my head was.

[33girl]

BTW it's Sigma Delta Tau not Sigma Delta Theta.

And Asbury not Alsberry.

However, Greensburg PA is the national headquarters of Kappa Delta Rho fraternity. (random trivia)

[LeslieAGD]

Originally posted by Lisa Fishman
Leslie, Yes, it's the 30th. I don't know where my head was.

It's okay, you had me checking the IHQ website to make sure I wasn't imagining things!

[greeklawgirl]

Originally posted by MoonStar17
Alpha Gamma Delta Sorority- May 30, 1904

Alpha Gamma Delta is a Fraternity, and always has been since her founding.

[PsychTau]

Thank you to TrojanGirl and nucutiepie for the information about Pi Beta Phi!!!

I don't think we ever got into the Adelphian and Philomethian society information when we were learning the history. (Of course, I may not remember everthing either. I missed 3 weeks of my pledge period because I was at home with MONO!!!!!! )

TrojanGirl. . .how are things going with your chapter? I haven't heard from you lately.

PsychTau

[chithetalove]

hey everyone, i just wanted to add my two cents to the confusion

but i learned that kappa alpha theta was the first women's fraternity ever to assume greek letters. it's true that phi mu and pi phi were founded before 1870, but they were considered secret societies. it wasn't until after theta took its letters that other organizations decided to assume greek letters as well.