6 sororities can claim largest

[Drolefille]

ADPi did not (Beta in 1905)
Phi Mu - I can't find a founding date for a Beta or otherwise second chapter.

[Chinagirl]

Chi Omega has the most collegiate chapters. Is that what you mean by largest?

[carolina blue]

Originally Posted by Drolefille

Phi Mu - I can't find a founding date for a Beta or otherwise second chapter.

Phi Mu's Beta chapter was founded in 1904, and I believe we didn't even consider expansion until right around that time, give or take a few years (I heart my history book!). I think the OP is considering groups that were called women's fraternities or sororities from the beginning; I know in Phi Mu's case, and I think in ADPi's, they were referred to as women's secret societies, so they weren't under consideration (even though they wouldn't be anyway, since they made the decision to expand much later than other groups). Hope the long-windedness helps!

[honeychile]

Originally Posted by carolina blue

Phi Mu's Beta chapter was founded in 1904, and I believe we didn't even consider expansion until right around that time, give or take a few years (I heart my history book!). I think the OP is considering groups that were called women's fraternities or sororities from the beginning; I know in Phi Mu's case, and I think in ADPi's, they were referred to as women's secret societies, so they weren't under consideration (even though they wouldn't be anyway, since they made the decision to expand much later than other groups). Hope the long-windedness helps!

I have to imagine that Phi Mu & ADPi share this, too: many of the future NPC groups were trying to either take over ADPi/Phi Mu or otherwise downplay the importance of a secret society for college women. That's what forced the decision to go national and to Greek Letters.

[oldu]

Sorry if I did not make myself clear.

Everyone respects that the predecessors of Alpha Delta Pi and Phi Mu were local societies that were founded during the 1850s; however, by the time they decided to take Greek letter names and expand as sororities there were already more than a dozen national sororities in existence --most with 15 to 30 chapters. This is no way meant to be disrespectful. Rather, it is a more accurate reflection on the order of the develpoment of national sororities. Perhaps the most accurate gauge is to note the point which each group developed so as to be invited to be a member of the National Panhellenic Conference. Thus, while Alpha Delta Pi and Phi Mu are the two oldest as organizations, they are among the younger as national sororities.