Oldest Fraternity on your Campus

[AlphaChi16]

At Syracuse University the oldest fraternity is Delta Kappa Epsilon which was founded in 1871. In 1872, DKE's sister sorority, Alpha Phi, was established at SU. We have three Alpha chapter sororities: Alpha Phi, Gamma Phi Beta, and Alpha Gamma Delta. AGD is no longer active due to low numbers but Alpha Phi and GPhiB are still strong.

[breathesgelatin]

Originally posted by PhiPsiRuss
Phi Kappa Chi was founded at Washington & Lee in 1865. At the request of the Phi Psi chapter, they changed their name to Kappa Alpha.

True dat. Couldn't remember the original name.

[TSteven]

Originally posted by AlphaChi16
We have three Alpha chapter sororities: Alpha Phi, Gamma Phi Beta, and Alpha Gamma Delta.

Alpha Phi Delta Fraternity was founded in 1914 at Syracuse University (Alpha Chapter) as well.

[TSteven]

Originally posted by g41965
DU was chartered at Miami of Ohio in 1868, went inactive when school closed in 1873, revived in 1908.
DKE is also very old at Miami, in fact Sigma Chi formed over a dispute in DKE chapter any Sig's want to tell the story ?

From Iota Iota Chapter (Alabama) of Sigma Chi Fraternity.

The History of Sigma Chi

Sigma Chi was founded on June 28, 1855, by seven undergraduate men at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. They felt that the principles of "fraternity" were crucial to the overall college experience, but were dissatisfied with the unbalance of loyalties and ideals within the fraternities which existed at their university. Six of the Sigma Chi founders were members of the 12-man Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity at Miami University; when a controversy arose involving a member of the fraternity which could not be resolved, the membership was divided equally. The actions from this controversy led to the founding of Sigma Chi.

THE CONTROVERSY. In the mid-19th century, an important aspect of college life was participation in student scholastic and debating societies. One of the most prominent at Miami was the Erodelphian Literary Society. When time came to elect Poet (President) for this prestigious society, a dispute arose in Delta Kappa Epsilon Fraternity (Dekes) over who should hold this position. Several members of this society were also members of the Dekes and one of its members had been nominated for Poet. However, four of the 12-man Deke fraternity would not support the nomination of a fellow member because they knew he had no poetic abilities. These four supported another man who was not a Deke. James Caldwell, Isaac Jordan, Benjamin Runkle, and Franklin Scobey refused to vote for their fraternity brother simply because he was a brother; Thomas Bell and Daniel Cooper agreed with these four and thus split the fraternity in half on the issue.

THE BREAK. Neither side would "give in," resulting in pressure from alumni. These "recalcitrant six," as they were called, would not be maneuvered by alumni; thus, the alumni judged the six guilty of violating "brotherly unity," and the decision was made to expel two of the rebels. The alumni were amazed that the six stuck together. When confronted by an alumnus, Runkle, speaking for the other five, stepped forward, removed his Deke pin, threw it on the table, and shouted, ``I didn't join this fraternity to be anyone's tool. And that, sir, is my answer." The six abruptly left and were later expelled from the fraternity. But they were already making plans to create a fraternity of their own, based on noble principles and ideals.

THE FOUNDING OF SIGMA CHI. These six men wisely associated themselves with William Lockwood, a highly intelligent student with valuable business sense; he became the individual who set up the plan for the new fraternity. They formulated the first constitution and initiation. Because they believed that the existing fraternities did not emulate the true feeling of "fraternity" and that the other fraternities' ideals apparently meant little, they established a new fraternity, whose ideals and foundations were symbolized by the badge they designed---the distinctive White Cross. Sigma Chi's ideals of friendship, justice and learning would be loftier and would evoke standards by which a man could improve his life while working closely with others from different backgrounds, with divergent ambitions and diverse abilities. The founders themselves, it is felt, personified these ideals. Sigma Chi was officially founded on June 28, 1855.

[EXColony]

Ditto.

[CASIGKAP]

At Cal State Long Beach, the sororities were founded in this order:

1. Delta Zeta - 1954

2. Sigma Kappa - 1955

3. Delta Delta Delta - 1955

4. Delta Gamma - 1959

5. Gamma Phi Beta - 1962

6. Alpha Omicron Pi - 1965

This may not be the exact order b/c we have a chapter of Alpha Phi but I don't have a date for them.

[kappadelt0]

Originally Posted by PiPhiGirl2005

Hillsdale:

- Sigma Chi was rechartered on our campus in 1980 "for the first time since 1886" according to our Greek Life website. I'm not sure when they were originally chartered at Hillsdale, but I'm pretty sure they were the first.
- Alpha Tau Omega in 1888
- Delta Sigma Phi in 1915

Until the mid-1990s we had a chapter of TKE which was founded quite early; additionally, until last year, we had a chapter of DTD which was also founded quite early on. The website no longer gives founding dates of those chapters.... Perhaps the TKE and DTD alums on GC could fill in that info.

Delta Tau Delta Kappa chapter was chartered in 1867, we lost the charter in 2003 at which time we were the oldest continuing chapter. we rechartered march 29th, 2009

[lovespink88]

I know this was a random, old thread bump, but I thought it was interesting so I'll play.

I always thought Delta Tau Delta was the first fraternity here. The sign in their front lawn even says "Illinois' First Fraternity". But when I looked at the IFC website to confirm they were like the sixth... So I don't know what's up with that. The oldest are:

Sigma Chi 1881
Kappa Sigma 1891
Phi Kappa Sigma 1892
Phi Delta Theta 1893
and THEN
Delta Tau Delta 1894

As for sororities, I know Pi Phi and Theta both claim they were the first on campus. According to Office of Student Affairs website, Pi Beta Phi won by 15 days (Pi Phi was founded on Oct. 25, 1895, while Theta was on Nov. 9, 1895).

[Thetagirl218]

University of North Florida:

Fraternities:
Pi Kappa Phi- 1987
Sigma Chi- 1991
Kappa Alpha Psi-1992
Alpha Phi Alpha- 1993
Kappa Alpha Order-2002
Sigma Alpha Epsilon-2003
Kappa Sigma-2004
Phi Beta Sigma-2004
Delta Upsilon- 2007
Omega Psi Phi-2007
Chi Phi- Unknown

Sororities:
Zeta Tau Alpha-1977
Alpha Kappa Alpha-1979
Alpha Chi Omega-1987
Delta Sigma Theta-1993
Delta Gamma-1999
Gamma Eta-2003
Kappa Delta-2003
Zeta Phi Beta-2003
Kappa Alpha Theta-2007

[OleMissGlitter]

I posted a while back the fraternities at Ole Miss. Here are the sororities since others have posted sororities too.
Ole Miss Sororities

Chi Omega, Tau, 1899, (Locally founded in 1896 at Sigma Tau Sorority)
Delta Delta Delta, Chi, 1904 (Locally founded in 1896 at Tau Delta Theta Sorority)
Phi Mu, Alpha Delta, 1926
Kappa Delta, Alpha Mu, 1927
Delta Gamma, Alpha Psi, 1927
Delta Zeta, Beta Beta, 1928-1953
Zeta Tau Alpha, Gamma Delta, 1939-1999
Kappa Kappa Gamma, Delta Rho, 1947
Alpha Omicron Pi, Nu Beta, 1958
Alpha Delta Pi, Delta Sigma, 1961-1995
Pi Beta Phi, MS Beta, 1962
Alpha Xi Delta, Zeta Gamma, 1969-1976
Kappa Alpha Theta, Epsilon Zeta, 1979

[oldu]

U. Mississippi was also home to Alpha Kappa Chapter of Beta Sigma Omicron from 1927-1932, and Gamma Chapter of a small sorority called Kappa Sigma Tau from 1927 until around 1930.

[Low C Sharp]

OleMissGlitter, do you know where the DZ and AXiD houses were?
________
YourAngel

[OleMissGlitter]

Originally Posted by Low C Sharp

OleMissGlitter, do you know where the DZ and AXiD houses were?

To my knowledge, Delta Zeta would have been near the other sorority houses which made some type of circle I believe. I have seen an old news reel (I think that's what it's called) that showed DZ as a white house with white columns. It also showed the old Phi Mu house. I believe they made some type of circle. I believe also, that DG, DDD, and KD are in their original houses (with renovations/additions of course) or at least on their original land. So I would gather that DZ would have been near them. I do not believe that Alpha Xi Delta ever owned a house. My best friend's mother was an AXiD at Ole Miss and from what she told me, they rented Barnard Observatory (near the current Student Union) for meetings.


I just purchased a pictorial history book of Ole Miss so I'll check in it tonight to see if there is a pic of DZ and if so I'll scan it.

[Sigma Theta Pi]

We are alone on our campus, so the oldest ...
University of Montréal (Canada), of Grenoble (France), of Lyon (France too).

[tallgreekalum]

Originally Posted by mu_agd

i'll do some more digging when i get a minute. i didn't have too much time really when i found those.

Alpha Delta Phi expanded to Miami in 1833.