Groups that changed names

[DEVODUDE]

It is interesting to learn how many of our current day fraternities & sororities once had a name different from what we know them today. Some changed to avoid duplicating another group, others to take Greek letters, and yet others for reasons unknown. Maybe members of some of the organizations can fill us in. Here are the groups I have discovered:

Alpha Delta Pi from Alpha Delta Phi from Adelphian
Beta Sigma Psi - Concordia Club
Delta Upsilon - Equitable Fraternity - Anti-Secret Confederation
Kappa Alpha Order - Phi Kappa Chi
Phi Kappa Tau - Phrenocon - Non-Fraternity Association
Phi Kappa Theta - Phi Kappa Sigma
Phi Mu - Philomathean
Phi Mu Delta - Commons Club
Phi Sigma Kappa - T T T
Pi Beta Phi - I. C. Sorosis
Sigma Chi - Sigma Phi
Sigma Phi Epsilon - Sigma Phi - Saturday Night Club
Sigma Pi - Tau Phi Delta
Tau Delta Phi - Phi Sigma Beta
Tau Kappa Epsilon - Knights of the Clasic Lore
Theta Xi - Sigma Delta
Zeta Beta Tau - Home Fraternity

The secret society name of Zeta Beta Tau (ZBT) was Zion Be-mishpat Tipadeh, which means "Zion shall be redeemed with justice and return upon to it with righteousness." This name was originally used by a youth society of German and Austrian men under the Jewish faith from University of Vienna, Austria. The American secret society, Z.B.T. was structured from this youth society until the name and organizational structure was changed to a Greek-Letter Fraternity.

[dekeguy]

Phi Kappa Theta - Phi Kappa Sigma

I believe Phi Kappa Sigma is still operating and has no connection to Phi Kappa Theta.

A friend who is a Phi Kappa Theta told me that his fraternity was the result of merging Theta Kappa Phi with Phi Kappa.

[oldu]

Phi Kappa Sigma was the original name of Phi Kappa, founded at Brown University, from 1889 until 1900. It was originally intended to remain a local club and the Greek letters stood for Fraternity of Catholic Students. When they determined to become a national fraternity they had to change the name because a Phi Kappa Sigma already existed. When Phi Kappa merged with Theta Kappa Phi in 1959 the name changed to Phi Kappa Theta. This information is per Phi Kappa's entry in an earlier Baird's Manual.

[oldu]

RE: Theta Xi

Sigma Delta was a local fraternity founded at RPI in 1859. Dissention in the organization arose and approximately half left to form Theta Xi in 1864. The other half petitioned Sigma Phi for a charter but were denied. I am not sure if it folded or was the predecessor to Delta Phi, Zeta Psi, DKE or Chi Phi, all chartered at RPI shortly thereafter. Actually, Theta Xi was proposed to be called Theta Psi until they discovered a local group at Yale by the same name. Again, old Baird's are the main source for the above.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by oldu

RE: Theta Xi

Sigma Delta was a local fraternity founded at RPI in 1859. Dissention in the organization arose and approximately half left to form Theta Xi in 1864.

That's different though from saying they changed their name, though. They withdrew from one organization and formed a new one.

Interesting nonetheless.

[dekeguy]

Originally Posted by oldu

Phi Kappa Sigma was the original name of Phi Kappa, founded at Brown University, from 1889 until 1900. It was originally intended to remain a local club and the Greek letters stood for Fraternity of Catholic Students. When they determined to become a national fraternity they had to change the name because a Phi Kappa Sigma already existed. When Phi Kappa merged with Theta Kappa Phi in 1959 the name changed to Phi Kappa Theta. This information is per Phi Kappa's entry in an earlier Baird's Manual.

====================

Thanks for the info. That makes sense of it all for me.

[honeychile]

Originally Posted by DEVODUDE

The secret society name of Zeta Beta Tau (ZBT) was Zion Be-mishpat Tipadeh, which means "Zion shall be redeemed with justice and return upon to it with righteousness." This name was originally used by a youth society of German and Austrian men under the Jewish faith from University of Vienna, Austria. The American secret society, Z.B.T. was structured from this youth society until the name and organizational structure was changed to a Greek-Letter Fraternity.

Absolutely fascinating!