History lesson anyone?

[LamdaXiDZ]

Hello all,
ia m currently writing a 10-15 pg technical paper on "Greek letter socieites" ie fraternities and sororities....i was wondering if anyoen can tell me who is the oldest sorority and fraternity? Also i havent been able to find how the Greek system got started,(like how did sororites become to be) I would love to include this information. I need this info for my History section for my paper. Just to let everyone know, this paper covers aspects of Greek life like...what it is like participating in rush, social aspects and public portrayl. I hope someone will be able to answer my questions

[DeltAlum]

The following was copied from the "History of Delta Tau Delta" on the Delt Web page. It may help you some...

To understand the history of Delta Tau Delta you must also understand the founding of greek letter societies. There are many similarities in the founding of the greek system in 1776 and the founding of Delta Tau Delta in 1858.
1776 Phi Beta Kappa, the first Greek letter society, is formed at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, in response to strict faculty members' attempts to rule all phases of students' lives. Nine men chronologically and geographically at the heart of impending revolution in the asyetunformed United States create for themselves an opportunity to secure freedom and the chance to govern their own affairs outside the classroom. Those nine students meet in the Raleigh Tavern on December 5 where they adopt a secret oath, a badge, a handshake, and mottoes in Greek and Latin. They devise an initiation ceremony and adopt a Greek letter name. The stage is now set for other Greek letter societies to follow suit.

You should recognize some of the same qualities in the story of Phi Beta Kappa's founding as those we at Delta Tau Delta embrace. The nine men who pledged their loyalty to each other in 1776 were also committed to excellence; they found strength in brotherhood, saw the importance of courage in the face of what they considered injustice. So you see, the quest for excellence extends deep into our roots, beyond even our own founding as a Fraternity, to the very beginning of the Greek system itself.

1825 Kappa Alpha Society is founded at Union College in New York. Two years later, Sigma Phi and Delta Phi are founded at Union; later, Psi Upsilon, Chi Psi, and Theta Delta Chi are also founded at Union, giving it the title "Mother of Fraternities."

Perhaps the main reason Union College was the birthplace of so many fraternities is that Eliphalet Nott, President of Union, was forwardthinking enough to actually encourage such organizations. He understood the value of fraternities to enhance young men's academic performances, provide them with a common goal, and support them with a system of values to achieve that goal. Nott's contribution to the Fraternity System is yet another example of excellence, foreshadowing the benefits of the values we embrace today.

1858 Delta Tau Delta is founded at Bethany College. Eight undergraduates, angered by a fixed vote for a prize in oratory to be given at the Neotrophian Literary Society the only real forum for students to practice and demonstrate skills in poetry, public speaking, and writing essays respond by forming a secret society. The purpose of the new society, known only by the Greek letters Delta Tau Delta, is to see that the Neotrophian is returned to popular control, and delivered from the hands of the group of students who seized it.

The Fraternity was founded to right an unjust situation; Delta Tau Delta was born of the knowledge that integrity is essential. Its eight founders' outraged that one group of students would and could choose in advance the candidate they favored, then join together to swing enough votes for that man to win, regardless of his actual performance in the contest, presented the first opportunity for Delts to realize the importance of accountability.

I don't know diddly squat about the history of Fraternities, but when it comes to sororities, there is always going to be some kind of debate as to which organization is the oldest.

This info was obtained by using the SEARCH FUNCTION:

Alpha Delta Pi (started out as Adelphian Society): 1851--the first secret society for women

Phi Mu (started out as Philomathean Society): 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--the name SORORITY was coined especially for them by Professor Frank Smalley of Syracuse University. This is what the GPhiB website states: "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."

Even with this information, people are still going to claim "so and so was REALLY first because...." so the debate still goes on.

There are numerous threads here on GC that may assist you on your project and I'm sure that some of the organization websites may be able to help also.

[Betarulz!]

Try to find a copy of Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities...the most recent edition was published in 1991, but since you may want just a more general history, I bet that any of the previous editions will be suitable.

[ROWDYsister]

from Pi Beta Phi's Official Website

In 1776 the first Greek letter fraternity was formed, Phi Beta Kappa.

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.

http://www.pibetaphi.org/ourfr/herfram.htm Click on "History"

Here's a GC thread: http://130.94.21.174/gcforums/showth...ional+sorority

[Optimist Prime]

Theta Chi was founded in order to stop hazing!! It was a military school (norwich univesity) and there was a group of guys called The Regulators. When some one was acting up or not being discplined (not punished just as in not caring) or if some one abused their place in the rat line, then they would step up and stop it. Theta Chi founders like the ideal but not hazing to get rid of hazing. So they made Theta Chi.

[sweetie adpi]

alpha delta pi - founded as the adelphean society in 1851, the first secret society for women, now known as alpha delta pi sorority. we were founded at the first college for women, wesleyan female college. we are the oldest sorority, having celebrated our 151st anniversary this year. adpi's ritual has remained unchanged since it's inception on may 15, 1851 and have been acknowledged undeniably as the first organization of our type for women.

a history of our sorority is contained in the volumes of Loyally, and for our 150th anniversary, we unveiled Sisters, another Excellent and detailed celebration of the past 150 years with many beautiful photographs, etc. if you have a chapter of adpi near you i would urge you to contact them and see if you can take a look at the Sisters book, it has a very thorough history of how we came to be alpha delta pi sorority, from our founding in 1851 to 1909 when we became a member of the npc, and up to our 150th anniversary.

our website is located at www.alphadeltapi.org
good luck with your paper!

[AXPAlum]

Taken directly from my copy of Baird's Manual:

First Men's Fraternity: (undisputed of course) Phi Beta Kappa 1776

First Women's Fraternities (three by category):

Alpha Delta Pi (the Adelphean Society) 1851 - The first sisterhood.
Pi Beta Phi (I.C. Sorosis) 1867 - first organization of college women established as a national college fraternity.
Kappa Alpha Theta 1870 - first Greek-letter society for women.


Hope that clears some things up!


AXPAlum

[PurdueGirlie]

I have heard a lot of people say that Gamma Phi Beta was the first sorority. But I know that Sigma Kappa was founded just a few days before they were. I am not sure who used the word first. But we are Sigma Kappa Sorority.... some female GLO's still go by "fraternity", but Sigma Kappa never has.

I'm not saying that we were the first. Just saying you might wanna look into it!

Good luck!

[AXPAlum]

Originally posted by OohTeenyWahine
I don't know diddly squat about the history of Fraternities, but when it comes to sororities, there is always going to be some kind of debate as to which organization is the oldest.

This info was obtained by using the SEARCH FUNCTION:

Alpha Delta Pi (started out as Adelphian Society): 1851--the first secret society for women

Phi Mu (started out as Philomathean Society): 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--the name SORORITY was coined especially for them by Professor Frank Smalley of Syracuse University. This is what the GPhiB website states: "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."

Even with this information, people are still going to claim "so and so was REALLY first because...." so the debate still goes on.

There are numerous threads here on GC that may assist you on your project and I'm sure that some of the organization websites may be able to help also.

Just a friendly correction and order:

Gamma Phi Beta was established in 1874 not 1872 according to the manual.

It goes (by year) for sororities like this:

Alpha Delta PI - 1851
Pi Beta Phi - 1867
Kappa Alpha Theta - 1870
Kappa Kappa Gamma - 1870 (but later in the year apparently)
Delta Gamma - 1872
Alpha Phi - 1872 (around the same time as DG)
Gamma Phi Beta - 1874
Alpha Chi Omega - 1885
Delta Delta Delta - 1888 (can I helpya helpya helpya ... sorry couldn't resist


AXPAlum

[AXPAlum]

Originally posted by PurdueGirlie
I have heard a lot of people say that Gamma Phi Beta was the first sorority. But I know that Sigma Kappa was founded just a few days before they were. I am not sure who used the word first. But we are Sigma Kappa Sorority.... some female GLO's still go by "fraternity", but Sigma Kappa never has.

I'm not saying that we were the first. Just saying you might wanna look into it!

Good luck!

Since I have the book handy, I'll reply:

Sigma Kappa - founded at Colby College, Watervill, Maine, November 9, 1874

Not sure why they were skipped over in the roll call at the beginning of the book. Sorry if I messed up that order, I guess I'm not sure after the first 3...


AXPAlum

Originally posted by AXPAlum



Just a friendly correction and order:

Gamma Phi Beta was established in 1874 not 1872 according to the manual.

It goes (by year) for sororities like this:

Alpha Delta PI - 1851
Pi Beta Phi - 1867
Kappa Alpha Theta - 1870
Kappa Kappa Gamma - 1870 (but later in the year apparently)
Delta Gamma - 1872
Alpha Phi - 1872 (around the same time as DG)
Gamma Phi Beta - 1874
Alpha Chi Omega - 1885
Delta Delta Delta - 1888 (can I helpya helpya helpya ... sorry couldn't resist


AXPAlum

Thanks for the correction. I had simply cut and paste from another related thread and after checking my pledge manual (which contains basic info about the NPC organizations), I stand corrected and it was 1874.

[CutiePie2000]

Your prayers have been answered...click here

Center for the Study of the College Fraternity

and y'all forgot the sorority Phi Mu which was founded in 1852 at the same campus as Alpha Delta Pi!