Oldest Fraternity on your Campus

[KappaSigKGB]

I'm curious to know what the oldest houses happen to be on campuses around the country.

At Purdue it is:

1. Sigma Chi
2. Kappa Sigma
3. Phi Delt/SAE (not sure exactly which)

[SurfinDBeach]

Here at Long Beach State (which was founded not too long ago in 1949),
our Delta Theta chapter of TAU KAPPA EPSILON is the first fraternity on campus (despite Sigma Pi FALSELY claiming that they were the oldest - and we have no idea where they got that)...

We received our charter in 1954...

It became inactive for a few years, but recolonized - (hence the fact that our scroll numbers are only in the 700's when we should be well in the thousands)...

GO BEACH!!!

[EXColony]

UT Martin - Phi Sigma Kappa, which is now the smallest chapter on campus.

BUT nationally we are the oldest on campus.

[bluefish81]

Iowa State's oldest fraternity is Delta Tau Delta, which came to campus in 1875.

[Senusret I]

The oldest existing one at Georgetown is Delta Phi Epsilon Professional Foreign Service Fraternity. Established in 1920, I think.

[DeltaSigStan]

Theta Chi
Kappa Sig
Delta Sig

All in 1948

[Sister Havana]

The oldest one at IU is Beta Theta Pi - Pi Chapter. It was founded in 1845. It just rechartered after being off campus for a few years.

[PhiPsiRuss]

At Florida State, the first fraternity was Kappa Alpha Order(1905ish.) They helped Kappa Delta charter (1906?) the first sorority here (they have a continuous existance), which is why FSU's KD chapter is named "Kappa Alpha." Soon after (1910ish), FSU (which I believe was known as "Florida University) became a women's college. The KA chapter folded.

After WWII, the Florida State College for Women became the Florida State University. A bunch of fraternities colonized, and Delta Tau Delta was the first (I think by less than a day) to charter (1947?), so they have the longest continuous existance among the men's fraternities.

To summarize:
KA Order: First mens fraternity
KD: First sorority
DTD: Longest continuous existance among mens fraternities

[AUDeltaGam]

At Auburn, it's Alpha Tau Omega, founded 1879

[TSteven]

The University of Kentucky

Year is the original chapter founding date.

1893 Kappa Alpha Order
1893 Sigma Chi
1900 Sigma Alpha Epsilon
1901 Pi Kappa Alpha
1901 Kappa Sigma
1901 Phi Delta Theta (re-charted 2003)
1902 Sigma Nu

I believe that Sigma Chi and Kappa Alpha Order have been in continuous existence since they were chartered.

Also, my understanding is that Pi Kappa Alpha was actually the third fraternity to begin colonizing at UK in 1900; however, they received their charter in 1901 - after Sigma Alpha Epsilon chapter.

[KSigkid]

At Boston U., it's a little different...there was a thriving Greek system into the 70's, but administration sold all the houses to MIT and effectively kicked the system off campus (adduncan can tell you more about it than I can).

The system made a comeback in the 80's (with chapters such as Kappa Sig, Lambda Chi and Sigma Chi returning in full force).

As far as the oldest chapters - I believe that would have to go to Lambda Chi and Tri-Delt. Although both left when all chapter were kicked off, both have their Alpha chapters at the school.

SAE has stuck around through it all, although they're not officially recognized by the school. They've had tremendous alumni support though and have been around through it all.

[hannahgirl]

At Akron.....our Local "Lonestar" is the oldest. But on a National level....the first NIC fraternity established was the Eta Chapter of Delta Tau Delta (1873) but I know that they did close shortly after and didn't reopen for almost 100 years. I think the next one after that is Phi Delta Theta....but don't quote me on that.

NPC-wise.... the Lambda Chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma was founded in 1877 followed by the Eta Chapter of Delta Gamma in 1879.

[LAKDgirl]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by PhiPsiRuss
[B]At Florida State, the first fraternity was Kappa Alpha Order(1905ish.) They helped Kappa Delta charter (1906?) the first sorority here (they have a continuous existance), which is why FSU's KD chapter is named "Kappa Alpha." [QUOTE]
The KD chapter at FSU was founded on November 4, 1904. So Kappa Alpha Order was founded earlier.

[exlurker]

Originally posted by KSigkid
At Boston U., it's a little different...there was a thriving Greek system into the 70's, but administration sold all the houses to MIT and effectively kicked the system off campus (adduncan can tell you more about it than I can). . . .

As far as the oldest chapters - I believe that would have to go to Lambda Chi and Tri-Delt. Although both left when all chapter were kicked off, both have their Alpha chapters at the school.
. . .

After checking in a couple of editions of Baird's, I believe that three sororities were established at BU before Tri Delta's Alpha chapter was founded: KKG (1882), A-Phi (1883), and GPhiB (1887).

Likewise, other fraternities were established at BU before Lambda Chi's Alpha chapter: Beta (1876), Theta Delta Chi (1877), Delt (1889), SAE (1892), and ZBT (1908). Some went through periods of inactivity even before the 1970s.

Great to hear that BU's Greek life is coming back so well.

[adduncan]

exlurker is right on the dates of BU's GLOs.

Collin has the "exile" info correct.

<broken record> Stay on good terms w/ independents. You never know when one of them will be in a position to make or break your legacy. This is what happened at BU - some very early IFC and NPC history got clipped by someone (several, actually) either hostile to or indifferent to Greek life. </broken record>

--add