The Oldest Fraternity/Sorority

[Tom Earp]

Ah Yes and there is a Tri Sigma Chapter at PSU, KS, Home of the Gorillas!

Many of My LXA Brothers have wives and children who are Tri Sigmas.

Soft Spot Here!

[honeychile]

A comment and a question:

Both Alpha Delta Pi and Phi Mu (first and second secret societies for college women, respectively) were founded at Georgia Wesleyan College for Females - which was also the first college in the United States to offer a full degree to women.

I live fairly near Washington & Jefferson, and we were driving through campus the other night. For the life of me, I could not remember which two fraternities were founded there (let alone whether it was a college or a university!)! Any help there?

[EPTriSigma]

Originally posted by Tom Earp
Ah Yes and there is a Tri Sigma Chapter at PSU, KS, Home of the Gorillas!

Many of My LXA Brothers have wives and children who are Tri Sigmas.

Soft Spot Here!

We have quite a few of my lovely sisters who are currently dating LXAs. I recently did myself, he was a fine gentleman.

[Erik P Conard]

Years ago I walked into a chapter (invited) of an old Union Triad
fraternity. They were having an argument about muted colors in
the library and how they ought to get new drapes prior to the
rushing season, even though the eight pledges they were going to take had already been pocked-pledged.
The house had been free and clear about fifty years and the club
had about a thousand alums. The parking lot was full of MGs &
Corvettes.
That chapter folded in the 80s.

[queequek]

Originally posted by honeychile

I live fairly near Washington & Jefferson, and we were driving through campus the other night. For the life of me, I could not remember which two fraternities were founded there (let alone whether it was a college or a university!)! Any help there?

I believe one of them is Phi Gamma Delta aka FIJI.

[honeychile]

Originally posted by queequek
I believe one of them is Phi Gamma Delta aka FIJI.

Thank you!!

[SurfinDBeach]

TKE was founded on a COLD Tuesday, January 10, 1899 at Illinois Wesleyan University - as a society known as The Knights Of Classic Lore...

Relatively young, but nevertheless, currently the largest in the world...

GO BEACH!!!

[LightBulb]

Originally posted by RUASTgrrl
ALPHA SIGMA TAU Sorority
November 4, 1899 Michigan State Normal College (currently Eastern Michigan University)

100 More years baby!!

Thanks RUASTgrrl! Great to see you on here!
Tau Love to our founders,
Mable Chase
Ruth Dutcher
May Gephart
Harriett Marx
Eva O`Keefe
Adriance Rice
Helene M. Rice
Mayene Tracy


HOWEVER,

The first Greek letter fraternity in the U.S. was Phi Beta Kappa, organized at William and Mary College in Williamsburg, VA, on December 5, 1776.

The first national sorority was called I.C. Sorosis, now Pi Beta Phi, at Monmouth College in Monmouth, IL, in 1867.

The first national sorority to bear a Greek letter name was Kappa Alpha Theta, founded at DePauw University in Greencastle, IN, in 1870.

[KSigkid]

Originally posted by Tom Earp
OOOOH, Very Interesting, LXA-Tri Delta = Boston U!

A few years difference in age, but still all in all just the same! YEA!

And both are still at Boston U (although there was a gap of time when they weren't).

Kappa Sig - 1869 U. of Virginia, where the 5 friends and brothers started the Zeta chapter.

[queequek]

Originally posted by LightBulb

The first national sorority to bear a Greek letter name was Kappa Alpha Theta, founded at DePauw University in Greencastle, IA, in 1870.

DePauw is in IN, not IA.
Indiana vs. Iowa

[LightBulb]

Originally posted by queequek
DePauw is in IN, not IA.
Indiana vs. Iowa

I thought it was in Iowa.

Thanks, I will update my post to reflect that.

[MattUMASSD]

The Chi Phi fraternity was founded in 1824 at the College of New Jersey (now Princteon). But there were two other greek organizations that called themself Chi Phi as well one at Hobart and the other at UNC Chapel Hill. All three merged by 1874.

[TSteven]

Originally posted by honeychile
I live fairly near Washington & Jefferson, and we were driving through campus the other night. For the life of me, I could not remember which two fraternities were founded there (let alone whether it was a college or a university!)! Any help there?

As queequek said, Phi Gamma Delta is one with the other being Phi Kappa Psi.

The "Jefferson Duo"

During the years proceeding the founding of fraternities at Jefferson College, Canonsbrug, PA, two literary societies existed at Jefferson. These were known as Franklin and Philo. Both were founded last in 1797 and heated oratorical contest typified the keen rivalry that existed between them. Phi Gamma Delta was founded in May of 1848 from the Franklin Society.

Four years after the founding of Phi Gamma Delta, an epidemic of typhoid fever struck the student body at Jefferson College and those who were not prostrated by the disease ministered to their comrades. The warm friendships formed among certain men in such trying times ripened into the sentiment which lead to the founding, in 1852, of Phi Kappa Psi, the only other fraternity existing today which had its origins at old Jefferson. These two-Phi Gamma Delta and Phi Kappa Psi- comprise the famed "Jefferson Duo." A third fraternity, Kappa Phi Lambda, also had its genesis at old Jefferson College, where it was established in 1862, spreading to nine other colleges. The fraternity became extinct in 1874.

[honeychile]

Thanks again!

I knew that both fraternities started with a Phi, but as I was with a bunch of sympathetic but non-greeks, no one was really bothered by my not remembering. *sigh*

[AGDsquirrell414]

Alpha Gamma Delta
Founded May 30th 1904 (we recently celebrated our 100 year anniversary!)
Syracuse University