Fraternities and sororities

While the terms "fraternity" and "sorority" may be used to describe any number of social and charitable organizations, including the Lions Club, Epsilon Sigma Alpha, International, and the Shriners, in the United States and Canada fraternities and sororities are most commonly known as social organizations of higher education students (though there are organizations like fraternities in other countries as well; for example, the German Student Corps). Fraternities are all-male or mixed-sex; the female-only equivalent is called a sorority, a word coined by Gamma Phi Beta in 1874. Consequently, there exist some all-female fraternities which were named before this, such as Kappa Alpha Theta, founded in 1870. Fraternities and sororities are also referred to as student corporations or academic corporations, or simply corporations.

History of the Greek system

:See main article History of the North American fraternity system

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Phi Beta Kappa Society, founded on December 5, 1776 at the College of William and Mary (Williamsburg, Virginia), is generally reckoned to be the first Greek-letter student secret society in North America. By legend, it was founded by individuals rejected for membership from an older student society known as the Flat Hat Club, which counted Thomas Jefferson among its alumni.

Related Topics:
Phi Beta Kappa Society - December 5 - 1776 - College of William and Mary - Williamsburg, Virginia - Secret society - Flat Hat Club - Thomas Jefferson

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The society formed as a forum to discuss topics not covered in the regimented classical education of universities of the era—lending the name literary fraternity to its type. Ironically, that education was responsible for the name—most students were well-versed in Greek, Latin, and Hebrew; Phi, Beta, and Kappa were the initials of an esoteric Greek motto. In addition to its secrecy and selection of a Greek name, it also introduced a code of high ideals, secret rituals and handclasps, membership badges, and oaths that characterized later Greek letter societies.

Related Topics:
Classical education - Universities - Greek - Latin - Hebrew

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The first non-academic fraternity was the Kappa Alpha Society, established at Union College in Schenectady, New York on November 26, 1825. By this time, the literary fraternities had themselves become stodgy. KA's founders took many of Phi Beta Kappa's practices, but formed their organization around fellowship, making the development of friendship their primary purpsoe. The Sigma Phi Society formed in competition in March 1827, followed by Delta Phi in November. These three constitute the Union Triad.

Related Topics:
Kappa Alpha Society - Union College - Schenectady, New York - November 26 - 1825 - Sigma Phi Society - 1827 - Delta Phi

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Sigma Phi became the first "national" fraternity when it opened the first satellite chapter, at Hamilton College, in 1831. This spawned Samuel Eells' founding of Alpha Delta Phi in 1832. Chapters soon opened on more campuses, spawning more rivals. Beta Theta Pi was founded at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio in August 1839. Unlike its predecessors, however, it made expansion one of its key principles. Zeta Psi was founded in 1847 and was the first official coast to coast fraternity by the creation of a chapter at the University of Berkeley (California) . It also has the privilege of being the first fraternity in Canada, by 12 years, with the establishment of its University of Toronto chapter in 1879. Phi Delta Theta (1848) and Sigma Chi (1855), also founded at Miami, also aggressively expanded to other campuses. These three constitute the Miami Triad. Although growth was stunted by the American Civil War, the system underwent phenomenal growth in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. All societies founded after the Civil War follow the Miami Triad structure.

Related Topics:
Hamilton College - 1831 - Samuel Eells - Alpha Delta Phi - Beta Theta Pi - Miami University - Oxford, Ohio - Zeta Psi - Phi Delta Theta - Sigma Chi - American Civil War

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Women's organizations also formed contemporaneously: the Adelphian Society was established in 1851 at Wesleyan College in Macon, Georgia, and I.C. Sorosis in 1867 at Monmouth College, Monmouth, Illinois. However, they did not take their Greek names (Alpha Delta Pi and Pi Beta Phi) until much later, so Kappa Alpha Theta (January 1870) and Kappa Kappa Gamma (October 1870) are often listed as the first women's Greek letter societies. The term "sorority" was not popularized until later in the 19th century, so most were founded as "women's fraternities" or "fraternities for women." The first national to adopt the word "sorority" was Gamma Phi Beta, established in 1874 at Syracuse University in Syracuse, New York.

Related Topics:
1851 - Wesleyan College - Macon, Georgia - 1867 - Monmouth College - Monmouth, Illinois - Alpha Delta Pi - Pi Beta Phi - Kappa Alpha Theta - Kappa Kappa Gamma - Gamma Phi Beta - 1874 - Syracuse University - Syracuse, New York

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~