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Sororities The Kappa Kappa Gamma house at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign Wesleyan College in Macon, Georgia, pictured c.

Phi Sigma Kappa's chapter home at Cornell, completed in 1902, is the oldest such house still occupied by its fraternal builders. Chapters of many fraternities followed suit, purchasing and, less often, building them with support of alumni. Alpha Tau Omega became the first fraternity to own a residential house in the South when, in 1880, its chapter at the University of the South acquired one. The first residential chapter home, built by a fraternity, is believed to have been Alpha Delta Phi's chapter at Cornell University, with groundbreaking dated to 1878. As fraternity membership was punishable by expulsion at many colleges at this time, the house was located deep in the woods. The first fraternity meeting hall, or lodge, seems to have been that of the Alpha Epsilon chapter of Chi Psi at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in 1845, leading to a tradition in that fraternity to name its buildings "lodges". Their early growth was widely opposed by university administrators, though the increasing influence of fraternity alumni, as well as several high-profile court cases, succeeded in largely muting opposition by the 1880s. įraternities represented the intersection between dining clubs, literary societies and secret initiatory orders such as Freemasonry. The social fraternity Chi Phi, officially formed in 1854, traces its roots to a short-lived organization founded at Princeton University in Princeton, New Jersey, in 1824 bearing the same name. The further birthing of Psi Upsilon (1833), Omicron Kappa Epsilon (1834), Chi Psi (1841), and Theta Delta Chi (1847) collectively established Union College as the Mother of Fraternities. In 1827, Sigma Phi and Delta Phi were also founded at the same institution, creating the Union Triad. In 1825, Kappa Alpha Society, the first fraternity to retain its social characteristic, was established at Union College in Schenectady, New York. By the early 19th century, the organization transformed itself into a scholastic honor society and abandoned secrecy. In 1779 Phi Beta Kappa expanded to include chapters at Harvard and Yale. The founding of Phi Beta Kappa followed the earlier establishment of two other secret student societies that had existed at that campus as early as 1750. The first fraternity in North America to incorporate most of the elements of modern fraternities was Phi Beta Kappa, founded at the College of William and Mary in 1775. History įurther information: Fraternity § History, and Philhellenism Establishment and early history The fraternity system in North America began at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, where Phi Beta Kappa was founded in 1775. Many colleges and universities have sought to reform or eliminate them due to these concerns, but these efforts have typically been met with intense controversy. A set of complex identification symbols that may include Greek letters, armorial achievements, ciphers, badges, grips, hand signs, passwords, flowers, and colorsįraternities and sororities engage in philanthropic activities, host parties, provide "finishing" training for new members such as instruction on etiquette, dress and manners, and create networking opportunities for their newly graduated members.įraternities and sororities can be tax-exempt 501(c)(7) organizations in the United States.įraternities and sororities have been criticized for practicing elitism and favoritism, discriminating against non-white students and other marginalized groups, conducting dangerous hazing rituals, and facilitating alcohol abuse.

Ownership and occupancy of a residential property where undergraduate members live.Selection of new members on the basis of a two-part vetting and probationary process known as rushing and pledging.

Individual fraternities and sororities vary in organization and purpose, but most share five common elements: Generally, membership in a fraternity or sorority is obtained as an undergraduate student, but continues thereafter for life. ( March 2023) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message)įraternities and sororities are social organizations at North American colleges and universities. Please help to ensure that disputed statements are reliably sourced. Relevant discussion may be found on the talk page. This article's factual accuracy is disputed.