The Oracle: Phi Mu Delta's Membership Manual

first American college fraternity, of which there is record, appeared at the College of
The
and Mary in 1750, and continued an uninterrupted existence until 1772. The exact
William
meetings and had a grip and badge. Thomas Jefferson was its most notable
regular
member.
this organization went out of existence, its traditions still survived. The name
Though
to exist as the college's newspaper. The society itself was resurrected under the
continued
name as an honorary social group, and election to which is regarded as one of the
old
privileges at the college.
highest
birth of the Greek letter fraternity came in 1776, the
The
year as the birth of our nation. Phi Beta Kappa
same
formed at the College of William and Mary in
was
Virginia. The creation of the organization
Williamsburg,
at a meeting held in the “Apollo Room” of the
occurred
Tavern on December 5, 1776. Three years later,
Raleigh
literary in its aims; however, it was also secret and
very
social aspects. Soon after the “No Nothing”
had
of the early 1800's, Phi Beta Kappa was
Movement
to reveal its secrets. Today, Phi Beta Kappa is the
forced
academics honorary Greek letter society on
foremost
campuses.
college
in the fall of 1825, a student at Union College in Schenectady, New York, yearned for the
Late
of kindred souls. John Hunter, following the example of Phi Beta Kappa, created
fellowship
organization which would unite his friends in a secret, social society, the Kappa Alpha
an
Soon after, others on the Union campus sought out similar relationships. In the
Society.
of 1827, Sigma Phi was formed and later that fall, Delta Phi was created. Today, these
spring
organizations are known as the “Union Triad”. In addition to these organizations, three
three
fraternities were formed on the Union campus: Psi Upsilon (1833), Chi Psi (1841), and
other
Delta Chi (1847).
Theta
History of Fraternities & Sororities
of its extinction is unknown. It adopted the name, “The Flat Hat Club” and was secret,
date
and social in character. It functioned similarly to today's organizations - it held
literary,
Beta Kappa began to expand to Yale, Harvard,
Phi
and other institutions. Phi Beta Kappa was
Dartmouth,
14