Gamma Phi Society

Last updated
Gamma Phi Society
ΓΦ
FoundedBefore 1833;191 years ago (1833)
Hamilton Literary & Theological Institution
TypeLiterary
Former AffiliationIndependent
StatusMerged
Merge Date1840
Successor Adelphian Society
ScopeLocal
Chapters1
Headquarters Hamilton , New York
United States

Gamma Phi Society was a college literary society founded prior to 1833 at the Hamilton Literary & Theological Institution (now Colgate University) in Hamilton, New York. Gamma Phi Society was the predecessor of the national Delphic Fraternity and the Beta Theta chapter of the Beta Theta Pi at Colgate University.

Contents

History

Gamma Phi Society was established sometime before 1833 at the Hamilton Literary & Theological Institution (now Colgate University) in Hamilton, New York as a literary society for students. [1] [2] Its actual founding date is unknown. [1] Gamma Phi was one of the first student societies at the college and marked the start of Greek life on campus. [1] [3] It was joined by the Pi Delta literary society around 1834. [4] [2]

In 1840, the faculty intervened to dissolve Gamma Phi and Pi Delta due to the active competition for membership between the two literary societies. [5] [2] Gamma Phi's members merged into the Adelphian Society, a new campus literary society, in 1840. [2] [3] [6]

Some members of the society transferred to the University of Rochester where they established the Delphic Society in 1850. [3] [6] [7] William James Milne, a member of the Delphic Society, established a second Delphic Society at Geneseo Normal School (now State University of New York at Geneseo) in October 1871. [3] [6] [7] The Geneseo society formed the statewide, and later national, Delphic Fraternity or Gamma Sigma Tau in 1871. [6] [7]

In 1880, the Adelphian Society became the Beta Theta chapter of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity. [8] [9]

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 3 Ward, Rebekah (October 29, 2010). "The History of Greek Life". The Colgate-Maroon News. Archived from the original on November 1, 2018. Retrieved 8 August 2018– via Internet Archive.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Early student organizations". Colgate at 200 Years. Retrieved 2024-04-06.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Vélez, Phil (June 1, 2019). "Gamma Phi Society - 1833 - Colgate University". Fraternity Communication. Retrieved 2024-04-06.
  4. ↑ Colgate University Library Archives.
  5. ↑ Weaver, Glenn (8 August 1970). "Review of A History of Colgate University, 1819-1969". New York History. 51 (4): 456–458. JSTOR   23166804.
  6. 1 2 3 4 "Gamma Phi Society to the Delphic Fraternity | Delphic Fraternity". Delphic Fraternity. Retrieved 2024-04-06.
  7. 1 2 3 "Delphic History". Delphic Fraternity. Retrieved 2024-04-06.
  8. ↑ "Colgate Beta - About Us". Colgatebeta.org. Retrieved 8 August 2018.
  9. ↑ Lurding, Carroll and Becque, Fran. (January 10, 2024) "Beta Theta Pi." Almanac of Fraternities and Sororities . Urbana: University of Illinois. Accessed 4/6/2024
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