High school fraternities and sororities

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Template:Short descriptionHigh school fraternities and sororities, also called secondary fraternities and sororities, were inspired by and modeled after Greek-letter organizations which became prevalent in North American colleges and universities during the nineteenth century.[1] Omega Eta Tau, formed in 1859 as Torch and Dagger in Council Bluffs, Iowa, is the first known high school fraternity.[2] It was followed by Gamma Sigma, Alpha Zeta, Alpha Phi, Sigma Psi, Alpha Chi Sigma, Pi Phi, Gamma Delta Psi, Eta Kappa, and more.[2]

The establishment of other fraternities was fairly slow, gaining momentum between 1890 and 1900 as older organizations added chapters and new Greek letter organizations were established.[3] Most high school fraternities were located at schools in and near New York City and Chicago, with San Francisco being a third location.[3] San Francisco's Girls' High School had seven sororities by 1905.[3]

Although there were many local high school fraternities and sororities with only one or two chapters, many secondary fraternities founded in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries grew into national organizations with highly evolved governing structures. In the early 20th century, many fraternities that formed in the Eastern United States established chapters on the Pacific Coast.[3] In this era, President William Rainey Harper of the University of Chicago contacted the 464 largest secondary schools in the United States; 120 of the 306 reporting schools had one to six fraternities and many also had a sorority.[3] With this growth came pushback against these "secret societies" and their "obnoxious" practices.[3]

Some state and local governments banned fraternities and sororities in public schools. The states of Indiana, Kansas, and Minnesota and the city of [[Madison, Wisconsin, adopted regulations in 1907.[3] Ohio passed an anti-fraternity law in 1908, as did the school board in St. Joseph, Missouri and Worcester, Massachusetts.[3] California, Iowa, Nebraska, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington passed laws against secret societies in 1909.[3] In 1909, school boards in Kansas City, Missouri; Lowell, Massachusetts; and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma all approved prohibitory regulations, followed by Chicago; Denver; New Orleans; Butte, Montana; Meriden, Connecticut; and Racine, Wisconsin in 1910.[3] Michigan passed an anti-fraternity law in 1911, followed by Mississippi in 1912.[3] More school boards, including those in Covington, Kentucky; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Reading, Pennsylvania; Superior, Wisconsin; and Waltham, Massachusetts, passed regulations in 1911.[3] As a result of these regulations, many Greek letter organizations ceased to exist and were replaced by local clubs; at some schools, fraternities went underground or changed to community-based organizations.[3][4][5] This favored the survival of smaller or local organizations over the larger national fraternities that continued to operate in the open.[3]

In response to the anti-fraternity sentiment and policies, the Grand Inter-Fraternity Council was formed in February 1909.[3] Its purpose was "to promote the usefulness of preparatory and high school fraternities; to place before the public the objects of these organizations and create a body by which all grievances between fraternities, school and civil officials can be fairly terminated."[3] Its founding members were organizations that were at least ten years old and had more than five chapters.[3] In 1910, the council included 25 fraternities that represented 31,455 members.[3] By 1912, 46 fraternities had joined the council.[3] Its counterpart for sororities was the Junior Pan-Hellenic Congress.[6]

In December 1927, Gamma Sigma was the first high school fraternity to established a chapter outside of the United States and the first international high school fraternity, establishing its Alpha Zeta chapter in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada.[2] Theta Kappa Sigma sorority was established at Stamford Collegiate Institute in Niagara Falls, Ontario in 1932. By 1969, there were forty high school fraternities and sororities in the United States and Canada.[2]

The following is an incomplete list of secondary and high school fraternities and sororities.

Social fraternities

Organization Symbols Founding date and range Founding institution Foundation location Status References
Alpha Chi Sigma Script error: No such module "Lang". Inactive [2]
Alpha Phi Script error: No such module "Lang". 1876 Colgate Academy Hamilton, New York Active [7][8]Template:Efn
Alpha Zeta Script error: No such module "Lang". December 8, 1869 Union Classical Institute Schenectady, New York Active [3][7][8]Template:Efn
ATOPHI (Alpha Tau Omega Phi) Script error: No such module "Lang". November 2, 1988 West Philadelphia High School Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Active [9]
Delta Sigma Script error: No such module "Lang". 1897–198x ? Lewis Institute Chicago, Illinois Inactive Template:Efn
Delta Theta Script error: No such module "Lang". 1896 Polytechnic Institute Brooklyn, New York Inactive Template:Efn
Eta Kappa Script error: No such module "Lang". Inactive [2]
Eta Kappa Phi Script error: No such module "Lang". before 1898 Inactive [7]Template:Efn
Chi Sigma Chi Script error: No such module "Lang". 1890 New York Military Academy Cornwall-on-Hudson, New York Inactive Template:Efn
Gamma Alpha Script error: No such module "Lang". 1914 Baton Rouge High School Baton Rouge, Louisiana Active
Gamma Beta Phi Script error: No such module "Lang". Williston Seminary Easthampton, Massachusetts Inactive [7]
Gamma Delta Psi Script error: No such module "Lang". April 13, 1879 – c. 1995; 2008 James Hillhouse High School New Haven, Connecticut Inactive [2][10]Template:Efn
Gamma Eta Kappa Script error: No such module "Lang". 1883 Lowell High School San Francisco, California Inactive [7][8][3]Template:Efn
Gamma Sigma Script error: No such module "Lang". October 1869 Brockport State Normal School Brockport, New York Active [2][7]
Kappa Alpha Pi Script error: No such module "Lang". 1904–196x ? Chicago, Illinois Inactive
Lambda Sigma Script error: No such module "Lang". Michigan Inactive [7]
Omega Delta Script error: No such module "Lang". 1950 c. Template:TrimScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".–196x ? La Salle Senior High School Niagara Falls, New York Inactive [11]
Omega Eta Tau Script error: No such module "Lang". 1859–1861, 1866–1880, 1893 Council Bluffs, Iowa Active Template:Efn
Omega Gamma Delta Script error: No such module "Lang". 1902 Brooklyn, New York Active [12]Template:Efn
Omicron Kappa Pi Script error: No such module "Lang". November 1893 Lewis Institute Chicago, Illinois Inactive [7][8]Template:Efn
Phi Chi Script error: No such module "Lang". San Francisco, California Inactive [3]
Phi Kappa Script error: No such module "Lang". 1919 Southern University Preparatory School Greensboro, Alabama Active
Phi Lambda Sigma Script error: No such module "Lang". February 12, 1892 Clinton Academy Clinton, Missouri Inactive [13]Template:Efn
Phi Sigma Chi Script error: No such module "Lang". November 28, 1900 Zanesville, Ohio Inactive
Pi Delta Koppa Script error: No such module "Lang". 1889 Michigan Military Academy Orchard Lake, Michigan Inactive
Pi Phi Script error: No such module "Lang". 1878–198x ? Rochester Free Academy Rochester, New York Inactive [2][7]Template:Efn
Sigma Phi Omega Script error: No such module "Lang". 1902 Sewanee Military Institute Sewanee, Tennessee Inactive Template:Efn
Sigma Psi Script error: No such module "Lang". 1950 c. Template:TrimScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".–196x ? La Salle Senior High School Niagara Falls, New York Inactive [2][11]
Tau Kappa Delta Script error: No such module "Lang". 1924 Pottsville Area High School Pottsville Pennsylvania Active
Theta Kappa Omega Script error: No such module "Lang". Template:Dts – 196x ? California Military Academy Mayfield, California Inactive
Upsilon Lambda Phi Script error: No such module "Lang". April 5, 1916 Inactive

Social sororities

Organization Symbols Founding date and range Founding institution Foundation location Status References
Alpha Sigma Script error: No such module "Lang". California Inactive [3]
Beta Delta Script error: No such module "Lang". Template:DTS Shreveport, Louisiana Active
Delta Chi Script error: No such module "Lang". 1950 c. Template:TrimScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".–196x ? La Salle Senior High School Niagara Falls, New York Inactive [11]
Delta Iota Chi Script error: No such module "Lang". California Inactive [3]
Eta Phi Script error: No such module "Lang". Albany Normal School Albany, New York Inactive [7]
Gamma Theta Script error: No such module "Lang". Template:DTS Baton Rouge High School Baton Rouge, Louisiana Active
Lambda Theta Phi Script error: No such module "Lang". California Inactive [3]
Omega Nu Script error: No such module "Lang". Template:DTS San José High School San Jose, California Active [3][14]
Theta Chi Omicron. Script error: No such module "Lang". 1950 c. Template:TrimScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".–196x ? La Salle Senior High School Niagara Falls, New York Inactive [11]
Theta Kappa Sigma Script error: No such module "Lang". Template:DTS Stamford Collegiate Institute Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada. Active
Xi Gamma Rho Script error: No such module "Lang". 1950 c. Template:TrimScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".–196x ? La Salle Senior High School Niagara Falls, New York Inactive [11]

Jewish fraternities

Organization Symbols Founding date and range Founding institution Foundation location Status References
Aleph Zadik Aleph Script error: No such module "Lang". Template:DTS Omaha, Nebraska Active
Phi Beta Script error: No such module "Lang". Template:DTS Inactive [15]Template:Efn
Phi Sigma Beta Script error: No such module "Lang". Template:DTS – 1914 DeWitt Clinton High School New York City, New York Inactive [16]Template:Efn
Pi Upsilon Phi Script error: No such module "Lang". Inactive [17]Template:Efn
Sigma Alpha Rho Script error: No such module "Lang". Template:DTS – c. 2014, December 2022 West Philadelphia High School West Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Active [18][19]Template:Efn

Jewish sororities

Organization Symbols Founding date and range Founding institution Foundation location Status References
B'nai B'rith Girls Template:DTS Omaha, Nebraska Active
Iota Phi Script error: No such module "Lang". Inactive [20]
Sigma Theta Pi Script error: No such module "Lang". 1909 c. Template:TrimScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Inactive [17][21][22]Template:EfnTemplate:Efn

High school honor societies

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High school secret societies

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See also

Notes

Template:Notelist

References

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  1. ↑ Owen, William Bishop. "The Good of High School Fraternities" The School Review, vol. 14, no. 7 (1906): 492.
  2. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  3. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z Cooper. W. J. The High School Fraternity: Report of the Committee of High School Teachers Association. Reprinted from the Sierra Educational News, vol. 9, no. 1 (January 1913). San Francisco: High School Teachers Association, 1913. via Hathi Trust.
  4. ↑ Owen, William Bishop. "The Problem of the High School Fraternities". The School Review, vol. 14, no. 7 (1906): 492–504. JSTOR, . Accessed 3 May 2025.
  5. ↑ Perkins, Glen O. "The Elimination of Fraternities and Sororities in the Tucson High School". The School Review, vol. 31, no. 3. (March 1923): 224–226.
  6. ↑ Script error: No such module "Citation/CS1".
  7. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j Baird, William Raimond, ed. American College Fraternities, 5th edition. New York: Wm. Raimond Baird, 1898. pp. 362-365. via Hathi Trust.
  8. ↑ a b c d Sheldon, Henry Davidson. Student Life And Customs. New York: D. Appleton, 1901. p. 297-298. via Hathi Trust.
  9. ↑ The Record (yearbook). West Philadelphia High School,.1990
  10. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  11. ↑ a b c d e La Salle Senior High School Yearbooks. Niagara Falls, New York: 1950s and 1960s.
  12. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  13. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  14. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  15. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  16. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  17. ↑ a b "Sigma Theta Phi Group to Hold Annual Meeting", The Jewish Daily Bulletin, June 26, 1934, p. 7. via Jewish Telegraph Society, accessed 27 Jan 2020.
  18. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  19. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  20. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  21. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  22. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".

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Bibliography

  • Brown, J. Ward. American Secondary School Fraternities. New York: Maske Brown Company, 1913.
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