List of Massachusetts Institute of Technology fraternities and sororities

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File:Fraternities section, frontispiece, 1917 MIT Technique yearbook, p265.png
Sections of the MIT Technique yearbook were enhanced by paintings and etchings. This is the frontispiece to the 1917 fraternities section.

The first fraternity at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) was Chi Phi, established in 1873. In the fall of 2023, 43 percent of MIT's male students belonged to a fraternity, while 23 percent of female students belonged to a sorority.[1] As of 2025, MIT has 23 social fraternities, five gender-inclusive social fraternities, ten social sororities and women's fraternities. It also has nine honor societies and recognition organizations, and one service fraternity, and two professional fraternities.Template:Efn Five Independent Living Groups are grouped into a separate Living Group Council, but otherwise operate similarly to residential fraternities and sororities. These are known collectively as FSILGs.

Within this article, the terms "fraternity" and "sorority" are used somewhat interchangeably, with men's and co-ed groups normally using fraternity, and women's groups using either fraternity or sorority. Greek Letter Society is a generic substitute, with he word "Greek" referring to the use of Greek Letters for each society's name, and not to a Greek ethnicity. For brevity, the sections below make extensive use of Greek letters, one of the first items in a new member's instruction program. Most fraternities use two or three Greek letters to signify their symbolic or secret names; a few use non-Greek words.Template:Efn

History

The first fraternity at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) was Chi Phi, established in March 1873.[2][3][4]Template:Efn However, its charter was withdrawn in 1878.[5] Chapters of Alpha Tau Omega and Theta Xi were chartered in 1885.[6] In 1886, there were three fraternities at MIT, with a total membership of 39.[5]

In 1886, Sigma Chi became the first MIT fraternity with facilities, renting rooms for its meetings and gatherings.[5] This model was soon followed by the other fraternities.[5] Many MIT fraternities are located in Boston because the institute was originally located in the Back Bay neighborhood, and had no dormitories to house its students. The fraternities and various dining clubs met a need for room and board that was not provided by the operations of the campus. Fraternity housing has continued to expand, both in terms of the size and quality of the individual buildings as well as the number of chapters. Several of MIT's fraternity buildings are today listed on the National Register of Historic Places or are otherwise notable, including former governor's mansions, college deans' mansions, and homes of various early leaders who once resided there.[7] A cursory search of Institute yearbooks will show that dining, and later, fine dining, has remained of particular interest to participants. Many chapters extol the quality of their gourmet or commercial kitchens in their photo tours and rush materials.

In 1900, 16.1 percent or 234 students were members of MIT's eight fraternities.[8][5] Within the next six years, Delta Psi had formed from The No. 6 Club (local), the local fraternity Phi Beta Epsilon had formed, and chapters were chartered for the national fraternities Chi Phi, Delta Kappa Epsilon, Delta Tau Delta, Delta Upsilon, and Phi Gamma Delta.[5][2][3] By 1915, MIT had twenty fraternities with 481 active members or 29 percent of the student body.[5] Around that time, the fraternities organized into the Interfraternity Council (IFC) which coordinated recruitment (rush) and intramural Greek athletics such as baseball and bowling.[5] One early tradition established by the IFC with the support of faculty was a trophy for the best scholarship record; the trophy was a grandfather clock that was passed on to the fraternity with the best overall grade average after each term.[9]

File:Dinners - etching from the 1900 MIT Technique yearbook, p.197.png
The tradition of fine dining among MIT fraternities is old.

MIT moved to its Cambridge campus in 1916, and newer independent living groups have sprouted up or moved in around it. Older organizations are located along Newbury Street, convenient to the old campus. Because of the move, MIT doesn't have a specific Greek Row; instead, chapter houses are scattered on both sides of the Charles River in Boston, Cambridge, and the surrounding towns.

The Technique yearbook provides a window to the growth and popularity of MIT's Greek organizations for almost 150 years.

Demographic changes

From the 1860s through World War II, MIT students were almost entirely male, thus, the formation of women's fraternities or sororities came much later. By the 2000s, the Institute's undergraduate gender ratio reached near parity. En route to this more balanced, modern phase, a period of demographic and political change in the 1960s and 1970s, following larger national trends, resulted in the conversion of several all-male, nationally affiliated living groups into local co-ed groups and led to the expansion of all-female and co-ed housing options. Most of the resultant fraternities, sororities, and independent living groups are coordinated through the Office of Fraternities, Sororities, and Independent Living Groups (FSILGs),[10] though some independent "MIT-area" chapters do arise from time to time, along with those that serve students from multiple schools in Boston and the surrounding cities.

Recruitment traditions

Traditionally, fraternity and sorority recruitment or rush[11] at MIT occurred during Residence/Orientation (R/O) Week, which was the final week of each summer before the start of the fall semester. All incoming freshmen and transfer students would arrive on campus a week before Registration Day, the official start of the fall semester. During R/O Week, the incoming class would participate in orientation activities, take the so-called writing test to attempt to test out of the MIT Writing Requirement, and participate in residence selection. All students were free to participate in the fraternity, sorority, and independent living group rush. Those students who did not end up in an off-campus living group would also participate in the dorm selection process (see Housing at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology).

Freshman housing rush was eliminated in an initiative led by MIT president Charles Vest in the wake of the September 1997 death of Phi Gamma Delta freshman Scott Krueger.[12] Beginning with the 2002–2003 academic year, all freshmen were required to live on campus. The old fraternity rush has been depressurized, with recruiting spread out throughout the first academic year, and less-frantic rush events for prospective new members.

Fraternities

As of the fall of 2023, 43 percent of MIT's male students belong to a fraternity.[1] Fraternities constituting the Interfraternity Council (IFC) are listed by dates of local founding and noted with national conference membership. These are (with several exceptions) men's organizations, voluntarily coordinating their efforts within the IFC as a self-governing body.[13] As part of IFC or national organization self-governance or University disciplinary action, chapters may be suspended (de-recognized) or closed for a time. In the following lists, if a chapter is closed, it will be grouped under inactive chapters, italicized, while active chapters or those suspended for a brief time are in bold.

Active fraternity chapters

Following are the active fraternities at MIT.[2][3][14][10][15]Template:Smalldiv

Fraternity chapters with name changes

Following are former names of fraternities at MIT.[3][2][14]

  • Navajo Club (local) - 1878–1890, an interim group that became Script error: No such module "Lang".
  • Number 6 Club (local) -1887–1889, became Script error: No such module "Lang".Template:Efn
  • Script error: No such module "Lang". - Alpha Epsilon (local), 1902–1906, became Script error: No such module "Lang".
  • Script error: No such module "Lang". - Lambda Phi (local), 1906–1925, inspired Script error: No such module "Lang".[38]
  • Script error: No such module "Lang". - Kappa Theta (local), 1908–1913, became Script error: No such module "Lang".Template:Efn
  • Script error: No such module "Lang". - Delta Kappa Phi (local), 1912–1914, became Script error: No such module "Lang".
  • Script error: No such module "Lang". - Sigma Alpha Mu, 1917–1973 (NIC), became Fenway House, an Independent Living Group[27]Template:Efn
  • Script error: No such module "Lang". - Phi Kappa, 1918–1959, became Script error: No such module "Lang".[2]Template:RpTemplate:Efn
  • Script error: No such module "Lang". - Tau Epsilon Phi, 1919–1930, 1957–2023 (NIC), co-ed, became Xi Fellowship [42][27]Template:Efn
  • Script error: No such module "Lang". - Phi Beta Delta, 1920–1941, Jewish, (see Script error: No such module "Lang".)[2]Template:Rp[27]Template:Efn
  • Script error: No such module "Lang". - Phi Sigma Delta, 1921–1927, Jewish, (see Script error: No such module "Lang".)[27]Template:Efn
  • Sigma Nu Club (local) - 1921–1922, became Script error: No such module "Lang".[43]Template:Efn
  • Script error: No such module "Lang". - Phi Mu Delta,1922–1977, became Script error: No such module "Lang".[44]Template:Efn
  • Script error: No such module "Lang". - Psi Delta (local), 1922–1932, (NIC), became Script error: No such module "Lang".[14][45]
  • Script error: No such module "Lang". - Sigma Omega Psi, 1922–1935?, Jewish, became Script error: No such module "Lang".[2]Template:Rp[27]Template:Efn
  • Alpha Club (local) - 1929–1929, became ΑΚΠ (see ΑΣΦ)Template:Efn
  • Script error: No such module "Lang". - Alpha Kappa Pi - 1929–1940, became ΑΣΦTemplate:Efn
  • Pegis Club (local) - 1948–1952, became Script error: No such module "Lang".
  • Dover Club (local) - 1956–1961, became Script error: No such module "Lang".[46]Template:Efn
  • Script error: No such module "Lang". - Pi Kappa Alpha, 1970–1981, 2010-11 (NIC), became pika, an Independent Living GroupTemplate:Efn
  • Script error: No such module "Lang". - Delta Pi (local), 1990–1995, became Script error: No such module "Lang".Template:EfnTemplate:Efn

Inactive fraternity chapters

Following are the inactive fraternities at MIT.[2][3][14][10]

Gallery of fraternity chapter houses

Many MIT-affiliated fraternities and sororities own private buildings in the Back Bay and Fenway–Kenmore neighborhoods in Boston.[62]

Sororities

As of the fall of 2023, 23 percent of MIT's female students belong to a sorority.[1]The sororities, listed below with dates of local founding and national conference membership, are women's organizations that voluntarily coordinate their efforts within MIT's Panhellenic Association (PHA).[63][64] For convenience, the term "sorority" is used throughout, though some of these organizations are "women's fraternities," and were so named before the popularization of the term sorority. The terms are synonymous.

File:AxoHouse.JPG
Interior of ΑΧΩ's Theta Omicron chapter house at MIT

Sorority properties are generally owned or leased by a chapter's alumni club, though some chapters do not have housing. As part of PHA or national organization self-governance, or University disciplinary action, chapters may be suspended (de-recognized) or closed for a time. If a chapter is closed and/or forfeits its housing, it will be listed as a dormant chapter.

In the following lists, if a chapter is closed, it will be grouped under inactive chapters, italicized, while active chapters or those suspended for a brief time are in bold. Following are the sororities and women's fraternities at MIT, with National Panhellenic Conference indicated by NPC.[2][3][14][10]

Active sorority chapters

Sororities chapters with name changes

  • Script error: No such module "Lang". - Eta Sigma Mu (local), 1890–1895, became The Cleofan.[71]Template:Efn
  • Bon 3 Club (local), 1968–2014, became Script error: No such module "Lang".[72]
  • Club Amherst (local), 1981–1984, became Script error: No such module "Lang".
  • The Thalians (local), 1985–1986, became Script error: No such module "Lang".
  • Script error: No such module "Lang". - Sigma Iota Phi (local), 1992–1995, became Script error: No such module "Lang".[27]

Inactive sorority chapters

Following are the inactive sororities and women's fraternities at MIT.[10][3]

Multicultural Greek Council

Originally ethnic or language-affiliated, these organizations are now fully integrated, as are MIT's general Greek letter organizations and ILGs. They make up the fourth Greek Council within FSILG. Their historical affiliation may be reviewed by reading their local or national histories. Some of the men's groups also participate in IFC events, and the women's groups in PHA events.

Multicultural Greek Council (MGC) chapters are non-residential and often serve several schools in the Boston area. Additional schools are listed in the references for each group. They may or may not be under the authority of the Office of FSILG. Further, the historically Black Greek associations (NPHC and NPC) have adopted a heightened focus on alumni and adult programming, usually with distinct alumni chapters that also exist locally. On the MIT campus, the inter-Greek councils will, as needed, cooperate on programs and policies, as do individual chapters from among the several Greek councils.

Following are the active MGC fraternities and sororities at MIT, listed by date of local founding and national conference membership, these are either men's or women's organizations, voluntarily coordinating their efforts within the larger Multicultural Greek Council (MGC).[2][3][14][10] In the following lists, if a chapter is closed, it will be grouped under inactive chapters, italicized, while active chapters or those suspended for a brief time are in bold.
Template:Smalldiv

Active cultural fraternity chapters

Active cultural sorority chapters

Inactive historically cultural fraternity chaptersTemplate:Efn

Professional fraternities and sororities

Professional societies emphasize developing skills in a specific major or field of study over social life.[81] Membership includes both students and faculty of a specific field.[81] Professional Fraternity Association members are indicated by PFA.

Active professional fraternity chapters

Inactive professional fraternity chapters

The following professional fraternities formerly operated at MIT.[2][14][10]

Honor and recognition fraternities

File:Honorary Societies, derived from section of 1923 MIT Technique yearbook, p.275.jpg
Honor Societies indicate achievement on a graduate's résumé.

Honor societies recognize students who excel academically or as leaders among their peers, usually within a specific academic discipline.[86] In the following lists, if a chapter is closed, it will be grouped under inactive chapters, italicized, while active chapters or those suspended for a brief time are in bold. Following are the honor societies at MIT, with members of the Association of College Honor Societies indicated by ACHS.[2]

Active honor society chapters

  • Script error: No such module "Lang". - Tau Beta Pi, 1922 (ACHS), engineering honors[87][88]
  • Script error: No such module "Lang". - Chi Epsilon, 1928 (ACHS), civil engineering honors[89]
  • Script error: No such module "Lang". - Sigma Xi, 1934, graduate science and engineering honors[90]
  • Script error: No such module "Lang". - Eta Kappa Nu 1939, IEEE affiliation, electrical engineering, computer engineering honors[91]
  • Script error: No such module "Lang". - Pi Tau Sigma, 1947 (ACHS), mechanical engineering honors[92]
  • Script error: No such module "Lang". - Phi Lambda Upsilon, 1955 (ACHS), chemistry honors[93]
  • Script error: No such module "Lang". - Phi Beta Kappa, 1971, academic honors[94]
  • Script error: No such module "Lang". - Alpha Nu Sigma, 1980?, nuclear energy honors[95]
  • Script error: No such module "Lang". - Sigma Pi Sigma, 1983 (ACHS), physics honors[96][97]
  • National fraternity key societies - There are dozens of these, scholarship honors[2]Template:RpTemplate:Efn

Inactive honor society chapters

Service fraternities

Service fraternities were formed with the intent of providing campus and community service.[86] These organizations are self-governed. Following are the service fraternities at MIT. PFA indicates current or past membership in the Professional Fraternity Association.

See also

Notes

Template:Notelist

References

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  1. ↑ a b c Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  2. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  3. ↑ a b c d e f g h Lurding, Carroll and Becque, Fran. (April 14, 2025) "Institutions - Massachusetts Institute of Technology". Almanac of Fraternities and Sororities. Urbana: University of Illinois. Accessed May 23, 2025.
  4. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  5. ↑ a b c d e f g h Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  6. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  7. ↑ Noted with Wikilinks to specific architectural firms, notable residents, or building citations of merit within the individual chapter listings below.
  8. ↑ 1900 MIT Technique yearbook, p.104.
  9. ↑ Members of the campus IFC were first noted in the MIT Technique yearbook in the 1915 edition, as publication trailed actual events by approximately a year.
  10. ↑ a b c d e f g Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  11. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  12. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  13. ↑ MIT Interfraternity Council website, accessed June 18, 2020.
  14. ↑ a b c d e f g h Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  15. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  16. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  17. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  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".
  23. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  24. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  25. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  26. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  27. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  28. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  29. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  30. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  31. ↑ November 1, 2002 article in The Tech campus newspaper, accessed June 19, 2020.
  32. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  33. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  34. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  35. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  36. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  37. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  38. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  39. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  40. ↑ MIT's Rho Alpha chapter of ΖΨ (website) is located at 233 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA.
  41. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  42. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  43. ↑ 1922 MIT Technique yearbook, p.260.
  44. ↑ Noted in the 1924 MIT Technique yearbook, p.418.
  45. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  46. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  47. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  48. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  49. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  50. ↑ 1895-1898 MIT Technique yearbooks
  51. ↑ 1911 MIT Technique yearbook, pp.232-233
  52. ↑ Baird's 19th, ΘΝΕ website, and a note about Theta Nu Epsilon in ΦΣΚ's Rand History, in a reference cited under that other fraternity, p.190.
  53. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  54. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  55. ↑ 923 MIT Technique yearbook, pp.404-405
  56. ↑ ΑΦΔ national website, accessed June 16, 2020. and Baird's Manual.
  57. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  58. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  59. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  60. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  61. ↑ https://web.mit.edu/technique/www/scans/1920_Technique.pdf
  62. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  63. ↑ There is one co-ed sorority, not recognized by FSILG, on campus.
  64. ↑ MIT Panhellenic Association website, accessed June 18, 2020.
  65. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  66. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  67. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  68. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  69. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  70. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  71. ↑ 1899 MIT Technique yearbook, p.102.
  72. ↑ From ΧΛΜ website, accessed June 18, 2020.
  73. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  74. ↑ https://gamma1916.com/gamma-lineage/
  75. ↑ https://web.mit.edu/technique/www/scans/1922_Technique.pdf
  76. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  77. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  78. ↑ This local wasn't apparent in yearbooks between 1916 and 1922 but was noted in the history of Phi Lambda Alpha, see Spanish translation.
  79. ↑ https://web.mit.edu/technique/www/scans/1925_Technique.pdf
  80. ↑ 1927 MIT Technique yearbook, p.417,
  81. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  82. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  83. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  84. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  85. ↑ 1927 MIT Technique yearbook, p.415.
  86. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  87. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  88. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  89. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  90. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  91. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  92. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  93. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  94. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  95. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  96. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  97. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  98. ↑ 1915 MIT Technique yearbook, p.279
  99. ↑ MIT Technique yearbook, 1927, p.260.
  100. ↑ MIT Technique yearbook, of 1924, p.269.
  101. ↑ 1925 MIT Technique yearbook, p.253.
  102. ↑ 1928 MIT Technique yearbook, p.282.
  103. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".

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External links

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