Delta Phi

American collegiate fraternity From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Delta Phi (ΔΦ) is a fraternal society established in Schenectady, New York, on November 17, 1827. Its first chapter was founded at Union College, and was the third and final member of the Union Triad. In 1879, William Raimond Baird's American College Fraternities characterized the fraternity's membership as being largely drawn from the old Knickerbocker families of New York and New Jersey.

FoundedNovember 17, 1827; 198 years ago (1827-11-17)
Union College
TypeSocial
AffiliationNIC
StatusActive
Quick facts Founded, Type ...
Delta Phi
ΔΦ
FoundedNovember 17, 1827; 198 years ago (1827-11-17)
Union College
TypeSocial
AffiliationNIC
StatusActive
ScopeNational
MottoSemper Ubique
"Always Everywhere"
Colors  Columbia blue and   White
SymbolMaltese Cross
Patron saintSt. Elmo
Chapters12 active
NicknameSt. Elmo, St. Elmo Hall, Elmo
Headquarters120 Providence Road, Suite 102
P.O. Box 4633
Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27514
United States
Websitewww.deltaphi.org
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As of 2024, the fraternity has ten active chapters on the East Coast of the United States. It also uses the names "St. Elmo," "St. Elmo Hall," and "Elmo" in reference to its relation to Erasmus of Formia, the patron saint of sailors, and the Knights of Malta.

History

Delta Phi was founded on November 17, 1827, at Union College by nine upperclassmen.[1] Its founders were:

Delta Phi and the other Union Triad fraternities were established during a time of strong Anti-Masonry sentiment in the United States and became targets of the Anti-Masonry movement.[2] This led Phi Beta Kappa, the original fraternity, to abandon secrecy and become a strictly honor society.[3]

In the early 1830s, Dr. Eliphalet Nott, president of Union College, called for the dissolution of all fraternities. Before this policy could be enacted, John Jay Hyde, a member of Delta Phi, argued the benefits of the fraternity system so convincingly that Dr. Nott relented and permitted the organizations to remain in existence. Hyde went on to design the badge still worn by members of Delta Phi today.

This connection to the Knights of Malta led Delta Phi to become known as "St. Elmo", a name first used by the Omicron chapter at Yale University, which since has transformed into a senior secret society known as St. Elmo Society that is no longer associated with Delta Phi. Beginning at some point shortly after the Omicron chapter's inception in 1889, the brothers there used the name of St. Elmo, the patron saint of mariners and the Knights of Malta.[4] On some campuses, Delta Phi chapters are known almost exclusively as "St. Elmo," "St. Elmo Hall," or simply "Elmo." At Cornell University, the Delta Phi chapter is known as Llenroc, since that was the name of the mansion when it was the residence of Cornell University co-founder Ezra Cornell.

In 1838, the Beta chapter of Delta Phi was founded at Brown University and Delta Phi finally became a "national" fraternity. The Gamma chapter was established at New York University in 1841, followed by the Delta chapter at Columbia University in 1842,[5] the Epsilon chapter at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey[6] in 1845,[5] the Zeta chapter at Harvard University in 1845,[5] which was reorganized in 1901 as the Delphic Club, one of Harvard's prestigious Final Clubs, and the Eta chapter at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia in 1849.[6]

In 1844, Delta Phi held its first convention, only the second fraternity to have such a meeting and was held under the auspices of the Alpha chapter in Troy, New York. In 1847, it held its second convention in New York City and, seeing the growth in the organization, authorized the fraternity to undertake its first printed publication, a complete catalogue of the membership up to 1847. Delta Phi left its base in the Northeast and expanded into what was then still the northwest of the young country, establishing the Iota chapter at University of Michigan in 1855 and the Kappa chapter at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill later the same year.[5]

Delta Phi remains a small fraternity with twelve active chapters and few chapters with more than a couple dozen members. It has resisted expansion in order to create an "intimate, personal experience"[7] for its members. The fraternity's current expansion policy is to reactivate dormant chapters.[7] As a member of the Union Triad, Delta Phi is the third oldest fraternity in the United States.

A Delta Phi badge

Symbols

Delta Phi's mott is Semper Ubique or "Always Everywhere". Its badge includes a Maltese Cross, a symbol used by the Knights of Malta.

The fraternity's colors are Columbia blue and white. Its nicknames are St. Elmo, St. Elmo Hall, and Elmo in reference to its relation to Erasmus of Formia, the patron saint of sailors, and the Knights of Malta.

Chapters

These are the chapters of Delta Phi, with active chapters indicated in bold and inactive chapters in italics.[8][9][10]

More information Chapter, Charter date and range ...
Chapter Charter date and range Institution Location Status Ref.
Alpha November 17, 1827 – 1999 Union College Schenectady, New York Inactive
Beta 1838–1856, 1868–1877, 1881–1966, 1983–2011 Brown University Providence, Rhode Island Withdrew (local) [a]
Gamma 1841–2019 New York University New York City, New York Inactive
Delta 1842–2001 Columbia University New York City, New York Inactive
Epsilon 1845–1999, 2003 Rutgers University–New Brunswick New Brunswick, New Jersey Active [11]
Zeta 1845–1848, 1885–1901 Harvard University Cambridge, Massachusetts Withdrew (local) [b]
Eta 1849–1871, 1882 University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Active [12][c]
Theta 1854–1877 Princeton University Princeton, New Jersey Inactive
Iota 1855–1874, 1923–1936 University of Michigan Ann Arbor, Michigan Inactive [d]
Kappa 1856–1861 University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, North Carolina Inactive
Lambda 1864 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Troy, New York Active [13]
Mu 1874–1876 Colgate University Hamilton, New York Inactive
Nu 1884–2015 Lehigh University Bethlehem, Pennsylvania Inactive [14][e]
Xi 1885–1916, 1921 Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, Maryland Active [f]
Omicron 1889–1925 Yale University New Haven, Connecticut Withdrew (local) [15][g]
Pi 1891–2018, 2022 Cornell University Ithaca, New York Active [16]
Rho 1908 University of Virginia Charlottesville, Virginia Active
Sigma 1917–1965, 1982–2001 Trinity College Hartford, Connecticut Inactive [h]
Tau 1920–2009 University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Champaign, Illinois Inactive [i]
Upsilon 1926–1965 Williams College Williamstown, Massachusetts Inactive [j]
Phi 1940–2020 Kenyon College Gambier, Ohio Withdrew (local) [17][k]
Chi 1950 Hamilton College Clinton, New York Active [18][l]
Psi 1960–1974, 1986–2007, 2015 Pennsylvania State University State College, Pennsylvania Active [m]
Omega 1968–2020, 2026 University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Active [n]
Omega Alpha 1987–2024 College of William and Mary Williamsburg, Virginia Inactive [19][20][21][o]
Omega Beta 1994–2001 Wabash College Crawfordsville, Indiana Inactive
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  1. [a]
    At its 1966 reorganization, the Beta chapter was created from Delta Phi Omega (local). This chapter disaffiliated from the national fraternity but remains active under the name of Delta Phi (local) and continues to use the fraternity's crest.
  2. [b]
    This chapter withdrew and became the Delphic Club.
  3. [c]
    Chapter was revived in 1882 by absorbing Delta Beta Phi (local), which had formed in 1878. It went coed in 1979.
  4. [d]
    Iota chapter was revived in 1923 by absorbing Kappa Beta Psi (local), established in 1912.
  5. [e]
    Chapter formed from Alpha Gamma Phi (local).
  6. [f]
    Chapter was revived in 1921 by absorbing Beta Beta (local).
  7. [g]
    Omicron chapter dissociated with Delta Phi and is now known as the St. Elmo Society (local).
  8. [h]
    Chapter formed from Iota Kappa Lambda (local), established in 1829.
  9. [i]
    Chapter formed from the Iris Club (local), established in 1908.
  10. [j]
    Chapter formed from Alpha Tau Alpha (local), established in 1925. Williams College banned all fraternities in the 1960s, phasing them out by 1970.
  11. [k]
    Chapter formed from Alpha Pi Tau (local), established in 1927. The chapter withdrew from the fraternity in 2020 to become a local fraternity.
  12. [l]
    Chapter formed from Alpha Chi (local), established in 1947.
  13. [m]
    Chapter formed from the Beaver Society (local), established in 1935.
  14. [n]
    Chapter formed from Lambda Sigma Rho (local), established in 1965.
  15. [o]
    In March 2020, William & Mary suspended the chapter through the spring 2028 semester for violations of hazing and alcohol policies. However, the fraternity did not withdraw the chapter's charter, allowing the group to continue as an unofficial student organization.

Activities

Overall alumni participation among active chapters remains strong, with chapters hosting several social events throughout the year.[22][23]

On or around November 17 of every year, the national organization sponsors the Founder's Day Dinner at the Saint Elmo Club where undergraduates and alumni celebrate the founding of the fraternity.[24]

Governance and organization

Owing mostly to its development in the early 19th century, Delta Phi organizes itself federally. Individual alumni chapters still exercise significant power over chapter governance. Those powers that are given in the national organization are vested in the Board of Governors.[25] The board consists of one member appointed from each alumni chapter. Among the duties given to the board is hiring the executive director who oversees day-to-day management of the fraternity.[25]

In addition to the national governing organization of the fraternity, Delta Phi alumni have also established the Saint Elmo Foundation which, among other things, sponsors the annual leadership weekend and provides scholarships to undergraduate members of Delta Phi.[26]

Notable members

Main article: List of Delta Phi members

See also

References

External links

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