| Both sides previous revisionPrevious revisionNext revision | Previous revision |
| fraternities [2023/11/21 21:09] – [Trinity Fraternities] bant07 | fraternities [2025/02/07 21:02] (current) – [Sources] bant07 |
|---|
| ====== Fraternities ====== | ====== Fraternities ====== |
| |
| Described as "the bones and sinews of the College," ((Trinity Tablet, June 28, 1879)) fraternities, also called Greek Letter Organizations, Greek Life and Secret Societies, are male-only social organizations at colleges and universities. (For all-female Greek organizations, see [[sororities|Sororities]].) Their primary purposes are often stated as the development of character, literary or leadership ability, or a more simple social purpose, rather than a profession. Individual fraternities vary in organization and purpose, but most share elements such as rituals, member selection processes called rushing and pledging, and a campus residential property open only to chapter members. | Described as "the bones and sinews of the College," ((Trinity Tablet, June 28, 1879)) fraternities, also called Greek Letter Organizations or Greek Life, are male-only social organizations at colleges and universities. (For all-female Greek organizations, see [[sororities|Sororities]].) Their primary purposes are often stated as the development of character, literary or leadership ability, or a more simple social purpose, rather than a profession. Individual fraternities vary in organization and purpose, but most share elements such as rituals, member selection processes called rushing and pledging, and a campus residential property open only to chapter members. |
| |
| During the late 18th and early 19th century, college organizations were often called "literary societies" for the purposes of literary, historical, political, and philosophical discussion and debate outside of regular classes. Eventually, the more formal literary organizations gave way to "[[secret_societies|secret societies]]," the earliest precursor to fraternities as they are known today. | During the late 18th and early 19th century, college organizations were often called "literary societies" for the purposes of literary, historical, political, and philosophical discussion and debate outside of regular classes. Eventually, the more formal literary organizations gave way to "[[secret_societies|secret societies]]," the earliest precursor to fraternities as they are known today. |
| |
| Trinity's oldest fraternities were originally formed as secret societies beginning in the 1820s. Membership was small, kept to about six students per year, and there is much overlap and/or evolution between true "Secret Societies" and contemporary fraternities, including Greek letter naming, mottos, symbols, membership houses, and initiations. Other older, miscellaneous and strange organizations cropped up irregularly throughout Trinity's history, especially during the 1870s-1890s. Today, there are only one or two true secret societies on campus. | Trinity's oldest fraternities were originally formed as secret societies beginning in the 1820s. Membership was small, kept to about six students per year, and there is much overlap and/or evolution between true "Secret Societies" and contemporary fraternities, including Greek letter naming, mottos, symbols, membership houses, and initiations. |
| | |
| | [{{ :fraternity.jpg?400|Members of Psi Upsilon outside their fraternity house, ca. 1950. Photo Credit: [[https://www.jstor.org/stable/community.34796120|Trinity College Archives]]}}] |
| |
| Fraternities became a dominating force on Trinity's campus after the [[civil_war|Civil War]]. "The fraternities were totally extracurricular...[they] offered an escape from the monotony, dreariness, and unpleasantness of the collegiate regimen." ((Weaver, p. 107)) ((Rudolph, p. 140)) By 1851, all but two of the twenty-two graduates belonged to one of the four fraternities (then-called secret societies). At the same time, debate and declamation were falling out of fashion for students, and as Trinity's curriculum became more robust, there was no longer a need for extra scholarship outside classes. Some fraternities, however, such as Phi Beta Kappa and Kappa Beta Phi still delivered orations or read poetry. As the fraternities rose in fashion, the literary societies [[parthenon|The Parthenon]] and [[athenaeum|The Athenaeum]] were disbanded in 1870. | Fraternities became a dominating force on Trinity's campus after the [[civil_war|Civil War]]. "The fraternities were totally extracurricular...[they] offered an escape from the monotony, dreariness, and unpleasantness of the collegiate regimen." ((Weaver, p. 107)) ((Rudolph, p. 140)) By 1851, all but two of the twenty-two graduates belonged to one of the four fraternities (then-called secret societies). At the same time, debate and declamation were falling out of fashion for students, and as Trinity's curriculum became more robust, there was no longer a need for extra scholarship outside classes. Some fraternities, however, such as Phi Beta Kappa and Kappa Beta Phi still delivered orations or read poetry. As the fraternities rose in fashion, the literary societies [[parthenon|The Parthenon]] and [[athenaeum|The Athenaeum]] were disbanded in 1870. |
| |
| **Delta Phi (IKA or St. Elmo)** | **Delta Phi (IKA or St. Elmo)** |
| \\ IKA or St. Elmo was founded a secret society in 1829, and is the oldest **local** fraternity in the nation. According to Robert Whaples, IKA was founded in 1829 as The Corax Club, which faculty recognized as a secret society and attempted to disband it. It was not until "1832 that champion and founder of the IKA, John Turner Wait, surrounded by men like Bayley, King, and Lambert, flung to the breeze the purple banner of the IKA. Wait says he but "took hold of something that already informally existed." ((Trinity Tripod, 11/16/1937)) The IKA chapter house at 70 Vernon Street, "St. Elmo's Hall," later the IKA Lodge, was designed by William Brocklesby, Class of 1869, and built in 1882. By 1888, IKA considered joining Delta Phi, an organization that it felt was most consistent with IKA's history, ideals, and traditions. However, it was not until 1917 that IKA became the Sigma Chapter of Delta Phi. The fraternity went dormant in the 1970s and was revived in 1982. | \\ IKA or St. Elmo was founded a secret society in 1829, and is the oldest **local** fraternity in the nation. According to Robert Whaples, IKA was founded in 1829 as The Corax Club, which faculty recognized as a secret society and attempted to disband it. It was not until 1832 "that champion and founder of the IKA, John Turner Wait, surrounded by men like Bayley, King, and Lambert, flung to the breeze the purple banner of the IKA. Wait says he but 'took hold of something that already informally existed.'" ((Trinity Tripod, 11/16/1937)) The IKA chapter house at 70 Vernon Street, "St. Elmo's Hall," later the IKA Lodge, was designed by William Brocklesby, Class of 1869, and built in 1882. By 1888, IKA considered joining Delta Phi, an organization that it felt was most consistent with IKA's history, ideals, and traditions. However, it was not until 1917 that IKA became the Sigma Chapter of Delta Phi. The fraternity went dormant in the 1970s and was revived in 1982. |
| |
| **Delta Psi (St. Anthony Hall) --suspended** | **Delta Psi (St. Anthony Hall) --suspended** |
| \\ Nicknamed "The Hall," the Epsilon Chapter of Delta Psi, organized in 1850, was the first instance of a national fraternity at Trinity College. For many years, it occupied space in downtown [[hartford|Hartford]]. After the move to the [[summit_campus|Summit Campus]], the fraternity occupied its new chapter house--[[st._anthony_hall|St. Anthony Hall]]--in 1877 and later, [[ogilby_hall|Ogilby Hall]]. This extraordinary building was funded by Robert H. Coleman, Class of 1877 and designed by [[cady_josiah_cleaveland|Josiah Cleaveland Cady]] Hon. M.A. 1880, Hon. LL.D. 1905, based on [[burges_william|William Burges]]' home in London. In September, 1984, members of St. Anthony Hall voted to become the second coeducational fraternity at Trinity. In July of 2023, the College suspended the Chapter for three years based on hazing practices. Students who were members of St. Anthony Hall during the suspension period were required to vacate Ogilby Hall and St. Anthony Hall and were forbidden from participating in any Greek Life activities. The three-year timeline "ensures that any Trinity student who was a member of St. Anthony Hall will graduate before the chapter is allowed to reactivate in 2026." | \\ Nicknamed "The Hall," the Epsilon Chapter of Delta Psi, organized in 1850, was the first instance of a national fraternity at Trinity College. For many years, it occupied space in downtown [[hartford|Hartford]]. After the move to the [[summit_campus|Summit Campus]], the fraternity occupied its new chapter house--[[st._anthony_hall|St. Anthony Hall]]--in 1877 and later, [[ogilby_hall|Ogilby Hall]]. This extraordinary building was funded by Robert H. Coleman, Class of 1877 and designed by [[cady_josiah_cleaveland|Josiah Cleaveland Cady]] Hon. M.A. 1880, Hon. LL.D. 1905, based on [[burges_william|William Burges]]' home in London. In September 1984, members of St. Anthony Hall voted to become the second coeducational fraternity at Trinity. In July 2023, the College suspended the Chapter for three years based on hazing practices. Students who were members of St. Anthony Hall during the suspension period were required to vacate Ogilby Hall and St. Anthony Hall and were forbidden from participating in any Greek Life activities. The three-year timeline ensured "that any Trinity student who was a member of St. Anthony Hall will graduate before the chapter is allowed to reactivate in 2026." |
| |
| **Delta Upsilon** | **Delta Upsilon** |
| **Lambda Theta Phi, Latin Fraternity, Inc.** | **Lambda Theta Phi, Latin Fraternity, Inc.** |
| \\ The Psi Chapter of Lambda Theta Phi was founded during the fall semester of 1995 by three Trinity College students who were searching for a brotherhood marked by unity, a feeling of family, an emphasis on leadership on a cultural, community, and collegiate level, and an organization with a history of achievement. Three young men, two of Puerto-Rican descent (Adrian Reyes and Fabian Rivera), and one of Ecuadorian descent (Waldir Alvarez), founded the fraternity’s fourth chapter in Connecticut. The fraternity seems to have existed until around 2020. | \\ The Psi Chapter of Lambda Theta Phi was founded during the fall semester of 1995 by three Trinity College students who were searching for a brotherhood marked by unity, a feeling of family, an emphasis on leadership on a cultural, community, and collegiate level, and an organization with a history of achievement. Three young men, two of Puerto-Rican descent (Adrian Reyes and Fabian Rivera), and one of Ecuadorian descent (Waldir Alvarez), founded the fraternity’s fourth chapter in Connecticut. The fraternity seems to have existed until around 2020. |
| | |
| | **Nu Lambda** |
| | \\ Originally founded as Phi Mu Delta ca. 1950s, this fraternity disbanded in the 1970s. |
| |
| **Phi Beta Kappa** | **Phi Beta Kappa** |
| [[https://dsp.domains.trincoll.edu/TrinityAndSlavery/confederate-symbolism/|Trinity and Slavery - Confederate Symbolism]] (2019) by students in American Studies 406. | [[https://dsp.domains.trincoll.edu/TrinityAndSlavery/confederate-symbolism/|Trinity and Slavery - Confederate Symbolism]] (2019) by students in American Studies 406. |
| |
| [[https://digitalrepository.trincoll.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1000&context=trinslavery|Confederate Symbolism at Trinity College]] (2019) by Tyler Hartmeyer. | [[https://www.jstor.org/stable/community.39166763|Confederate Symbolism at Trinity College]] (2019) by Tyler Hartmeyer. |
| |
| [[https://digitalrepository.trincoll.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=4262&context=tripod|Trinity Tripod]], 10/26/2017. | [[https://www.jstor.org/stable/community.30338920|Trinity Tripod]], 09/26/2017. |
| |
| [[https://tripod.domains.trincoll.edu/features/a-recap-of-the-greek-life-organizations-on-campus/|Trinity Tripod]], 10/18/2017. | [[https://tripod.domains.trincoll.edu/features/a-recap-of-the-greek-life-organizations-on-campus/|Trinity Tripod]], 10/18/2017. |
