Dartmouth College Greek organizations
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Dartmouth College is host to many Greek organizations and a significant percentage of the undergraduate student body is active in Greek life. In 2005, the school stated that 1,785 students were members of a fraternity, sorority, or coeducational Greek house, about 60 percent of the eligible student body.[1] Dartmouth College was among the first institutions of higher education to desegregate fraternity houses in the 1950s, and was involved in the movement to create coeducational Greek houses in the 1970s. In the early 2000s, campus-wide debate focused on whether or not the Greek system at Dartmouth would become "substantially coeducational", but most houses retain single-sex membership policies. Currently, Dartmouth College extends official recognition to sixteen all-male fraternities, nine all-female sororities, and three coeducational fraternities. One all-male fraternity operates independently from the college and without college sanction.
[edit] History
The first group that is today called a social fraternity at Dartmouth, (the Zeta chapter of Psi Upsilon), was founded in 1842, and was followed by ten additional fraternities by 1900. Fraternities on campus went through difficult times during the Great Depression. Four fraternities dissolved and two were forced to merge together to pool scarce financial resources in order to survive. A campus-wide referendum held in 1954 on the issue of desegregation of fraternities resulted in a majority in favor of requiring fraternities on campus to eliminate racially discriminatory membership policies by the year 1960, and to secede from national groups that retained such policies in their charters. This became a binding obligation imposed on the fraternities by the college administration, and several fraternities at Dartmouth dissociated from their national organizations. In 1967, the faculty of Arts and Sciences voted 67-16 to adopt a proposal to abolish fraternities at Dartmouth, but the proposal was rejected by the Board of Trustees.
The College first began admitting women as full-time students in 1972. Five local fraternities (Alpha Theta, Delta Psi Delta, Phi Sigma Psi/Panarchy, Phi Tau, and The Tabard) all decided to adopt a coeducational membership policy and admit women as full members around the same time. The first sorority was also founded on campus soon thereafter, in 1977. In 1982, the administration announced that Greek organizations would have to comply with a set of "minimum standards", enforced through annual reviews, in order to remain in good standing with the College.
The College introduced undergraduate societies to campus in 1993, as a residential and social alternative to Greek organizations. Similar to the Greek houses in many respects, undergraduate societies were required to have open, coeducational membership policies. Panarchy, a coeducational fraternity with a 97 year history at Dartmouth, voted to change its status to an undergraduate society and was joined the following year by a newly-formed society, called Amarna.[2] In 1999, the college administration announced a "Residential and Social Life Initiative" to improve campus life. Speculation that all single-sex fraternities and sororities would be required to adopt coeducational membership policies led to intense campus debate, but no such requirement was ever formally proposed.
- External link: History of CFS Organizations at Dartmouth
[edit] Fraternities
[edit] Alpha Chi Alpha
Alpha Chi Alpha (AXA, Alpha Chi) was founded in 1956 as the Phi Nu chapter of Alpha Chi Rho, a national fraternal organization. A previous Phi Nu chapter of Alpha Chi Rho had merged with the Kappa chapter of Phi Kappa Sigma in 1935 to become Gamma Delta Chi, a local fraternity still in existence at Dartmouth. The second Phi Nu chapter of Alpha Chi Rho is unrelated to the first chapter. The men of Alpha Chi Rho again broke away from the national group in 1963 and became a local fraternity named Alpha Chi Alpha. The Dartmouth chapter objected to a clause in the national fraternity organization's constitution that required all Alpha Chi Rho brothers to "accept Jesus as their lord and savior." The land and house used by the Alpha Chi Alpha fraternity are owned by the college. Dartmouth invested $1.3 Million in renovations completed in the fall of 2004, which included the razing of the “Barn” structure that was used as social space by the brothers of Alpha Chi Alpha to make way for a new expanded basement and main floor area. Renovations on the Alpha Chi Alpha physical plant were completed in fall, 2004; the newest reincarnation of Alpha Chi Alpha is able to house twenty-four resident brothers.
- External link: Alpha Chi Alpha at Dartmouth College
[edit] Alpha Delta
Alpha Delta (AD) was founded in 1847 as the Dartmouth chapter of Alpha Delta Phi, a national fraternity. The third fraternity founded at Dartmouth, Alpha Delta has never had a discrimination clause in its charter or constitution. The house dissociated from the national in 1969 and renamed itself Alpha Delta Fraternity.
Alpha Delta is perhaps most famous (or infamous) for being the inspiration behind the movie National Lampoon's Animal House. The script, written by Chris Miller, Dartmouth and Alpha Delta Phi Class of 1961, was inspired by a series of short stories Miller wrote in the Dartmouth Jack-O-Lantern about his experiences as a member of Alpha Delta Phi.
[edit] Alpha Phi Alpha
The Theta Zeta chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha was founded at Dartmouth College in 1973. An historically African-American national fraternity, Alpha Phi Alpha once had residential space in a duplex structure that, since renovated, today houses the Delta Delta Delta sorority.
- External link: Alpha Phi Alpha at Dartmouth College
[edit] Bones Gate
Bones Gate (BG) was founded in 1901 as the Gamma Gamma chapter of Delta Tau Delta Fraternity. The fraternity remained a chapter of the Delta Tau Delta national until 1960, when the house seceded due to a disagreement over the acceptance of minority brothers (the national sought to bar the membership of minorities). The fraternity at Dartmouth went unnamed until 1962, when the name was changed to Bones Gate after a tavern and boarding house in Chessington, England where a number of brothers spent most of their foreign study program. The house prides itself on its one hundred year old traditions. In the summer 2005, the Bones Gate residence underwent significant structural renovations. Changes include: an enclosed fire escape running from the basement to the third floor, a new bathroom on the ground floor (and the rehabilitation of all three existing bathrooms), and alterations to bedrooms (encompassing both alterations to existing rooms and creation of new rooms).
The brothers strive to live by their credo of welcoming friends to their house - "This Gate Hangs High and Hinders None. Refresh, Enjoy and Travel On."
- External link: Bones Gate at Dartmouth College
[edit] Chi Gamma Epsilon
Chi Gamma Epsilon (Chi Gam) was founded in 1905 as the Gamma Epsilon chapter of Kappa Sigma, a national fraternity. The Dartmouth chapter dissociated from the national fraternity in 1987. The disputes with the national organization were primarily over the amount of loans the national organization could offer the local chapter. Initially, the new local fraternity adopted the name Kappa Sigma Gamma, but the national fraternity took offense to the likeness of the names. After a period simply being known by its address, 7 Webster Avenue, the fraternity came upon the name by which it is now known.
- External link: Chi Gamma Epsilon at Dartmouth College
[edit] Chi Heorot
Chi Heorot (Heorot) was founded in 1897 as a local fraternity named Alpha Alpha Omega, and in 1902 was granted a charter as the Chi chapter of Chi Phi. In 1903, the fraternity moved to its present location, and in 1927 it sold off its eighteenth-century house and built the house that stands today. By the mid-1900s, the Dartmouth chapter of Chi Phi was having some issues with its national charter. In 1968, the house finally dissociated from the national fraternity. It was then that the house became Chi Phi Heorot, but after several suspensions by the College in the early eighties, it re-joined the national in 1982. This was short-lived; in 1985, because of damage done to the house that the national refused to help pay for, Heorot again opted to become a local fraternity, and the college assumed ownership of the property and house. The fraternity chose the name Chi Heorot, derived from the medieval poem Beowulf, where Heorot is the great hall where warriors converge to tell their stories. Like many of Dartmouth's other fraternitities, Chi Heorot, or Heorot as it is most often called, draws a good deal of its brotherhood from athletic teams. Most well represented at Heorot is the men's hockey team, while the men's cross-country, track and field, rowing, and ski teams also make up a good deal of the brotherhood.
- External link: Chi Heorot at Dartmouth College
[edit] Gamma Delta Chi
Gamma Delta Chi (GDX) can trace its history to two fraternities on the Dartmouth College campus. Gamma Delta Epsilon, a local fraternity was founded in 1908. It disbanded in 1912, but was reformed in 1921. In 1928, the Gamma Delta Epsilon house sought to establish itself as a chapter of a national fraternity and obtained a charter from the Phi Kappa Sigma national fraternity, becoming its Kappa Chapter. Another fraternity, Epsilon Kappa Alpha, was established as a local fraternity on the Dartmouth campus in 1915. As with Gamma Delta Epsilon, Epsilon Kappa Alpha sought to become a chapter of a national fraternity and was granted a charter as the Phi Nu chapter of Alpha Chi Rho in 1918. The Dartmouth chapters of Alpha Chi Rho and Phi Kappa Sigma found themselves in similar financial situations in 1934. Both chapters owned prime lots near campus that lacked adequate residential structures. The two fraternities decided to share their resources and in 1935 merged to become a new local fraternity, Gamma Delta Chi. The lot formerly owned by Alpha Chi Rho was sold to the Church of Christ at Dartmouth where a new church building was constructed, and the revenue from the sale supported the construction of a new house at Gamma Delta Chi's current location. (The Alpha Chi Rho national fraternity would later re-establish a Phi Nu chapter at Dartmouth in 1956 as a separate fraternity from Gamma Delta Chi. This second Phi Nu chapter would dissociated from the Alpha Chi Rho national in 1963 to become a local fraternity named Alpha Chi Alpha.)
- External link: Gamma Delta Chi at Dartmouth College
[edit] Kappa Alpha Psi
Kappa Alpha Psi at Dartmouth College was founded in 1987 as the Dartmouth chapter of the national fraternity. Kappa Alpha Psi is one of two historically African-American fraternities at Dartmouth College.
- External link: Kappa Alpha Psi national fraternity
[edit] Kappa Kappa Kappa
Kappa Kappa Kappa (Tri-Kap) is a local fraternity founded in 1842. It is one of the oldest local Greek houses in the nation and the second permanent Greek-letter fraternal society established at Dartmouth. Kappa Kappa Kappa was originally founded as a reading society by three men. The pillars of the society included battling against the shams of aristocracy, promoting the interests of democracy, and promoting the general interests of the college. The organization has no affiliation with the Ku Klux Klan, which was founded after Kappa Kappa Kappa and unfortunately adopted Roman-alphabet initials, “KKK,” similar to the Greek letters of Kappa Kappa Kappa. According to legend, Kappa Kappa Kappa sued the Ku Klux Klan for defamation of name but lost because the judge ruled the similarity in initials of the organizations as sheer coincidence. In 1984 the brothers of Kappa Kappa Kappa forced two gay brothers to depledge and listed a third gay brother as permanently inactive (against his will). In the early 1990s, Kappa Kappa Kappa changed its name to Kappa Chi Kappa ("Bi-Kap"), but under extreme protest from the alumni. It returned to the traditional name in the mid 1990s, and alumni support was revived. Concurrently, or shortly thereafter, the house was block rushed by the Korean-American Students Association, a fact that can still be seen today as about a third of Kappa Kappa Kappa's brothers are Asian. Famous members of the society include U.S. Senators Daniel Webster '01 (honorary) and Lewis Cass, co-founder of Alcoholics Anonymous Dr. Bob Smith, White House speechwriter Peter Robinson, Pulitzer Prize winner David Shribman, retired NFL kicker Nick Lowery, and writer Leonard Chang.
- External link: Kappa Kappa Kappa at Dartmouth College
[edit] Lambda Upsilon Lambda
Lambda Upsilon Lambda, known more formally as La Unidad Latina, Lambda Upsilon Lambda Fraternity, Inc. was founded at Dartmouth in 1997. The Psi Chapter of Lambda Upsilon Lambda is the College's first historically Latino fraternity.
- External link: Lambda Upsilon Lambda at Dartmouth College
- External link: Lambda Upsilon Lambda national fraternity
[edit] Phi Delta Alpha
Phi Delta Alpha (Phi Delt) was founded in 1884 as the Dartmouth chapter of Phi Delta Theta, a national fraternity. In 1959, the Dartmouth chapter broke away from national because the national would not allow minorities to pledge the house. The new, local fraternity replaced the last letter in its name with Alpha, and from then on has been known as Phi Delta Alpha. In March 2000, the fraternity was derecognized for various reasons. One of the primary reasons for the punishment was that four members of the Phi Delta Alpha started a fire in the Chi Gamma Epsilon basement next door. Needless to say, the administration did not take well to this action. Under the leadership of Gig Faux, class of 1984, Phi Delta Alpha applied to the College for rerecognition in fall, 2002. The first rush class was in the winter of 2003. Current General Electric CEO, Jeffrey Immelt, class of 1978, was a former president of Phi Delta Alpha. [1]
[edit] Psi Upsilon
The Zeta Chapter of Psi Upsilon International Fraternity for Men (Psi U) was founded at Dartmouth in 1842, the first fraternity at Dartmouth College. In 1907, Psi Upsilon built the wood frame house it still occupies. Several additions during the past fifty years greatly improved the structure to its present condition, housing twenty or more resident brothers each year. F. Scott Fitzgerald famously enjoyed Winter Carnival of 1938 in the Psi Upsilon chapter house. Whereas Psi Upsilon chapters have faltered at other campuses, the Zeta chapter has thrived, partly because of its central location and partly because of its reputation as the "keg jumping fraternity". It also holds the reputation for having the school's toughest pledge period, over a grueling eight weeks in the dead of winter. The house has a reputation for attracting brothers from a variety of different sports teams, including swimming, lacrosse, sailing, squash, tennis, golf, crew, and basketball. The most famous alumnus of the Zeta chapter of Psi Upsilon is former United States Vice President Nelson Rockefeller. The house itself underwent substantial renovations during the spring of 2006.
- External link: Psi Upsilon house
- External link: Psi Upsilon Mud Bowl
- External link: Psi Upsilon national fraternity
[edit] Sigma Alpha Epsilon
Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE) at Dartmouth College was founded in 1903 as a local fraternity named Chi Tau Kappa. In 1908, the fraternity sought to associate itself with a national fraternity and was granted a charter from Sigma Alpha Epsilon to became the New Hampshire Alpha chapter. Members are encouraged to emulate the tenets of The True Gentleman, a statement written by John Walter Wayland. Notable alumni of the chapter include Henry M. Paulson, Jr., CEO of Goldman Sachs and Barry McLean, benefactor to Dartmouth College.
- External link: Sigma Alpha Epsilon at Dartmouth College
- External link: Sigma Alpha Epsilon national fraternity
[edit] Sigma Phi Epsilon
Sigma Phi Epsilon (Sig Ep) at Dartmouth College was founded in 1908 as the local fraternity Omicron Pi Sigma. In 1909, the local fraternity became New Hampshire Alpha Chapter of Sigma Phi Epsilon. In 1967, the house dissociated from the national organization and became local, adopting the name Sigma Theta Epsilon. The local fraternity decided to rejoin Sigma Phi Epsilon in 1981. Sigma Phi Epsilon is known for its Balanced Man Project, an ongoing program of development that pushes brothers to challenge themselves and to use their different talents and backgrounds to strengthen the house and contribute positively to the College and the Upper Valley community. Members of Sigma Phi Epsilon become brothers the moment they sink their bids, without having to endure a traditional pledge period. Sigma Phi Epsilon is also the largest fraternity at Dartmouth College. Prominent alumni include Theodore S. Geisel '25, who is better known as "Dr. Seuss".
- External link: Sigma Phi Epsilon at Dartmouth College
[edit] Sigma Nu
Sigma Nu (Sig Nu) at Dartmouth College was originally formed in 1903 as the Pukwana Club, an organization that was created as a reaction to the perceived elitism of Greek organizations at the time. The club’s concept was based on the love for the traditions of Dartmouth, faithful friendship, and honorable dealings. In 1907, the Pukwana Club joined the national fraternity system after it received a charter to become the Delta Beta chapter of Sigma Nu. Sigma Nu’s “Way of Honor” principle was very similar to the principles expressed in the Pukwana Club’s original charter, so it seemed like the natural choice to the members of the time. The first residence for Sigma Nu at Dartmouth was purchased and refurbished in 1911. Known as the Green Castle, it served as headquarters until the current house was built in 1925. In response to the national fraternity’s segregationist membership policies, the fraternity went local in 1969, becoming Sigma Nu Delta. In 1984, after the national fraternity's policies were changed, the fraternity reaffiliated with the national.
[edit] Theta Delta Chi
Theta Delta Chi (Theta Delt) was founded at Dartmouth College in 1869 as the Omicron Deuteron chapter of the national fraternity, and was the eighth fraternity founded at Dartmouth. Almost all the brothers participate on athletic teams or other campus organizations. Theta Delt is located on West Wheelock street. It has graduated several distinguished Dartmouth alumni, including Robert Frost, class of 1896. Like many houses on campus, several sports teams are well represented. These teams include Lacrosse, Basketball, Tennis, and Football among others.
- External link: Theta Delta Chi national fraternity
[edit] Zeta Psi
Zeta Psi (Zete) at Dartmouth College was founded in 1853 as the Psi chapter of the national fraternity, and was the fifth fraternity founded at the College. The fraternity became inactive in 1863, but was revived from 1871 through 1873 when it again became inactive. The current Psi Epsilon Chapter of Zeta Psi at Dartmouth was established in 1920. In 2001, the Dartmouth chapter was derecognized by college administrators who claimed that "the fraternity harassed specific fellow students and violated ethical standards that Dartmouth student organizations agree to uphold, by periodically creating and circulating among Zeta Psi members 'newsletters' that purported to describe situations, some of them of a sexual nature, of various members of the fraternity and other students." [2] Zeta Psi, meanwhile, countered that "nothing could be further from the truth... Dartmouth College lacks jurisdiction to punish Psi Epsilon of Zeta Psi's for alleged violations of its own rules or regulations." [3] Zeta Psi was, nevertheless, a College recognized student organization subject to the rules of the College, and the suspension remains in force. The derecognition of Zeta Psi at Dartmouth College was reported in this collection of articles published in The Dartmouth newspaper. Today, Zeta Psi continues to operate as an independent fraternity, not officially recognized by Dartmouth College.
- External link: Zeta Psi national fraternity
[edit] Sororities
[edit] Alpha Kappa Alpha
Alpha Kappa Alpha (AKA) at Dartmouth College was founded in 1983 as the Xi Lambda chapter of the national sorority.
- External link: Alpha Kappa Alpha national sorority
There is not currently an AKA chapter active at Dartmouth.
[edit] Alpha Phi
Alpha Phi (ΑΦ) was recognized on March 3, 2006, as a "colony" of the international sorority. It will officially become a chapter during the fall of 2006. After much debate about the addition of a ninth sorority to the Dartmouth campus, the Alpha Phi organization was selected and approved by the Dartmouth Panhellenic Council and the Office of Residential Life.
- External link: Alpha Phi international sorority
- External link: "Dartmouth Approves New Sorority Chapter: Alpha Phi"
[edit] Alpha Xi Delta
The Theta Psi chapter of Alpha Xi Delta (AZD) was founded as Delta Pi Omega in 1997. On January 6, 1997, the local sorority was officially recognized by the College, and on July 2, 1997, the sisters voted to affiliate with the Alpha Xi Delta national sorority. On February 21, 1998 the local was granted a charter by the national as the Theta Psi chapter. Alpha Xi Delta occupies the house once home to Beta Theta Pi, a fraternity that was permanently derecognized from the College and from its national organization for misconduct. In its short time at Dartmouth, Alpha Xi Delta has graduated a Rhodes Scholar and two Fulbright Scholars, as well as many other illustrious alumni. Alpha Xi Delta embraces its national affiliation for its progressive ideals, strong sisterhood, and promotion of achievement through the "Realize Your Potential" campaign.
- External link: Alpha Xi Delta at Dartmouth College
- External link: Alpha Xi Delta national sorority
[edit] Delta Delta Delta
Delta Delta Delta (Tri-Delt) at Dartmouth College was founded as the Gamma Gamma chapter of the national sorority in 1984. The house was the first sorority to secede from the Co-ed Fraternity Sorority Council in the spring of 2000, and today is a member of the Panhellenic Council, which represents the interests of the sororities on campus.
- External link: Delta Delta Delta at Dartmouth College
[edit] Delta Sigma Theta
Delta Sigma Theta at Dartmouth College was founded in 1983 as the Che-Ase Interest Group. At the time, the College had imposed a moratorium on the founding on new sororities, but when the moratorium was lifted, the group was recognized by the college as a sorority in the fall of 1984. The women contacted the Delta Sigma Theta national sorority and were granted a charter as the Pi Theta chapter in the spring of 1985. Delta Sigma Theta provides an extensive array of public service through the Five-Point Thrust Program. This program engages the sister of the house in educational development, economic development, international awareness and involvement, physical and mental health, and political awareness and involvement.
- External link: Delta Sigma Theta at Dartmouth College
[edit] Epsilon Kappa Theta
Epsilon Kappa Theta (EKT, Theta) at Dartmouth College was founded in 1981 as the Epsilon Kappa colony of the Kappa Alpha Theta national sorority. In 1992, the sisters of Kappa Alpha Theta found the strict national rules and the primarily Christian religious readings and rituals of the organization to be antithetical to the spirit of feminism and inclusivity that the chapter desired. The national organization was unhappy with the colony's decision to disobey these rules and failure to observe these rituals. On May 4, 1992, Epsilon Kappa Theta notified Kappa Alpha Theta of its unanimous vote to disaffiliate and become a local sorority. The national organization revoked the charter of Epsilon Kappa. Since then, Epsilon Kappa Theta has resided in a 108-year-old Victorian house and has had a membership of over 100. The organization maintains communication with both its Epsilon Kappa Theta and Kappa Alpha Theta alumnae.
External link: Epsilon Kappa Theta at Dartmouth College
[edit] Kappa Delta Epsilon
Kappa Delta Epsilon (KDE) is a local sorority founded in the fall of 1993 by the Dartmouth Panhellenic Council and is the third-youngest sorority at Dartmouth. After the dissolution of the Xi Kappa Chi local sorority in the spring of 1993, the Panhellenic Council decided that there was a need for a new sorority to replace it. The Kappa Delta Epsilon physical plant was extensively remodeled by the college during the summer of 2003. The newly remodeled building contains a main meetings room, kitchen, two bedrooms and a back porch on the first floor. The second and third floors contain all bedrooms which house about thirteen more resident sisters. The basement consists of the "pub room", the bar room, the fireplace room, and the sisters-only room. Despite being a young sorority, Kappa Delta Epsilon has a large membership and a number of traditions.
- External link: Kappa Delta Epsilon at Dartmouth College
[edit] Kappa Kappa Gamma
The Epsilon Chi chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma (KKG, Kappa) was founded at Dartmouth in 1978, and was the second sorority at Dartmouth College. The sisters of Kappa Kappa Gamma sponsor events for the campus, go on sister retreats, hold barbeques, and have formal and semi-formal dances. They have weekly house meetings in order to communicate news and issues about the house, to catch up on the week’s events, and to spend time with their fellow sisters. Philanthropy is an important part of the Epsilon Chi chapter’s activities. The sisters cook dinners on a regular basis for David’s House, an institution that supports and houses families of sick children at a local hospital, in a joint effort with the brothers of Sigma Alpha Epsilon. They also cook dinners and raise money for a teen pregnancy center, the Hannah House.
- External link: Kappa Kappa Gamma national sorority
[edit] Sigma Delta
Sigma Delta (Sigma Delt) was the first sorority at Dartmouth College, founded in May, 1977 as a chapter of the national sorority Sigma Kappa. In April 1981, Sigma Kappa moved into 10 West Wheelock, formerly inhabited by Phi Gamma Delta Fraternity. Sigma Kappa went local in the fall of 1988, becoming Sigma Delta. Sisters and alumni felt there were irreconcilable differences between the Dartmouth chapter and Sigma Kappa national organization, specifically concerning religion in rituals and an emphasis on men in both national songs and overall attitudes. The classes of 1989, 1990, and 1991 created a new philosophy based on strength, friendship, and acceptance of difference. Since then, Sigma Delta has continued to strive to offer a welcoming environment by hosting a party open to the campus once a term in addition to various programming events. There are currently more than one hundred sisters, sixteen of whom live in the house at any one time.
- External link: Sigma Delta at Dartmouth College
[edit] Coeducational fraternities
[edit] Alpha Theta
Alpha Theta was founded at Dartmouth College on March 3, 1920, by a group of seven Dartmouth students, and in 1921 became the Alpha Theta chapter of Theta Chi. John Sloan Dickey, later President of the College, joined the fraternity in 1928 and was elected house president only two weeks later, while still a pledge. Alpha Theta was one of the first collegiate fraternities in the United States to break from its national organization as a result of civil rights issues. In 1951, while Dickey served as President of the College, the student body passed a resolution calling on all fraternities to eliminate racial discrimination from their constitutions. The Theta Chi national organization's constitution contained a clause limiting membership in fraternity to "Caucasians" only. On April 24, 1952, the members of Alpha Theta voted unanimously to stop recognizing the racial clause in Theta Chi's constitution. Upon learning that the Dartmouth delegation to Theta Chi's national convention later that year planned to raise questions about the clause, the Alpha Theta chapter was derecognized by the national organization on July 25, 1952. The house reincorporated as a local fraternity and adopted the name Alpha Theta. Alpha Theta was also one of the first all-male fraternities to admit female members. In 1972, Dartmouth admitted the first class of female students and officially became a coeducational institution. Alpha Theta also voted to become coeducational. After a few years, most of the women in the fraternity had become inactive and the house voted to become single sex male only again on November 10, 1976. The house returned to a coeducational membership policy in 1980.
- External link: Alpha Theta at Dartmouth College
[edit] Phi Tau
Phi Tau was founded at Dartmouth College in 1905 as the Tau chapter of Phi Sigma Kappa, but dissociated from the national fraternity in 1956 due to the national fraternity's anti-semitic and racist membership policies. Phi Tau prides itself on its progressiveness; when the house constitution was rewritten in 1956, references to gender were deliberately excluded, making the house officially coeducational even before Dartmouth College accepted women as students. Phi Tau is the only coeducational Greek organization at Dartmouth that has always had female members since first admitting them, and was the first Greek house at Dartmouth to add sexual preference to its non-discrimination clause. Members of Phi Tau refer to one another as "brothers" regardless of gender. The fraternity is known for its quarterly "Milque and Cookies" party, featuring thousands of homemade cookies and milkshakes, and for their new building, which was completed in 2002.
- External link: Phi Tau at Dartmouth College
[edit] The Tabard
The Tabard at Dartmouth College was founded in 1857 as a local fraternity named Phi Zeta Mu. In 1893, the house sought to associate itself with a national fraternity and was granted a charter as the Eta Eta chapter of Sigma Chi national fraternity. The fraternity dissociated from the national fraternity organization in 1960 when the national fraternity membership policies continued to discriminate against minorities. The house again became a local fraternity, and took the name of The Tabard. The Tabard, like others at Dartmouth, decided to become coeducational and admit women pledges when the College began admitting women students in 1972. In 1997, the Tabard approved new membership policies that affirmed their policies of non-disrimination on the basis of race, gender, or sexual orientation and further removed self-selection from the pledging process.
- External link: The Tabard at Dartmouth College
[edit] References
- Cited References
- ^ Hughes, C.J. (2006) "Bye Bye SLI." Dartmouth Alumni Magazine. Vol. 98, No. 4, Mar./Apr., 2006, p.18.
- ^ Trustees of Dartmouth College (2006). "Office of Residential Life: Undergraduate Societies". Retrieved Feb. 23, 2006.
