Sororities, 1950-2010 | Northern Illinois University

Greek letter social sororities were introduced mainly to provide smaller groups with a sense of personal identification in an increasingly complex college community and technological society.  These organizations had their beginning under President Adams and his wife who were devoted members of Greek organizations during their own college days.  Adams favored their recognition even though several members of his administrative council had some serious misgivings that they would bring a divisive influence into the college which would in time develop antagonisms between members and nonmembers.

The very first sorority was Sigma Chi Sigma which was formed around 1931 to promote "high scholarship, to uphold the ideals of true comradeship, and to achieve success through service."  In 1944, they joined the national Sigma Sigma Sigma sorority, which for many years had chapters in first-rank teachers colleges.

A second group, organized in 1938 by girls interested in scouting, was called Sigma Delta Pi; Mrs. Adams and three faculty women were its advisors.  In addition to assisting local Girl Scout troops, members sponsored an all-school typing bureau which filled a genuine need on campus.  On 29 April 1944, with their thirty-five pledges, they were formally installed as the Alpha Omicron chapter of Delta Sigma Epsilon, becoming the first national social sorority on campus.  (In 1956, Delta Sigma merged with Delta Zeta.)

After the appearance of Pi Kappa Sigma as a local sorority in 1945, a number of years elapsed before others arrived on the scene.  Beginning with the 1950s, there was a rapid increase that reached a peak when seven new sororities and fraternities were organized in 1955 alone.  In 1959, six more were organized; and by 1972, the University had a total of fifteen national and local sororities and twenty-two national and local fraternities listed in the annual catalog, only a few less than the University of Illinois.