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Collection Overview
Title: Sororities, 1950-2010
Predominant Dates:1955-1972
ID: RHC/UA/40/
Extent: 4.5 Linear Feet
Date Acquired: 00/00/1966
Scope and Contents of the Materials
The Sorority Collection includes documents from the Panhellenic Council and thirty-six separate sororities. Included here are materials concerning rush, housing, and activities in the Panhellenic series; most of the individual sorority files contain a brief history, constitution, some correspondence and a brief record of activities. The majority of records in this collection date between 1955 and 1972. Researchers should also consult the Student Organizations Index for additional information on the various sororities.
Collection Historical Note
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.
Administrative Information
Repository:
Northern Illinois University
Access Restrictions:
There are no restrictions on access to this collection.
Use Restrictions:
Literary rights are dedicated to the public.
Acquisition Method:
The University Archives acquired Panhellenic Council and sorority records in several installments between 1966 and 1976, and one addition in 2006.
Box and Folder Listing
Browse by Series:
[
Series I: Panhellenic Records],
[
Series II: Individual Sororities],
[All]
- Series I: Panhellenic Records
- Box 1
- Folder 1: Directories of Sororities, 1960-1972
- Folder 2: General Information, 1955-1972
- Folder 3: Housing, 1958-1972
- Folder 4: Membership Summaries, 1967-1972
- Folder 5: Panhellenic and Sorority Officers Lists, 1955-1970
- Folder 6: Panhellenic Constitution
- Folder 7: Panhellenic Council Correspondence, 1952-1972
- Folder 8-9: Panhellenic Council Minutes, 1954-1972
- Folder 10: Social Sorority Directory, 1969-1972
- Folder 11: Sorority Grade Averages, 1953-1972
- Folder 12: Sorority Newsletter, 1962-1968
- Box 2
- Folder 1: Fashion Show: Programs, 1958-1965
- Folder 2: Informal Dance: Program Information, 1954-1962
- Folder 3: March of Dimes, 1963-1964
- Folder 4: Muscular Dystrophy Drive, 1964-1969
- Folder 5: Pledge Training Program, 1958-1960
- Folder 6: Rush (Sorority), 1959-1972, 2010
- Folder 7: Rush Handbooks, 1959-1972
- Folder 8: Rush Information, 1952-1970
- Folder 9: Rush Lists, 1956-1968
- Folder 10: Rush Procedures, 1954-1972
- Folder 11: Rush Statistics, 1951-1972
- Folder 12: Social Sorority Information, Spring, 1972
- Folder 13: Workshops, 1955-1971
- Series II: Individual Sororities
- Box 3
- Folder 1: Alpha Chi Omega, 1967-1972
- Folder 2: Alpha Delta Pi, 1964-1972
- Folder 3: Alpha Eta, 1965-1970
- Folder 4: Alpha Kappa Alpha, 1960-1970
- Folder 5-6: Alpha Omicron Pi, 1955-1972
- Folder 7: Alpha Phi, 1954-1970, 2007
- Box 4
- Folder 1-2: Alpha Sigma Alpha, 1953-1972
- Folder 3-4: Alpha Xi Delta, 1959-1972
- Folder 5: Chi Delta Chi, 1967-1969
- Folder 6: Chi Omega, 1966-1972
- Folder 7: Chi Sigma Phi, 1966-1972
- Folder 8: Chi Upsilon Constitution, 1951-1952
- Folder 9: Delta Chi Omega, 1967-1968
- Box 5
- Folder 1: Delta Gamma, 1962-1972
- Folder 2: Delta Sigma, 1966-1969
- Folder 3: Delta Sigma Epsilon, 1952-1956
- Folder 4: Delta Sigma Theta, 1967-1970
- Folder 5: Delta Theta, 1967
- Folder 6-7: Delta Zeta, 1950-1972
- Folder 8: Gamma Alpha Mu, 1963-1970
- Folder 9: Gamma Theta, 1954-1959
- Folder 10-11: Kappa Delta, 1952-1972
- Box 6
- Folder 1: Nu Alpha, 1953-1954
- Folder 2: Phi Pi Omega, 1935-1964
- Folder 3a: Pi Kappa Sigma, 1945-1953
- Folder 3b: Pi Kappa Sigma, 2005, no date
- Folder 4: Sigma Delta Tau, 1963-1972
- Folder 5-6: Sigma Kappa, 1952-1972
- Folder 7: Sigma Rho, 1965-1967
- Folder 8-9: Sigma Sigma Sigma, 1932-1973
- Folder 10: Tau Delta Sigma, 1959-1960
- Folder 11: Zeta Phi Beta, 1971, 1979, 2006, no date
- Folder 12: Cwens, 1954-1969
- Folder 13: Pi Lambda Theta, 1965/1966
- Folder 14: Sigma Alpha Iota, 1951-1972
- Folder 15: Sigma Lambda Sigma, 1969
- Folder 16: Alpha Sigma Omega, 2011
- Box 7
- Item 1: Oversize poster showing tree of members of Zeta Phi Beta, circa 1979
- Item 2: Zeta Ph Beta, 10th Anniversary Matches, 1981
- Item 3: Wooden "A C" pendant on leather cord, no date
Browse by Series:
[
Series I: Panhellenic Records],
[
Series II: Individual Sororities],
[All]
