List of societies at Colgate University

Since being founded in 1819, Colgate University has had a rich tradition of student societies. Literary societies, Greek letter organizations, Non-Greek letter organizations, honor societies, and even secret societies have all played a part in Colgate history.

Organization Name | Type of Society | Founded | Ended

|
|
|

Gamma Phi | literary | prior to 1833 | 1840
Pi Delta | literary | around 1834 | 1840
Adelphian Society | literary / oration | 1840 | 1880 (became Beta Theta Pi)
Aeonian Society | literary / oration | 1840 | 1887 (became Phi Kappa Psi)[1]
Delta Kappa Epsilon (DKE) | Greek fraternity | 1856 | 2005
Delta Upsilon (DU) | Greek fraternity | 1865 | present[when?]
Beta Theta Pi (Beta) | Greek fraternity | 1880 | present[when?][2]
Phi Kappa Psi (Phi Psi) | Greek fraternity | 1887 | 1982[3]
Phi Gamma Delta (Phi Gam) (FIJI) | Greek fraternity | 1886 | 1989[4]
Theta Chi (Tach) | Greek fraternity | 1912 | present[when?]
Lambda Chi Alpha | Greek fraternity | 1916 | 1968[5]
Alpha Epsilon Pi (AEPi) | Greek fraternity | 2005 | present[6]
Alpha Tau Omega (ATO) | Greek fraternity | 1917 | 2000 °°°°[7]
Sigma Nu | Greek fraternity | 1917 | 1968[8]
Kappa Delta Rho (KDR) | Greek fraternity | 1917 | 2003
Phi Delta Theta (Phi Delt) | Greek fraternity | 1918 | present[when?]
Owls Club | non-Greek fraternal organization | 1907 | 1908 (became Sigma Alpha)
Madison Club | literary / oration | 1902 | 1917 (became Alpha Tau Omega)
Colgate Commons Club | counter-culture fraternal organization | 1927 | 1960
Sigma Chi | Greek fraternity | 1930 | 2015
Phi Kappa Tau | Greek fraternity | 1937 | present[when?]
Chi Omega Rho (Chi O) | Greek Co-Ed fraternity | 1980 | 1990[9]
Gamma Phi Beta (Gamma Phi) | Greek sorority | 1982 | present[when?]
Kappa Alpha Theta (Theta) | Greek sorority | 1988 | 2008
Kappa Kappa Gamma (Kappa) | Greek sorority | 1988 | present[when?]
Pi Beta Phi (Pi Phi) | Greek sorority | 1989 | 1992
Alpha Chi Omega | Greek sorority | 1989 | 1996
Delta Delta Delta (Tri Delta) | Greek sorority | 1996 | present[when?]
The Brothers of Colgate University (Brothers) | non-Greek fraternal organization | 1999 | present[when?][10]
Blue Diamond Society (BDS) | non-Greek fraternal organization | 2006 | 2022[when?][11]
Theta Nu Epsilon (TNE) | Greek fraternal society | 1880 | present[when?][12]
Gorgon's Head | secret senior honor society | 1908[13] | 1934 (merged with Skull and Scroll to form Konosioni)[14]
Skull and Scroll | secret senior honor society | 1912[13] | 1934 (merged with Gorgon's Head to form Konosioni)[14]
Konosioni | senior leadership society | 1934 | present[when?][14]
Psi Chi | psychology academic honor society | unknown | present[when?][15]
Gamma Theta Upsilon | international geography academic honor society | unknown | present[when?][16]
Beta Beta Beta | biology academic honor society | 1971 | present[when?][17]
Phi Eta Sigma | first-year academic honor society | 1982 | present[when?][18]
Society for Inquiry | literary | 1824 | unknown[19]
Creative Arts Society (CAS) | arts social society | 2022 | present

Some uncited information in this table is taken from: The History of Greek Life

## Greek life[edit]

Fraternities were first brought to Colgate in 1856 when Delta Kappa Epsilon (DKE) was granted a chapter. The first sorority was brought to Colgate in 1982 when a chapter of Gamma Phi Beta (Gamma Phi) received a charter.

## Secret societies[edit]

Secret or underground organizations have had a widespread existence at Colgate University. Many of the school's original societies had roots as underground organizations. In terms of secret honor societies, Colgate has also had its fair share. Two secret Honor Societies, the Gorgon's Head and Skull and Scroll, enjoyed a period as rival societies until 1934 when they merged to form Konosioni, now known as the Tredecim Senior Honor Society. Even with its history, Tredecim is no longer a secret society but is now seen as a leadership society, with only 26 members of each graduating class peer-selected to membership.

## References[edit]

1. ^ The Record of Phi Kappa Psi - A Short History of the Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity by Guy Morrison Walker, 1906.
2. ^ "Colgate Beta - Home". www.colgatebeta.org.
3. ^ List of Phi Kappa Psi chapters and colonies
4. ^ List of Phi Gamma Delta chapters and colonies
5. ^ List of Lambda Chi Alpha chapters
6. ^ "The Lion - Summer 2014". Issuu.
7. ^ "Around the college (The Colgate Scene, January 2001)". www4.colgate.edu.
8. ^ "ISSUU - Multicultural Life at Colgate by Colgate University". Archived from the original on 2014-08-26. Retrieved 2014-08-22.
9. ^ Hamilton, Robert A. (12 July 1987). "Fraternities Admit Women Into Ranks". New York Times.
10. ^ "The Brothers of Colgate University". The Brothers of Colgate University.
11. ^ "- Get Involved at Colgate". colgate.campuslabs.com.
12. ^ https://digitalcollections.colgate.edu/object/studentyearbooks3439#page/24/mode/2up. `{{cite web}}`: Missing or empty `|title=` (help)
13. ^ a b "Spring Scene 2013". Issuu.
14. ^ a b c "- Get Involved at Colgate". www.getinvolved.colgate.edu.
15. ^ "Chapter Directory Search - Psi Chi, The International Honor Society in Psychology". www.psichi.org.
16. ^ "Geography Dept. Honors and Awards | Colgate University". www.colgate.edu.
17. ^ "Beta Beta Beta Local Chapter". Archived from the original on 2001-04-15. Retrieved 2014-08-22.
18. ^ "Phi Eta Sigma National Honor Society Chapter Directory". Archived from the original on 2014-08-26. Retrieved 2014-08-22.
19. ^ College literary societies