Triad (American fraternities)

Grouping of college organizations

The term Triad is used to designate a grouping of three national college fraternities or sororities that were founded at the same place.[1][2] The most famous and oldest triad is the Union Triad at Union College in Schenectady, New York which includes some of the oldest national fraternities still in existence.[2][3] The second triad that formed is the Miami Triad at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.[2][3] There is also the Syracuse Triad at Syracuse University in Syracuse, New York and the Lexington Triad in Lexington, Virginia.[2][4]

There are also groupings of two fraternities that were established at the same place that are called Duos, including the Monmouth Duo at Monmouth College in Monmouth, Illinois and the Jefferson Duo at Jefferson College in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania.[2][5]

## Lexington Triad

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Monument for The Lexington Fraternity Triad in Lexington, Virginia

The Lexington Triad is a group of three fraternities founded immediately after the Civil War by students from two colleges in Lexington, Virginia: Alpha Tau Omega, Kappa Alpha Order and Sigma Nu.[4]

Alpha Tau Omega was founded in Richmond, Virginia in 1865 by students from Virginia Military Institute. Kappa Alpha Order was founded in 1865 at Washington and Lee University. Sigma Nu was founded in 1869 at Virginia Military Institute. The national headquarters of the Kappa Alpha Order and Sigma Nu are still in Lexington.

## Miami Triad

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The Miami Triad refers to three fraternities founded at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, in the 19th century: Beta Theta Pi in 1839, Phi Delta Theta in 1848, and Sigma Chi in 1855.[2][3] Some fraternal historians compare the significance of the Miami Triad to that of the earlier Union Triad.[6][7]

Delta Zeta sorority was founded at Miami University in 1902, and Phi Kappa Tau fraternity in 1906. Delta Sigma Epsilon sorority began there in 1914, merging in 1956 with Delta Zeta. The establishment of these numerous Greek organizations at Miami University resulted in it being known as the Mother of Fraternities.[8]

It has been a tradition at some campuses that have chapters of each of the Miami Triad, such as the University of Kansas,[9] and the University of Mississippi,[10] to hold an annual party, formal, or ball, often referred to as "Miami Triad" or simply "Triad", to commemorate their tie to each other and the Miami Triad's place in Greek history.[11] This tradition has waned in recent years and some schools have transformed the celebration into new events, such as the University of Kansas' Miami Triad Concert.[12]

## Pennsylvania Triad

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The Pennsylvania Triad consists of Phi Kappa Sigma, founded at the University of Pennsylvania in 1850, and Phi Gamma Delta and Phi Kappa Psi, founded in 1848 and 1852, respectively, at Jefferson College in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania.[13][14]

## Syracuse Triad

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The Syracuse Triad is the name given to the three women's sororities founded at Syracuse University: Alpha Phi, Gamma Phi Beta, and Alpha Gamma Delta.[2][15] Alpha Phi was founded in 1872 by 10 of the first 20 women admitted into the university.[15] Gamma Phi Beta was founded in 1874 and with it came the term "sorority", which was coined for it at the time of its founding.[15] Before that, women's Greek-letter organizations used the term "women's fraternity", since no more appropriate term existed. Alpha Gamma Delta completed the triad when it was established in 1904.[2]

The three sororities maintain social bonds, coordinating special events and ceremonies for the three sororities on the Syracuse campus.[16]

## Union Triad

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The Union Triad is a group of the three Greek-letter social fraternities in North America that were founded at Union College in Schenectady, New York, including the Kappa Alpha Society that was established in 1825; the Sigma Phi Society established in 1827; and the Delta Phi established in 1827.[2][3] These three fraternities are also some of the oldest surviving national fraternities that provided the template for the modern social fraternity.[2][3]

Other fraternities which owe their birth to Union College include Psi Upsilon (1833), Omicron Kappa Epsilon (1834), Chi Psi (1841) and Theta Delta Chi (1847). Collectively, these many fraternities have given Union College the title Mother of Fraternities.

## Other groupings

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### Farmville Four

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Four sororities were formed at Longwood University, which are billed as the Farmville Four. These include Kappa Delta (1897), Sigma Sigma Sigma (1898), Zeta Tau Alpha (1898), and Alpha Sigma Alpha (1901). The four faces of the campus bell tower commemorate these four organizations.[17]

### Jefferson Duo

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Main article: Greek organizations at Washington & Jefferson College

The Jefferson Duo includes the fraternities Phi Gamma Delta and Phi Kappa Psi, founded in 1848 and 1852, respectively, at Jefferson College in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania.[13][14] A third, Kappa Phi Lambda, was also founded there but dissolved in 1874.[5] In 1865, Jefferson College combined with Washington College to become Washington & Jefferson College.

### Macon Magnolias

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Two national sororities were founded at Wesleyan College in Macon, Georgia: Alpha Delta Pi which was established in 1851, and Phi Mu which was established in 1852. General (social) sororities were banned on that campus in 1914, but this occurred long after the two organizations, called the Macon Magnolias, had expanded nationally.[18][19]

### Monmouth Duo

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The Monmouth Duo consists of Pi Beta Phi and Kappa Kappa Gamma, formed in 1867 and 1870, respectively, at Monmouth College in Monmouth, Illinois.[20][2] Monmouth College banned social fraternities and sororities in the late 1870s but the two sororities continued to operate sub rosa.[20] The two sororities became national organizations that survive today because they had formed chapters at other colleges before Monmouth's ban.[20]

### Virginia Circle

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The members of the Lexington Triad are sometimes grouped as part of the Virginia Circle, which includes several other fraternities founded in Virginia roughly during period of the Lexington Triad: Kappa Sigma and Pi Kappa Alpha at the University of Virginia and Sigma Phi Epsilon at Richmond College.[21][22]

## See also

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* Mother of Fraternities

## References

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1. ^ Order, Kappa Alpha (October 1907). "Greek Notes and Clippings". The Kappa Alpha Journal. Vol. XXV, no. 1\. Richmond, Va.
2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Hultsch, Margaret Knights. "The Syracuse Triad". Alpha Gamma Delta Magazine. Archived from the original on April 21, 1999. Retrieved March 16, 2025.
3. ^ a b c d e Stannard, Aaron (October 26, 2005). "A Brief History on the Evolution of Greek Life". Versus Magazine. p. 2\. Archived from the original on 2007-10-17. Retrieved 2025-03-17 - via web.archive.org.
4. ^ a b "Alpha Tau Omega | Fraternity and Sorority Life". The University of Alabama. Retrieved 2025-03-16.
5. ^ a b "History of Greek Letter Organizations". Phi Gamma Delta. Archived from the original on January 7, 2010. Retrieved April 26, 2010. "These two-Phi Gamma Delta and Phi Kappa Psi\- comprise the famed "Jefferson Duo." A third fraternity, Kappa Phi Lambda, also had its genesis at old Jefferson College, where it was established in 1862, spreading to nine other colleges."
6. ^ Vincent, Fran. The History of College Fraternities Greek Pages. Retrieved April 18, 2012.
7. ^ "Complete History of the Fraternal Values Society". Association of Fraternal Leadership & Values. Archived from the original on 2012-04-16. Retrieved 2025-03-16 - via web.archive.org.
8. ^ Miami University--Oxford Archived 2011-09-10 at the Wayback Machine U.S. News & World Report
9. ^ The Jayhawker Yearbook (1937 ed.). Lawrence, KS: University of Kansas. p. 153.
10. ^ Ole Miss Yearbook (1957 ed.). Oxford, MS: University of Mississippi. p. 155.
11. ^ "Fraternities Name Date For Triad". The Miami Student. Vol. 079, no. 38\. March 2, 1954. Retrieved April 3, 2018.
12. ^ Caleb Sommerville (March 4, 2008). "Kansan.com: Students remember friend with 2nd annual concert". Archived from the original on May 22, 2011. Retrieved June 3, 2008.
13. ^ a b Mayer, J.M, ed. (1886). "The Miami Triad In Extension". The Scroll of Phi Delta Theta. Vol. X. New York: Phi Delta Theta. p. 169\. "...together with the Jefferson Triad, went beyond it in the direction most natural—South, where..."
14. ^ a b "Phi Psi Scholarship". The Phi Gamma Delta, Volume 45. Board of Trustees of the Fraternity of Phi Gamma Delta. October 1922. p. 807\. "...PHI GAMMA DELTA'S fellow member of the "Jefferson Duo" — Phi Kappa Psi — has taken an unusually courageous stand in the matter of..."
15. ^ a b c Milton, Charnice (Summer 2011). "The Syracuse Triad". Syracuse University Magazine: 44–45.
16. ^ "Explore Gamma Phi Beta's Roots at Syracuse University" (PDF). The Crescent. Gamma Phi Beta: 32. Winter 2024.
17. ^ Noted on the university's website. Accessed 29 Mar 2021.
18. ^ "Wesleyan College Archives & Special Collections". Retrieved 27 July 2023.
19. ^ Becque, Fran (29 May 2019). "A Quick Stop in Macon". Fraternity History & More. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
20. ^ a b c "Monmouth Duo Celebrates 150 Years". Pi Beta Phi. Retrieved 2025-03-17.
21. ^ Todd Shelton (June 19, 2003). "Fraternity Life". Kappa Alpha Order. Archived from the original on September 28, 2007. Retrieved June 28, 2008.
22. ^ "Pi Kappa Alpha". Columbia University. Archived from the original on February 10, 2009. Retrieved June 28, 2008.