History of North American College Fraternities and Sororities - Sororities

Sororities

In 1867, I. C. Sorosis (currently Pi Beta Phi) was founded as a women's fraternity at Monmouth College in Monmouth, Illinois. As Chi Theta Delta had disbanded and the Adelphean and Philomathean societies had not yet taken Greek letter names, Kappa Alpha Theta gains distinction for the first Greek letter women's fraternity to be founded with continued existence. It was founded in January 1870 at DePauw University. Kappa Kappa Gamma followed suit when it was established October 1870 at Monmouth College.

The 1870s would also host the founding of Alpha Phi in 1872 and Gamma Phi Beta and Sigma Kappa in 1874. Delta Gamma was founded in 1873.

Sororities had, from the beginning, the difficult objective of proving the viability of coeducational studies. That women could perform academically as well as or better than men while maintaining the Victorian ideals of womanhood was a tall order. Sororities created high academic standards and monitored the social activities of their members from their inception.

Gamma Phi Beta would gain notoriety in 1882 as the first organization to be called a sorority. Their advisor was a male Latin professor who coined the term. The terms sorority and women's fraternity have always since been interchangeable with some using one or the other in only formal or informal contexts.

The social sororities were one of the few social outlets at most universities. While enrollment had opened to women at most institutions, student organizations like literary societies, student government, and other clubs were still free to restrict membership. Intense curriculum and mandatory religious involvements limited free time but the social sororities and social fraternities began a tradition of interaction. They would put together skits for entertainment, hold events for singing and waltzing after meetings were over, held socials at the houses of local members, and lower their inhibitions during annual Halloween parties.