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T h e C h i P h i F r a t e r n i t y
1 8 3 Y e a r s S t r o n g Iota Theta Chapter
schreiner university |
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The Chi Phi Fraternity, as it exists today, is the product of 3 organizations
established in 1824, 1858, and 1860 all bearing the same name; the name
Chi Phi. In 1824 the Princeton Order, then known as the Chi Phi
society was established at the New Jersey College, which is now known as
Princeton, by Robert Baird who later went on to be a prominent
Presbyterian clergyman. The society ceased to be active in 1825.
The second is known as the Chi Phi Fraternity, founded at the University
of South Carolina; and the Secret Order of Chi Phi, founded at Hobart
College.
Thirty years later, in the winter of 1853-54 the Princeton order was reestablished by John MacLean Jr., the nephew of John MacLean who was the president of Princeton. John MacLean Jr. found the minutes, the constitution and Ritual book of the Chi Phi Society of 1824. With the help of Charles Degraw Smith and Gustavus W. Mayer and the artifacts as his guide he set out to reestablish the society “along modern lines”. In the fall of 1854 Mayer established a chapter at Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster with Joseph Henry Dubbs, later a distinguished professor at his Alma Mater, as the first initiate. However at Princeton the opposition of the faculty and prohibitory pledge caused the death of the reorganized chapter and the destruction of its records by its members in 1859 leaving only the Lancaster Chapter to represent Chi Phi. The second oldest of these orders was the Chi Phi Fraternity, now known in our history as the Southern Order of Chi Phi which was founded at The University of North Carolina on August 21st, 1858, by Thomas Capehart, Augustus Flythe, John C. Tucker, William H. Green, Fletcher T. Seymour, and James J. Cherry, who were students at the University and formed this club in order to perpetuate their school friendships and they named it the Chi Phi Fraternity. The idea of expansion was early manifested and chapters were rapidly organized at Centenary, Davidson, Virginia, Nashville, and Cumberland. However, the War Between the States meant the end of all but the parent chapter. With the cessation of hostilities, new chapters sprang up at Hampden-Sydney, Georgia, Edinburgh, Mercer, Emory, Oglethorpe, Trinity, Kentucky Military Institute, and St. John's. The extinct chapters at Virginia and Davidson were reorganized. |
Following the War, the University of North Carolina itself was closed,
necessitating the transfer of the "Alpha" Chapter title to the Virginia
Chapter. While this organization had a constitution and held
conventions, the primary authority rested with the "Alpha" Chapter.
The Secret Order of Chi Phi, which is now known in the history of the Fraternity as the Hobart Order of Chi Phi, was formed at Hobart College on November 14, 1860 by Amos Brunson and Alex J. Beach, who were students at the college. Because they were dissatisfied with the fraternities existing at Hobart, they associated themselves with John W. Jones, George G. Hopkins, Edward S. Lawson, Samuel W. Tuttle, David S. Hall, David P. Jackson, William H. Shepard, Harvey N. Loomis, William Sutphen and Frank B. Wilson, and founded the Upsilon Chapter of the Secret Order of Chi Phi. From Hobart, charters were soon issued at new chapters at Kenyon, Princeton, and Rutgers. Five years later the Secret Order of Chi Phi at Hobart learned of the existence of the Chi Phi Society in Pennsylvania and on May 29,1867, the two societies formally united. The Northern Order of the Chi Phi Fraternity was thus formed, and later placed chapters at Muhlenberg Cornell, Dickinson, Wofford, Washington and Lee, Lehigh, Brown, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Amherst, Ohio Wesleyan, and Lafayette. In early winter of 1865-66, the Hobart alumni in New York learned of the existence of the Chi Phi Fraternity in the South through John Shepard, a member of the Alpha Chapter at North Carolina. Negotiations for union were initiated but languished until the Northern Chi Phis placed chapters at Wofford and Washington and Lee in 1871-72. Particularly through the energy of the members of the latter chapter, these negotiations were renewed and, after many mutual concessions, the union was finally consummated at a meeting of a joint committee held In Washington, D.C. on July 23, 1874. The new organization took the name Chi Phi Fraternity from the Southern Order, while the fabric of organization and ritual come from the Northern Order. |
The Iota Theta chapter at this point in time does not have it's written history completely finished
or acceptable to be put on the internet. However, a short version of
it's history will be presented.
On February 21st, 2001 The Schreiner Colony of Chi Phi was established at Schreiner University by 6 brothers. Following them are 4 men known in our history as the Alpha Pledge Class: Drew Cory, Brian Lake, Brenden Villa-Nueva Le and Michael Gorman. The alpha pledge class persevered the longest and remained members of the colony for the next 4 years and saw the colony quadruple in size and earn their charter. The Gamma pledge class consisted of Cody Lannom, Jimmy Campbell and Cory Andrews; of which only Cody Lannom remains, and belongs to Gamma Pledge Class. Jared Allen, Andrew Trevino, Joshua Holman & Colwyn Dunlap make up the Delta Pledge Class with Colby Garrison, Marcus Rohan and Randall Newsom making up the Epsilon Pledge Class and Blake McGrane, Joshua Fuqua, Michael Foree, Wade Kreuger, and Richard Miller making up the Zeta Pledge Class. Chi Phi Today With movies like Animal House and The Skulls depicting fraternal organizations as an excuse to get drunk or a dangerous clandestine organization, in the case of the latter, Greek life is met with mixed responses. Anti-hazing sanctions and dry fraternity by-laws have also affected Greek life significantly. Chi Phi continues to promote a healthy Greek life image while maintaining a growing membership. In 1999 Chi Phi celebrated 175 years of brotherhood. With 2,500 active brothers and 38,000 living alumni Chi Phi shows no sign of stopping. |