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High school fraternities and sororities

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High school fraternities and sororities, also called secondary fraternities and sororities, were inspired by and modeled after Greek-letter organizations which became prevalent in North American colleges and universities during the nineteenth century (Owen 492). In some respects, these fraternities and sororities are designed to better prepare individuals for college-level fraternities.

Most of the American secondary fraternities that were successful in the twentieth century had national governing bodies, produced regular publications, and convened in regular (often annual) national conventions. Like their college counterparts, most have Greek letter names. They also each possessed a secret ritual and handshake and a Greek-letter name which, like college fraternities was usually derived from the abbreviation of a secret Greek motto. These groups were identified by a coat-of-arms and members wore distinctive fraternity badges or pins.

Although there were countless local high school fraternities and sororities with only one or two chapters, many secondary fraternities founded in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries in the United States grew into national organizations with a highly evolved governing structure and regularly chartered chapters in multiple regions. Many of the local chapters of these national fraternities were not affiliated with individual high schools but were instead area-based, often drawing membership from multiple high schools in a given area.

In the 1900s, some state governments banned fraternities and sororities in public schools, driving them underground, or out of existence. California, for example, passed a law banning them in 1906.

In the following list, known active groups are indicated in bold, while known inactive groups are in italics.

General fraternities

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  • Alpha Phi (ΑΦ) was formed in 1870 at the Colgate Academy (connected with Colgate University).
  • Alpha Zeta (ΑΖ) came into existence on December 8, 1869 at the Union Classical Institute in Schenectady, New York that was associated with Union College, home of the college fraternity movement).
  • ATOPHI Fraternity was formed as a local fraternity at West Philadelphia High School in 1988. It was inspired by the Black Greek-lettered fraternities and sororities. With the help of 4-5 others, Tony Dphax King led the organization as president and introduced the fraternity.
  • Delta Sigma fraternity, (ΔΣ) was founded in 1897 at Lewis Institute in Chicago, Illinois to Temple University in 1990. Its first university chapter which included Orloff Phillips from Bethlehem, Pa. and eight others.
  • Gamma Alpha (ΓΑ) was founded in Baton Rouge, Louisiana at Baton Rouge High School in 1914.
  • Gamma Sigma (ΓΣ) was organized in October 1869 at Brockport Normal School whic then a high school-level institution, but now a college. Gamma Sigma became the first international high school fraternity when it chartered Alpha Zeta chapter in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada in late 1927.
  • Kappa Alpha Pi (ΚΑΠ) founded was in 1904 in Chicago, Illinois.
  • Omega Eta Tau (ΩΗΤ), formed as Torch and Dagger in Council Bluffs, Iowa, in 1859, was the first known high school fraternity. The fraternity existed with lapses from 1861 to 1866 and again from 1880 to 1893. In 1900, it was renamed Omega Eta Tau and began expanding nationally.
  • Omega Gamma Delta, (ΩΓΔ) was founded in 1902 in Brooklyn, New York. It currently operates chapters for adults.
  • Omega Nu (ΩΝ) was founded in 1897 at San Jose High School. The group continues with twelve active chapters as a service organization.[1]
  • Phi Sigma Beta, (ΦΣΒ) was founded in 1910. It became ΤΔΦ - Tau Delta Phi collegiate fraternity.[2][a]
  • Phi Sigma Chi, (ΦΣΧ) was founded on November 28, 1900, in Zanesville, Ohion. It chartered 117 chapter, possibly the most chapters of high school fraternity.
  • Pi Phi (ΠΦ) was founded in 1878 at Rochester Free Academy which was associated with the University of Rochester. Pi Phi spread to more than 110 chapters before lapsing into solely alumni chapters in the 1980s.
  • Tau Kappa Delta (ΤΚΔ) was formed in 1924 at Pottsville High School in Pottsville Pennsylvania. The fraternity is active as of 2024.
  • Theta Kappa Omega (ΘΚΩ) was founded November 13, 1872.
  • Upsilon Lambda Phi (ΥΛΦ) founded April 5, 1916, (dormant?) Its publication was The Hour Glass.
  • LaSalle Sr. High School in Niagara Falls New York was also home to multiple fraternities, dating back to the 1950s. The school itself recognized these programs up until the late 1960s as group photos were included in the yearbooks of the time. These included ΣΨ - Sigma Psi, ΓΣ - Gamma Sigma, and ΩΔ - Omega Delta, listed as male fraternities.

General sororities

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  • Beta Delta (ΒΔ) was founded in Shreveport, Louisiana in 1926.
  • Gamma Theta (ΓΘ) was founded in Baton Rouge, Louisiana at Baton Rouge High School in 1931.
  • Theta Kappa Sigma (ΘΚΣ) founded in 1932 at the Stamford Collegiate Institute (high school) in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada.
  • LaSalle Sr. High School in Niagara Falls New York was also home to multiple sororities, dating back to the 1950s. The school itself recognized these programs up until the late 1960s as group photos were included in the yearbooks of the time. Sororities for female students included ΞΓΡ - Xi Gamma Rho, ΔΧ - Delta Chi, and ΘΧΟ - Theta Chi Omicron.

Jewish fraternities and sororities

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  • Aleph Zadik Aleph (אצא) is international youth-led fraternal organization for Jewish teenagers. It was founded in 1924 as the male wing of BBYO Inc.,
  • BBYO (B'nai B'rith Youth Organization Inc) is a Jewish teen movement formed in 1924 for boys, but is now coeducational. It was formerly part of B'nai B'rith until 2001
  • B'nai B'rith Girls is a Jewish teen movement formed in 1944. It was formerly part of B'nai B'rith.
  • Iota Phi (ΙΦ) was high school Jewish sorority, (dormant).[3]
  • Phi Beta (ΦΒ) was a Jewish high school and preparatory schools for boys, founded 1920, (dormant?)[4][b]
  • Sigma Theta Pi (ΣΘΠ) was a socority for Jewish high school girls, founded circa 1909 or earlier, (dormant?)[5][6][7][c][d]
  • Pi Upsilon Phi (ΠΥΦ) was a Jewish high school fraternity, (dormant?)[6][e]
  • Sigma Alpha Rho (ΣΑΡ) was founded in 1917.

High school honor societies

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Main article: Honor Society § Secondary school honor societies

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ The fraternity began as a high school fraternity on 22 June 1910, in New York. It was re-established as a collegiate organization in 1914
  2. ^ Not to be confused with the professional fraternity for the creative and performing arts.
  3. ^ Not to be confused with the international sorority with a similar name, Sigma Thêta Pi, founded in 2003, nor the local Christian fraternity at Howard Payne University, founded in 2004.
  4. ^ Its Upsilon chapter was in the Twin Cities.
  5. ^ Its Sigma chapter was at Syracuse.

References

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  1. ^ Omega Nu homepage, accessed 7 Dec 2020.
  2. ^ "History – Tau Delta Phi". Retrieved 2023-08-02.
  3. ^ "Media - Documenting Maine Jewry". Maine Jews. Retrieved 2023-08-02. Their 1960 convention program lists several chapters in the New England area
  4. ^ Schneiderman, Harry, ed. (1941). American Jewish Yearbook September 22, 1941, to September 11, 1942 (PDF). Vol. 43. Spring Branch, Texas: The Jewish Publication Society of America.
  5. ^ Adler, Cyrus; Szold, Henrietta (1920). American Jewish Year Book. Vol. 22. Jewish Publication Society of America.
  6. ^ a b "Sigma Theta Phi Group to Hold Annual Meeting", The Jewish Daily Bulletin, June 26, 1934, p. 7. via Jewish Telegraph Society, accessed 27 Jan 2020.
  7. ^ "Sigma Theta Pi Sorority Conclave, 1940". digitalcollections.lib.washington.edu. Retrieved 2023-08-02.

Bibliography

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  • Owen, William Bishop. "The Good of High School Fraternities" The School Review, vol. 14, no. 7 (1906): 492–504
  • Sigma Alpha Rho Handbook, 9th Edition
  • Perkins, Glen O. "The Good of Fraternities and Sororities in the Tucson High School" The School Review, vol. 31, no. 3. (March. 1923):  224–226.
  • Brown, J. Ward. American Secondary School Fraternities. New York: Maske Brown Company, 1913
  • Baird, William Raymond. American College Fraternities 4th edition. New York: James P. Downs, 1890, pp. 287–288
  • The Record, West Philadelphia High School,.1990
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