Purdue University hosts one of the nation's largest fraternity/sorority communities, with approximately 5,000 students participating in one of the 45 men's fraternities or 25 women's sororities. About 18% of Purdue's undergraduates are members of a Greek-letter organization. Since the founding of the first Purdue fraternity in 1875, Purdue Greeks have maintained a steady and influential presence on campus. Several of Purdue's most distinguished graduates are members of fraternities and sororities, including astronauts Neil Armstrong (Phi Delta Theta), Gene Cernan (Phi Gamma Delta), Roger Chaffee (Phi Kappa Sigma), Greg Harbaugh (Sigma Chi), David Wolf (Alpha Tau Omega), and Mary Ellen Weber (Phi Mu). The first (Armstrong) and last (Cernan) astronauts on the moon are Purdue graduates - and fraternity men. Greek life is one of many campus involvement opportunities at Purdue that help students make a large university seem smaller. Most fraternities and sororities organizations offer housing and meal service for their members. These organizations provide friendship, intramural athletic competition, social activities, community service, and academic support for their members. Students develop a strong sense of belonging to their organization and loyalty to Purdue University through the Greek community. Membership is lifelong, and alumni activities are numerous at the national and local level. This site contains information on how to join, history, GPA and membership statistics, and much more. Please use the navigation bar above to explore this site. Recognition documents for Sigma Chi (p. 1-4), circa 1883; Sigma Nu petition letter, 1893 (p. 5)
Historical DescriptionPurdue opened in the fall of 1874, and by spring 1875 the first fraternity, Sigma Chi, had formed. Through the late 1870's and early 1880's, the Purdue administration tried to abolish the fraternity culture at Purdue by requiring all incoming students to sign an anti-fraternity pledge - a promise not to join a fraternity. By using a matriculation pledge as a condition for admission, the administration's strategy was to let the current Sigma Chi members simply graduate in due time and the student organization would eventually close. Purdue was anti-fraternity at the time because President Emerson White believed that the college fraternity was an element of the "classical college" and allowing any classical influences at Purdue would shift its curriculum away from the land-grant focus of mechanic arts (engineering) and agriculture. After a lengthy legal and political battle, Purdue failed in its attempt to ban fraternities and Emerson White resigned in 1883. His successo r, James H. Smart, proceeded to formalize a recognition process for fraternities. President Smart formed a committee of faculty and students sometime in 1883-1885 to formulate terms of recognition for Sigma Chi. One of Purdue's most famous graduates, George Ade, was a student member of Sigma Chi at the time and signed the original agreement with others from the fraternity (see recognition documents above). Subsequent fraternities and sororities were recognized using the same procedure developed for Sigma Chi. Purdue's second fraternity, Kappa Sigma, formed in 1885. The first step in the recognition process was for the proposed student group to submit a petition letter to the President. A sample petition letter for Sigma Nu is online, dated 1893 (although the official founding date for Beta Zeta chapter of Sigma Nu is 1891 - the group may have operated in secret prior to 1893). Purdue has possession of similar documents for most fraternities, sororities, and student organizations founded between 1883-1924. An online archive of these documents is forthcoming. Some of the original recognition points developed by James H. Smart and George Ade are still in use today for all student organizations, although the authority for working with student organizations has long since been delegated from the Office of the President to the Office of the Dean of Students. Researching sororities through old yearbooks, it appears the first local sorority was formed in 1905 and the first national affiliated sorority, Kappa Alpha Theta, formed in 1915. ArchivesThe recognition documents for Kappa Alpha Theta, first national affiliated sorority, are below. These documents date to 1915. Recognition documents for Kappa Alpha Theta (p. 1-3), May 14th, 1915
Recognition documents for Eta Kappa Nu (p. 1-3), February 19th, 1913
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