Fraternities and sororities at the University of Richmond
At the University of Richmond, there are many fraternities and sororities of varying social, academic, honor, and service natures. Currently, there are eight recognized social fraternities and eight social sororities, along with a number of non-social fraternities and sororities. The fraternity system began in 1870 when Kappa Alpha was organized at Richmond College and has continued to the present day. Sororities at the University of Richmond arrived in 1987.
Social fraternities[]
Name (local chapter name) | Year chartered | Notes |
---|---|---|
Alpha Phi Alpha (Upsilon Gamma) | 2009 | [1] |
Delta Kappa Epsilon (Rho Beta) | 2002 | |
Theta Chi (Omicron) | 1915 | Chartered May 29, 1915, from Zeta Xi (est. 1908). Charter revoked November 1996 due to low membership and chapter debt, rechartered in 2013.[2][3] |
Kappa Alpha Order (Eta) | 1870 | Chartered on March 18, 1870. |
Kappa Sigma (Beta Beta) | 1898 | Chartered on March 5, 1898. Charter revoked December 3, 2012 because of multiple violations, rechartered 2017. |
Lambda Chi Alpha (Alpha Chi) | 1918 | Chartered May 10, 1918, from Sigma Delta Chi, a local fraternity organized in 1916. Charter suspended January 1999 due to violations, rechartered January 31, 2010. |
Phi Gamma Delta (Rho Chi) | 1890 | Chartered January 27, 1890. Closed January 27, 2012 due to low membership, rechartered January 2016.[4] |
Sigma Phi Epsilon (Virginia Alpha) | 1901 | Chartered November 1, 1901. Founding chapter of Sigma Phi Epsilon. |
Name (local chapter name) | Year chartered | Notes |
---|---|---|
Alpha Delta (ministerial/social local fraternity) | 1928 | Alpha Delta organized as a club in April 1923 and became a fraternity in spring 1928. Colonized as Alpha Kappa Lambda in fall 1960 but never chartered. |
Alpha Epsilon Pi (Upsilon Rho) | 1954 | From the Upsilon Rho local fraternity. Chartered May 15, 1954 and closed 1965. Rechartered 1966 and closed sometime after 1968.[5] |
Alpha Tau Omega (Alpha Alpha) | 1878 | Chartered September 15, 1878 and closed between 1882 and 1884. |
Beta Theta Pi (Alpha Kappa) | 1871 | Chartered December 1871 and closed between 1895 and 1896. |
Zeta Beta Tau (Phi Rho) | 1970 | In 1970, the Phi Sigma Delta national fraternity merged into Zeta Beta Tau. Chapter closed September 19, 1972.[6] |
Zeta Xi (local) | 1909 | Established summer 1908, chartered spring 1909, merged into Theta Chi 1915 |
Kappa Sigma Kappa | Chartered between 1875 and 1884. Closed 1890, upon which most of its members transferred to Phi Delta Theta. | |
Pi Delta Sigma (local) | 1930 | From P.I.N.E.S. Club, organized in May 1926. Chartered as a local fraternity on December 4, 1930. Merged into Sigma Alpha Epsilon on February 4, 1938.[7] |
Pi Kappa Alpha (Omicron) | 1891 | Closed between 1893 and 1896. Rechartered 1901 and charter revoked August 2006 due to violations.[8] |
Sigma Alpha Epsilon (Virginia Tau) | 1884 | Chartered October 15, 1884 and closed 1887. Rechartered February 4, 1938 from Pi Delta Sigma local fraternity and suspended indefinitely July 24, 2015 due to risk management violations.[9] |
Sigma Delta Chi (local) | 1916 | Merged into Lambda Chi Alpha in 1918. |
Sigma Chi (Alpha Beta / Epsilon Rho) | 1880 | Chartered as the Alpha Beta chapter in fall 1880 but had its charter revoked within a few weeks. Rechartered as the Epsilon Rho chapter on April 13, 1958, from Chi Sigma local fraternity and suspended indefinitely March 8, 2019 due to hazing. |
Upsilon Rho (local) | 1952 | Merged into Alpha Epsilon Pi in 1954. |
Phi Alpha (Rho) | 1925 | Chartered February 6, 1925 and merged into Phi Sigma Delta on April 19, 1959.[10] |
Phi Alpha Chi | Operated between 1883 and 1895. | |
Phi Beta Sigma | 1980 | |
Phi Delta Theta (Virginia Delta) | 1875 | Chartered September 30, 1875 and closed 1895. Rechartered February 17 and 18, 1939 from Phi Delta Omega local fraternity and closed March 13, 2006 due to low membership.[11][12] |
Phi Delta Omega (local) | 1915 | Merged into Phi Delta Theta in 1939.[13] |
Phi Theta Psi | Chartered between 1875 and 1884. Closed after 1891. | |
Phi Kappa Sigma (Phi) | 1873 | Chartered January 15, 1873 and closed 1875, with most of its brothers moving to Beta Theta Pi. Rechartered 1884 and closed in April 1996 due to low membership.[14] |
Phi Sigma Delta (Phi Rho) | 1959 | Chartered April 19, 1959 from Phi Alpha. Merged into Zeta Beta Tau in 1970. |
Phi Phi Phi (local) | 1917 | Chartered in February 1917 and closed September 1925 but later merged into Phi Delta Omega and subsequently Phi Delta Theta in 1939. |
Chi Sigma (local) | 1955 | Chartered in November 1955 and merged into Sigma Chi April 13, 1958. |
Fraternity Lodges[]
The first fraternity houses at the University of Richmond were Phi Kappa Sigma and Kappa Sigma, which were built in 1928 and 1930, respectively. The other fraternities met in various rooms across the campus until the university began building lodges, starting in 1953 and ending in 1959. Phi Kappa Sigma and Kappa Sigma moved out of their old houses in 1959 to occupy their new lodges (9 and 10 on the map). Their old houses were converted into student dormitories and renamed Pacific House and Atlantic House. At UR, there are two "rows" of fraternity lodges: Old Fraternity Row (1–7 and 12–14 on the map) and New Fraternity Row (8–11 on the map). In 1996, the old Pi Kappa Alpha, Sigma Chi, and Lambda Chi Alpha lodges (12–14) were demolished to make room for a new parking lot for the Robins Center.
Number on Map | Name | Photo | Year Built | Notes / Past Occupants |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Pacific House | 1928 | Phi Kappa Sigma, 1928–September 1959, currently student housing. Original address: No. 1 Fraternity Row | |
2 | Atlantic House | 1930 | Kappa Sigma, 1930–September 1959, currently student housing. Original address: No. 2 Fraternity Row | |
3 | Law School Dormitory | 1957 | Phi Alpha (1957–1959), Phi Sigma Delta (1959–1970), Zeta Beta Tau (1970–1972), undergraduate and law student residence until present. Current Address: 22D Old Fraternity Row | |
4 | Student Organization Lodge | 1954 | Sigma Alpha Epsilon (1954–2015). Original address: No. 4 Fraternity Row | |
5 | Theta Chi | 1953 | Phi Delta Theta (1953–2006) and Theta Chi (2013–Present). Current Address: 22F Old Fraternity Row | |
6 | Sigma Phi Epsilon | 1953 | Current Address: 22H Old Fraternity Row | |
7 | Phi Gamma Delta | 1953 | ||
8 | Rethink Waste | 1959 | Theta Chi (1959–1996) and Sigma Chi (1999–2019). Current Address: 24D New Fraternity Row | |
9 | Lambda Chi Alpha | 1959 | Phi Kappa Sigma (1959–1996), Pi Kappa Alpha (1996–2006), Lambda Chi Alpha (2010–Present). Current Address: 24C New Fraternity Row | |
10 | Kappa Sigma | 1959 | Current Address: 24B New Fraternity Row | |
11 | Kappa Alpha | 1959 | Current Address: 24A New Fraternity Row | |
12 | Pi Kappa Alpha (demolished) | 1956 | Original address: No. 5 Fraternity Row | |
13 | old Sigma Chi (demolished) | Alpha Epsilon Pi (1950s–1965) and Sigma Chi (1965–1996)[15] | ||
14 | old Lambda Chi Alpha (demolished) | 1959 |
Gallery[]
Kappa Alpha (1961)
Kappa Sigma (1961)
Phi Delta Theta (1961), now Theta Chi
Phi Gamma Delta (1961)
Phi Kappa Sigma (1961), later Pi Kappa Alpha and now Lambda Chi Alpha
Phi Sigma Delta (1961), later Zeta Beta Tau and now law student housing
Sigma Alpha Epsilon (1961), now the student organization lodge
Sigma Phi Epsilon (1961)
Theta Chi (1961), later Sigma Chi and now the Rethink Waste lodge
Social sororities[]
Name (local chapter name) | Year chartered | Notes |
---|---|---|
Alpha Kappa Alpha (Rho Mu) | 1995 | chartered on September 10, 1995 |
Delta Delta Delta (Gamma Eta) | 1987 | |
Delta Sigma Theta (Rho Rho) | 1992 | chartered in spring 1992 |
Delta Gamma (Zeta Gamma) | 1987 | |
Kappa Alpha Theta (Epsilon Psi) | 1987 | |
Kappa Delta (Theta Mu) | 2015 | |
Kappa Kappa Gamma (Zeta Omicron) | 1987 | |
Pi Beta Phi (Virginia Eta) | 1987 |
Name (local chapter name) | Year chartered | Notes |
---|---|---|
Alpha Phi (Eta Pi) | 1989 | chartered in January 1989. Closed October 26, 1997 due to low membership and financial issues |
Zeta Tau Alpha (Iota) | 1905 | Closed 1908 |
Alpha Chi Omega (Iota Mu) | 1991 | closed November 17, 2010 due to risk management violations |
Chi Omega (Tau Lambda) | 1987 | closed spring 1988 due to low membership |
Sorority Cottages[]
When sororities first arrived at the University of Richmond in 1987, they initially met in various rooms across campus. However, in 2012, a complex was built which features eight conjoined "cottages" and a larger event space known as "The Web."[16]
Name | Photo |
---|---|
Pi Beta Phi | |
Kappa Kappa Gamma | |
Kappa Alpha Theta | |
Delta Sigma Theta | |
Delta Gamma | |
Delta Delta Delta | |
Alpha Kappa Alpha | |
Kappa Delta |
Academic, Honor, and Service Fraternities and Sororities[]
Name (local chapter name) | Year chartered | Notes |
---|---|---|
Alpha Delta (local) | 1928 | Ministerial/social. See Alpha Delta above in inactive social fraternities. |
Alpha Kappa Psi (Delta Zeta) | 1955 | Business. Chartered May 19, 1955, closed between 2002 and 2010, rechartered April 3, 2010. |
Alpha Sigma Kappa (Mu) | 2018 | Women in technical studies. Chartered April 14, 2018. |
Alpha Phi Omega (Omicron Phi) | 1965 | Service. Chartered May 21, 1965. |
Alpha Phi Epsilon | 1922 | National Literary Society with which Mu Sigma Rho affilated |
Alpha Chi Sigma (Delta Kappa) | Chemistry | |
Alpha Psi Omega (Eta) | 1928 | Theater. Chartered May 21, 1928. |
Beta Beta Beta (Beta Theta) | 1939 | Biology Honor Society, chartered May 19, 1939 from the Phoenix Society |
Beta Gamma Sigma (Gamma) | 1965 | Business Honor Society |
Gamma Theta Upsilon (Mu Delta) | 2010 | Geography Honor Society, chartered November 17, 2010 |
Gamma Sigma Epsilon (Epsilon Beta) | 1948 | Chemistry Honor Society, chartered May 29, 1948 and closed 2010 |
Delta Epsilon Chi | Business. Suspended fall 2011, which led to the establishment of Delta Sigma Pi as a professional business fraternity alternative to Alpha Kappa Psi. | |
Delta Theta Phi (Jefferson) | 1913 | Law. Chartered September 26, 1913 from Theta Lambda Phi national fraternity merging into Delta Theta Phi. Closed 1941 and reactivated 1946 during World War II. |
Delta Sigma Pi (Rho Omega) | 2013 | Business |
Delta Sigma Rho-Tau Kappa Alpha | 1963 | Speech. Chartered August 18, 1963 from Tau Kappa Alpha national fraternity merging with Delta Sigma Rho. |
Eta Sigma Phi (Beta Gamma) | 1940 | Classics. Chartered May 17, 1940 from Pegasus Club (est. in 1938) |
Theta Alpha Kappa | 1986 | Religious Studies / Theology (inactive) |
Theta Lambda Phi (Jefferson) | 1911 | Law. Merged into Delta Theta Phi in 1913. |
Kappa Delta Pi (Theta Theta) | 1955 | Education |
Lambda Pi Eta (Iota Theta) | Rhetoric / Communications | |
Mu Sigma Rho (local) | 1846 | Literary. Chartered 1846. Mu Sigma Rho was the publisher, along with the Philologian Club, of Monthly Musings, which later transformed into The Messenger, Richmond College's literary magazine and newspaper before The Collegian was established in 1914. Last mention in The Collegian was in 1953. |
Omicron Delta Epsilon (Lambda) | Economics | |
Omicron Delta Kappa (Epsilon) | 1921 | Leadership. Chartered March 12, 1921 |
Pi Alpha | 1921 | Honor society established for Westhampton College Seniors. Merged into the Mortar Board on October 25, 1930. |
Pi Delta Epsilon | 1926 | Journalism. Chartered November 26, 1926, from the Collegian Press Club. Closed after 1981. |
Pi Mu Epsilon (Virginia Alpha) | 1948 | Mathematics. Chartered November 5, 1948. |
Pi Sigma Alpha (Beta Xi) | 1953 | Political / Social Sciences Honor Society |
Rho Eta Sigma (local) | 1938 | History. Merged into Phi Alpha Theta in 1940. |
Sigma Delta Pi (Sigma Gamma) | Spanish | |
Sigma Xi | 1970 | Engineering. Chartered March 6, 1970. |
Sigma Pi Beta | 1974 | Business Society for women. Chartered fall 1974 and closed after 1988. |
Sigma Pi Sigma | 1932 | Physics |
Sigma Tau Delta | 1966 | English. Chartered March 8, 1966. |
Sigma Upsilon | 1922 | Literary. Chartered April 25, 1922 from the Writer's Club. |
Tau Kappa Alpha | 1912 | Debate. Merged into Delta Sigma Rho–Tau Kappa Alpha in 1963 |
Phi Alpha Delta (Coke / Patrick Henry) | 1948 | Law / Pre-Law. Chartered October 29, 1948. |
Phi Alpha Theta | 1940 | History. Chartered November 1940, from Rho Eta Sigma. |
Phi Beta Delta (Gamma Iota) | 1995 | International Scholars |
Phi Beta Kappa (Virginia Epsilon) | 1929 | Honor. Chartered April 12, 1929. |
Phi Delta Phi (James Madison Inn) | 1962 | Law |
Phi Eta Sigma | 1975 | Freshman Honor Society. Chartered November 19, 1975. |
Phi Kappa Mu | Music Honor Society | |
Phi Sigma Iota (Iota Epsilon) | 1975 | Foreign Languages Honor Society |
Phi Sigma Tau (Virginia Delta) | Philosophy | |
Psi Chi | 1950 | Psychology, from Psychology Club (est. in 1938) |
References[]
- ^ Larter, David (5 December 2009). "UR welcomes first historically black fraternity". The Collegian. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
- ^ Jackson, Kristen (21 November 1996). "Theta Chi shuts down". The Collegian. No. Vol. 83, No. 11. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
- ^ Monroe, Keon (6 October 2011). "Theta Chi makes its second debut after 15 years". The Collegian. University of Richmond. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
- ^ Healy, Megan (25 February 2016). "FIJI officially re-establishes chapter with 50 new members". The Collegian. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
- ^ Frederick, Arnold (30 April 1954). "A Dream Come True: Upsilon Rho To Affiliate with AEPi". The Collegian. No. Vol. 40, No. 26. Retrieved 21 November 2021.
- ^ "Zeta Beta Tau Fraternity Decides To Close". The Collegian. No. Vol. 60, No. 4. 22 September 1972. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
- ^ "Pi Delta Sigma Accepts S.A.E. Bid". The Collegian. No. Vol. 24, No. 1. 17 September 1937. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
- ^ Henderson, Martha (31 August 2006). "Pot found, PIKA's charter revoked". The Collegian. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
- ^ "SAE to Install Chapter Here Today at 4:30". The Collegian. No. Vol. 24, No. 17. 4 February 1938. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
- ^ "Students Organize Phi Alpha Chapter". The Collegian. No. Vol. 11, No. 19. 13 February 1925. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
- ^ "Phi Delta Omega To Go National". The Collegian. No. Vol. 25, No. 1. 16 September 1938. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
- ^ Jurand, Deirdre (13 April 2006). "Phi Delta Theta votes to close". The Collegian. No. Vol. 92, No. 23. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
- ^ "Phi Delta Omega To Become Phi Delta Theta Feb. 17, 18". The Collegian. No. Vol. 25, No. 17. 3 February 1939. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
- ^ Strebel, Jen (4 April 1996). "Phi Kappa Sigma closes chapter". The Collegian. No. Vol. 82, No. 34. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
- ^ "MODLIN, TURNER PRESENT FOR LODGE DEDICATION". The Collegian. October 29, 1965. Retrieved 15 March 2022.
- ^ Wilson, Rebecca (28 January 2013). "Different schedule, cottages affect sorority recruitment". The Collegian. Retrieved 15 March 2022.
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