Delta Phi 1673261 224969697 2008-07-11T06:37:11Z Lightbot 7178666 Units/dates/other {{Infobox Fraternity | | letters = ΔΦ| name = Delta Phi | motto = "Semper Ubique"| crest = [[Image:Deltaphi.JPG|200px|]]| founded = {{birth date and age|1827|11|17}} | type = Social | scope = National | address = P.O. Box 81521 | city = Athens | state = Georgia| country = USA | chapters = 14 Active Chapters | homepage = http://www.deltaphi.org | colors = | free_label = | free = | birthplace = [[Union College]] | flower = | symbol = The [[Maltese Cross]] }} '''Delta Phi''' ('''ΔΦ''') is a [[fraternities and sororities|fraternity]] founded in 1827 at [[Union College]] in [[Schenectady, New York]]. Founded as part of the [[Union Triad]], along with the [[Kappa Alpha Society]] and [[Sigma Phi|Sigma Phi Society]], Delta Phi was the third and last member of the Triad. ==History== Delta Phi and the other fraternities of the Union Triad were established during a time of strong anti-[[Freemasonry|Masonic]] sentiment in America. This sentiment also spilled over to fraternities, which at the time were secret societies. This led [[Phi Beta Kappa]], known as the Greek letter fraternity, to abandon secrecy and become an honor society. In the early 1830s, Dr. [[Eliphalet Nott]], president of Union College, called for the dissolution of all fraternities. His desire, however, was never granted. In defense of the fraternities, John Jay Hyde, a member of Delta Phi, argued the benefits of the fraternity system so convincingly that Dr. Nott relented and permitted the organizations to remain in existence. In addition, Hyde designed the fraternity badge which is based on the [[Maltese Cross]], a symbol also used by the [[Knights of Malta]]. It is because of this shared symbol that Delta Phi is also known as "The St. Elmo Club," a name first used by the [[Omicron]] chapter at [[Yale University]]. The brothers there used the name of [[Erasmus of Formiae|St. Elmo]], the patron saint of mariners and the Knights of Malta. Some of Delta Phi's chapter houses are also known as "St. Elmo's Hall." ===Delta Phi Today=== Delta Phi remains a small fraternity, with only fourteen active chapters and few chapters with many members. It has resisted the urge to expand, in order to create an "intimate, personal experience" [http://www.deltaphi.org/doc/chapters.cfm] for its members. The chapters of Delta Phi are all located in close proximity to one another. Its current expansion policy is to reactivate its dormant chapters. [http://www.deltaphi.org/doc/chapters.cfm] As a member of the Union triad, Delta Phi is the third oldest fraternity in the United States. It is also the oldest continuously active fraternity as the other two triad members went underground temporarily during the regime of Dr. Eliphalet Nott. The Beta chapter at Brown University is the oldest active chapter. ==Governance and Organization== Owing mostly to its development in the early 19th century, Delta Phi organizes itself federally. Individual alumni chapters still exercise significant power over chapter governance. Those powers that are given in the national organization are vested in the Board of Governors.<ref>http://www.deltaphi.org/doc/administ.html</ref> The Board consists of one member appointed from each alumni chapter plus two undergraduate representatives elected at th annual leadership conference the fraternity sponsors.<ref>http://www.deltaphi.org/doc/administ.html</ref> Among the duties given to the board is hiring the Executive Director who oversees day to day management of the fraternity.<ref>http://www.deltaphi.org/doc/administ.html</ref> In addition to the national governing organization of the fraternity, Delta Phi alumni have also established the Saint Elmo Foundation which, among other things, sponsor's the annual leadership weekend and provides scholarships to undergraduate members of Delta Phi.<ref>http://www.st-elmo.net/foundation/</ref> ==Alumni Membership== Overall alumni participation among active chapters remains strong with chapters hosting several social events throughout the year.<ref>http://www.wm.edu/so/deltaphi/alumni.winecheese.php</ref><ref>http://www.llenroc.org/calendar.asp</ref> Alumni status in Delta Phi also qualifies one to apply for membership in the Saint Elmo Club, a private social club in New York City.<ref>http://www.deltaphi.org/stelmony/</ref> On or about November 17 of every year, the national organization sponsors the Founder's Day Dinner at the Saint Elmo Club where undergraduates and alumni celebrate the founding of the fraternity.<ref>http://www.deltaphi.org/events/</ref> == Founders == [[Image:DPhi.gif|thumb|150 px|right|The insignia of Delta Phi Fraternity]] * Benjamin Burroughs, [[Presbyterian]] [[Minister of religion|Minister]] from [[Savannah, Georgia]] * William Hun Fondey, [[Attorney]] from [[Albany, New York|Albany]], [[New York]] * Samuel Lewis Lamberson, [[Presbyterian]] [[Minister of religion|Minister]] from [[Jamaica, New York|Jamaica]], [[New York]] * Samuel C. Lawrison, [[United States Navy]] [[surgery|Surgeon]] from [[Pensacola, Florida|Pensacola]], [[Florida]] * David Hervey Little, [[New York]] [[Supreme Court]] [[Justice]] from [[Rochester, New York|Rochester]], [[New York]] * Thomas Clark McLaury, [[Clergyman]] from [[Lisbon, New York|Lisbon]], [[New York]] * John Mason, [[Clergyman]] from [[Jamaica, New York|Jamaica]], [[New York]] * Joseph Griffiths Masten, [[Mayor]] of [[Buffalo, New York|Buffalo]] from [[Buffalo, New York|Buffalo]], [[New York]] * William Wilson, [[President]] of College of Cincinnati from [[Ireland]] == Active Chapters == * Beta - [[Brown University]] - Providence, RI - 1838 * Gamma - [[New York University]]- New York, NY - 1841 * [http://www.deltaphi.org/rutgers/ Epsilon] - [[Rutgers University]]- New Brunswick, NJ - 1845 * Eta - [[University of Pennsylvania]] - Philadelphia, PA - 1849 * [http://rpideltaphi.awardspace.com/ Lambda] - [[Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute]] - Troy, NY - 1864 * Nu - [[Lehigh University]] - Bethlehem, PA - 1884 * Xi - [[Johns Hopkins University]] - Baltimore, MD - 1885 * [http://www.llenroc.org/ Pi] - [[Cornell University]] - Ithaca, NY - 1891 * Rho - [[University of Virginia]] - Charlottesville, VA - 1908 * Tau - [[University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign|University of Illinois]] - Champaign, IL - 1920-1990 (reactivated 1991) * Phi - [[Kenyon College]] - Gambier, OH - 1940 * Chi - [[Hamilton College]] - Clinton, NY - 1950 * [http://www.thedeltaphi.com/ Omega] - [[University of Pittsburgh]] - Pittsburgh, PA - 1968 * [http://www.wm.edu/so/deltaphi/ Omega Alpha] - [[College of William and Mary]] - Williamsburg, VA - 1987 == Inactive Chapters == * Alpha - [[Union College]] - Schenectady, NY (1827 - 1999) * Delta - [[Columbia University]] - New York, NY (1842 - 2001) * Zeta - [[Harvard University]] - Cambridge, MA (1845 - 1901) * Theta - [[Princeton University]] - Princeton, NJ (1854 - 1877) * Iota - [[University of Michigan]] - Ann Arbor, MI (1855 - 1936) * Kappa - [[University of North Carolina]] - Chapel Hill, NC (1855 - 1861) * Mu - [[Colgate University]] - Hamilton, NY (1874 - 1876) * Omicron - [[Yale University]] - New Haven, CT (1889 - 1925) * Sigma - [[Trinity College (Connecticut)|Trinity College]] - Hartford, CT (1917 - 2001) * Upsilon - [[Williams College]] - Williamstown, MA (1926 - 1965) * Psi - [[Pennsylvania State University]] - State College, PA - (1960 - 2007) * Omega Beta - [[Wabash College]] - Crawfordsville, IN - (1994 - 2001) == Notable Alumni == * John Jay Hyde - Α *[[George Low]] - Λ *[[Garret A. Hobart]]- E - Vice-President of the United States under McKinley *[[George C. Ludlow]]- E - Governor of New Jersey *[[Paolo Montalbán]] - E - Actor of stage and screen * Maj. Gen. George Henry Sharpe - E - Civil War spymaster *[[Howard Crosby (minister)|Howard Crosby]] - Γ - Famous Preacher and Chancellor of NYU *[[Edgar Fawcett]] (1847 - 1904) - Δ - American novelist and poet.]].[http://books.google.com/books?vid=OCLC38011776&id=cxATAAAAIAAJ&pg=RA1-PA29&lpg=RA1-PA29&dq=delta+hii|The#PPA21,M1] *[[Harper & Brothers|The Harper Brothers]] - Δ - Founders of Harper & Brothers publishing group *[[John Pierpont Morgan, Jr.]] - Ζ - Noted financier, founder of JP Morgan Bank and Morgan Stanley *[[John Jacob Astor IV]] - Ζ - noted industrialist and philanthropist *[[James Roosevelt]] - Ζ - General, congressman, son of Franklin D. Roosevelt *[[Halsey Minor]] - Ρ - Co-founder and former CEO, [[CNET]] Inc. *[[Marvin Bush]] - Ρ - [[George W. Bush]]'s younger brother *[[Stanley Forman Reed]] - Ρ - [[Associate Justice]] of the [[Supreme Court]] *[[Charles Scribner's Sons|Charles Scribner]] - Θ - Founder of Charles Scribner's Sons publishing group *[[Russell Wayne Baker]] - Ξ - [[Pulitzer Prize]] winning writer and former host of PBS show [[Masterpiece Theatre]]. *[[Sullivan Ballou]] - B - author of famous Civil War love letter at the [[First Battle of Bull Run]]. *[[George Santayana]] - Z - Spanish author and philosopher famous for noting that "those who cannot remember the past, are condemned to repeat it." *[[George Will]] - Σ - Pulitzer Prize-winning conservative American newspaper columnist, journalist, and author. ==References== {{reflist|2}} ==External links== *[http://www.deltaphi.org/ National Website] *[http://www.dailytargum.com/news/2005/10/27/PageOne/Fraternity.Structure.Began.More.Than.A.Century.Ago-1035924.shtml History of Epsilon] (Daily Targum, 10/2005) {{North-American Interfraternity Conference}} [[Category:1827 establishments]] [[Category:United States student societies]] [[Category:North-American Interfraternity Conference]] [[Category:Union College, New York]]