Fraternal History: SUMMARY
Some think the college fraternity is distinctively American, because nowhere
else do we see such an expanded system. But, through the adaptions and borrowings
of many different colleges, the American college fraternity can be traced back
to the secret student societies of colonial times. These, ultimately, were in
turn the products of conditions and attitudes inherited from institutions of
England and Europe. It has been the spirit of college students, like other human
beings, to organize themselves in order to satisfy their various needs. Following
a trip to America in the 1830's Alexis de Tocqueville, a much traveled Frenchman,
wrote Democracy in America. In it he commented that "Americans of all ages,
all conditions, and all dispositions constantly form associations. They are
the most fraternal people in the world." In fact, it was through the formation
of the medieval guild, that the oldest university in the Western world, at Bologna,
came to be in the 11th century. It is a system which has celebrated over 200
years of achievement. In its constellation are distinguished honor societies,
professional organizations, and general social fraternities. In its membership
are congressional leaders, actors, lawyers, doctors, teachers, etc. Throughout
history mankind has devised many tests of courage, strength and devotion. The
hazing of freshman by upperclassmen was an annual rite at many campuses. From
freshman to fraternities this practice evolved. From this, hazing has become
a tradition in higher education, a tradition that each new pledge class endures.
Actives want pledges to earn their membership, their association, and work for
the fraternity pin. This practice is accepted by the pledges because after all,
it has been a tradition for over 200 years. Hazing is an issue that is on every
college campus, a word each fraternity is notorious for, and a reoccurring theme
that plagues institutions of higher education. It is an insidious practice that
strikes at the heart and threatens the health of our fraternal system. Hazing
is against the law in most states, but until college officials and authorities
enforce the law, the tragedies will continue. The purpose of this study is to
investigate the history of hazing in college fraternities and the governmental
and institutional policies that affect it.
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Fraternal History: Early 18th Century
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You weren't suppose to think much for yourself, or have to much fun, some would
say in the Colonial period. Thoughts to the contrary sparked the revolution
that brought the United States into being. And another revolution, quieter but
sure, was far-reaching in its impact upon higher education. In the early days,
studies centered around Greek and Latin. Electives were virtually unknown, and
the classics rather than current events dominated discussion. It was a difficult
time for an adolescent, removed from the family and having been sent to college
by parents as much to acquire discipline as separation from the ".... corrosive
influence of indulgent mothers" (Vine, 1976, p. 82), as well as book learning.
Travel was difficult in these isolated settings and athletic and social events
were few and far between. It was indeed all work and no play. But students had
a way when there was a need to fulfill. The need was to be able to relax, to
enjoy friendships and to learn those things that can't be taught in the classroom,
to put purpose and perspective into a personal way-of-life, to belong. In Williamsburg,
Virginia, in 1750, the way to do this was to gather in the upper room of the
Raleigh Tavern with some of your college classmates from school (William and
Mary). Over drinks, you talked, laughed, and called yourselves the Flat Hat
Club. These students didn't realize it but they had organized the first general
college fraternity.
Most good things are soon copied as we begin to see other groups appear, but they were social only to a limited extent; they were more concerned with faculty approval and that meant being more like a literary society; meeting to debate or critique compositions and engaging in a form of early campus politics with rival groups.
One group, PDA, rejected a student who was a superior Greek scholar. That rejected student, John Heath, took three Greek letters, four friends, and held the first secret meeting of Phi Beta Kappa, the first Greek letter society or fraternity, on December 5, 1776. These groups had to remain secret because at this time the William and Mary faculty didn't approve of its students discussing the pressing issues of the day, this would cause them to lose focus of the classics. So Phi Beta Kappa developed secret signals of challenge and recognition as they met weekly in the Raleigh Tavern's Apollo Room. The secret group had mottos and ritual, a distinctive badge, a code, the use of Greek letters, all were used by Phi Beta Kappa and were adopted by later fraternities. But the important legacies of Phi Beta Kappa are these: high moral ideals, scholastic advancement, and the friendship of one brother with another (BairdÕs Manual, 1987).
Phi Beta Kappa felt that other college campuses should share its good idea that the higher education experience give proper consideration to pressure the student for his future responsibilities by preparing him socially. Chapters were founded at Harvard and Yale in 1779, and more soon followed. As the years progressed, Phi Beta Kappa became purely intellectual in its aims, though the original cardinal principles were "literature, morality and friendship." (BairdÕs Manual, 1987.) During anti-secret society movements of the 1830's, the society voluntarily revealed its name meant "Philosophy, the Guide of Life"(BairdÕs Manual, 1987). Since that time it has become a scholastic honorary society and today recognizes undergraduate men and women who show superior achievements in academics.
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Fraternal History: Early 19th Century
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In 1812, four members of Phi Beta Kappa at the University of North Carolina
formed Kappa Alpha, which expanded quickly to more than 20 campuses throughout
the south. Unfortunately, it would not survive the Civil War. To the north,
on the campus of Union College (Schenectady, New York), the decline of a military
marching club left a void in student life in the fall of 1825. So a group of
students, including several members of Phi Beta Kappa, organized Kappa Alpha
Society over 170 years ago on November 26, 1825. Kappa Alpha Society enjoys
the distinction of being the first Greek letter general college fraternity with
continuous existence to date. Due to its secrecy, students and faculty alike
opposed Kappa Alpha Society. But other students admired the concept of the organization
and formed Sigma Phi on March 4, 1827, and Delta Phi on November 17, 1827. Kappa
Alpha Society, Sigma Phi, and Delta Phi formed the "Union Triad" which
still exists today. Eventually, Union students founded six fraternities, which
is why the college is recognized as the "Mother of Fraternities" (BairdÕs
Manual, 1987). Sigma Phi founded another chapter at Hamilton College (Clinton,
New York). Seeking an alternative to literary societies, some Hamilton students
took inspiration from the local Sigma Phi chapter and founded another Greek
letter society, Alpha Delta Phi, in 1832. We know begin to see fraternities
on the move. A year later, Alpha Delta Phi spread west and established its second
chapter at Miami University (Oxford, Ohio). A member of the Miami Universities
literary society admired the spirit and organization of the members of Alpha
Delta Phi but imagined a society of "good without the ingredient of evil"
and in 1839 founded Beta Theta Pi, the first fraternity founded in the West.
College faculties were still highly suspicious of fraternities, so both Alpha Delta Phi and Beta Theta Pi existed in secret, with their members not wearing their badges publicly. Then in 1847, members of both organizations were found to have participated in a student revolt against an unpopular Miami University administration. All members were expelled, leaving the campus virtually without fraternities. Then in 1848, only a year later, Phi Delta Theta was founded to fill the void, and, in 1855, Sigma Chi was formed by six men who split from Delta Kappa Epsilon.
By the 1860's the fraternity system had firmly established itself in higher education, with 22 of the present day National Fraternities having been already founded. The Civil War, placing brother against brother in a familial and fraternal sense, resulted in the closing of many colleges and the temporary interruption in the development of new fraternities. The only fraternity founded during the Civil War was Theta Xi at Rensselaer Polytechnical Institute (Troy, New York), the first professional fraternity and later becoming a general college fraternity. It was not uncommon for whole fraternity chapters in the South to enlist as a body to defend the Confederacy. In a few cases, chapters tried to hold together military units. Afterwards the persistence of bitter sectional feeling worked to keep open the wounds that needed healing. To promote the healing process was a task particularly suited to fraternities. Responding to the need was Alpha Tau Omega, the first fraternity founded after the Civil War in 1865. Others quickly followed suite; Kappa Alpha Order (1865), Kappa Sigma Kappa (1965), Pi Kappa Alpha (1868), Sigma Nu (1869), and Kappa Sigma (1869), all in Virginia. The nation and its campuses were not to be the same after the Civil War. One significant change was the entrance of women into higher education. "Aware of the condescending and frequent scornful activities of the male students," (Newer, 1990) women "wanted nothing more than to prove their capabilities and to achieve an equally important position" on their campuses. Noting the advantages of the fraternal groups Pi Beta Pi was founded in 1867 as the first women's first national sorority at Monmouth College (Monmouth, Illinois).
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Fraternal History: MODERN
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As we move into the late 1800's, we begin to see resistance towards fraternal
organizations. In fact, several states in the late 1890's adopted anti-fraternity
legislation. Fraternities were everywhere and confronted with problems of internal
administration, of adequate financing, and of alumni support. These organizations
which lacked the leadership control to overcome these issues soon passed out
of existence; those who survived expanded at such a rapid rate that it encouraged
the formation of new societies. The corner was turned into the 20th century
with the realization of the importance of fraternal organizations. This feeling
didn't mean that things were moving upward for fraternities, quite the opposite.
World War I was fought to make the world safe for democracy. The "Roaring
Twenties" caused a craze in the American society. Then the Great Depression
caused many fraternities to disappear or merge in the 1930's. Then the dawn
of WWII, which caused most chapters to close because either the entire fraternity
was drafted or had volunteered to serve. Many had even predicted the end of
the fraternal system. Then without warning, men flocked to college campuses
to either resume their studies or enroll. Thus causing the fraternal life to
resume as well. Matured after the war, these men had a serious attitude toward
their studies, an impatience with juvenile hazing practices, and an openness
to consider some social changes. The growth of the huge, impersonal education
complex resulted in an increased contact and relationships within smaller groups.
The late 1960's and early 1970's was one of "Up with free speech,"
and "Down with the Establishment," "off with the rules, "
and "On with your own thing" (Cross, Hollowman, Robson, 1976). Students
challenged all that was traditional. Fraternities, highly visible and identifiable,
were considered to be part of the university system. The Greek system responded,
after a period of difficulty, by reexamining itself, reaffirming principles
and purposes, and realigning priority programs. Students responded by recognizing
fraternities as a means for personal development and achievement. Someone once
said, "It is the good in a social institution that causes it to persist"
(Austin, 1977).