William Raimond Baird

“ College students have always shown a more or less marked tendency to form themselves into societies. Whether founded upon a national, literary, or social basis, these organizations seem to have been coeval with the colleges themselves. Throughout the United States there is a class of students' societies, usually secret in their character, which rapidly grew in favor, and have become of great importance in the college world. They are composed of lodges or branches placed in the several colleges, united by a common bond of friendship and a common name, generally composed of Greek letters. ”

“ At Harvard, although there are chapters of a few of the fraternities, their influence is insignificant, their place being taken by a group of local societies, some of them class organizations. At Yale, the regular system of fraternities obtains in the engineering or technical department (the Sheffield Scientific School) , but in the classical department the fraternity chapters are called “junior” societies, because they limit their membership to the three upper classes and allow the juniors each year practically to control the chapter affairs. ”

“ If, while in college, students are provided with more money than thcy need they will waste it in individual cases, whether they belong to fraternities or not. Is it not better for the wealthy student to spend his superfluous income in a handsome badge, in beautifying his chapter home, in helping needy friends, or in assisting the chapter library, than to spend it in fast horses, drinking, or worse? He has at least something more tangible for his money than a weak stomach and a sick headache, which he would be apt to acquire in disposing of his money through the usual channels. ”

“ For many years the Alpha, or parent chapter, held the reins of authority; then the Graduate Charge took them up until the present system was inaugurated.
Annual conventions of the fraternity are held, generally under the auspices of some one chapter. At these conventions an oration is delivered, a poem is read, and generally some essay on the society’s history or progress is presented. The catalogue of members is issued at regular intervals, and the last one, published in New York in 1876, is ably edited and beautifully printed. ”

“ In 1824 a small number of students at Princeton formed themselves into a society having for its aim the promotion of literary culture, but making its meetings secret and exclusive, and using the black ball in its elections. This society was called the Chi Phi, a Greek name, assumed doubtless in imitation of that of the honorary society of Phi Beta Kappa. The organization was promptly killed by the faculty. A little later, at Union College, a similar movement resulted in the foundation of Kappa Alpha, in which the social element was more prominent. ”

“ Many former members of Iota Alpha Kappa, who were opposed to the breaking up of the order, have become members of the new society. All the ritual and internal machinery was at first unchanged; it has since been gradually altered, until it is now totally different to what it was before the rupture.
The Alpha Psi is in a good condition; the Beta, which was started by three members, became inoperative last year; the Gamma, owing to anti-fraternity laws, is now defunct, although the charter is still held by resident members. The Epsilon is not completely in organization yet. ”

“ The living chapters are nearly all in a good condition; the Theta owns a hall of her own, as does the Eta. The Iota and Alpha Chapters are especially prosperous. A spirit of conservatism has of late been developed in the fraternity, and probably changes for the better will be made before long.
The publications of the “Deltas” as they are generally called, are the catalogue, which has been issued four times, several songs, a grand march, and the “Crescent,” this latter being a monthly journal of sixteen pages, filled with matter of interest to the members. ”

“ For the first decade of its existence Chi Psi experienced no reverses, but afterwards placing chapters in Southern colleges of lower rank than those of the North, it lost seriously by the war, and was sadly crippled at its close. During the period from 1869 to 1873 it also lost several chapters, seemingly from mere inactivity. Since then the fraternity’s prospects have been much brighter, and, with the exception of Alpha-Rho, its extension has been marked by a wise care and foresight. ”

“ The Chi is flourishing, but the remainder are dead. The Kentueky Alpha, the Beta Beta, the Zeta, the Nu, the Rho Rho, and the Omega have been killed by the anti-fraternity laws which exist in so many Southern colleges. The Gamma disbanded; the Virginia Theta lost the support of the students, and became defunct; the remaining chapters are prosperous. The Chi Chapter is the Grand Chapter, and publishes the fraternity catalogue. The last one was issued in 1877, and one is expected in 1880.
The standard of the fraternity is a high one, and it is one of the best in the South. ”

“ The meetings of the parent Alpha were held in the Raleigh tavern, at Williamsburg, until, in 1781, the war put an end to the college exercises. The original charter and minute-book of the Alpha are now in the possession of the State Historical Society of Virginia. In establishing other “Alphas” the right to do so had been reserved by the original chapter. In 1787 Yale and Harvard united in founding the Alpha of New Hampshire, at Dartmouth, as the old Alpha being dead could no longer exercise its functions.
The Alphas had power to grant charters each within its own State. ”

“ Because the founders of our colleges in their wisdom have provided for extensive courses of study, for supplemental studies presenteel by means of the literary societies, for scientific and other associations; but they have one and all neglected to recognize the fact that “all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy;” that there is and should be a social side to every student’s nature; that college life should consist of something more than a study of dead Greek roots, mathematical puzzles, or investigations into the structure of obscure polyps and long-named fossils. ”