Phi Alpha (fraternity)

Phi Alpha (ΦΑ) was a historically Jewish Fraternity founded in 1914. It merged with Phi Sigma Delta in 1959. Ten years later, that fraternity merged with Zeta Beta Tau.[1]

For other organizations named "Phi Alpha", see Phi Alpha (disambiguation).
Phi Alpha
ΦΑ
FoundedOctober 14, 1914 (1914-10-14)
George Washington University
TypeSocial
AffiliationNIC (former)
EmphasisJewish
ScopeNational
Colors  Maroon and   Blue
PublicationPhi Alpha Quarterly
Chapters33; 16 active at merger
Merged intoPhi Sigma Delta (1959)

History

Phi Alpha was founded at George Washington University on October 14, 1914.

Five founders were honored:

  • David Davis
  • Edward Lewis
  • Hyman Shapiro
  • Reuben Schmidt
  • Maurice H. Herzmark

The first pledge ceremony was held in February 1915, and was followed by the establishment of a chapter house. Dr. Edward Cafritz transferred to University of Maryland, Baltimore and helped start Beta chapter, which was installed on February 22, 1916. This was followed by Gamma chapter at Georgetown University on December 26, 1916.[2]

On April 6, 1959 the fraternity merged with Phi Sigma Delta, retiring the name Phi Alpha. That fraternity's records note that there were sixteen active Phi Alpha chapters at the time of the merger. Both fraternities had chapters at three campuses, two of which were "readily resolved," and in the case of the third, this chapter was released to join another fraternity.[3]

Ten years later Phi Sigma Delta itself merged with Zeta Beta Tau.

Traditions, Milestones and Insignia

In 1921, Phi Alpha became a member of the National Interfraternity Conference. In 1926, the fraternity was incorporated nationally. Its national convention was held annually during the latter part of December.[2]

Its magazine, the Phi Alpha Quarterly began publication in 1917. Its member-only, "esoteric" publication was the Phi Alpha Bulletin.[2]

The Fraternity's badge was a gold plaque, rectangular, and wider than it was tall, superimposed with the raised letters ΦΑ and surrounded with a row of pearls. Its flower was the rose. The pledge button was circular, containing a blue circle within a red circle.[2]

Chapters

This is the list of chapters of Phi Alpha fraternity, prior to its merger into Phi Sigma Delta in 1959, then Zeta Beta Tau in 1969. Citations taken from Baird's Manual[2] and checked against ZBT's referenced list.[4]

Name Chartered Institution Location Status Notes Reference
Alpha October 14, 1914 George Washington University Washington, D.C. Became Phi Alpha chapter of ΦΣΔ [3]
Beta February 22, 1916 University of Maryland at Baltimore Baltimore, MD Became Phi Beta chapter of ΦΣΔ [3][5]
Gamma December 26, 1916 Georgetown University Washington, D.C. Became Phi Gamma chapter of ΦΣΔ [3]
Delta February 15, 1918 Northwestern University Evanston, IL Became Phi Delta chapter of ΦΣΔ [3]
Epsilon April 2, 1919 University of Maryland, College Park College Park, MD Became Phi Epsilon chapter of ΦΣΔ [3][5]
Zeta December 7, 1919 Yale University New Haven, CT Became Phi Zeta chapter of ΦΣΔ
Closed in 1925		 [3]
Eta December 30, 1919 Johns Hopkins University Baltimore, MD Closed in 1938 [6][7]
Theta 1920 New York University New York, NY Merged or released by ΦΣΔ [6][8]
Iota February 20, 1920 Columbia University New York, NY Merged or released by ΦΣΔ [6][9]
Kappa March 3, 1921 University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA Closed in 1939, revived in 1952
Merged or released by ΦΣΔ		 [6][10]
Lambda February 19, 1921 DePaul University Chicago, IL Became Phi Lambda chapter of ΦΣΔ
Closed in 1927		 [3]
Mu April 16, 1922 University of Virginia Charlottesville, VA Became Phi Mu chapter of ΦΣΔ [3]
Nu March 16, 1924 Clark University Worcester, MA Became Phi Nu chapter of ΦΣΔ
Closed in 1969		 [3]
Xi (Unassigned) [11]
Omicron 1924 University of New Hampshire Durham, NH Became Phi Omicron chapter of ΦΣΔ [3]
Pi December 14, 1924 Boston University Boston, MA Became Phi Pi chapter of ΦΣΔ [3]
Rho February 6, 1925 University of Richmond Richmond, VA Became Phi Rho chapter of ΦΣΔ [3]
Sigma October 25, 1925 Brooklyn Polytechnic (now Tandon) Brooklyn, NY Became Phi Sigma chapter of ΦΣΔ [3]
Tau March 31, 1927 College of William & Mary Williamsburg, VA Became Phi Tau chapter of ΦΣΔ
Closed in 1954		 [3]
Upsilon April 24, 1927 University of Chicago Chicago, IL Merged or released by ΦΣΔ [6][12]
Phi March 19, 1927 Duquesne University Pittsburgh, PA Became Phi Phi chapter of ΦΣΔ [3]
Chi October 15, 1927 Trinity College (Duke University) Durham, NC Became Phi Chi chapter of ΦΣΔ
Closed in 1929		 [3]
Psi February 20, 1928 University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Chattanooga, TN Became Phi Psi chapter of ΦΣΔ
Closed in 1930		 [3]
Omega May 11, 1928 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC Became Phi Omega chapter of ΦΣΔ
Closed in 1943		 [3]
Alpha Alpha December 1, 1928 West Virginia University Morgantown, WV Merged or released by ΦΣΔ [6][13]
Alpha Beta May 4, 1929 Temple University Philadelphia, PA Became Phi Alpha Beta chapter of ΦΣΔ [3]
Alpha Gamma December 7, 1930 Wayne State University Detroit, MI Became Phi Alpha Gamma chapter of ΦΣΔ
Closed 1942-1961		 [3]
Alpha Delta 1930 University of Detroit Mercy Detroit, MI Closed in 1942 [14]
Alpha Epsilon 1937 St. John's College Annapolis, MD Became Phi Alpha Epsilon chapter of ΦΣΔ
Closed in 1947		 [3][15]
Alpha Zeta 1938 St. John's University New York, NY Became Phi Alpha Zeta chapter of ΦΣΔ
Closed in 1941		 [3][15]
Alpha Eta 1940 CCNY New York, NY Became Phi Alpha Eta chapter of ΦΣΔ [3]
Alpha Theta 1941 Washington College Chestertown, MD Became Phi Alpha Theta chapter of ΦΣΔ
Closed in 1942		 [3]
Alpha Iota 1953 Cornell University Ithaca, NY Merged or released by ΦΣΔ [16]
Alpha Kappa 1957 Lehman College (Hunter College) Bronx, NY Became Phi Alpha Kappa chapter of ΦΣΔ [3]

See also

References
  1. Our Antecedent Groups – Phi Alpha
  2. Anson, Jack L.; Marchenasi, Robert F., eds. (1991) [1879]. Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities (20th ed.). Indianapolis, IN: Baird's Manual Foundation, Inc. p. VIII–13. ISBN 978-0963715906.
  3. Anson, Jack L.; Marchenasi, Robert F., eds. (1991) [1879]. Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities (20th ed.). Indianapolis, IN: Baird's Manual Foundation, Inc. p. VIII–17–18. ISBN 978-0963715906.
  4. Phi Alpha Quarterly. 1936.
  5. Phi Alpha Quarterly, 1936 talks about the activities of Beta chapter at University of Maryland, Baltimore.
  6. Not listed among the ΦΣΔ chapters.
  7. Note, this was the same school as the Rho chapter of ΦΣΔ.
  8. Note, this was the same school as the older Delta chapter of ΦΣΔ.
  9. Note, this was the same school as ΦΣΔ's Alpha chapter.
  10. Note, this was the same school as ΦΣΔ's Zeta chapter.
  11. Neither Baird's nor ZBT lists a Phi Alpha chapter with this designation.
  12. Note, this was the same school as the Mu chapter of ΦΣΔ.
  13. Note, this was the same campus as the Upsilon chapter of ΦΣΔ.
  14. Not listed among merged ΦΣΔ chapters. Two years prior to the merger with ΦΣΔ, that fraternity had formed a chapter on the same campus.
  15. St. John's College has two campuses. Its main campus is in Annapolis. Note also, St. John's University is a separate school, in NYC.
  16. Note, this young chapter had formed at the same school as the Beta chapter of ΦΣΔ.
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