Greek life is not for everyone.

And on a small campus like Albright’s with only 21.5 percent of the student body affiliated with social fraternities and sororities, “fitting in” if you’re not involved in a Greek-letter organization is not an issue. In fact, says Adam Barrows ’06, “I hear that on other campuses they (fraternities and sororities) are very demanding and tell members that they’re not allowed to converse with independents. If they do that here then they must be going against the rules because I’m always interacting with someone who’s Greek.”

But those who are in fraternities and sororities say they gain a lot from the experience.

“ The thing that makes it so great is having people you can count on no matter what,” says Travitz. “Yes, there are parties and formals, but that’s not what I remember. The things that stand out are going to talk to my fraternity buddies at midnight.”

Greeks at Albright: A Brief History
by Jennifer Post Stoudt

Around the year 1898-1899, when male students at Albright at Myerstown started agitating for permission to organize a social fraternity, the administration was skeptical. Even at the turn of the 20th century, fraternities on the campuses of large universities in America were noted for “practices and excesses which would not have commended them to the average Evangelical,” according to Eugene Barth’s Discovery and Promise: A History of Albright College. Academic Dean C.A. Bowman questioned the moral standards of such groups and believed that the element of “secrecy among fraternity brethren suggested to the opponents of these social organizations things sinister and perhaps even decadent,” Barth notes.

But a compromise was reached. The College agreed to allow students to organize local fraternities so that the College could still exercise some oversight of the activities of the organizations. Kappa Upsilon Phi was formed in 1900, followed by Zeta Omega Epsilon in 1904 and Pi Tau Beta in 1907.

At this time, female students at Myerstown were not allowed to form such an organization. According to Barth, the closest the ladies came to forming a social group was the Themisian Literary Society. Dean Bowman allowed this under the condition that he would serve as the pater familias for the group, chaperoning all of their activities. The first official sorority, Pi Alpha Tau, was organized in 1926.

These organizations, in general, were embraced by the College as they provided opportunities for social growth, individual student development and school spirit.

Throughout the years, housing of these organizations was often up for debate. Should the College pay for fraternity housing or should the fraternities wishing to have their own residences raise funds themselves? In 1958 the College purchased two homes near the campus to house the Alpha Pi Omega and Pi Tau Beta fraternities. Sororities Phi Beta Mu and Pi Alpha Tau occupied two homes off of Union Street where the current Computer and Mathematics building now stands. But as the years passed and other fraternal organizations moved into homes in the surrounding Hampden Heights neighborhood, problems with neighbors arose.

“The idea of the fraternities being linked to national organizations was to bring them prestige, give them ideals to look up to.”

– Bill Marlow ’49, professor emeritus
of religion/chaplain,
Zeta Omega Epsilon brother

In 1989, a Greek Task Force was formed to examine whether or not to retain or disband the Greek system. While it was determined that Greeks play an important role on campus, housing issues were examined closely by the Task Force.

Fraternity housing in the Hampden Heights area was deemed a “liability to the reputation of the College,” according to the Task Force’s report. Fraternities were moved out of Hampden Heights at this time. North Hall was built soon after as a special interest residence hall, providing group living opportunities.

“ The fact that the College had fraternities in the middle of a busy neighborhood was not a good idea,” says Bill Marlow ’49, professor emeritus of religion/ chaplain and Zeta Omega Epsilon brother. “Large numbers of students would go up there every time there was a party. There were always complaints from neighbors. Whether the complaints were substantial or not, there was a lot of discussion over the years about what to do.”

Another major change in Greek life at Albright came when the administration and the fraternities together decided that all Greek organizations must affiliate with a national organization. Kappa Upsilon Phi initiated this change in 1970 when they affiliated with the national fraternity Tau Kappa Epsilon.

“ The idea of the fraternities being linked to national organizations was to bring them prestige, give them ideals to look up to,” says Marlow. “They would have standards to live up to and if they got too out of line, they would be booted out by nationals. Both sides felt it was a good solution to the status of the Greek organizations.”

Although Kappa president Rick Bomberger ’70 stated in the spring 1970 issue of The Skull and Bones that, “In the next several years you will see all the fraternities national…,” most changes did not occur until the mid-80s.

Unfortunately, some Greek organizations such as the Chi Lambda Rho sorority did not survive the transition. The organization petitioned two national sororities but was unable to attain sponsorship. Two of the oldest local organizations, Pi Tau Beta and Zeta Omega Epsilon combined to become a colony under Delta Sigma Phi national. However, they were dropped as a colony soon after and ceased to exist.

Today, there are four social fraternities – Alpha Sigma Phi, Pi Kappa Phi, Sigma Alpha Epsilon and Kappa Delta Phi – and three sororities – Alpha Delta Pi, Phi Mu and Sigma Kappa active on Albright’s campus. Approximately 25 percent of male and 30 percent of female students participate in Greek-letter organizations.

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