History Of Fraternities & Sororities

Drake University’s Fraternity and Sorority Life is a vivacious entity fueling many social, service and academic events for the campus and its students.  With thirteen vital organizations, these student groups serve as great sources for involvement at Drake University.  Although these groups are well respected and accepted, it was not always the case during Drake’s first 30 years of existence.

 

The first organization of a Greek fraternity did not occur until 1903, more than 20 years after Drake’s founding in 1881.  General Francis Marion Drake, the university’s chief benefactor in its opening years, did not state his opinion or thoughts on the Greek system, however it was understood that Drake’s generosity was dependent upon the prohibition of the Greek system.  One month after Drake’s death, the first fraternity organization attempted formation.

In 1906 under President Hill M. Bell, a shift in attitude of the University’s students would take place.  Epsilon Tau Sigma was a fraternity that had been functioning since 1903, little to Bell’s realization.  This group was even recognized in an all-campus newsletter.  The shift in attitude among the students proved that the vitality of this campus was in need of a Greek-letter organization and students would find a way to work around campus denial of these organizations.

 

Open recognition of Greek-letter organizations took hold of the Drake community in the fall of the 1913-1914 school year.  With the inception of the Administrative Board of Student Organizations, faculty and administration could now control social clubs on campus and could work with fraternities and sororities in their acceptance.  Up to this point, local Greek organizations had existed and been functioning under the disguise of false names.  With the University being aware of this fact, the public utilization of Greek letters in their names went without consequence by Drake.  It was in the 1913-1914 school year that the transition to Greek life was made and deemed “an important, if troublesome, feature of college life,” by President Bell.

 

By 1920-1921, Drake’s local Greek system was preoccupied with finding national affiliation.  The first local fraternity to achieve that status was Sigma Beta Kappa who was enthusiastically installed as the Iowa Delta Chapter of Sigma Alpha Epsilon on February 5, 1921.  Shortly thereafter, Chi Omega installed the first nationally recognized Drake sorority on April 29, 1921, and with the installation of Delta Gamma, Kappa Alpha Theta and Kappa Kappa Gamma on the following day the fraternity and sorority system was headed in a positive direction.  Additional men’s fraternities followed in achieving national recognition, with local Kappa Lambda affiliating with Alpha Tau Omega on April 28, 1923. 

 

In the years since, the fraternity and sorority community acceptance into Drake University and all their traditions and pride have overwhelmed campus life.  The thirteen inter/national organizations of Drake’s fraternity and sorority community provide a living and learning environment aiming to enhance the collegiate experience.  One hundred plus years of tradition and history still live proudly at Drake University.

 

 

Information from:  Clark, Sheree L. and Lyman, Lynden; Etsis, A History of the Fraternities and Sororities of Drake University, 1984.