Delta Phi

"St. Elmo Hall" redirects here. For other uses, see St. Elmo (disambiguation) and San Telmo (disambiguation).

Delta Phi (ΔΦ) is a fraternal society established in Schenectady, New York on November 17, 1827. Its first chapter was founded at Union College, and was the third and final member of the Union Triad. In 1879, William Raimond Baird's American College Fraternities characterized the fraternity's membership as being largely drawn from the old knickerbocker families of New York and New Jersey. Today, the fraternity consists of ten active chapters along the East Coast of the United States, and also uses the names "St. Elmo," "St. Elmo Hall," or merely "Elmo" for its relation to Erasmus of Formia, the patron saint of sailors, and the Knights of Malta.

Delta Phi (St. Elmo)
ΔΦ
Founded	November 17, 1827; 196 years ago (1827-11-17) Union College
Type	Social
Affiliation	NIC
Scope	National
Motto	"Semper Ubique" ("Always Everywhere")
Colors	Columbia blue and   White
Symbol	Maltese Cross
Patron saint	St. Elmo
Chapters	12 active
Nickname	St. Elmo / St. Elmo Hall / Elmo
Headquarters	120 Providence Rd., Ste 102 P.O. Box 4633 Chapel Hill, NC 27514 USA
Website	Official website

History

Delta Phi was officially founded on November 17, 1827 at Union College by nine upperclassmen.^[1] Delta Phi and the other Union Triad fraternities were established during a time of strong Anti-Masonry sentiment in the United States and became targets of the Anti-Masonry movement. This led Phi Beta Kappa, the original fraternity, to abandon secrecy and become a strictly honor society.^[2]

In the early 1830s, Dr. Eliphalet Nott, president of Union College, called for the dissolution of all fraternities. Before this policy could be enacted, John Jay Hyde, a member of Delta Phi, argued the benefits of the fraternity system so convincingly that Dr. Nott relented and permitted the organizations to remain in existence. Hyde went on to design the badge still worn by members of Delta Phi today, which includes a Maltese Cross, a symbol used by the Knights of Malta.

This connection to the Knights of Malta led Delta Phi to become known as "St. Elmo", a name first used by the Omicron chapter at Yale, which since has transformed into a senior secret society known as St. Elmo Society that is no longer associated with Delta Phi. Beginning at some point shortly after the Omicron chapter's inception in 1889, the brothers there used the name of St. Elmo, the patron saint of mariners and the Knights of Malta.^[3] On some campuses, Delta Phi chapters are known almost exclusively as "St. Elmo," "St. Elmo Hall," or simply "Elmo." At Cornell University, the Delta Phi chapter is known as Llenroc, due to their residence in founder Ezra Cornell's mansion named Llenroc.

Expansion

In 1838, the Beta chapter of Delta Phi was founded at Brown University and Delta Phi finally became a “national” fraternity. Next, the Gamma chapter was established at New York University in 1841, followed quickly by the Delta chapter at Columbia University in 1842,^[4] the Epsilon chapter at Rutgers University^[5] in 1845,^[4] the Zeta chapter at Harvard University - also in 1845,^[4] (Reorganized in 1901 as the Delphic Club - one of Harvard's prestigious Final Clubs), and the Eta chapter at University of Pennsylvania in 1849.^[5] In 1844, Delta Phi held its first convention, only the second fraternity to have such a meeting and was held under the auspices of the Alpha chapter but was held in Troy, New York. The next convention was held in New York City and, seeing the growth in the organization, authorized the fraternity to undertake its first printed publication, a complete catalogue of the membership up to 1847.

Delta Phi left its base in the Northeast and expanded into what was then still the northwest of the young country, establishing the Iota chapter at University of Michigan in 1855 and southward to charter the Kappa chapter at the University of North Carolina that same year.^[4]

Delta Phi today

 

Delta Phi remains a small fraternity with ten active chapters and few chapters with more than a couple dozen members. It has resisted expansion in order to create an "intimate, personal experience"^[6] for its members. The fraternity's current expansion policy is to reactivate dormant chapters.^[6] As a member of the Union Triad, Delta Phi is the third oldest fraternity and the second oldest continuous fraternity in the United States.

Governance and organization

Owing mostly to its development in the early 19th century, Delta Phi organizes itself federally. Individual alumni chapters still exercise significant power over chapter governance. Those powers that are given in the national organization are vested in the Board of Governors.^[7] The board consists of one member appointed from each alumni chapter. Among the duties given to the board is hiring the Executive Director who oversees day-to-day management of the fraternity.^[7]

In addition to the national governing organization of the fraternity, Delta Phi alumni have also established the Saint Elmo Foundation which, among other things, sponsors the annual leadership weekend and provides scholarships to undergraduate members of Delta Phi.^[8]

Alumni membership

Overall alumni participation among active chapters remains strong, with chapters hosting several social events throughout the year.^[9][10]

On or around November 17 of every year, the national organization sponsors the Founder's Day Dinner at the Saint Elmo Club where undergraduates and alumni celebrate the founding of the fraternity.^[11]

Founders

• Benjamin Burroughs, Presbyterian minister from Savannah, Georgia
• William Hun Fondey, attorney from Albany, New York
• Samuel Lewis Lamberson, Presbyterian minister from Jamaica, New York
• Samuel C. Lawrison, United States Navy surgeon from Pensacola, Florida
• David Hervey Little, New York Supreme Court Justice from Rochester, New York
• John Mason, clergyman from Jamaica, New York
• Joseph Griffiths Masten, Mayor of Buffalo from Buffalo, New York
• Thomas Clark McLaury, clergyman from Lisbon, New York
• William Wilson, President of the College of Cincinnati from Ireland

Chapters

These are the chapters of Delta Phi. Active chapters noted in bold, inactive chapters noted in italics. Two chapters have withdrawn from affiliation with the national fraternity, but remain active on their campuses; their dates of withdrawal are noted.^[12][13][14]

Name	Chartered	Institution	Location	Status	Notes	Reference
Alpha	November 17, 1827–1999	Union College	Schenectady, NY	Inactive
Beta	1838–1856, 1868–1877, 1881–1966, 1983–2011	Brown University	Providence, RI	Withdrew ^[a]		^[a]^[b]
Gamma	1841–2019	New York University	New York, NY	Inactive
Delta	1842–2001	Columbia University	New York, NY	Inactive
Epsilon	1845–1999, 200x ?	Rutgers University	New Brunswick, NJ	Active		^[15]^[c]
Zeta	1845–1848, 1885–1901	Harvard University	Cambridge, MA	Inactive	Now Delphic Club
Eta	1849–1871, 1882	University of Pennsylvania	Philadelphia, PA	Active	Co-ed (1979)	^[16]^[d]
Theta	1854–1877	Princeton University	Princeton, NJ	Inactive
Iota	1855–1874, 1923–1936	University of Michigan	Ann Arbor, MI	Inactive		^[e]
Kappa	1856–1861	University of North Carolina	Chapel Hill, NC	Inactive
Lambda	1864	Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute	Troy, NY	Active		^[17]
Mu	1874–1876	Colgate University	Hamilton, NY	Inactive
Nu	1884–2015	Lehigh University	Bethlehem, PA	Inactive		^[18]^[f]
Xi	1885–1916, 1921	Johns Hopkins University	Baltimore, MD	Active		^[g]
Omicron	1889–1925	Yale University	New Haven, CT	Withdrew		^[h]^[19]
Pi	1891–2018, 2022	Cornell University	Ithaca, NY	Active		^[20]
Rho	1908	University of Virginia	Charlottesville, VA	Active
Sigma	1917–1965, 1982–2001	Trinity College	Hartford, CT	Inactive		^[i]
Tau	1920–2009	University of Illinois	Champaign, IL	Inactive		^[j]
Upsilon	1926–1965	Williams College	Williamstown, MA	Inactive ^[k]		^[k]^[l]
Phi	1940–2020	Kenyon College	Gambier, OH	Withdrew		^[21]^[m]
Chi	1950	Hamilton College	Clinton, NY	Active		^[22]^[n]
Psi	1960–1974, 1986–2007, 2015	Pennsylvania State University	State College, PA	Active		^[o]
Omega	1968	University of Pittsburgh	Pittsburgh, PA	Active		^[23]^[p]
Omega Alpha	1987–2024	College of William and Mary	Williamsburg, VA	Inactive		^[24]^[25]^[26]^[q]
Omega Beta	1994–2001	Wabash College	Crawfordsville, IN	Inactive

Notes

1. This chapter is active under the name of Delta Phi and uses the fraternity's crest, but is disaffiliated from the national fraternity.
2. At its 1966 reorganization, Beta chapter was created from Delta Phi Omega (local).
3. Epsilon chapter was revived with a 2003 recolonization.
4. Eta chapter was revived in 1882 when it absorbed Delta Beta Phi (local), which had formed in 1878.
5. Iota chapter was revived in 1923 when it absorbed Kappa Beta Psi (local), which had formed in 1912.
6. Nu chapter had its origin as Alpha Gamma Phi (local), which had formed prior to becoming a chapter of Delta Phi.
7. Xi chapter was revived in 1921 after a brief dormancy, when it absorbed Beta Beta (local).
8. Omicron chapter dissociated with Delta Phi and is now known as the St. Elmo Society at Yale.
9. Sigma chapter had its origin as Iota Kappa Lambda (local), which had formed in 1829.
10. Tau chapter had its origin as the Iris Club (local), which had formed in 1908.
11. Williams College banned all fraternities in the 1960s, phasing them out by 1970.
12. Upsilon chapter had its origin as Alpha Tau Alpha (local), which had formed in 1925.
13. Phi chapter had its origin as Alpha Pi Tau (local), which had formed in 1927. The chapter withdrew from the fraternity in 2020 to become a local fraternity.
14. Chi chapter had its origin as Alpha Chi (local), which had formed in 1947.
15. Psi chapter had its origin as the Beaver Society (local), which had formed in 1935.
16. Omega chapter had its origin as Lambda Sigma Rho (local), which had formed in 1965.
17. In March 2020, William & Mary suspended the chapter through the spring 2028 semester for violations of hazing and alcohol policies. However, the fraternity did not withdraw the chapter's charter, allowing the group to continue as an unofficial student organization.

Notable members

• John Jacob Astor IV - Ζ - industrialist and philanthropist
• Russell Wayne Baker - Ξ - Pulitzer Prize–winning writer; former host of PBS show Masterpiece Theatre
• Sullivan Ballou - Β - author of famous Civil War love letter at the First Battle of Bull Run
• John C. Bauerschmidt - Φ - Bishop of Middle Tennessee
• Marvin Bush - Ρ - George W. Bush's younger brother
• William P. Carey - H - founder of W. P. Carey & Co.; established the Carey Business School at Johns Hopkins University, the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law, and the W. P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University
• Howard Crosby - Γ - preacher; Chancellor of NYU
• Thomas B. Evans Jr. - P - US Congressman
• Edgar Fawcett (1847–1904) - Δ - novelist and poet^[27]
• The Harper Brothers - Δ - founders of Harper & Brothers publishing group
• Garret A. Hobart - E - Vice President of the United States under William McKinley^[28]
• Jay Jones (politician) - ΩΑ - Delegate for the 89th District of the Virginia House of Delegates^[29][30]
• George Low - Λ - NASA administrator and 14th President of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute^[31][32]
• George C. Ludlow - E - Governor of New Jersey
• George Macready - Β - actor
• Halsey Minor - Ρ - co-founder and former CEO of CNET Inc.
• Paolo Montalban - E - actor of stage and screen
• John Pierpont Morgan Jr. - Ζ - financier; founder of JP Morgan Bank and Morgan Stanley
• Stanley Forman Reed - Ρ - Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States
• Ned Rice - ΩΑ - General Manager of the Philadelphia Phillies^[33][30]
• Thomas Ridgway, U.S. Army officer and father of General Matthew Ridgway^[34]
• James Roosevelt - Ζ - General, congressman; son of Franklin D. Roosevelt
• George Santayana - Z - Spanish author and philosopher famous for noting that "those who cannot remember the past, are condemned to repeat it"
• Charles Scribner I - Θ - founder of Charles Scribner's Sons publishing group
• Maj. Gen. George Henry Sharpe - E - Civil War spymaster
• Wylie Tuttle - Δ - real estate developer responsible for the construction of the Tour Montparnasse in Paris^[35][36]
• Finn Wentworth N - businessman; COO and owner of New York Yankees; founder of YES Network; philanthropist
• George Will - Σ - Pulitzer Prize-winning conservative newspaper columnist, journalist, and author

References

1. "History". deltaphifraternity.org. Delta Phi Fraternity. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
2. . pbk.org. The Phi Beta Kappa Society. Archived from the original on 19 December 2019. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
3. "History". deltaphifraternity.org. The Delta Phi Fraternity. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
4. "Inactive Chapters". deltaphifraternity.org. The Delta Phi Fraternity. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
5. "Active Chapters". deltaphifraternity.org. The Delta Phi Fraternity. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
6. . Archived from the original on August 3, 2007.
7. . Archived from the original on August 3, 2007.
8. [1] February 8, 2005, at the Wayback Machine
9. . Archived from the original on September 15, 2006. Retrieved 2008-06-10.
10. . Archived from the original on December 31, 2010.
11. . Archived from the original on February 5, 2005.
12. "Active Chapters". Delta Phi Fraternity. Retrieved 2023-09-28.
13. "Inactive Chapters". Delta Phi Fraternity. Retrieved 2023-09-28.
14. William Raimond Baird; Carroll Lurding (eds.). "Almanac of Fraternities and Sororities (Baird's Manual Online Archive)". Student Life and Culture Archives. University of Illinois: University of Illinois Archives. Retrieved 6 October 2022. The main archive URL is The Baird's Manual Online Archive homepage.
15. Epsilon chapter website 2008-10-09 at the Wayback Machine
16. "HISTORIES OF EARLY PENN FRATERNITIES, Delta Phi (St. Elmo)". Retrieved 2022-10-06.
17. "Delta Phi Lambda Chapter". deltaphirpi.com.
18. "Lehigh Delta Phi loses recognition". 23 Feb 2015.
19. The oldest traditional fraternities (~junior societies) at Yale named their buildings with "Hall" nicknames, by which they wished to be known on campus: Thus Delta Phi was known at Yale as St. Elmo's AND as a Delta Phi chapter until its disassociation. Similarly, Psi Upsilon became the Fence Club. Phi Gamma Delta was Vernon Hall which later became Myth and Sword. Sigma Delta Chi (local) was renamed the Cloister Club which soon became Book and Snake. Theta Xi's chapter was Franklin Hall, Phi Sigma Kappa adopted the name Sachem Hall, Delta Psi adopted the name St. Anthony Hall which spread to their entire small but old national fraternity. Chi Delta Theta (local literary honorary) established the Manuscript Society, and finally, Chi Phi was York Hall.
20. "Llenroc – at Cornell University". llenroc.org. Retrieved 2020-12-26.
21. Wald, Jackson (2020-02-13). "D-Phis to disaffiliate from national fraternity organization". The Kenyon Collegian. Retrieved 2023-09-28.
22. "Delta Phi - Home - Hamilton College". students.hamilton.edu.
23. Omega chapter website, accessed 6 Oct 2022.
24. "Delta Phi at William and Mary". wmdeltaphi.wixsite.com.
25. "Notice Regarding the Omega Alpha Chapter of Delta Phi". William & Mary. Retrieved 2022-02-21.
26. "Notice Regarding the Omega Alpha Chapter of Delta Phi". William & Mary. March 3, 2020. Retrieved 2023-09-28.
27. "The Undergraduate Record: Columbia College. A Book of Statistical Information". 1881. Retrieved September 14, 2019.
28. "Delta Phi - Founders".
29. "Delegate Jay Jones".
30. "ALUMNI". wmdeltaphi.wixsite.com.
31. Various objects (incl. ring and tankard), George M. Low Gallery, Low Center for Industrial Innovation, Troy, NY.
32. Hamilton, Reeve (July 1, 2019). "Low Gallery at Rensselaer Provides Insight Into Man Behind the Moon Landing". Rensselaer News. Retrieved January 27, 2022.
33. Breen, Matt (4 October 2020). "New Phillies GM Ned Rice is closely tied to old GM Matt Klentak". www.inquirer.com.
34. Freeland, Arthur G., ed. (1907). Delta Phi Catalogue, 1827–1907. Chapel Hill, NC: Delta Phi Fraternity. p. 131 – via Google Books.
35. "Columbia Spectator 20 December 1940 — Columbia Spectator". spectatorarchive.library.columbia.edu. Retrieved 2021-08-31.
36. Pace, Eric (2002-04-06). "Wylie F. L. Tuttle, 79, Force Behind Paris Tower". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-08-31.

External links

• Official website
• History of Epsilon (Daily Targum, 10/2005)