Fun Facts to Know and Tell About Southern Illinois University at Carbondale’s Fraternity System
The first local women’s fraternity at SIUC was Epsilon Beta in 1923.
SIUC’s first national women’s fraternity was Delta Sigma Epsilon, a member of the Association of Education Sororities. Epsilon Beta became the Alpha Delta Chapter of Delta Sigma Epsilon on May 11, 1928. When Delta Sigma Epsilon and Delta Zeta merged, the chapter became a local, Nu Delta Sigma, until proper authorization was granted from Delta Zeta’s national organization. The group then became the Beta Eta Chapter of Alpha Gamma Delta.
The Alpha Nu Chapter of Sigma Sigma Sigma was chartered in 1931.
SIUC’s first national men’s fraternity was Alpha Phi Alpha in 1934. Membership included undergraduates and graduates.
SIUC’s first National Interfraternity Conference men’s fraternity was Tau Kappa Epsilon in 1949. It had been a local, Delta Delta Chi, since 1940.
The first local men’s fraternity at SIUC was Sigma Alpha Pi in 1923. There is no mention of the chapter in the SIUC yearbooks after 1930.
The first women’s fraternity which was a National Panhellenic Conference member, never having been a member of the Association of Education Sororities, was Delta Zeta in 1953.
The bench in front of Wheeler Hall was given by Epsilon Beta in 1926. The group that had been Epsilon Beta is now Alpha Gamma Delta.
The Alpha Xi Chapter of Pi Kappa Sigma (a member of the Association of Education Sororities) was founded in 1939. In 1959, the national organization merged with Sigma Kappa. Both groups were on the SIUC campus and the merger of the two chapters made the Gamma Kappa Chapter of Sigma Kappa chapter the largest chapter on campus at that time.
The Theta Xi Variety Show began as the Kappa Delta Alpha All-School Variety Show on February 23, 1948.
Greek Sing was started by Chi Delta Chi in 1936. The chapter became the Beta Chi Chapter of Phi Kappa Tau in 1953.
