History of Greek Life at Shippensburg University
Early in 1959, when Shippensburg University was named Shippensburg State College (SSC), our first Greek organization was born. It was a National Fraternity named Phi Sigma Epsilon. Later that year, two more National Fraternities were founded, Sigma Tau Gamma and Tau Kappa Epsilon. Also in that same year, the first sorority was founded, the local organization Alpha Sigma. In 1960, another Men's Fraternity, Sigma Pi, officially became a part of SSC's Greek Community.
Not until five years later did SSC welcome it's second and third sororities. Both Theta Kappa and Zeta Beta were local women's organizations that became part of SSC in 1965. The very next year, 1966, SSC welcomed it's fourth National Men's Fraternity, Acacia. In 1968, as Theta Chi began at SSC, so did two other local women's organizations Delta Rho and Sigma Delta. The last organization to become a part of the SSC Greek Community in the 1960's was Kappa Sigma, a National Men's Fraternity.
The next decade saw much growth in the Greek Community as it welcomed 7 more organizations to Shippensburg's campus. In 1971, Shippensburg's first National Sorority, Alpha Sigma Tau, was founded. Also in 1971, another local sorority, Lambda Tau was founded. In 1972, Delta Zeta came to Shippensburg as the second National Sorority. In 1973, the first historically African-American men's organization was found here at Shippensburg in the local group of Alpha Beta Omega. In 1976, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, INC. was founded, and in 1977, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, INC. began. Both groups are historically African-American women's organizations. In 1977 another first happened on campus, two organizations merged to make one. Zeta Beta and Lambda Tau merged to make one local group and renamed themselves Lambda Zeta Pi.
The 1980's began by recognizing the first national historically African-American men's organization, Kappa Alpha Psi, which was founded at Shippensburg in 1981. In 1982 Lambda Chi Alpha, a National Fraternity, was founded. In 1984, Shippensburg State College became Shippensburg University, and it welcomed two more national organizations as the members of Lambda Zeta Pi helped form Alpha Omicron Pi, a National Women's Fraternity, and Pi Lambda Phi, a National Fraternity, found a home here as well. In 1985 Phi Sigma Epsilon underwent a national merger with another National Fraternity, Phi Sigma Kappa. All Chapters of Phi Sigma Epsilon took the name of Phi Sigma Kappa including, the chapter here at Shippensburg. In 1986, three more organizations were founded on this campus; Pi Kappa Phi, a National Fraternity, Phi Beta Sigma, an historically African-American Fraternity, and Kappa Tau Epsilon, a local women?rganization. In 1987, the National Women's Fraternity Phi Sigma Sigma began its chapter here.
The 1990's did not see as much growth as the other decades; however, six organizations were founded during this time. In 1991, Alpha Chi Rho, a National Men's Fraternity was founded, and Chi Gamma Iota began as a local men's organization. For the second time in Shippensburg's Greek Community, 1991 saw two local organizations merge to form a third, Alpha Phi, a National Women's Fraternity. In 1995, Delta Upsilon was founded, followed in 1997 by Alpha Phi Alpha, an historically African-American Fraternity. The last addition to our campus was Phi Delta Theta, in 1999.
Fun Facts about Greek Life At Shippensburg University
1959 - The Raider Room opens. Phi Sigma Epsilon begins to bring a cannon to football games.
1960 - IFC first appears in the yearbook.
1961 - Sigma Pi wins first place in the fraternity division for floats at Homecoming.
1962 - Sigma Tau Gamma wins first place in homecoming, and Sigma Pi is the IFC basketball
champ.
1962-64 - Sigma Pi has the highest GPA for fraternities.
1964 - Phi Sigma Epsilon wins first place at homecoming.
1965 - Alpha Sigma wins first place at homecoming.
1967 ??e Inter-Sorority Council forms. Sigma Tau Gamma wins first place at homecoming, as Alpha Sigma and Zeta Beta tie for first.
1971 - Sigma Pi sponsors powder puff football.
1974 - Delta Rho plays Alpha Sigma in the Turkey Bowl, which is still an annual tradition today. Theta Kappa sponsors a sexy legs contest.
1977-78 - Sigma Tau Gamma is the intramural champ. Phi Sigma Epsilon has the highest GPA among fraternities, and Lambda Zeta Pi wins first place at homecoming.
1979 ??pha Beta Gamma closes.
1980 ??e National Pan-Hellenic Council forms at Shippensburg.
1981 - A Greek Council forms, taking representatives from IFC, ISC, and NPHC.
1984 - "Greek Week" appears in the yearbook for the first time.
1987 - Tau Kappa Epsilon and Alpha Omicron Pi win Greek Week.
1988 - The Inter-Sorority Council becomes the Panhellenic Council. The Order of Omega Chapter starts. Tau Kappa Epsilon and Alpha Sigma Tau win Greek Week.
1989 - Theta Chi loses recognition on campus.
1991 - Tau Kappa Epsilon loses recognition on campus.
1994 - Greek Week kicks off with a Greek Clean.
1998 - In the Spring, Delta Zeta, Sigma Delta, and Kappa Sigma lose recognition on campus. In the Fall, Theta Kappa loses recognition on campus.
1999 - In the Spring, Sigma Delta regains campus recognition. In the Fall, Delta Zeta regains
campus recognition, and Chi Gamma Iota loses its recognition on campus.
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