About - History

History

Alpha Phi has a long and proud history. We exist today because of the vision and ideals of our founders. Our future depends on how we understand and invest in the idea that women, bound together in sisterhood, provide the strength and support which fosters achievement.

Founders

Brave hearts filled with a noble purpose whose eyes saw clearly into the future.

At a time when society looked upon women only as daughters, wives, and mothers-and therefore not in need of higher education-our ten founders were pioneers of the coeducational system. Attending school with the handicap of implied, if not open, opposition, our founders sought support from each other.

There was a need for a social center, a place of conference, a tie which should unite, a circle of friends who could sympathize with one another in their perplexities. They formed Alpha Phi in 1872 at Syracuse University. Today, Alpha Phi continues to provide a "tie which unites, a circle of friends" for women young and old all around the world. From hand to hand and heart to heart, we are all grateful and proud of the legacy left to us by our founders.

Alpha Phi Facts: A Remarkable History

  • Alpha Phi is the third largest women's sorority with 150 chapters/colonies in the US and Canada.
  • Alpha Phi was founded in 1872 by 10 of the first 20 women to enter Syracuse University.
  • Alpha Phi is the fourth oldest national women's sorority.
  • Alpha Phi is one of only three international sororities.
  • Three of the original 10 became members of Phi Beta Kappa
  • Three of our founders were listed in Who's Who of America: Clara Bradley Burdette, Martha Foote Crow, and Rena Michaels Atchison.
  • Alpha Phi is pronounced Alpha "fee" (long "e") not "fie," because "Alpha" is a vowel and "Phi" is pronounced "fee" when it follows a vowel.
  • Alpha Phi's Creed was written in 1912 by Annette Hall Hitchcock.
  • Alpha Phi's official pin was adopted in 1908.
  • Alpha Phi's official crest was adopted in 1922.
  • Alpha Phi's password was changed from German to Greek at the 1922 Convention.
  • Alpha Phi's original colors were blue and gold.
  • The Alpha Phi Foundation was established in 1957.
  • Alpha Phi chapters are named in alphabetical order as they are incorporated
  • Alpha Phi is called the first inter-sorority conference of the original nine sororities. This resulted in the creation of the National Panhellenic Conference (NPC), which still exists today.
  • Alpha Phi is a true "international" sorority. It has maintained the longest continuous presence in Canada of any sorority. The Xi chapter was established at the University of Toronto in 1906.
  • Alpha Phi has over 175 active alumnae chapters.

Notes

  • In 1879, the colors were changed to the more distinctive silver and bordeaux. Blue and gold were the colors of the Fraternity Delta Upsilon, and the change was made in order to truly set our colors apart from any other Greek organization's.
  • All except the Eta chapter at Boston University. This chapter should have been Gamma--or the third chapter--but was incorporated as the Eta chapter because it had seven founding members and Eta is the seventh letter of the Greek alphabet.