High school fraternities and sororities

High school fraternities and sororities, also called secondary fraternities and sororities, were inspired by and modeled after Greek-letter organizations which became prevalent in North American colleges and universities during the nineteenth century.Owen, William Bishop. "The Good of High School Fraternities" The School Review, vol. 14, no. 7 (1906): 492. Omega Eta Tau, formed in 1859 as Torch and Dagger in Council Bluffs, Iowa, is the first known high school fraternity. It was followed by Gamma Sigma, Alpha Zeta, Alpha Phi, Sigma Psi, Alpha Chi Sigma, Pi Phi, Gamma Delta Psi, Eta Kappa, and more.

The establishment of other fraternities was fairly slow, gaining momentum between 1890 and 1900 as older organizations added chapters and new Greek letter organizations were established. Most high school fraternities were located at schools in and near New York City and Chicago, with San Francisco being a third location. San Francisco's Girls' High School had seven sororities by 1905.

Although hundreds of local high school fraternities and sororities with only one or two chapters were founded in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, many secondary fraternities founded during that time grew into legitimately national organizations with ten or more chapters in multiple states and with highly evolved national governing structures.

During the early 20th century, many fraternities that formed in the Eastern United States established chapters on the Pacific Coast. In this era, President William Rainey Harper of the University of Chicago contacted the 464 largest secondary schools in the United States; 120 of the 306 reporting schools had one to six fraternities and many also had a sorority. With this growth came a growing pushback against such “secret societies" in high schools, with critics labeling the groups as exclusionary and divisive, and their practices criticized as “obnoxious”.

Some state and local governments banned fraternities and sororities in public schools. The states of Indiana, Kansas, and Minnesota, and the city of Madison, Wisconsin, adopted regulations in 1907. Ohio passed an anti-fraternity law in 1908, as did the school board in St. Joseph, Missouri, and Worcester, Massachusetts. California, Iowa, Nebraska, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington passed laws against secret societies in 1909. In 1909, school boards in Kansas City, Missouri; Lowell, Massachusetts; and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma all approved prohibitory regulations, followed by Chicago; Denver; New Orleans; Butte, Montana; Meriden, Connecticut; and Racine, Wisconsin in 1910. Michigan passed an anti-fraternity law in 1911, followed by Mississippi in 1912. More school boards, including those in Covington, Kentucky; Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Reading, Pennsylvania; Superior, Wisconsin; and Waltham, Massachusetts, passed regulations in 1911. As a result of these regulations, many Greek letter organizations ceased to exist and were replaced by local clubs; at some schools, fraternities went underground or changed to community-based organizations.Owen, William Bishop. "The Problem of the High School Fraternities". The School Review, vol. 14, no. 7 (1906): 492–504. via JSTOR. Accessed 3 May 2025.Perkins, Glen O. "The Elimination of Fraternities and Sororities in the Tucson High School". The School Review, vol. 31, no. 3. (March 1923): 224–226. This favored the survival of smaller or local organizations over the larger national fraternities that continued to operate in the open.

In response to the anti-fraternity sentiment and policies, the Grand Inter-Fraternity Council was formed in February 1909.Cooper. W. J. The High School Fraternity: Report of the Committee of High School Teachers Association. Reprinted from the Sierra Educational News, vol. 9, no. 1 (January 1913). San Francisco: High School Teachers Association, 1913. via HathiTrust. Its purpose was "to promote the usefulness of preparatory and high school fraternities; to place before the public the objects of these organizations and create a body by which all grievances between fraternities, school and civil officials can be fairly terminated." Its founding members were organizations that were at least ten years old and had more than five chapters. In 1910, the council included 25 fraternities that represented 31,455 members. By 1912, 46 fraternities had joined the council. Its counterpart for sororities was the Junior Pan-Hellenic Congress.

In December 1927, Gamma Sigma was the first high school fraternity to establish a chapter outside of the United States and the first international high school fraternity, establishing its Alpha Zeta chapter in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada. Theta Kappa Sigma sorority was established at Stamford Collegiate Institute in Niagara Falls, Ontario in 1932. By 1969, there were forty high school fraternities and sororities in the United States and Canada.

The following is an incomplete list of secondary and high school fraternities and sororities.

Social fraternities In the following of high school social fraternities, active groups are indicated in bold and inactive groups are in italics.

OrganizationSymbolsFounding date and rangeFounding institutionFounding locationStatus Alpha Chi SigmaPeekskill Military AcademyPeeksill, New YorkInactiveAlpha Delta SigmaΑΔΣJanuary 19, 1891Bridgeport, ConnecticutInactiveAlpha Iota EpsilonΑΙΕ1890Erasmus Hall High SchoolBrooklyn, New YorkInactiveAlpha OmegaΑΩ1897Detroit, MichiganInactiveAlpha PhiColgate AcademyHamilton, New YorkInactiveSheldon, Henry Davidson. Student Life And Customs. New York: D. Appleton, 1901. p. 297-298. via HathiTrust.Alpha Tau OmicronΑΤΟAnn Arbor High SchoolAnn Arbor, MichiganInactiveAlpha ZetaUnion Classical InstituteSchenectady, New YorkActiveATOPHI (Alpha Tau Omega Phi)West Philadelphia High SchoolPhiladelphia, PennsylvaniaActiveThe Record (yearbook). West Philadelphia High School,.1990Beta Phi SigmaMuncie High SchoolMuncie, IndianaInactiveBeta PiΒΠ1907Polytechnic Preparatory InstituteBrooklyn, New YorkInactiveBeta Zeta PhiΒΖΦDecember 1897Lake View High SchoolChicago, IllinoisInactiveChi Sigma ChiJanuary 26, New York Military AcademyCornwall-on-Hudson, New YorkInactiveDelta Gamma PhiΔΓΦxxxx ?–1984Hamden High SchoolHamden, MassachusettsInactiveDelta Gamma PsiΔΓΨbefore 1896Michigan ?InactiveDelta Omicron OmicronΔΟΟNovember 8, 1897Kansas City, MissouriInactiveDelta Sigma–198x ?Lewis InstituteChicago, IllinoisInactiveDelta Sigma NuΔΣΝMay 13, 1893Ann Arbor High SchoolAnn Arbor, MichiganInactiveDelta Sigma UpsilonChicago, IllinoisInactiveDelta ThetaPolytechnic Preparatory InstituteBrooklyn, New YorkInactiveDeMolay InternationalMarch 29, 1919Kansas City, KansasActiveEta Beta Pi – November 1912Wichita High SchoolWichita, KansasMergedEta KappaInactiveEta Kappa Phibefore 1898InactiveGamma AlphaBaton Rouge High SchoolBaton Rouge, LouisianaInactiveGamma Beta PhiWilliston SeminaryEasthampton, MassachusettsInactiveGamma Delta Psi – c. 1995; 2008James Hillhouse High School New Haven, ConnecticutInactiveGamma Eta ChiΓΗΧbefore May 1886InactiveGamma Eta KappaMarch 10, 1882Boy's High SchoolSan Francisco, CaliforniaInactiveGamma SigmaBrockport State Normal School Brockport, New YorkActiveKappa Alpha PhiMuncie High SchoolMuncie, IndianaInactiveKappa Alpha Pi–196x ?Englewood High SchoolChicago, IllinoisInactiveKappa PhiΚΦOctober 10, 1901Saginaw, MichiganInactiveLambda SigmaOctober 12, Detroit High SchoolDetroit, MichiganInactiveDetroit School for BoysMu Delta SigmaΜΔΣNovember 1884Grand Rapids High SchoolGrand Rapids, MichiganInactiveOmega Delta –196x ?La Salle Senior High SchoolNiagara Falls, New YorkInactiveOmega Eta Tau–1861, 1866–1880, 1893Council Bluffs High SchoolCouncil Bluffs, IowaActiveOmega Gamma DeltaBrooklyn, New YorkActiveOmega NuCaliforniaInactiveOmicron Kappa PiChicago AcademyChicago, IllinoisInactivePhi Alpha SigmaInactivePhi Chi November 25, 1902Polytechnic High SchoolSan Francisco, CaliforniaInactivePhi Delta–1921IllinoisInactivePhi Delta SigmaΦΔΣApril 14, 1900Utica, New YorkInactivePhi Kappa1918Troy, AlabamaActivePhi Kappa Epsilon – May 1910Alameda, CaliforniaMergedPhi Lambda EpsilonClinton AcademyClinton, MissouriInactivePhi SigmaMarch 22, 1895Grand Rapids High SchoolGrand Rapids, MichiganInactivePhi Sigma ChiZanesville High SchoolZanesville, OhioInactivePi Delta Koppa Michigan Military AcademyOrchard Lake Village, MichiganInactivePi Phi–198x ?Rochester Free AcademyRochester, New YorkInactiveSigma Delta PhiΣΔΦDecember 5, 1902Polytechnic Preparatory InstituteBrooklyn, New YorkInactiveSigma Delta PsiΣΔΨ1902Polytechnic Preparatory InstituteBrooklyn, New YorkInactiveSigma Kappa DeltaΣΚΔHudson, New YorkInactiveSigma Lambda NuΣΛΝ1882Brooklyn Central High SchoolBrooklyn, New YorkInactiveSigma Phi Alphabefore 1907Erasmus Hall High SchoolBrooklyn, New YorkInactiveSigma Phi OmegaSewanee Grammar School Sewanee, TennesseeInactiveSigma Phi UpsilonΣΦΥOctober 1899Brooklyn, New YorkInactiveSigma Psi1878St. Paul's SchoolGarden City, New YorkInactiveSigma Psi–196x ?La Salle Senior High SchoolNiagara Falls, New YorkInactiveSigma SigmaΣΣbefore 1895 – March 1895High SchoolAnn Arbor, Michigan ?InactiveSigma UpsilonΣΥNovember 25, 1905Portland High SchoolPortland, MaineInactiveTau Delta Tau1917Sewanee Military AcademySewanee, TennesseeInactiveTau Kappa DeltaPottsville High SchoolPottsville, PennsylvaniaActiveTheta ChiJanuary 16, 1893Oakland High SchoolOakland, CaliforniaInactiveTheta Kappa Omega – 196x ?California Military AcademyMayfield, CaliforniaInactiveTheta PhiΘΦUtica Free AcademyUtica, New YorkInactiveTriangle FraternityDowney High SchoolDowney, CaliforniaInactiveUpsilon Lambda Phi Burlington High SchoolBurlington, VermontInactiveUpsilon Lambda Phi Newark High SchoolNewark, New JerseyInactiveUpsilon Zeta PiInactiveXi Beta GammaInactive

Social sororities and girl's fraternities In the following of high school social sororities and girl's fraternities, active groups are indicated in bold and inactive groups are in italics.

OrganizationSymbolsFounding date and rangeFounding institutionFounding locationStatus Alpha AlphaΑΑBridgeport High SchoolBridgeport, ConnecticutInactiveAlpha SigmaMarch 15, 1894Oakland, CaliforniaInactiveBeta DeltaShreveport, LouisianaActiveDelta Beta SigmaΔΒΣColumbia Female InstituteColumbia, TennesseeActiveDelta Chi–196x ?La Salle Senior High SchoolNiagara Falls, New YorkInactiveLa Salle Senior High School Yearbooks. Niagara Falls, New York: 1950s and 1960s.Delta GammaΔΓ1890Utica, New YorkInactiveDelta Iota ChiSan José High SchoolSan Jose, CaliforniaInactiveDelta Kappa Phixxxx ?–c. 1913Evanston Township High SchoolEvanston, IllinoisInactiveEta Kappa PhiRock Island High SchoolRock Island, IllinoisInactiveEta Phi Albany Normal SchoolAlbany, New YorkInactiveGamma ThetaBaton Rouge High SchoolBaton Rouge, LouisianaActiveInternational Order of the Rainbow for Girls1922ActiveIota Beta PhiInactiveKappa PhiConnecticut or MassachusettsInactiveLambda Theta PhiOakland High SchoolOakland, CaliforniaInactiveOmega NuFebruary 26, San José High School San Jose, CaliforniaActivePhi Alpha PhiNew Haven, ConnecticutInactivePhi Phi PhiInactivePsi Gamma PsiInactivePsi Iota XiMuncie High SchoolMuncie, IndianaInactiveTau Alpha PsiWest Division High SchoolChicago, IllinoisInactiveTheta Chi Omicron–196x ?La Salle Senior High SchoolNiagara Falls, New YorkInactiveTheta Kappa SigmaStamford Collegiate InstituteNiagara Falls, Ontario, CanadaActiveTheta SigmaΘΣJune 1, 1887Albany, New YorkInactiveTheta Zeta GammaOakland High SchoolOakland, CaliforniaInactiveXi Gamma Rho–196x ?La Salle Senior High SchoolNiagara Falls, New YorkInactiveZeta Beta PsiΖΒΨxxxx ?–c. 1913Evanston Township High SchoolEvanston, IllinoisInactive

Jewish fraternities In the following of high school Jewish fraternities, active groups are indicated in bold and inactive groups are in italics.