Iota Alpha Pi

Iota Alpha Pi () was a North American Jewish college sorority. It was founded in 1903 at the Normal College of the City of New York, now Hunter College, and spread to 28 campuses in the United States and Canada before going inactive in 1971. It was reestablished at Hunter College in 2023, but was suspended by the college a year later.

History Iota Alpha Pi was the first national sorority for Jewish women. On March 3, 1903, on the campus of New York City, Normal College (now Hunter College), seven young women created a new sorority which they called the J.A.P. club,The name appears to have no relation to "Jewish American Princess", a term that did not come into use until after World War II or "Jay-ay-peez", focused on religious education and settlement house work. The founders were Hannah (Finkelstein) Swick, Olga (Edelstein) Ecker, Sadie (April) Glotzer, Rose (Posner) Bernstein, Rose (Delson) Hirschman, May (Finkelstein) Spielgel, and Frances (Zellermayer) Delson. Zellermayer was a sister to Zeta Beta Tau founder Maurice Zellermayer.

In 1913, with the new name Iota Alpha Pi, the members began the traditional sorority expansion process. The original organizers grouped themselves as the Alpha chapter, and the succeeding group became the Beta chapter. Early expansion was at other schools in the New York Area, Gamma at the Brooklyn Law School, Delta at NYU Washington Square and Epsilon at the New Jersey Law School The sorority became international in 1929 with the founding of Kappa chapter at University of Toronto, University of Manitoba had a particularly prosperous chapter.

In 1924, a Rotation Scholarship Fund was created, allowing money to be loaned to worthy students by the sorority on the expectation of it being repaid. In 1925, the sorority began creating its own semi-annual bulletin. Iota joined the National Panhellenic Conference as an associate member in November 1953Simonson, Penelope Murdoch. (December 1953) "Highlights from National Panhellenic Conference". The Crescent of Gamma Phi Beta, vol 53, no. 4. p. 20. and became a full member on November 4, 1957."National Panhellenic Conference—November, 1957". The Crescent of Gamma Phi Beta,. vol. 58, no. 1 (March 1958) p. 4. Although many chapters were planned, Iota Alpha Pi could not keep up with its rapidly growing competitors.

Historian Marianne Sanua notes, that Iota Alpha Pi "not for the especially popular, affluent, or snobbish, but just a group of good friends". The American Jewish Yearbook 5692 describes the sorority as Jewish in a positive way".

By 1966, Iota Alpha Pi had granted a total of 23 charters. A report by Wilson Heller indicates that the sorority was strong until 1968. Its national philanthropy was muscular dystrophy.Templar (Temple University Yearbook) 1961, page 131 Heller posits that the sorority saw dramatic declines in membership, particularly with the cessation of the "Christians only" clause in non-Jewish organizations. As of June 1, 1967, a National Panhellenic Conference report indicated that Iota Alpha Pi had eleven chapters, eight alumnae groups, and 5,802 sisters and thirteen chapters, eight alumnae groups, and 6,204 members as of June 1, 1969.Sigma Kappa Triangle Summer 1970, p 23

In 1969, Iota Alpha Pi established new chapters at the University of Maryland College Park and Hunter College Park Avenue. In July 1971, the international headquarters voted to disband Iota Alpha Pi."Iota Alpha Pi Sets Augusts Convention". Jewish Floridian (March 12, 1954), p. B4. Two chapters went on to affiliate with other national sororities. The Beta Alpha chapter at Penn State joined Alpha Epsilon Phi, while the Upsilon chapter at Rider University eventually affiliated with Delta Phi Epsilon.

As of 2008, some alumnae continue to hold reunions and other events. However, no formal organization exists to coordinate these gatherings. In October 2023, Barbara Cardarelli and Cheyanne Weiner re-established Iota Alpha Pi's Alpha chapter at Hunter College with the support of alumnae from multiple chapters.

Shield & Diamond of the Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity - September 1966

Symbols The original name of the sorority was J.A.P. Their bi-annual publication was The J.A.P. Bulletin. With the name change to Iota Alpha Pi, the magazine was renamed The Heights.

The first official badge was a scarlet horizontal diamond surrounded by seed pearls, with the Greek letters "" in gold. Above the "", in gold, was a skull and crossbones. Later versions of the badge included two full-blown roses at the points of the diamond.

Iota Alpha Pi's colors were red and black. As of 1931, the sorority used in " a diamond of scarlet surrounded by jewels" where a crest would otherwise be used. Its flower was a red rose; each new member is given a rose at the end of the installation ceremony.McCann, Sean. The Rose: An Encyclopedia of North American Roses, Rosarians, and Rose Lore. Mechanicsville: Stackpole Books, 1993. p. 152. via Internet Archive.

Chapters Chapters of Iota Alpha Pi include the following, with active chapters indicated in bold and inactive chapters and institutions are in italics. NameCharter date and rangeInstitutionLocationStatusAlpha – 1913Normal College of the City of New YorkNew York City, New YorkConsolidatedBeta1913–1965; October 2023 – November 2024Hunter CollegeNew York City, New YorkInactiveGamma1913–1941 ?Brooklyn Law SchoolNew York City, New YorkInactiveDelta1922–1971New York University Washington SquareNew York City, New YorkInactiveEpsilon1922–1942, 1946–1947Rutgers Law SchoolNewark, New JerseyWithdrew ()Zeta – 1971Adelphi UniversityGarden City, New YorkInactive"CUNY's Iota Alpha Pi" Gamma Phi Women's Fraternities. (October 15, 2012) Accessed 6 May 2022.Eta – 1942University of DenverDenver, ColoradoInactiveThetaUnassigned ?Kappa1929–1956University of TorontoToronto, Ontario, CanadaInactiveIota1930–1970Long Island University BrooklynBrooklyn, New YorkInactiveLambda1931–1971Brooklyn College Brooklyn, New YorkInactiveMu – 1965University of ManitobaWinnipeg, Manitoba, CanadaInactiveNoted in the Winnipeg Free Press March 30, 1932, p.8, accessed 6 May 2022.Nu – 1971Wayne State UniversityDetroit, MichiganInactiveOctober 18, 1935 The Detroit Jewish Chronicle and the Legal ChronicleXi Unassigned ?Omicron1938–1971Queens College, City University of New YorkQueens, New YorkInactivePi – 1971Syracuse UniversitySyracuse, New YorkInactiveRho–1956Miami UniversityOxford, OhioInactiveIbis (Yearbook) University of Miami, 1946, p 242.Sigma – 1971Temple UniversityPhiladelphia, PennsylvaniaInactiveTemplar (Yearbook) Temple University, 1946. p. 168.TauUnassignedUpsilon1947–1955Rider UniversityLawrence Township, New JerseyWithdrew ()Phi – 1971University of Illinois Urbana-ChampaignChampaign, IllinoisInactiveChiUnassignedPsi – 1965New York University-University HeightsNew York City, New YorkInactiveThe heights of Iota Alpha Pi - Winter 1962OmegaUnassignedBeta Alpha – 1971Pennsylvania State UniversityUniversity Park, PennsylvaniaWithdrew ()Beta Beta1965–1971City College of New YorkNew York City, New YorkInactiveBeta GammaUnassignedBeta Delta – 1971Cornell UniversityIthaca, New YorkInactiveCornell University Yearbook 1967 via Facebook. January 16, 2016Beta Epsilon1966–1970C.W. Post CollegeBrookville, New YorkInactiveBeta ZetaUnassignedBeta Eta1969–19xx ?University of Maryland, College ParkCollege Park, MarylandInactiveTerrapin (Yearbook) University of Maryland, 1970. p. 330.

Conventions Conventions include:

Notable members Jill Wine-Banks (Phi) – one of the prosecutors during the Watergate scandal; first woman US General Counsel of the United States Army Jerry Lewis (Nu Honorary Pledge) – comedian, actor, National Chairman Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA)"Jerry Lewis Gets Sorority's Plege". The Detroit Jewish News (September 13, 1957) , p. 18. via The Detroit Jewish News Digital Archives. Accessed March 28, 2026.

Iota Alpha Pi

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