Alpha Phi Firsts and Facts
Firsts
- Alpha Phi is a "Fraternity" because the term "Sorority" had not been coined when it was founded.
- Alpha Phi called the world's first inter-sorority meeting: A gathering that led to what is now the National Panhellenic Conference.
- Alpha Phi built the world's first sorority house (in 1872 at Syracuse University).
- Alpha Phi was the first woman's society to use Greek letters.
- Alpha Phi was the first sorority to use traveling delegates.
- Alpha Phi was the first sorority to establish a foundation.
- Alpha Phi was the first NPC sorority to establish a website.
- Alpha Phi was the first sorority to publish a history of it's first 50 years.
Facts
- 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.
- A professor of Greek at Syracuse advised our founders to call the organization Alpha "Fee" instead of "Fie," as this is grammatically correct since it follows Alpha, which ends in a vowel.
- Alpha Phi is the fourth oldest national women's sorority.
- Alpha Phi is one of only three international sororities. The Xi chapter was established at the University of Toronto in 1906.
- Three of our founders were listed in Who's Who of America: Clara Bradley Burdette, Martha Foote Crow, and Rena Michaels Atchison.
- Alpha Phi's password was changed from German to Greek at the 1922 Convention.
- The Alpha Phi Foundation was established in 1957.
- Alpha Phi chapters are named in Greek alphabetical order as they are incorporated.
- Alpha Phi has over 175 active alumnae chapters.