OSU FSL History

Historical Timeline of Fraternities and Sororities at Oregon State University

Information up to 2015 was compiled by Erika Bellingham, class of 2015

 

  • 1856: Corvallis Academy opens as the first community school in the area.
  • 1882: Alpha Tau Omega-Alpha Sigma chapter charters at Oregon Agricultural College (the chapter was closed 6 months after initial opening).
  • 1883: Corvallis Academy becomes renamed Oregon State Agricultural College.
  • 1905: Gamma Delta Phi became the first permanent Greek letter social organization on campus in April.
  • 1909: Gamma Sigma Delta: “The Honor Society of Agriculture" chapter established.
  • 1915: Alpha Chi Omega-Chi chapter chartered as the first national sorority at Oregon Agricultural College. Shortly followed by Kappa Sigma and Sigma Alpha Epsilon- Oregon-Alpha national fraternities. The establishment of these chapters created the first Panhellenic and Interfraternity Councils.
  • 1916: Alpha Tau Omega-Alpha Sigma chapter reestablished. Sigma Chi-Beta Pi chapter and Theta Chi-Sigma chapter charters.
  • 1917: Pi Beta Phi chapter established July 23rd, Chi Omega-Eta Alpha chapter chartered October 6th and Kappa Alpha Theta-Beta Epsilon chapter chartered November 10th. Lambda Chi Alpha-Alpha Lambda chapter chartered March 3rd. Panhellenic council established.
  • 1918: Sigma Kappa-Upsilon (the 9th oldest ΣΚ chapter) chartered March 17th, Gamma Phi Beta chapter established April 28th and Delta Delta Delta-Theta Mu chapter chartered December 7th. Phi Delta Theta- Oregon-Beta chapter, Sigma Phi Epsilon- Oregon-Alpha chapter chartered.
  • 1919: Delta Zeta chapter chartered April 25th and Alpha Xi Delta chapter established May 30th.
  • 1920: Alpha Sigma Phi-Psi chapter chartered on May 22.
  • 1921: Alpha Gamma Delta chartered May 23rd. Phi Gamma Delta (FIJI)-Kappa Omicron chapter and Phi Sigma Kappa-Theta Deuteron chapter established.
  • 1922: Delta Upsilon chapter chartered.
  • 1923: Zeta Tau Alpha established April 7th and Beta Theta Pi-Gamma Mu chapter chartered.
  • 1924: Kappa Kappa Gamma-Gamma Mu chapter chartered June 7th. Acacia chartered April 19th. Alpha Gamma Rho-Alpha Beta chapter and Tau Kappa Epsilon-Tau chapter.
  • 1926: Alpha Delta Pi established on February 6th, Alpha Omicron Pi-Alpha Rho chapter established on June 5th, and Kappa Delta-Alpha Kappa chapter established on October 16th. Delta Chi-Theta Delta Nu chapter chartered. 
  • 1927: Interfraternity Council established.
  • 1928: Kappa Delta Rho-Sigma chapter chartered.
  • 1930 - Delta Tau Delta - Delta Lambda chapter chartered.
  • 1931: Chi Phi-Epsilon Delta chapter chartered.
  • 1937: Name of institution formally changed to Oregon State College.
  • 1945: Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.- Beta Psi chapter chartered in Portland, OR orignially including both alumnae and collegiate members. Beta Psi became a collegiate only chapter in 1981 with the establishment of the Portand Alumnae Chapter.
  • 1946: Delta Gamma-Beta Upsilon chapter chartered April 27th.
  • 1947: Alpha Phi-Beta Upsilon chapter chartered May 17th.
  • 1948: Phi Kappa Psi - Oregon-Beta chapter chartered.
  • 1954: OSU alumni and Delta Upsilon Fraternity member Linus Pauling receives his 1st Nobel Prize in Chemistry. In 1964 he became the first person to win 2 Nobel Prizes, one in chemistry and one in peace.
  • 1960s: Beta Theta Phi fraternity hosts “Turtle Derby” philanthropy event. Raising money for the Children’s Farm Home just outside of town. In 1973, they also added rabbits into the race.
  • 1961: Name of institution changed to Oregon State University.
  • 1964: Alpha Xi Delta chapter is closed.
  • 1970: Zeta Tau Alpha charter is withdrawn after disagreement between National organization and OSU regarding recruiting all students no matter their ethnicity. Pi Kappa Phi-Alpha Zeta chapter and Sigma Pi Omega chapter chartered. 
  • 1972: Phi Sigma Kappa chapter closed.
  • 1976: Sigma Chi fraternity and Delta Delta Delta host a teeter-totter fundraiser, where they raised $3,000 while teeter tottering for a consecutive 120 hours.
  • 1977: Delta Zeta charter is withdrawn.
  • 1978: Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.-Iota Iota chapter chartered. They are the first National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC or Divine Nine) organization at Oregon State.
  • 1979: Alpha Xi Delta chapter is reopened.
  • 1982: Kappa Delta-Alpha Kappa chapter is closed.
  • 1987: Kappa Delta-Alpha Kappa chapter is reopened.
  • 1989: Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity reopened.
  • 1991: Sigma Alpha-Xi (agricultural-based sorority) chapter chartered.
  • 1992: Alpha Omicron Pi and Kappa Delta Rho charters are withdrawn.
  • 1995: Phi Gamma Delta chapter closes.
  • 1996: Alpha Delta Pi charter is withdrawn.
  • 1997: Gamma Phi Beta charter is withdrawn and Phi Gamma Delta Kappa Omicron chapter reopens.
  • 1998: Beta Theta Pi-Gamma Mu closes due to financial hardships.
  • 1999: Omega Delta Phi Fraternity, Inc - Alpha Theta (Latino-founded multicultural fraternity) chapter chartered. They are first multicultural fraternity at Oregon State. Delta Tau Delta - Delta Lambda chapter closed.
  • 2000: Gamma Alpha Omega Sorority Inc.- Kappa (Latina-founded multicultural sorority) chapter chartered. They are the first multicultural sorority at Oregon State. Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. - Sigma Delta chapter chartered.
  • 2004: Alpha Sigma Phi-Psi chapter is closed.
  • 2005: Alpha Xi Delta sorority and Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity chapters closed. Phi Sigma Rho- Sigma chapter (engineering sorority) chartered, Sigma Beta Rho-Alpha Gamma (multicultural fraternity) chapter chartered.
  • 2006: Pi Beta Phi charter is withdrawn. Sigma Delta Omega (local science based sorority) founded and Delta Phi Omega-Nu chapter (South Asian focused multi cultural sorority) chartered.
  • 2010: Lambda Theta Phi Latin Fraternity Inc-Delta Epsilon chapter chartered.
  • 2011: Triangle Fraternity with men in science and engineering focus is established. Kappa Delta Chi-Alpha Psi (Hispanic/Latina multi cultural focused sorority) chapter chartered.
  • 2012: Alpha Sigma Phi-Psi chapter and Kappa Delta Rho-Sigma chapters recharter.
  • 2013: Chi Theta Phi Sorority (local art & design focused organization) chapter founded. Alpha Pi Omega Sorority, Inc. -Kappa chapter(Native American culturally-based sorority) and Alpha Phi Apha Fraternity, Inc. - Rho Beta chapter chartered.
  • 2014: Alpha Omicron Pi-Alpha Rho chapter recharters. The first OSU National Pan-Hellenic Council (Divine Nine) chapter is chartered, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc.-Xi Upsilon chapter.
  • 2015: The community celebrated 100 years of consecutive Greek life. There were 46 Greek Organizations at OSU at this time!
  • 2017: Sigma Nu-Delta Tau chapter and Pi Kappa Alpha-Beta Nu chapter rechartered. Delta Tau Delta - Delta Lambda chapter and FarmHouse Fraternity reestablished.
  • 2018: Alpha Epsilon Pi-Omicron Sigma chapter established and Beta Theta Pi-Gamma Mu reestablished. Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc - Gamma Upsilon Gamma chapter chartered.
  • 2019: FarmHouse Fraternity rechartered.
  • 2020: Spring and Fall Term 2020 were held virtually due to the university's COVID-19 pandemic response. Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc - Rho Beta chapter was revitalized in Fall. 
  • 2021: Winter and Spring Term 2021 were held virtually due to the university's COVID-19 pandemic response. Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. - Beta Psi chapter reestablished in Spring.