Chi Phi Fraternity
| Chi Phi | |
|---|---|
| ΧΦ | |
 |
|
| Founded | December 24, 1824 Princeton University |
| Type | Social |
| Scope | United States |
| Motto | Truth, Honor and Personal Integrity |
| Colors | Scarlet and Blue |
| Symbol | Chakett |
| Chapters | 50 |
| Colonies | 5 |
| Headquarters |
1160 Satellite Blvd NW Suwanee, Georgia United States |
| Homepage | chiphi |
The Chi Phi (ΧΦ) Fraternity is an American College Social Fraternity that was established as the result of the merger of three separate organizations that were each known as Chi Phi. The earliest of these organizations was formed at Princeton in 1824. Today, Chi Phi has over 43,500 living alumni members from over 100 active and inactive Chapters and un-chartered Colonies. Currently Chi Phi has 49 active Chapters and 3 Colonies.
A man named Jerry Reid, who returned to college in a new major at the age of 68 and subsequently pledged Chi Phi, is possibly the oldest new member ever thus far to join a college fraternity.
“On Christmas Eve in 1824, an association was formed to promote the circulation of correct opinions upon Religion, Morals, Education & excluding Sectarian Theology and party Politics. It was the duty of each member to publish at least once a month in any convenient way some article designed to answer the above object. When at length it disbanded, its religious feature was absorbed and perpetuated by what is known now as the 'Philadelphian Society' organized in February, 1825, and said to be an offspring of the Nassau Hall Tract Society. The old Chi Phi constitution was discovered in 1854 by some undergraduates who emphasizing the social and disregarding the religious purpose reorganized the society into the modern Greek letter fraternity of the same initials. The majority of the religious societies founded in Princeton were less general in their scope but more efficient in their work than the old Chi Phi.” – from “Princeton” by Varnum Lansing Collins 1914
Records of the original Chi Phi Society were discovered in 1854 by John Maclean, Jr. of the class of 1858. Maclean found the records in his uncle's (also named John Maclean, Jr.) paperwork, who happened to be president of the college at that time. Maclean joined with students Charles Smith DeGraw and Gustavus W. Mayer to form a new Chi Phi Fraternity that was based on some records of the original society but also with many characteristics that differed from the original society. While the Chi Phi Fraternity of today was actually founded in 1854, the members place great emphasis on the 1824 date because of many aspects that were carried over from the original records discovered in 1854. The names of the founders of the original society of 1824 were not even known to the 1854 founders; however, they were later discovered and published in the book "Princeton" by V.L. Collins in 1914. The Chi Phi Fraternity founded by Maclean was also short-lived. The group existed sub rosa only until 1859 when it was abandoned completely. However, before the Princeton chapter died off, it was able to successfully establish a second chapter at Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania in 1854. The chapter at Franklin and Marshall in turn planted a chapter at Gettysburg College in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.
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