St. Elmo Hall
| The Delta Phi Fraternity | |
|---|---|
| ΔΦ | |
 |
|
| Founded | November 17, 1827 Union College |
| Type | Social |
| Scope | National |
| Motto | "Semper Ubique" |
| Colors | Columbia Blue and White |
| Symbol | The Maltese Cross |
| Patron saint | St. Elmo |
| Chapters | 13 active chapters |
| Nickname | St. Elmo Club / St. Elmo Hall |
| Headquarters |
P.O. Box 4633 Chapel Hill, North Carolina USA |
| Homepage | deltaphifraternity.org |
Delta Phi (ΔΦ) is a fraternity founded in 1827 at Union College in Schenectady, New York. Along with the Kappa Alpha Society and Sigma Phi Society, Delta Phi was the third and last member of the Union Triad.
Delta Phi and the other fraternities of the Union Triad were established during a time of strong anti-Masonic sentiment in the United States. Because fraternities were secret societies at the time, they also became targets of the anti-Masonic movement. This led Phi Beta Kappa, the original fraternity, to abandon secrecy and become an honor society.
In the early 1830s, Dr. Eliphalet Nott, president of Union College, called for the dissolution of all fraternities. Before this policy could be enacted, John Jay Hyde, a member of Delta Phi, argued the benefits of the fraternity system so convincingly that Nott relented and permitted the organizations to remain in existence. Hyde went on to design the badge still worn by members of Delta Phi, which includes a Maltese Cross, a symbol used by the Knights of Malta.
This connection to the Knights of Malta led Delta Phi to become known as "The St. Elmo Club", a name first used by the Omicron chapter at Yale University, which since has transformed into a senior secret society known as St. Elmo Society. The brothers there used the name of St. Elmo, the patron saint of mariners and the Knights of Malta. Some of Delta Phi's chapter houses are also known as "St. Elmo Hall".
Delta Phi remains a small fraternity with twelve active chapters and few chapters with more than several dozen members. It has resisted expansion in order to create an "intimate, personal experience" for its members. The fraternity's current expansion policy is to reactivate dormant chapters. As a member of the Union triad, Delta Phi is the third oldest fraternity in the United States.
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