COLLEGE

(Lat., coilegium), originally a@ society, body, or corporation of persons engaged in common pursuits; a body of clergy living in common on a foundation; a society of persons joined together for educational purposes. dent societies, usually secret in character. They are composed of lodges or branches affiliated to colleges, and united by a common bond of friendship and a common name, generally of Greek letters. The Greek letters usually represent a motto, supposed to be unknown to all but the fraternity’s members, that indicates the aims and purposes of the organization. The lodges established in colleges are usually known as ‘chapters.’ The distinctive badges of the fraternities are a shield or plate of gold, displaying the society’s name and symbol, worn as a pin or watch chain pendant; a monogram of letters compos in| the name, usually jeweled; or a symbo) representing the name or some of its degrees, such as a skull, harp or key. Most of the fraternities also have distinctive colors, flowers, flags, coats of arms and other symbolic insignia, and even a complete system of heraldic devices. The emblems are sometimes used as the basis of ornamentation or design for sleeve buttons, rings, studs, charms and other forms of jewelry. The first American college society bearing a Greek letter name was founded at the College of William and Mary at Williams burg, Va., in 1776, and was called the Phi Beta Kappa. In 1779 a chapter was formed at Yale and Harvard and other chapters were authorized at Dart mouth, Bowdoin and Amherst. The badge is a golden key, The next society formed was the Kappa Alpha, founded in 1825 at Union college by four members of the Phi Beta Kappa and also having a golden key asa badge. Two years later the Sigma Phi and Delta Phi were established at Union College, the first with branches at Hamilton, Williams, Hobart, Lehigh, Cornell, and the universities of Michigan and Vermont, the second branching out at Columbia, Rutgers, Harvard, Johns Hopkins, Cornell, and other colleges. The other of eee fraternities thereafter formed are, with their originating college and year of foundation: Alpha Delta Phi, Hamilton, 1832; Psi Upsilon, Union, 1833; Delta Upsilon, Williams, 1834; Beta Theta Pi, Miami, Ohio, 1839; Chi Psi, Union, 1841; Delta New York University, 1847; Delta Psi, Columbia, 1847; Theta Delta Chi, Union, 1848; Phi Gamma Delta, Jefferson, 1848; Phi Delta Theta, Miami, 1848; Phi Kappa Sigma, University of Pennsylvania, 1850; Phi Kappa Psi, Jefferson, 1852; Sigma Chi, Miami, 1855; Sigma Alpha Epsilon, University of Alabama, 1856; Alpha Tau Omega, Virginia Military Institute, 1865; Kappa Sigma, University of Virginia, 18673 Sigma Nu, Virginia Military Institute, 1869: Phi Sigma Kappa, Ma achusetts Agricultural College, 1873, Of more note than any of these, due perhaps to. their odd names, are the ‘Seroll and Key’, ‘Skull and Bones’ and ‘Hasty _ Pudding’, secret fraternities of Harvard and Yale Universities, composed of Senior cla men. ine, In addition to fraternities cla ified, as academical or collegiate, there are a number that have become identified with specific departments of learning in which students have specialized for their future life work. These include college societies composed by students and alumni devoted to agriculture, architecture, chemistry, commerce, dentistry, drama, engineering, journalism, law, medicine, and music. College women’s Greek letter societies or sororities have alike foundation and object.