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A
major factor in the decline of the literary
societies
was undoubtedly the growth of the social fraternities
.
By 1884 slightly more than three-fourths of the male students were
members of the seven fraternities
on campus: Beta Theta Pi (1845), Phi Gamma Delta (1856), Sigma Chi
(1859), Phi Kappa Psi (1865), Delta Kappa Epsilon (1866), Phi Delta
Theta (1868), and Delta Tau Delta (1871). A smaller proportion of
women belonged to the two sororities, Kappa Alpha Theta (1870) and
Kappa Kappa Gamma (1875). There was also a small association of
"organized barbs." The fraternities rented meeting halls,
usually second or third floors of downtown Greencastle buildings,
and furnished them like the literary societies
,
quite luxurious for that day. Here they had regular meetings, social
activities, receptions. On Commencement they would have reunions
and special meetings. |
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