International History
The History of Pi Lambda Phi Fraternity goes back to 1895. This early period in the fraternity's existence is often referred to as the Founders Period. During this time, which lasted from 1895 to 1900, the fraternity's founders, Fredrick Manfred Werner, Louis Samter Levy, and Henry Mark Fisher were denied admission to the other fraternities at Yale University based on their creed. Determined to establish a new kind of fraternity that would not discriminate due to race or creed, Werner, Fisher, and Levy established the first nonsectarian chapter of Pi Lambda Phi at Yale.
In the years following the 1895 founding, chapters sprang up all over the Eastern Seaboard. Columbia University, Harvard, Cornell, MIT, and The University of Pennsylvania, all hosted Pi Lam chapters in the last years of the 19th century. As soon as these new Pi Lam chapters were created, many vanished with the same quickness in which they appeared. The early years and most of these beginning chapters are shrouded in mystery.
By 1901, most chapters were nonexistent. By 1906, an attempt at Columbia University started to revitalize Pi Lambda Phi. This attempt failed. It would not be until 1908 that three students from Columbia University would successfully revitalize Pi Lambda Phi. The fraternity began to expand once again. In 1911, a chapter was opened at New York University and soon became the Gamma Chapter of the new Pi Lambda Phi. Many chapters soon followed including the Delta Chapter of Cornell (1912), the Zeta Chapter of Pennsylvania (1912), the Epsilon Chapter of Michigan (1913), the Gamma Sigma Chapter of Pittsburgh (1913), the Lambda Chapter at The Stevens Institute of Technology (1916), and finally a chapter at Yale in 1917, where the original founding fathers established the first chapter in 1895.
Pi Lambda Phi became an international organization in 1920 when the CN Eta chapter was formed at McGill University in Montreal, Quebec. Today, the Kappa Kappa chapter at the University of Windsor is our international affiliate.
By the 1930s, Pi Lam Chapters were all over the United States and Canada. Our Chapter roll included The University of Toronto, Brown University, West Virginia University, Creighton University, John Hopkins University, The University of Wisconsin, and The College of William and Mary. Expansion would continue in the upcoming decades, but at an even greater national level. In February of 1941, a successful merger occurred with Phi Beta Delta. The Brothers of Phi Beta Delta shared many of the same values and liberal progressive ideas as the Brothers of Pi Lambda Phi. This merger with Phi Beta Delta gave Pi Lambda Phi many West Coast chapters.
A mere ten months after the merger with Phi Beta Delta, the county was at war. The Second World War brought fraternity enrollment down across the country's campuses as many young men went over seas to fight fascism and foreign aggression. By 1945, the war was over, and the thousands of returning servicemen soon found themselves perusing higher education. This influx of servicemen returning to the nation's universities would help bolster fraternity enrollment.
By 1960, another merger took place. In November of 1960, Beta Sigma Tau merged with Pi Lambda Phi. This 1960 merger included our very own Ohio Beta Tau Chapter right here at Baldwin-Wallace College. Baldwin-Wallace is home to the only surviving chapter of Beta Sigma Tau out of the sixteen original chapters. Beta Sigma Tau, like Phi Beta Delta before it, shared the belief in equality among men and the use of democratic ideals to achieve this vision. The good feeling and promises that the early 1960s gave most Americans melted away by the mid part of the decade. The scandals in government and the Vietnam War caused many young people to question authority and the establishment of fraternities. Fraternities became nothing more then a symbol of times long past, and many anti fraternity and anti establishment feelings in general brought down fraternity enrollment. Although the late 1960s were a turbulent time, Pi Lambda Phi survived. By 1972, a third merger occurred and Beta Sigma Rho would join Pi Lambda Phi. The estimated total membership of Beta Sigma Rho was 5,400 so this third merger greatly increased the size of Pi Lambda Phi's national brotherhood.
On March 21, 1995 Pi Lam Brothers all across the United States and Canada celebrated the 100th anniversary of the founding of Pi Lambda Phi. A tribute was paid to Levy, Werner, and Fisher at Yale University in New Haven Connecticut. As Pi Lambda Phi enters the 21st century, it must continue to be innovative and progressive on many of the same issues that our founders faced over one hundred years ago. Pi Lambda Phi and its Brothers across the country are dedicated to the founders' ideals as much today as they were one hundred and eleven years ago.
In the years following the 1895 founding, chapters sprang up all over the Eastern Seaboard. Columbia University, Harvard, Cornell, MIT, and The University of Pennsylvania, all hosted Pi Lam chapters in the last years of the 19th century. As soon as these new Pi Lam chapters were created, many vanished with the same quickness in which they appeared. The early years and most of these beginning chapters are shrouded in mystery.
By 1901, most chapters were nonexistent. By 1906, an attempt at Columbia University started to revitalize Pi Lambda Phi. This attempt failed. It would not be until 1908 that three students from Columbia University would successfully revitalize Pi Lambda Phi. The fraternity began to expand once again. In 1911, a chapter was opened at New York University and soon became the Gamma Chapter of the new Pi Lambda Phi. Many chapters soon followed including the Delta Chapter of Cornell (1912), the Zeta Chapter of Pennsylvania (1912), the Epsilon Chapter of Michigan (1913), the Gamma Sigma Chapter of Pittsburgh (1913), the Lambda Chapter at The Stevens Institute of Technology (1916), and finally a chapter at Yale in 1917, where the original founding fathers established the first chapter in 1895.
Pi Lambda Phi became an international organization in 1920 when the CN Eta chapter was formed at McGill University in Montreal, Quebec. Today, the Kappa Kappa chapter at the University of Windsor is our international affiliate.
By the 1930s, Pi Lam Chapters were all over the United States and Canada. Our Chapter roll included The University of Toronto, Brown University, West Virginia University, Creighton University, John Hopkins University, The University of Wisconsin, and The College of William and Mary. Expansion would continue in the upcoming decades, but at an even greater national level. In February of 1941, a successful merger occurred with Phi Beta Delta. The Brothers of Phi Beta Delta shared many of the same values and liberal progressive ideas as the Brothers of Pi Lambda Phi. This merger with Phi Beta Delta gave Pi Lambda Phi many West Coast chapters.
A mere ten months after the merger with Phi Beta Delta, the county was at war. The Second World War brought fraternity enrollment down across the country's campuses as many young men went over seas to fight fascism and foreign aggression. By 1945, the war was over, and the thousands of returning servicemen soon found themselves perusing higher education. This influx of servicemen returning to the nation's universities would help bolster fraternity enrollment.
By 1960, another merger took place. In November of 1960, Beta Sigma Tau merged with Pi Lambda Phi. This 1960 merger included our very own Ohio Beta Tau Chapter right here at Baldwin-Wallace College. Baldwin-Wallace is home to the only surviving chapter of Beta Sigma Tau out of the sixteen original chapters. Beta Sigma Tau, like Phi Beta Delta before it, shared the belief in equality among men and the use of democratic ideals to achieve this vision. The good feeling and promises that the early 1960s gave most Americans melted away by the mid part of the decade. The scandals in government and the Vietnam War caused many young people to question authority and the establishment of fraternities. Fraternities became nothing more then a symbol of times long past, and many anti fraternity and anti establishment feelings in general brought down fraternity enrollment. Although the late 1960s were a turbulent time, Pi Lambda Phi survived. By 1972, a third merger occurred and Beta Sigma Rho would join Pi Lambda Phi. The estimated total membership of Beta Sigma Rho was 5,400 so this third merger greatly increased the size of Pi Lambda Phi's national brotherhood.
On March 21, 1995 Pi Lam Brothers all across the United States and Canada celebrated the 100th anniversary of the founding of Pi Lambda Phi. A tribute was paid to Levy, Werner, and Fisher at Yale University in New Haven Connecticut. As Pi Lambda Phi enters the 21st century, it must continue to be innovative and progressive on many of the same issues that our founders faced over one hundred years ago. Pi Lambda Phi and its Brothers across the country are dedicated to the founders' ideals as much today as they were one hundred and eleven years ago.
Local History
April of 1946 marked the founding of Sigma Sigma Epsilon, an inter-racial, liberal fraternity. Sigma Sigma Epsilon wanted to break down traditional barriers of race, color, and creed eliminating all religious, racial, and social exclusiveness that were seen in chapters of the time. Founders Gordon Rawlinson and Gerry Sorowitz were given administration approval in June and the group quickly attracted widespread interest, praise, and comment. Several other colleges expressed their interest in forming additional chapters on their own campuses. Membership in Sigma Sigma Epsilon was open to any male BW student on campus. Application could be made at any time, and upon acceptance by the fraternity the applicant became a pledge. The pledge period consisted of a constructive educational nature, and all hazing was outlawed. In their first year Sigma Sigma Epsilon was an active campus group. Teams were entered in every phase of intramural sports. In spite of the small number of members the group made a creditable showing. The two biggest social events of the year were the testimonial dinner to Harrison Dillard, the record-breaking, nationally known, Olympic-bound sprinter, and the SSE-Independent Women Collegiate Ball on November 23.
Sigma Sigma Epsilon was founded on the principle that a brotherhood of men can only exist where there is complete freedom to choose a membership from persons of all cultural groups regardless of color or the manner in which they worship god, and in the third year of its existence the principle was shown to be more than ideal. 1948 marked the beginning of the realization of the goal of Sigma Sigma Epsilon's founders on a nation-wide scale. In May twelve Intercultural fraternities, representing 16 chapters from New York to California, met in a convention in Chicago and drew up the constitution and structure of a new national, intercultural fraternity, Beta Sigma Tau. 1948 also marked the first time Sigma Sigma Epsilon participated in Interfraternity Sing (Greek Sing).
November of 1948 marked the transition to Beta Sigma Tau when delegates from BW were sent to complete the fraternity's organization. In February 1949 the story of Beta Sigma Tau on the BW campus was told over radio station WJW with members of the fraternity participating in the show which was co-authored by Morton Shanberg. In April of 1950 Beta Sigma Tau was accepted into the Greek Council. In the next decade, the presidency of no less than two classes resided in the hands of Beta Sigma Tau.
1960 marked the final transition. On October 29, 1960, Beta Sigma Tau merged with Pi Lambda Phi. Pi Lambda Phi was awarded the fraternity scholarship trophy in their first year.
Sigma Sigma Epsilon was founded on the principle that a brotherhood of men can only exist where there is complete freedom to choose a membership from persons of all cultural groups regardless of color or the manner in which they worship god, and in the third year of its existence the principle was shown to be more than ideal. 1948 marked the beginning of the realization of the goal of Sigma Sigma Epsilon's founders on a nation-wide scale. In May twelve Intercultural fraternities, representing 16 chapters from New York to California, met in a convention in Chicago and drew up the constitution and structure of a new national, intercultural fraternity, Beta Sigma Tau. 1948 also marked the first time Sigma Sigma Epsilon participated in Interfraternity Sing (Greek Sing).
November of 1948 marked the transition to Beta Sigma Tau when delegates from BW were sent to complete the fraternity's organization. In February 1949 the story of Beta Sigma Tau on the BW campus was told over radio station WJW with members of the fraternity participating in the show which was co-authored by Morton Shanberg. In April of 1950 Beta Sigma Tau was accepted into the Greek Council. In the next decade, the presidency of no less than two classes resided in the hands of Beta Sigma Tau.
1960 marked the final transition. On October 29, 1960, Beta Sigma Tau merged with Pi Lambda Phi. Pi Lambda Phi was awarded the fraternity scholarship trophy in their first year.
International Website: pilambdaphi.org