The Greek Life Museum

Throwback for this Thursday in honor of Veterans Day: The museum houses hundreds of forms like this, which were used to collect data on Veterans after World War I. Much of this information was used in membership directories in future years.

Mystery at the Museum! This unidentified 1958 composite photo, despite the name, has no connection to the Chi Phi Fraternity. The prevailing theory at the Museum is that it was a local sorority that happened to have the same name. What are your thoughts?

Did you know that many older Greek organizations started their chapters by absorbing local fraternities? Delta Rho Gamma was a local for several years at Ohio Wesleyan before becoming a chapter of Chi Phi in 1911. Pictured is their original Petition to Charter.

Our offices will be without internet and phone services this morning while system upgrades are made. Staff will be able to respond to email. Thank you for your patience, and in the meantime please enjoy Alpha-Tau's 1958 composite, featuring Basset Hounds Gypsy and Governor.

Before digital media, many Greek organizations kept membership records in large ledgers such as this. As organizations grew, many found themselves with volumes full of their members information. Chi Phi used this ledger to track badge numbers in the 1920s and 1930s; it is one of a ten such books housed in the Museum.

It isn't every day that the Museum finds something hidden in its collection - but today is one of those days! A horde of old badges from Chi Phi's annual Congress dating back to the 55th Congress in 1920 were found in the stacks. Among the badges were some belonging to Luther Rosser and Hugh Dorsey, both of whom served as Chi Phi's National President and Executive Secretary/Director.

Fraternities and Sororities are generally pictured as occupying homes built in a bygone era, but, as this photo in our collection shows, that's not always the case. Chi Phi's Nu Chapter at the University of Texas built a new house for themselves in the mid-twentieth century, pictured here as it appeared in 1961. The house featured many modern amenities, including an open floor plan not typical of many other fraternity houses and a large backyard.

Yesterday Chi Phi's newest staff members took the time to see some of the artifacts housed in the Greek Life Museum, including this photo album of Chapter Houses from the 1930s.

An interesting look at 1977's take on what having a bachelor's degree meant for you in the workforce:

Composite photos have been a tradition for many Greek organizations since their Founding. They have proven to be an invaluable way of preserving the past for many local Chapters. And, yes, sometimes the members even included their pets like King here!

From the Archives: Nothing says "excited to be here" like the faces of these Alabama fraternity men at their National Congress in 1940. It was just a few short years after this that the Chi Phi Fraternity suspended its Congress due to the outbreak of World War II and the enlistment of a great number of its members; so many, in fact, that some Chapters were even forced to temporarily shut their doors.

From the Archive: This photo shows some unfortunate damage that many pieces suffer before, or even after, they are housed in a larger collection. Luckily, however, none of the members of the Epsilon Chapter of the Chi Phi Fraternity have been obscured by the damage to this photo, circa 1921.

Is it too soon for a Throwback this week? Check out what the Museum looked like before our space was renovated! This is how our collections were displayed (when we had someone to display them for!) just a few short years ago. Things sure have changed!

From the Archives: One of the most defining moments for any organization is receiving their Charter - no matter what time period they happen to be in! Though the process has changed over the decades or (almost) centuries, the excitement and payoff continue to be timeless. Pictured is the Pi Theta Chapter of the Chi Phi Fraternity at their Chartering Banquet in 2012.