Alpha Gamma

Alpha Gamma () was an American collegiate fraternity. It was founded at Cumberland University in Lebanon, Tennessee in 1867. All chapters closed in the 1880s.

History

Alpha Gamma was founded at Cumberland University in Lebanon, Tennessee in 1867. Baird, William Raimond, ed.
American College Fraternities, 1st edition
'' Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott & Co.,1879. p. 41-42. via Hathi Trust. It was a secret society. Its founders were L. Black, C. N. Campbell, W. G. Campbell, A. B. Goodbar, M. S. Matheny, and W. T. Nixon. In December 1869, a bill was passed by the Tennessee Legislature to incorporate Alpha Gamma Fraternity.

The fraternity referred to its chapters as lodges. Because of the secret nature of the fraternity and bans against secret societies at the time, many of its lodges operated sub rosa. Many chapters met under the guise of being a literary society, going to the extreme of creating a bogus constitution for a literary society. Of its 21 chapters; twelve of these are known. Prominent chapters were located at Cumberland University, Mercersburg College, Southwestern Presbyterian University, Trinity College (Duke), Washington & Jefferson College, and the West Virginia University.

In August 1875, Alpha Gamma held a national convention in Clarksville, Tennessee. Delegates attended from Mercerburg College, Southwestern Presbyterian University, the University of Alabama, and Washington & Jefferson College. A local newspaper reported that attendance was smaller than usual. The chapter at Mercersburg College held a reunion on July 13, 1888.

The fraternity eventually disbanded, with ''Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities'' indicating that this occurred in the 1880s. Many chapter closed because of local anti-fraternity laws and policies, including the Trinity College (Duke University) and West Virginia University chapters. Several chapters, including those at Washington & Jefferson College, Southwestern Presbyterian University, became chapters of Alpha Tau Omega. The main archive URL i
The Baird's Manual Online Archive homepage
Some members of the chapter a Southwestern Presbyterian University, split off to form the Stewart Literary Society. The Washington and Lee chapter joined Chi Phi. These chapter withdrawals occurred over several years, with no specific merger process. The fraternity had approximately 350 members.

Symbols

The Alpha Gamma badge consisted of a golden shield with a globe that was encircled by a pendant with the Greek letters . At its top were six stars that represent the fraternity's six founders.

Chapters

Known chapters of Alpha Gamma include the following, with inactive chapters and institutions in ''italics''. The fraternity appears to have reassigned chapter names as its roster was updated; the chapter that housed its headquarters was called ''Alpha chapter''.

See also

* List of social fraternities

References

{{reflist

Student organizations established in 1867
Student societies in the United States
Defunct fraternities and sororities
1867 establishments in Tennessee
Secret societies in the United States