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Delta Chi () is an international collegiate social
fraternity A fraternity (; whence, "wikt:brotherhood, brotherhood") or fraternal organization is an organization, society, club (organization), club or fraternal order traditionally of men but also women associated together for various religious or secular ...
. It was formed in 1890 at
Cornell University Cornell University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university based in Ithaca, New York, United States. The university was co-founded by American philanthropist Ezra Cornell and historian and educator Andrew Dickson W ...
as a professional fraternity for law students, becoming a social fraternity in 1922. In 1929. Delta Chi became one of the first international fraternities to abolish "hell week". It is a charter member of the
North American Interfraternity Conference The North American Interfraternity Conference (or NIC; formerly known as the National Interfraternity Conference) is an association of college, intercollegiate men's List of social fraternities and sororities, social Fraternities and sororities ...
(NIC). Delta Chi has initiated over 116,000 members at over 110 chapters.


History


Founding

According to Frederick Moore Whitney, two or three groups were working on the idea of a new law fraternity during the spring of 1889. After the class election, there were meetings held in Myron McKee Crandall's apartment as well as in Monroe Marsh Sweetland's law office. It is not clear how these two groups came together, though there seem to have been some individuals who had attended both groups. Over the summer of 1890, many of the details of the organization were worked out by Myron Mckee Crandall, who had stayed in Ithaca until after school opened. Regarding the adoption of the constitution, Albert Sullard Barnes wrote the following in an 1907 ''Quarterly'' article:
As I recall it, after refreshing my recollection from the original minutes now in my possession, on the evening of October 13, 1890, six students in the Law School, Brothers John M. Gorham, Thomas J. Sullivan, F.K. Stephens, A.D. Stillman and the writer, together with Myron Crandall and O.L. Potter, graduate students, and Monroe Sweetland, a former Student in the Law School, met in a brother's room and adopted the constitution and by-laws, and organized the Delta Chi Fraternity.
Its founding fathers were Albert Sullard Barnes, Myron McKee Crandall, John Milton Gorham, Peter Schermerhorn Johnson, Edward Richard O'Malley, Owen Lincoln Potter, Alphonse Derwin Stillman, Thomas Allen Joseph Sullivan, Monroe Marsh Sweetland, Thomas David Watkins, and Frederick Moore Whitney.Shepardson, Francis Wayland, ed.
Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities, 12th edition
'. Menasha, Wisconsin: The Collegiate Press/George Banta Publishing Company, 1930. pp. 84-86. ''via'' Hathi Trust.
Potter was the first president. The fraternity was recognized by Cornell on October 13, 1890, now considered the group's founding date. Stillman wrote the fraternity's ritual, which was adopted at a meeting on October 20, 1890. A second chapter was established at New York University in 1891. This was followed by chapters at the University of Minnesota, DePauw University, and the University of Michigan in 1892. The fraternity held its first national convention in 1894, continuing to hold conventions annually through 1911. In 1909, at the 15th convention in Ithaca, New York, Delta Chi adopted an amendment to the constitution prohibiting dual membership in multiple fraternities.Lurding, Carroll and Becque, Fran. (April 10, 2025)
Men's Organizations
. Almanac of Fraternities and Sororities. Urbana: University of Illinois. Accessed May 12, 2025.
As a professional law fraternity, Delta Chi had originally allowed members from other general fraternities to join. The change in policy led to the loss of chapters in
New York Law School New York Law School (NYLS) is a private, American law school in the Tribeca neighborhood in Manhattan, New York City. The third oldest law school in New York City, its history predates its official founding in 1891 by Theodore William Dwight, T ...
,
West Virginia University West Virginia University (WVU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university with its main campus in Morgantown, West Virginia, United States. Its other campuses are those of the West Virginia University Ins ...
,
Northwestern University Northwestern University (NU) is a Private university, private research university in Evanston, Illinois, United States. Established in 1851 to serve the historic Northwest Territory, it is the oldest University charter, chartered university in ...
, and Washington University in St. Louis. In 1930, Delta Chi had chartered 42 chapters, 15 alumni chapters, and had initiated 8,301 members. It had 36 active chapters, with 29 of those owning a chapter house.


General fraternity

During
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, a majority of the members of the active chapters enlisted in the armed forces. Chapter houses became almost deserted, and a convention in August 1917 was skipped. At the end of the war, members returned to the universities to complete their courses. Chapter finances were generally in bad condition, as were the houses. Attempting to rebuild, many chapters stretched the recruiting restrictions by initiating men who had no intention of studying law. Starting in 1919 at the 20th convention, the issue of becoming a general social fraternity was debated. In 1921, in
Columbus, Ohio Columbus (, ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities in Ohio, most populous city of the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 United States census, 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the List of United States ...
at the 21st convention, two amendments were proposed, for and against general membership, respectively. For three days, votes were held, until (on a swing vote by the Buffalo Alumni chapter representative), the Wadsworth amendment was adopted. The amendment made Delta Chi a general fraternity, no longer requiring its members to be law students.


Symbols

Delta Chi's badge is a monogram of the Greek letters . The can either be in black enamel or set with stones. The pledge pin is shaped like a in red and gold buff, with a gold Chi in the lower background. Delta Chi's motto is ''Leges'' (Law)''.'' The fraternity's colors are red and buff.'''' Its symbol is the knight and the martlets. Its flower is the white carnation.'''' Its magazine is ''Delta Chi Quarterly,'' first published in April 1903''.'' Its nickname is D-Chi.


Philanthropy

In 2006, the fraternity named the V Foundation as its official philanthropic organization. Delta Chi has raised over one million dollars for the V Foundation.


Organization

Delta Chi's headquarters is in
Indianapolis Indianapolis ( ), colloquially known as Indy, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Indiana, most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana, Marion ...
, Indiana. Its international officers are referred to by double letters, including the AA (president), CC (secretary), and DD (treasurer). There is also an Housing Corporation is to manage the chapter or provisional chapter housing facilities and all legal responsibilities of such management. The Housing Corporation is a separate, incorporated legal entity. The undergraduate officers are designated by single letters, including A (president), B (vice president), C (secretary), D (treasurer), E (historian), F (sergeant at arms).


Chapters

Delta Chi has chartered more than 110 chapters. Delta Chi chapters and provisional chapters (colonies) are named by institution, and sometimes by self-naming. Therefore, its first chapter is known as the ''Cornell chapter''.


Notable members

Delta Chi has initiated more than 127,200 members.


Local chapter misconduct

In February 2021,
Virginia Commonwealth University Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) is a Public university, public research university in Richmond, Virginia, United States. VCU was founded in 1838 as the medical department of Hampden–Sydney College, becoming the Medical College of Virgin ...
's chapter was suspended after freshman Adam Oakes died of alcohol poisoning after an off-campus fraternity party. The VCU chapter was later expelled from the university three months after Oakes's death, after the university found that the chapter had violated several university policies, including those on
hazing Hazing (American English), initiation, beasting (British English), bastardisation (Australian English), ragging (South Asian English) or deposition refers to any activity expected of someone in joining or participating in a group that humiliates, ...
and alcohol.


See also

*
List of social fraternities Social, collegiate, or general fraternities in the North American fraternity system are those that do not promote a particular profession, as professional fraternities do, or discipline, such as service fraternities. Instead, their primary purp ...


References


External links


The Delta Chi FraternityThe Delta Chi Educational FoundationThe V Foundation
{{Authority control Student organizations established in 1890 North American Interfraternity Conference International student societies Student societies in the United States Cornell University student organizations Iowa City, Iowa 1890 establishments in New Jersey Fraternities and sororities in the United States