What is Greek life?
Several thousand years and thousands more miles away from the birthplace of democracy that was ancient Greece, university students all over North America belong to organisations referred to as the Greek system, or ‘Greek life’. But what is the real history of America’s sorority and fraternity culture?
The term ‘Greek life’ has little to do with ancient Greece or its long history – so forget about the temples and city states, the philosophers and warriors, the mythologies and experimental theatre.
The organisations it refers to can be found across the Atlantic on the university campuses of North America – although the first of those has only been around for 250 years, rather than 2,500.
What is ‘Greek life’ at American universities?
‘Greek life’ is the collective term for US university fraternities and sororities, the social organisations that are a mainstay of hundreds of campuses and a staple of all college movies, from Animal House to Monsters University.
Fraternities (usually men only) and sororities (women) have exclusive memberships, their own rules and traditions, and a degree of secrecy to those who are not ‘brothers’ and ‘sisters’.
Ostensibly social groups, they give members – once they’ve got in, through the application process of being a ‘rush’ and then a ‘pledge’ – a sense of identity and community. They also provide excellent opportunities for networking that can be advantageous later in life. In 2007, around 85 per cent of Fortune 500 CEOs are Greek life alumni.
Despite a 2023 YouGov poll showing that only seven per cent of American men and six per cent of women have been part of the Greek life, the impact of fraternities and sororities on society has been huge. Countless notable figures in all fields – from politicians to actors – went through the system.
How are Greek societies named?
Adding to the allure of the fraternities and sororities is the sense of mystery and history created by their names, which are made up of letters from the Greek alphabet. This goes back to the very origins of Greek life.
What was the first Greek fraternity?
The first fraternity was Phi Beta Kappa, which was formed in 1776 (in the same year as the Declaration of Independence founded the United States itself) at the College of William & Mary in Virginia.
The inaugural president, John Heath, was proficient in ancient languages and came up with a Greek motto, translated as “love of learning is the guide of life”, the initials of which formed the club’s name.
Within a few years, Phi Beta Kappa had expanded to have chapters at Harvard and Yale. When other similar organisations were established, Greek was kept to associate them with the intellectual and cultural highs of that ancient civilisation. When knowledge of the language decreased, the letters came to give the impression that these fraternities were themselves ancient, mysterious and special.
To date, Phi Beta Kappa alumni includes 17 US presidents (like Teddy Roosevelt and Bill Clinton), dozens of Supreme Court justices and Nobel laureates, artists, activists and business moguls. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is a brother.
What was the first Greek sorority?
The question of which sorority has the honour of being the first is debated. The first to be called as such was Gamma Phi Beta, formed at Syracuse University, New York, in 1874, but there has been a women’s society at Wesleyan Female College, Georgia, since 1851, which became Alpha Delta Pi.
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