The fraternity that survived a college-wide ban on secret societies

Science · Published 20 October 2026 · Updated 21 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: In the early 1830s, Union College president Dr. Eliphalet Nott ordered all fraternities dissolved. One man's argument saved Delta Phi from erasure, preserving an organization that would eventually become one of the oldest in America. It remains a study in intentional smallness and federal governance.

Nine seniors created Delta Phi at Union College on 17 November 1827, amidst an era of fierce American Anti-Masonry hostility. This cultural climate was so volatile that it forced other organizations, like Phi Beta Kappa, to abandon secrecy entirely. However, Delta Phi managed to navigate these pressures, eventually becoming one of the three oldest fraternities in the country as part of the Union Triad.

The fraternity's survival is tied to a specific historical pivot: in the early 1830s, President Nott sought to abolish all such groups. John Jay Hyde, a member of Delta Phi, successfully argued for their benefits, convincing Nott to relent. This victory allowed the organization to expand nationally by 1838 at Brown University and establish chapters at prestigious institutions like Harvard, Columbia, and the University of Pennsylvania by 1849.

Unlike many modern organizations that prioritize rapid growth, Delta Phi has intentionally resisted expansion to maintain an 'intimate, personal experience.' As of 2024, it maintains only twelve active chapters, most with fewer than a few dozen members. Its governance is uniquely federal; individual alumni chapters retain significant power over chapter management, and the Board of Governors consists of one member appointed from each alumni chapter.

The organization also carries deep symbolic ties to the Knights of Malta, reflected in its badge's Maltese Cross and its nicknames 'St. Elmo' or 'Elmo.' While some branches, like the St. Elmo Society at Yale, eventually broke away to become independent secret societies, Delta Phi remains a distinct entity defined by its 19th-century roots and selective membership.

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