This almanac of fraternities and sororities follows in the tradition of Baird’s Manual of American College Fraternities. The first edition debuted in 1879 and was the work of William Raimond Baird. The twentieth and last edition was published in 1991. Much has happened in the world of fraternities and sororities in the ensuing decades. This almanac is unique in several ways. It has, by far, the most complete information ever compiled, and it is in a non-print form so that it can be updated regularly.
A detailed history of social fraternities and sororities is listed for more than 1,000 individual North American institutions of higher education where local or national Greek-letter organizations have existed. There is also a listing for more than 100 institutions which no longer exist.
A chronological listing of every chapter, with their local predecessor, is provided for more than two hundred currently existing fraternities and sororities with three or more chapters. That same information is provided for more than one hundred institutions that no longer exist.
There is also information on when and where Greek-letter organizations expanded to additional institutions throughout North America, and a picture of the growth rate of the various groups.
This almanac is the result of decades of work done by Carroll Lurding, a Delta Upsilon. Many sources were used in compiling this almanac. Publications from individual fraternities and sororities including histories, pledge manuals, magazines, and websites were consulted. The library collections available at the University of Illinois Library’s Student Life & Culture Archives, the Lurding Collection of Fraternity Material at Indiana University’s Lilly Library and the Baird Collection and the New York Public Library added to the body of knowledge. Additional information was found in college and university yearbooks.
Through generous donation of the National Society for the Preservation of Greek Housing (SPGH), Dr. Fran Becque, Pi Beta Phi national historian and greek letter scholar, updates the Almanac on a monthly basis. Please contact her with corrections and/or additions via this web form.