Alpha Gamma

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

Alpha Gamma
ΑΓ
Founded	1867; 158 years ago (1867)[1] Cumberland University
Type	Secret
Affiliation	Independent
Status	Defunct
Defunct date	c. 1880s
Scope	National
Chapters	21
Members	350 lifetime
Headquarters	United States

History

Alpha Gamma was founded at Cumberland University in Lebanon, Tennessee in 1867.^[2][1] It was a secret society.^[3] Its founders were L. Black, C. N. Campbell, W. G. Campbell, A. B. Goodbar, M. S. Matheny, and W. T. Nixon.^[2] In December 1869, a bill was passed by the Tennessee Legislature to incorporate Alpha Gamma Fraternity.^[4]

The fraternity referred to its chapters as lodges.^[3] Because of the secret nature of the fraternity and bans against secret societies at the time, many of its lodges operated sub rosa.^[5] Many chapters met under the guise of being a literary society, going to the extreme of creating a bogus constitution for a literary society.^[5] Of its 21 chapters; twelve of these are known.^[1][2][6] Prominent chapters were located at Cumberland University, Mercersburg College, Southwestern Presbyterian University, Trinity College (Duke), Washington & Jefferson College, and the West Virginia University.^[1][6]

In August 1875, Alpha Gamma held a national convention in Clarksville, Tennessee.^[7] Delegates attended from Mercerburg College, Southwestern Presbyterian University, the University of Alabama, and Washington & Jefferson College.^[7] A local newspaper reported that attendance was smaller than usual.^[7] The chapter at Mercersburg College held a reunion on July 13, 1888.^[8]

The fraternity eventually disbanded, with Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities indicating that this occurred in the 1880s.^[1] Many chapter closed because of local anti-fraternity laws and policies, including the Trinity College (Duke University) and West Virginia University chapters.^[1][2] Several chapters, including those at Washington & Jefferson College, Southwestern Presbyterian University, became chapters of Alpha Tau Omega.^[1][6] Some members of the chapter a Southwestern Presbyterian University, split off to form the Stewart Literary Society.^[5] The Washington and Lee chapter joined Chi Phi.^[1][6] These chapter withdrawals occurred over several years, with no specific merger process.^[6] The fraternity had approximately 350 members.^[2]

Symbols

The Alpha Gamma badge consisted of a golden shield with a globe that was encircled by a pendant with the Greek letters ΑΓ. At its top were six stars that represent the fraternity's six founders.^[2][6]

Chapters

Known chapters of Alpha Gamma include the following, with inactive chapters and institutions in italics.^[6][2] The fraternity appears to have reassigned chapter names as its roster was updated; the chapter that housed its headquarters was called Alpha chapter.^[2]

Chapter	Charter date and range	Institution	Location	Status	References
Alpha (also Iota)	March 1867–18xx?	Cumberland University	Lebanon, Tennessee	Inactive
Beta (also Alpha and Sigma)	18xx ? – March 12, 1882	Washington & Jefferson College	Washington, Pennsylvania	Withdrew (ΑΤΩ)	[7][a]
Gamma (also Eta	18xx ?–18xx ?	Trinity College (now Duke University)	Durham, North Carolina	Inactive	[b]
Delta (also Alpha and Zeta)	18xx ?–18xx ?	Mercersburg College	Mercersburg, Pennsylvania	Inactive	[7][c]
	186x ? – February 19, 1872	Washington and Lee University	Lexington, Virginia	Withdrew (ΧΦ)	[d][e]
Epsilon (also Theta)	1878 – April 10, 1881	Southwestern Presbyterian University	Clarksville, Tennessee	Withdrew (ΑΤΩ)	[5][f]
Zeta (also Pi)	18xx ?–18xx ?	West Virginia University	Morgantown, West Virginia	Inactive	[b]
Eta ?	1872–18xx ?	University of Tennessee	Knoxville, Tennessee	Inactive	[3]
Theta (also Omicron)	1875 – October 24, 1885	University of Alabama	Tuscaloosa, Alabama	Withdrew (ΑΤΩ)	[7][g]
Kappa		East Tennessee State University	Johnson City, Tennessee	Inactive
Nu			Savannah, Georgia	Inactive	[h][i]
Xi			Decatur, Alabama	Inactive	[h]

1. Became the Alpha Pi chapter of ΑΤΩ. In 1883, soon after the merger, this chapter closed. ΑΤΩ reopened it in 1901.
2. Chapter closed due to anti-fraternity legislation.
3. Now a prep school, Mercersburg had a collegiate section until 1893.
4. Became the Nu chapter (Northern Order) of ΧΦ.
5. The dates for this chapter may not quite line up. Baird's Archive indicates the chapter formed in the late 1860s, allowing it to become the Nu chapter of Chi Phi on February 19, 1872, which seems to be a firm date. However, this would have made the unnamed Alpha Gamma fraternity unit a chapter earlier than its implied order in Baird's. Was it Alpha Gamma's Eta chapter? Could a chapter of Chi Phi have been formed on the W&L campus independently, which then absorbed the Alpha Gamma chapter? The Chi Phi chapter appears to have withdrawn from ΑΓ in 1871, joined Chi Phi, and then gone dormant in 1878.
6. During its existence, this college was situated in Clarksville, Tennessee; it moved to Memphis in 1925. It became the Alpha Tau chapter of ΑΤΩ. Before its withdrawal, some of its members split off to form the Stewart Literary Society (local).
7. Became the Beta Delta chapter of ΑΤΩ.
8. This was an alumni chapter.
9. Baird's Manual 1st edition says this chapter was in Savannah, Alabama.

See also

• List of social fraternities