Pi Delta Epsilon
Pi Delta Epsilon (ΠΔΕ) was an American collegiate honor fraternity for journalism. It merged to form the Society for Collegiate Journalists in 1975.
| Pi Delta Epsilon | |
|---|---|
| ΠΔΕ | |
 | |
| Founded | 1909 Syracuse University |
| Type | Honor |
| Affiliation | Independent |
| Status | Merged |
| Merge date | June 1, 1975 |
| Successor | Society for Collegiate Journalists |
| Emphasis | Journalism |
| Scope | National |
| Colors | Olive green and Gray |
| Flower | White Carnation |
| Chapters | 174 |
| Members | 42,000+ lifetime |
| Headquarters | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania United States |
Pi Delta Epsilon (ΠΔΕ) was an American collegiate honor fraternity for journalism. It merged to form the Society for Collegiate Journalists in 1975.
History
[edit]Pi Delta Epsilon was established in 1909 at Syracuse University by ten students who were on the staff of The Daily Orange.[1][2] The founders wanted to form a closer bond around their common interest in journalism.[2] The founders of Pi Delta Epsilon were:[2]
- Sydney H. Coleman
- Neil Dow Cranmer
- Paul i. Benjamin
- J. H. Lloyd Baxter
- C. Earl Bradbury
- William M. Kennedy
- Willard R. Jillison
- Philip S. Perkins
- Wallace M. Williams
- Donald J. Wormer
The purpose of Pi Delta Epsilon was to advance journalism, support student publications, foster a fraternal bond, encourage loyalty to the university, and reward journalistic accomplishments.[2] Its mission included "service and sacrifice of self".[1]
Pi Delta Epsilon expanded to include chapters across the United States, beginning with a chapter at the University of Nebraska in 1910.[2] It sponsored an annual national intercollegiate editorial and news story competition; winners received gold, silver, and bronze medals.[2][3] In later years, there was a prize and a trophy.[2]
Pi Delta Epsilon was governed by a grand council, elected at biennial grand conventions.[2] The fraternity changed its constitution at the 1937 convention to allow female members.[2] It merged with the women's journalism society, Alpha Chi Alpha, on July 1, 1944, accepting all chapters of the former women's recognition society.[4][2] By 1963, Pi Delta Epsilon had chartered 135 chapters (103 were active) and had initiated 42,000 members.[2]
In 1956, Louis Ingelhart, the president of a similar organization Alpha Phi Gamma, contacted Pi Delta Epsilon and other collegiate journalism organizations to propose a merger.[1] It merged with Alpha Phi Gamma to form the Society for Collegiate Journalists formed on June 1, 1975.[1] At the time of the merger, it was the oldest honorary collegiate journalism fraternity in the United States.[1]
Symbols
[edit]The society's badge was a hexagonal gold key with a black enamel face.[2] The Greek letters ΠΔΕ were inscribed on its face as an inverted triangle, with ΠΔ above Ε.[2] Pi Delta Epsilon's colors were olive green and grey.[2] Its flower was the white carnation.[2] Its quarterly publication was The College Publisher.[2]
Membership
[edit]Members of Pi Delta Epsilon were required to have served at least one year in the editorial or business department of an accredited campus publication.[2] Thus, membership was open to sophomores, juniors, and seniors.[2] It had four classes of members: active (student), faculty, honorary, and associate.[2]
Chapters
[edit]Pi Delta Epsilon chartered at least 174 chapters before its merger in 1975.[2][5]
Notable members
[edit]- Otis Bigelow (Hamilton College), Broadway actor, playwright, and stage manager
- Craven Crowell (Lipscomb University), former chairman of the Tennessee Valley Authority
- Fitzhugh Dodson (Johns Hopkins University), clinical psychologist, lecturer and educator
- Geary Eppley (University of Maryland), former University of Maryland athletic director
- John Robert Greene, historian and professor at Cazenovia College
- Curtis D. MacDougall (Ripon College), journalist, professor, and writer
- Alfred Prettyman, publisher
- Barbara Rosenthal, avant-garde artist, writer and performer
- William L. Shirer (Coe College), journalist, author, and war correspondent[6]
- W. Harry Vaughan (Georgia Tech), professor of ceramic engineering at the Georgia School of Technology
- Earl Larkin Williams (Swarthmore College), astronomer and mathematician
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e "History". Society for Collegiate Journalists. 2015-05-18. Retrieved 2024-05-10.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t Robson, John, ed. (1963). Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities (17th ed.). Menasha, Wisconsin: George Banta Co. pp. 681–683. OCLC 1819883.
- ^ "Pi Delta Epsilon is Offering Prize Medals". The Davidsonian. Davidson, North Carolina. 1923-02-15. p. 4. Retrieved 2024-05-11 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Recognition societies are a variant of honor societies, apparently allowing prospective members to request membership rather than being tapped. Requirements varied, and appear to have had a scholastic component, but perhaps were less vigorous than regular honor societies. Where they still exist independently, the Fraternity and Sorority Project within Wikipedia groups them under the "honor" type.
- ^ Anson, Jack L.; Marchesani Jr., Robert F., eds. (1991). Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities (20th ed.). Indianapolis, IN: Baird's Manual Foundation, Inc. p. VII-56. ISBN 978-0-9637159-0-6. OCLC 25278937.
- ^ "Pi Delta Epsilon Reinstallation Recalls Alumni Who Have Earned Success in Newspaper World". The Coe College Cosmos. Cedar Rapids, Iowa. 1938-12-14. p. 1. Retrieved 2024-05-11 – via Newspapers.com.