Adelphikos

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Adelphikos
Founded1913; 111 years ago (1913)[1]
Grove City College
TypeSocial
AffiliationIndependent
ScopeLocal
MottoMen of honor, men of courage[2]
Colors  Purple
  Gold
MascotThe Black Cat
HeadquartersGrove City, Pennsylvania
United States
WebsiteOfficial website
[3]

The Adelphikos (αδελφικός) fraternity, formed in 1913,[1] is a Grove City College (Grove City, Pennsylvania), social fraternity.

History[edit]

The fraternity was formed as an outgrowth of the two campus debate clubs, the Webster and the Shakespeare, where an intense rivalry inspired eight of the Webster men to invite two of their rivals to join in the formation of the fraternity, putting an end to the strife. Adelphikos' name is a coined, Greek-derived word, whose definition is known by its members. From its beginning in 1913 when formed by 10 members of the student body, it has flourished on the campus uninterrupted for over ten successive decades.[2] Adelphikos was the second official (recognized) fraternity on campus and the first group to use Greek letters directly in its name, vying in a friendly rivalry for "first" with another of the campus' 18 fraternities and sororities, the Pan Sophic. Neither group uses a common two- or three-letter Greek acronym.[3][1]

Tragedy[edit]

In 1974, seventeen Adelphikos pledges were walking back to campus from a fraternity event when a driver who had fallen asleep at the wheel plowed into them from behind. Four pledges - Thomas Morgan Elliott, John Curtin, Rudolph Mion, and Gary Gilliland - were killed.[4] Today a memorial plaque to the four students sits on campus in front of Buhl Library. Although no alcohol was involved and the driver was deemed to be at fault, the incident triggered tightened control of fraternity practices and other student activities at the college. It remains one of the deadliest fraternity-related accidents in the United States.[5][6]

Approximately 70 years after its founding, the fraternity experienced setbacks, struggling in the late 1970s in the aftermath of the pledge deaths, with members committing violations of campus rules which resulted in the loss of college recognition during the 1990s.[2]

Re-establishment[edit]

Reemerging from this period in 2000, the fraternity was re-established as a Christian brotherhood.[2]

Adelphikos is not affiliated with any national fraternal organization. It is an independent organization, like all other Grove City fraternities.[7]

Notable members[edit]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c Lee Edwards (2000). Freedom's College: The History of Grove City College. Washington DC: Regnery Publishing. p. 31. ISBN 9780895262776. Retrieved 6 July 2012.
  2. ^ a b c d "The Adelphikos Fraternity - History". Pennsylvania: The Adelphikos Fraternity. Retrieved 6 July 2012.
  3. ^ a b William Raimond Baird; Carroll Lurding (eds.). "Almanac of Fraternities and Sororities (Baird's Manual Online Archive)". Student Life and Culture Archives. University of Illinois: University of Illinois Archives. The main archive URL is The Baird's Manual Online Archive homepage.
  4. ^ "Penn State students' deaths among 15 suspected hazing cases in Pa". pennlive. 2017-08-09. Retrieved 2020-08-24.
  5. ^ "Oil City Derrick Newspaper Archives, Feb 19, 1974, p. 11". newspaperarchive.com. 19 February 1974. Retrieved 2019-05-16.
  6. ^ "Hazing Deaths: 1737-2019". www.hanknuwer.com. Retrieved 2019-05-16.
  7. ^ John Kloosterman (2011). Grove City College 2012. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: College Prowler. ISBN 9781427498823. Retrieved 6 July 2012.
  8. ^ Peter J. Boettke (23 December 2005). "GCC and Austrian Economics". Austrian Philosophists. Retrieved 6 July 2012.
  9. ^ "Matt Kibbe | FreedomWorks". Archived from the original on 2013-08-22. Retrieved 2013-10-10.
  10. ^ "About".
  11. ^ "Young (Ernest C.) Hall (YONG)". 7 July 2015.