Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities (1879)/Delta Psi

by William Raimond Baird

The Delta Psi fraternity has the reputation of being the most secret of all the college societies. It was founded at Columbia College, in 1847, by Chas. A. Budd, Wm. M. Van Wagener, John H. Anthon, and Sam. F. Barger. The fraternity soon established chapters both North and South, and has the following chapter list:

1. Alpha, Columbia College, 1847.
2. Beta, New York University, 1847 (died 1853).
3. Gamma, Rutgers College, 1848 (died 1850).
4. Delta, Burlington College, 1819; transferred to
5. Delta, Pennsylvania University, 1854.
6. Epsilon, Trinity College (Connecticut), 1850.
7. Eta, South Carolina College, 1850 (died 1861).
8. Theta, Princeton College, 1851 (died 1863).
9. Iota, Rochester University, 1851.
10. Kappa, Brown University, 1852 (died 1853).
11. Lambda, Williams College, 1853.
12. Sigma, Randolph-Macon College, 1853 (died 1861).
13. Xi, North Carolina University, 1851 (died 1863).
14. Psi, Cumberland University, 1858 (died 1861).
15. Phi, Mississippi University, 1855.
16. Upsilon, University of Virginia, 1860.
17. Sigma, Sheffield Scientific School, 1868.
18. Theta, Washington-Lee University, 1869.

The Beta Chapter was declared extinct in 1853, and its members affiliated with the Alpha. The Gamma and Theta disbanded. The Alpha has a fine chapter house in East Twenty-eighth Street, New York City. The Epsilon has one of the most expensive chapter houses in the country, forty thonsand dollars having been given for that purpose by one of the members. The Kappa Chapter is generally repudiated by the fraternity, but its official existence was recognized in the catalogue draft of 1876. The Southern Chapters were killed by the war, and only the Phi and Upsilon were revived at its close. The Lambda owns a chapter house, and the Iota and one or two others have building funds.

The fraternity is in an excellent condition everywhere, and its chapters are prosperous. The fraternity has never issued a catalogue, but published a rough draft of all the members whose names were known in 1876, and issued it with the request that corrections be sent to the Alpha. The catalogue is only in press.

The badge of the Delta Psi is a Saint Anthony's cross, with curved sides. The cross bears a shield in blue enamel displaying the letters "ΔΨ." On the bar of the cross are engraved four Hebrew letters, and beneath the shield the skull and bones. The color is light blue.

The total number of members is about 2500. Prominent among them are Dr. Chas. A. Budd and John H. Anthon, of New York City; Hon. Stewart L. Woodford, Henry S. Olcott, Gen. William G. Ward; Bishops McKip, of California, and Doane, of Northern New York; Frederick Prime, Hamilton Fish, Jr., Nicholas Fish, Minister to Switzerland; Rev. J. D. Fulton, of Brooklyn, and others.