Fraternities: An Overview
In the early 1800's, youth culture was poorly defined. The transition
from boyhood to manhood was a time of uncertainty, where not all had a
clear set of expectations to follow. Breaking away from home and trying
to find one's place socially and financially was very difficult in the
1800's; many of those who went to college filled their desires for a comfortable
home life as well as found a niche, stability and friendship in fraternities.
These fraternities each possessed their own culture, and combined elements
of boyhood and manhood that made them environments for both fun and personal
growth involving the “mixing affection with attack”. Throughout
the 19th century, more and more fraternities were created to provide social
cohesion for men in their transition period. Fraternities became increasingly
exclusive and secretive, which served to both increase closeness within
fraternities and increase tension between fraternities. Some colleges
promoted hazing of new students as a way to promote loyalty to the school
and because antagonism between student groups deflected certain pressures
away from the administration.
Along
with havens for horseplay, fraternities were practice grounds for professionalism.
Excess boyish energy was often harnessed into debates and abstract thinking,
which helped synthesize and develop important skills necessary for manhood.
Like members of other self-improvement societies, fraternity members were
subject to constant peer evaluation, which increased the felt importance
of leaving behind childish tendencies, such as overt anger and disorganized
thought, and transitioning towards use of wit, intellect, and strategy
to win social, political, and religious arguments.
Fraternities at Middlebury: Overview
For more on the first fraternities and sororities chartered on the Middlebury campus, the historical context in which they were founded, the houses' roles in Middlebury College social life, and to view pictures of house members, please visit Fraternities at Middlebury College in the 2004 Web Museum.
Fraternities at Middlebury: Creation and Shaping
of Males' and Females' Intimate Relationships
“The Badge of Old Chi Psi reveals the nature of the brotherhood
and intimacy that existed within the Chi Psi fraternity
Dear is the badge of old Chi Psi
The jewell'd pledge of love,
We'll wear it proudly till we die
And honor it above;
Whoever wears the mystic sign
A brother's love shall meet
For the sake of old dear Alpha Mu,
And Friendship true and sweet.
- W.W.Gay, The Badge of Old Chi Psi, in Josiah R. Bartlestt,
comp., A Collection of Representative Songs of the Chi Psi Fraternity
(n.p., 1936), p.34.
As cited in Stameshkin, J. (1985). The Town's College. Middlebury
College (pg 166-167).
The founding of the first fraternity, the Alpha Mu chapter of Chi Psi, in 1843, was an important event in Middlebury College history. Fraternities had profound effects on male culture which can still be observed in the current Middlebury community. Letters between fraternity members, along with other documents related to fraternities and the four sororities that were founded by 1917, reveal the types of intimate relationships that have occurred over the years within these unique single-sex groups.
Before Middlebury's admittance of women in 1883, many fraternity documents reveal members' quests for a family-like atmosphere with close relationships and illustrate that for males, intimate relationships with other males were valued more than were relationships with women. Sorority meeting logs and correspondence and expose the types of activities the women enjoyed doing together and the nature of the intimacy that existed between sorority members. Documents reveal that males became intimate through debate, secrecy, mischief, and sharing of elevated social status, and that females became close through conversation, writing letters, playing music, and reading aloud. Documents show that the intimate relationships forged by both sexes within their fraternities and sororities, lasted for many years after graduation.
For more on 19th Century gender conventions and behavior:
-
Nancy Cott, The Bonds of Womanhood
-
Anthony Rotundo, American Manhood