The History of Pi Lambda Phi Fraternity

Pi Lambda Phi: THE FIRST NON-SECTARIAN FRATERNITY

The history of Pi Lambda Phi can be divided into two periods. The first period, which we shall designate The
Founders' Period, begins with the inception of the fraternity at Yale in 1895, flourishing in opinions within a few
short years to a position of enviable promise and achievement only to totter and collapse with equal suddenness.
The second or Revitalization Period, dates from 1908, when the Alpha chapter was established at Columbia
University. It is from this chapter that the present Pi Lambda Phi Fraternity has developed, young, vibrant and
energertic, and destined in due time to be named among the great collegiate fraternities.
 
THE FOUNDERS PERIOD

The early period of Pi Lambda Phi is wrapped in a veil of mystery and has, thus far, defied all efforts to penetrate
it adequately. Most of the early archieves have either been lost or destroyed. The responsibility for this
condition can be easily attributed to the spasmodic character of the fraternity's early career. Chapter sprang up
over-night and disappeared with equal celerity, leaving scant records of their short-lived careers. Not even
membership rolls have been found.

It was from meager sources as these that we must glean our information about the Founders' Period. Exactly
when each of the several chapters was established, who presided at the installation, when and why each chapter
disbanded -- these are questions which remain unanswered. We do know that Yale and CCNY chapters ceased to
exist after 1898, Columbia and NYU presumably struggled along until 1901. Pi Lam was dormant until 1906,
when an attempt was made to revive the columbia chapter. Though it failed, it paved the way for the more
successful attempt of 1908, with which the Revitalization Period begins.

We are certain, however, of the three men who founded the fraternity. Brother Louis Sampter Levy, Brother
Frederick Manfred Werner, and Brother Henry Mark Fisher were the three men who founded the Alpha chapter
at Yale and are, therefore, regarded as the Founders of Pi Lambda Phi.
 
THE REVITALIZATION PERIOD

In 1908, the Columbia Chapter was revived by Walter Weil, Paul Charles Werner, George Rosenthal, and Aaron
Galewski, with the help of H. Arther Diamant. They wanted to establish a non-sectarian fraternity, and they
obtained permission form Brother's Diamant and Arthur Shore to use the name of Pi Lambda Phi. Shortly
thereafter in 1910 a local fraternity known as Sigma Iota became the Gamma Chapter at NYU, and in 1911
Cornell was installed as the Delta Chapter, and from there Zeta at Pennsylvanie, Epsilon at Michigan, and
Gamma Sigma at Pittsburgh, along with Lambda at Lehigh were chartered.

February 1, 1941 witnessed a union with Phi Beta Delta Fraternity, which had been founded in 1912. After
deducting duplicate chapters, the united fraternity at the time of the merger had a total of 33 active
undergraduate chapters. In November of 1960 Beta Sigma Tau Fraternity merged as well. On December 12,
1972, Beta Sigma Rho, a national fraternity founded on October 2, 1910, merged with Pi Lambda Phi as well.
Like the merger with Phi Beta Delta, the idealism of both fraternities was quite similar, as both were in fact
nonsectarian organizations. Today Founders' Day is celebrated on March 21st, honoring those fraternities that
have merged with Pi Lambda Phi.