At the University of Richmond, there are many fraternities and sororities of varying social, academic, honor, and service natures. Currently, there are eight recognized social fraternities and eight social sororities, along with a number of non-social fraternities and sororities. The fraternity system began in 1870 when Kappa Alpha was organized at Richmond College and has continued to the present day. Sororities at the University of Richmond arrived in 1987. Sigma Phi Epsilon started at Richmond College in 1901 and grew to become a North American fraternity.
Following is a list of University of Richmond fraternities and sororities.
| Organization | Chapter name | Charter date and range | Type | Status | References | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delta Zeta | – 2002; 2010 – April 3, 2010 | Business | Inactive | |||
| Mu | Women in technical studies | Active | ||||
| Omicron Phi | Service. | Active | ||||
| 1922 | National Literary Society with which Mu Sigma Rho affiliated | Inactive | ||||
| Delta Kappa | Chemistry | Active | ||||
| Eta | Theater | Active | ||||
| Beta Theta | Biology Honor Society | Active | ||||
| Gamma | 1965 | Business Honor Society | Active | |||
| xxxx – 2011 | Business | Inactive | ||||
| Rho Omega | 2013 | Business | Active | |||
| Delta Sigma Rho-Tau Kappa Alpha | Speech | Active | ||||
| Jefferson | – 1941; 1946 | Law | Active | |||
| Beta Gamma | Classics | Active | ||||
| Mu Delta | Geography Honor Society | Active | ||||
| Gamma Sigma Epsilon | Epsilon Beta | – 2010 | Chemistry Honor Society | Inactive | ||
| Theta Theta | 1955 | Education | Active | |||
| Iota Theta | Rhetoric / Communications | Active | ||||
| Mu Sigma Rho (local) | 1846 | Literary | Active | |||
| Omicron Delta Epsilon | Lambda | Economics | Active | |||
| Epsilon | Leadership | Active | ||||
| Coke/Patrick Henry | Law / Pre-Law | Active | ||||
| Phi Alpha Theta | History | Active | ||||
| Gamma Iota | 1995 | International Scholars | Active | |||
| Honor. | Active | |||||
| James Madison Inn | 1962 | Law | Active | |||
| Phi Eta Sigma | Freshman Honor Society | Active | ||||
| Phi Kappa Mu (local) | Music Honor Society | Active | ||||
| Iota Epsilon | 1975 | Foreign Languages Honor Society | Active | |||
| Virginia Delta | Philosophy | Active | ||||
| Pi Alpha (local) | 1921 – October 25, 1930 | Honor society | Inactive | |||
| Pi Delta Epsilon | November 26, 1926 – 1981 | Journalism | Inactive | |||
| Virginia Alpha | Mathematics. | Active | ||||
| Beta Xi | 1953 | Political / Social Sciences Honor Society | Active | |||
| Psi Chi | 1950 | Psychology | Active | |||
| Rho Eta Sigma (local) | 1938–1940 | History | ||||
| Sigma Gama | Spanish | Inactive | ||||
| Sigma Xi | Engineering | Active | ||||
| Sigma Pi Beta (local) | 1974–1988 | Business society for women | Inactive | |||
| Sigma Pi Sigma | 1932 | Physics | Active | |||
| Sigma Tau Delta | English | Active | ||||
| Sigma Upsilon | Literary | Active | ||||
| Tau Kappa Alpha | 1912–1963 | Debate | Inactive | |||
| Theta Alpha Kappa | 1986–xxxx ? | Religious studies and hteology | Inactive | |||
| Jefferson | 1911–1913 | Law | Inactive |
Following are the social fraternities that have formed at the University of Richmond. Active organizations are indicated in bold; inactive sororities are in italics.
| Organization | Chapter name | Charter date and range | Status | References | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alpha Delta (local) | 1928 | Active | |||
| Alpha Epsilon Pi | Upsilon Rho | – 1965;1966– | Inactive | [1] | |
| Alpha Phi Alpha | Upsilon Gamma | 2009 | Active | [2] | |
| Alpha Tau Omega | Alpha Alpha | – | Inactive | ||
| Beta Theta Pi | Alpha Kappa | – | Inactive | ||
| Chi Sigma (local) | – April 13, 1958 | Merged | |||
| Delta Kappa Epsilon | Rho Beta | 2002–2010s | Inactive | ||
| Kappa Alpha Order | Eta | Active | |||
| Kappa Sigma | Beta Beta | – December 3, 2012; 2017 | Active | ||
| Kappa Sigma Kappa | – 1890 | Inactive | |||
| Lambda Chi Alpha | Alpha Chi | – January 1999; January 31, 2010 | Active | ||
| Phi Alpha | Rho | – April 19, 1959 | Merged | [3] | |
| Phi Alpha Chi | 1883–1895 | Inactive | |||
| Phi Beta Sigma | 1980–xxxx ? | Inactive | |||
| Phi Delta Theta | Virginia Delta | – 1895; February 17, 1939 – March 13, 2006 | Inactive | [4] [5] | |
| Phi Delta Omega (local) | 1915–1939 | Merged | [6] | ||
| Phi Gamma Delta | Rho Chi | – January 27, 2012; January 2016 | Active | [7] | |
| Phi Kappa Sigma | Phi | – 1875;1884–April 1996 | Inactive | [8] | |
| Phi Phi Phi (local) | –September 1925 | Merged | |||
| Phi Sigma Delta | Phi Rho | – 1970 | Merged | ||
| Phi Theta Psi | – | Inactive | |||
| Pi Delta Sigma (local) | – February 4, 1938 | Merged | [9] | ||
| Pi Kappa Alpha | Omicron | 1891–1893; 1901–August 2006; 2023 | Active | [10] | |
| Sigma Alpha Epsilon | Virginia Tau | – 1887;February 4, 1938 – 1991;1995-July 24, 2015 | Inactive | [11] | |
| Sigma Delta Chi (local) | 1916–1918 | Merged | |||
| Sigma Chi | Alpha Betae | 1880–1880 | Inactive | ||
| Sigma Chi | Epsilon Rho | – March 8, 2019 | Inactive | ||
| Sigma Phi Epsilon | Virginia Alpha | Active | |||
| Theta Chi | Omicron | – November 1996; 2013–2020 | Inactive | .[12] [13] [14] | |
| Upsilon Rho (local) | 1952–1954 | Merged | |||
| Zeta Beta Tau | Phi Rho | 1970 – September 19, 1972 | Inactive | [15] | |
| Zeta Xi (local) | 1909 – May 29, 1915 | Merged |
Following are the social sororites that have formed at the University of Richmond. Active organizations are indicated in bold; inactive sororities are in italics.
| Organization | Chapter name | Chartered date and range | Status | References | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alpha Chi Omega | Iota Mu | 1991 – November 17, 2010 | Inactive | ||
| Alpha Kappa Alpha | Rho Mu | Active | |||
| Alpha Phi | Eta Pi | – October 26, 1997 | Inactive | ||
| Chi Omega | Tau Lambda | 1987–Spring 1988 | Inactive | ||
| Delta Delta Delta | Gamma Eta | 1987 | Active | ||
| Delta Gamma | Zeta Gamma | 1987 | Active | ||
| Delta Sigma Theta | Rho Rho | Active | |||
| Kappa Alpha Theta | Epsilon Psi | 1987 | Active | ||
| Kappa Delta | Theta Mu | 2015 | Active | ||
| Kappa Kappa Gamma | Zeta Omicron | 1987 | Active | ||
| Pi Beta Phi | Virginia Eta | 1987 | Active | ||
| Zeta Tau Alpha | Iota | 1905–1908 | Inactive |
The first fraternity houses at the University of Richmond were Phi Kappa Sigma and Kappa Sigma, which were built in 1928 and 1930, respectively. The other fraternities met in various rooms across the campus until the university began building lodges, starting in 1953 and ending in 1959. Phi Kappa Sigma and Kappa Sigma moved out of their old houses in 1959 to occupy their new lodges (9 and 10 on the map). Their old houses were converted into student dormitories and renamed Pacific House and Atlantic House. At UR, there are two "rows" of fraternity lodges: Old Fraternity Row (1–7 and 12–14 on the map) and New Fraternity Row (8–11 on the map). In 1996, the old Pi Kappa Alpha, Sigma Chi, and Lambda Chi Alpha lodges (12–14) were demolished to make room for a new parking lot for the Robins Center.
| Number on Map | Name | Photo | Year Built | Notes / Past Occupants | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pacific House | 1928 | Phi Kappa Sigma, 1928–September 1959, currently student housing. Original address: No. 1 Fraternity Row | ||
| 2 | Atlantic House | 1930 | Kappa Sigma, 1930–September 1959, currently student housing. Original address: No. 2 Fraternity Row | ||
| 3 | Law School Dormitory | 1957 | Phi Alpha (1957–1959), Phi Sigma Delta (1959–1970), Zeta Beta Tau (1970–1972), undergraduate and law student residence until present. Current Address: 22D Old Fraternity Row | ||
| 4 | Student Organization Lodge | 1954 | Sigma Alpha Epsilon (1954–2015). Original address: No. 4 Fraternity Row | ||
| 5 | Theta Chi | 1953 | Phi Delta Theta (1953–2006) and Theta Chi (2013–Present). Current Address: 22F Old Fraternity Row | ||
| 6 | Sigma Phi Epsilon | 1953 | Current Address: 22H Old Fraternity Row | ||
| 7 | Phi Gamma Delta | 1953 | |||
| 8 | Rethink Waste | 1959 | Theta Chi (1959–1996) and Sigma Chi (1999–2019). Current Address: 24D New Fraternity Row | ||
| 9 | Lambda Chi Alpha | 1959 | Phi Kappa Sigma (1959–1996), Pi Kappa Alpha (1996–2006), Lambda Chi Alpha (2010–Present). Current Address: 24C New Fraternity Row | ||
| 10 | Kappa Sigma | 1959 | Current Address: 24B New Fraternity Row | ||
| 11 | Kappa Alpha | 1959 | Current Address: 24A New Fraternity Row | ||
| 12 | Pi Kappa Alpha (demolished) | 1956 | Original address: No. 5 Fraternity Row | ||
| 13 | old Sigma Chi (demolished) | Alpha Epsilon Pi (1950s–1965) and Sigma Chi (1965–1996)[16] | |||
| 14 | old Lambda Chi Alpha (demolished) | 1959 |
When sororities first arrived at the University of Richmond in 1987, they initially met in various rooms across campus. However, in 2012, a complex was built which features eight conjoined "cottages" and a larger event space known as "The Web."[17]