College literary societies

College literary societies in American higher education were a distinctive kind of social organization, distinct from literary societies generally, and they were often the precursors of college fraternities and sororities.^[1] In the period from the late eighteenth century to the Civil War, collegiate literary societies were an important part of campus social life. College literary societies are often called Latin literary societies because they typically had compound Latinate names.

Literary and other activities

Most literary societies' literary activity consisted of formal debates on topical issues of the day, but literary activity could include original essays, poetry, music, etc. As a part of their literary work, many also collected and maintained their own libraries for the use of the society's members. "[C]ollege societies were the training grounds for men in public affairs in the nineteenth century." ^[1]

The societies could fulfill this function because they were independent organizations, and entirely student run activities. "[T]he societies were virtually little republics, with their own laws and a democratically elected student administration."^[1]

Topics could include Classical history, religion, ethics, politics, and current events. Controversial topics not covered in the official curriculum were often the most popular. Studies have been done, for example, finding an increasing discussion of slavery at literary society meetings through the 1850s.

Demosthenian Hall at the University of Georgia, built in 1824

Since these organizations are virtually the oldest kind of student organization in America, where they have survived, they are seen as ancient institutions. One author from Georgia acknowledged that fact (by parody) in discussing his own society: "The origin of the Washington Society dates back to the glory days of the Jurassic Period of the Mesozoic Era. It was during this time that great plant-eating dinosaurs roamed the Earth, feeding on lush growths of ferns and palm-like cycads and ennettitaleans. Meanwhile, smaller but vicious carnivores stalked the great herbivores. The oceans were full of fish, squid, and coiled ammonites, plus great ichthyosaurs and the long-necked plesiosaurs. Vertebrates first took to the air, like the mighty pterosaurs and the first true birds. The supercontinent Pangaea began to break up and disperse itself across the Earth's surface, sending a big chunk of land to the very spot where Thomas Jefferson's decomposed old ass lies buried today. And it is on this same chunk of land, a few miles away, that Mr. Jefferson's University sits, home to the Washington Literary Society and Debating Union.^[2]

Libraries

Since every college literary society saw itself as complementing the classical curriculum with the knowledge of current events, the societies also had libraries. "At a number of Northern colleges...the society libraries were larger than the college libraries. The society libraries were also high in quality, as shown by their printed catalogs... Rivalry between the two societies at each college extended to their libraries; each tried to have a larger library than the other."^[1] A number of societies, especially in the South, would build separate buildings for the societies and their libraries.^[1] On the austere college campus of two centuries ago, "the only fairly comfortable and attractive places were the rooms of the literary societies. Their members,... raised money for rugs, draperies, and comfortable, even luxurious, furniture." ^[1]

In relation to campuses

Members of the Miami University Erodelphian Literary Society, 1906.

Members of the Miami University Adelphic Association, 1913.

Typically, a college would have two or more competing societies. The campus societies were generally intense competitors. Some examples include the Philodemic and Philonomosian Societies at Georgetown University, the American Whig and Cliosophic Societies at Princeton University, Social Friends and United Fraternity at Dartmouth College, the Philorhetorian and Peithologian societies at Wesleyan University, the Philologian and Philotechnian societies at Williams College, the Philomathean and Zelosophic societies at the University of Pennsylvania, the Philolexian and Peithologian societies at Columbia University, the Clariosophic and Euphradian societies at the University of South Carolina, the Phi Kappa and Demosthenian societies at the University of Georgia, the Linonia and Brothers in Unity at Yale University, the Miami Union and Erodelphian (previously Adelphic) societies at Miami University and Dialectic and Philanthropic Societies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. These societies were usually in a limited adversarial role; at Columbia University the Peithologian and Philolexian were competitors, and they maintained a rivalry that was friendly at best and highly charged at worst. In his famous diary, George Templeton Strong recorded that a Philolexian gathering was disrupted by "those rascally Peithologians"; and firecrackers and stink bombs, tossed into the midst of each other's meetings, were usually the weapons of choice.

Membership in these societies was not only open to all the students in the college, but in many cases membership was all but required. At the opening of University of South Carolina virtually all students were members of the Philomathic Society which was soon divided by lot into the Clariosophic and Euphradian societies. In some cases, intense recruitment battles would ensue over new students, and to avoid problems some colleges chose to assign incoming students to one or the other literary society. This pattern was followed, for example, at Dartmouth, where the faculty imposed rule was "The students of College shall be assigned according to the odd or even places which their names shall hold on an alphabetical list of the members of each successive class..."^[3] Having two societies on a campus encouraged competition, and a thriving society would have interesting enough meetings to attract full attendance from its membership and perhaps even people from the community. These societies met publicly, sometimes in large lecture rooms, and in most instances the literary exercises would consist of a debate, but could also include speeches, poetry readings, and other literary work.

Private literary societies

There also is a fundamentally distinct type of literary society, that, although formed at a college and following the same forms and kinds of literary exercises, were limited to a small subset of the college. These are private literary societies, such as Phi Beta Kappa or Yale's Elizabethan Club. Membership is usually by invitation. They share all the characteristics with a college literary society, except that they are not open to all students; and they share many of the characteristics of a college fraternity.

Literary societies and fraternities

In the 1830s and 1840s, students began to organize private literary societies for smaller groups, and these more intimate associations quickly developed into wholly secret associations. Groups such as the Kappa Alpha, Sigma Phi, Delta Phi, Mystical Seven, Alpha Delta Phi, Psi Upsilon, and Delta Kappa Epsilon and virtually all the pre-Civil War college fraternities were either first organized as literary societies or derived from factions split off of literary societies. In some cases, literary societies such as Trinity College's Cleo of Alpha Chi became chartered as chapters of national fraternities. These new organizations held meetings and were organized on identical lines to the large literary societies. Soon, the existence of these smaller private Greek letter organizations undermined the large Latin literary societies. Competition from athletics and other entertainments also took a toll, so that many dissolved or existed in name only by the 1880s. A literary society almost always provided its members with an extensive library, either available to members only, or to the campus at large. When the societies dissolved, their libraries were transferred to the college libraries, and in many colleges the acquisition of the literary societies' libraries was a significant change in their collection, usually broadening the colleges libraries' scope into popular literature, but often also adding important and rare works.

Although literary societies had Latin names, and fraternities had Greek names reduced to initials, this is not always the case, however; Phi Phi Society at Kenyon and the Phi Kappa at Georgia are examples of large literary societies with Greek names. The Clariosophic and Euphradian societies at South Carolina both had Greek letter aliases, Mu Sigma Phi and Phi Alpha Epsilon, respectively, which appeared on their seals, but which were not used in normal conversation or writing.

In the following table, there are two types of literary societies listed together, the college literary societies, (frequently half the college's student body), and smaller private societies, and were admission by invitation. Some of these societies are still active.

Today

The Philomathean Society (1813) of the University of Pennsylvania is the oldest continuously-existing literary society in the United States. The University of Georgia hosts two literary societies (both of which were temporarily disbanded during the Civil War and the subsequent Union occupation): the Demosthenian Literary Society, founded in 1803, and the Phi Kappa Literary Society, founded in 1820 and dormant from the 1970s until its official reestablishment in 1991. Similarly, the Philolexian Society of Columbia University, established in 1802, operated more or less continuously until expiring in the early 1950s and, except for a brief revival in the early 1960s, was not revived until 1985. The Dialectic and Philanthropic Societies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill were founded in 1795, closed for approximately four years when the university was shuttered during Reconstruction, and reopened. These societies merged in 1959 and still meet today as a "joint senate." The Euphradian Society at the University of South Carolina, established in 1806, was deactivated sometime during the late 1970s; it was reactivated by alumni in 2011. The Linonian Society at Yale University is the oldest society to still be in existence, founded in 1753, the society went defunct sometime in the 1890s and was revamped at the beginning of the 21st century making it with over a century of dormancy the oldest literary society in the United States.

In recent years, the Philodemic Society of Georgetown University has attempted to resuscitate the long tradition of intercollegiate debate between collegiate literary societies with the Annual East Coast Conference of Collegiate Literary Debate Societies, held in conjunction with a masked ball known as the Kai Yai Yai ball. The competition is held at the beginning of October and has in recent years included the Philomathean Society, the American Whig-Cliosophic Society of Princeton University, the Dialectic and Philanthropic Societies of the University of North Carolina, the Demosthenian Literary Society and Phi Kappa Literary Society of The University of Georgia in Athens, the Enosinian Society of The George Washington University and the Jefferson Literary and Debating Society of the University of Virginia.^[4]

Some early college social fraternities still meet in a literary society format, including Kappa Alpha, Alpha Delta Phi, and Mystical 7.

There are seven literary societies at Illinois College in Jacksonville, Illinois where they have remained despite the nationwide trend of developing into fraternities and sororities; these include: Phi Alpha Literary Society, Chi Beta Literary Society, Sigma Pi Literary Society, Gamma Nu Literary Society, Sigma Phi Epsilon Literary Society, Pi Pi Rho Literary Society, and Gamma Delta Literary Society.

List of literary societies in the United States

Founded	Ended	Society	College or University	Source and notes
1750	1787	F. H. C.	William & Mary	[5]
1750	1772	Crotonia Society	Yale	[5]
1753	Present	Linonian Society	Yale	[5]
1765	1928	American Whig Society	Princeton	[5]
1765	1928	Cliosophic Society	Princeton	[5]
1768	(unkn.)	Brothers in Unity	Yale	[5]
1770	(unkn.)	Institute of 1770	Harvard	[5]
1771	(unkn.)	Pronouncing Society	Brown	[5]
1773	1781	P. D. A.	William & Mary	[6]
1776	1786	Athenian Society	Rutgers	[5][7]
1776	1787	Phi Beta Kappa Society	William & Mary	[5]
1776	1782	Polemical Society	Rutgers	[7][7]
1780	Present	Phi Beta Kappa Society	Yale	[8]
1781	Present	Phi Beta Kappa Society	Harvard	[5]
1783	Defunct	Social Friends Society	Dartmouth	[5]
1786	Present	Belles Lettres Society	Dickinson	[9][10]
1786	Defunct	United Fraternity	Dartmouth	[5]
1787	Present	Phi Beta Kappa Society	Dartmouth	[5]
1789	Present	Union-Philanthropic Society	Hampden-Sydney	[11][12]
1789	Present	Union Philosophical Society	Dickinson	[9]
1789	1795	Society for Progress in Letters	Columbia	[13]
1791	(unkn.)	Porcellian Society	Harvard	[14]
1793	1890	Calliopean Society	Union	[15]
1794	1866	Philermenian Society	Brown	[5][16]
1795	Present	Dialectic Society	North Carolina	[17]
1795	Present	Philanthropic Society	North Carolina	[17]
1795	(unkn.)	Philologian Society	Williams	[17]
1795	(unkn.)	Philotechnian Society	Williams	[17]
1796	(unkn.)	Adelphic Society	Union	[17]
1797	Present	Franklin Literary Society	Jefferson	[18]
1797	(unkn.)	Philo Literary Society	Jefferson	[18]
1802	Present	Philolexian Society	Columbia	[5][13]
1802	1887	Athenian Society	Bowdoin	[17]
1803	Present	Demosthenian Literary Society	Georgia	[11][17]
1803	(unkn.)	Phi Sigma Nu Society	Vermont	[17]
1805	Present	Peucinian Society	Bowdoin	[17]
1806	(unkn.)	Peithologian Society	Columbia	[5]
1806	1983	Clariosophic Society	South Carolina	[19][20]
1806	Present	Euphradian Society	South Carolina	[1][20]
1806	1866	United Brothers Society	Brown	[5][16]
1807	(unkn.)	Philological Society	Pennsylvania	[5]
1809	(unkn.)	Union Literary Society	Washington	[18]
1811	(unkn.)	Hermean Society	Pennsylvania	[11]
1813	Present	Philomathean Society	Pennsylvania	[5]
1814	(unkn.)	Washington Literary Society	Washington	[18]
1814	(unkn.)	Phoenix Society	Hamilton	[17]
1814	(unkn.)	Union Society	Hamilton	[17]
1817	Present	Phi Beta Kappa Society	Union	[8]
1819	Present	Calliopean Society	Yale	[11][21]
1819	1830	Patrick Henry Society	Virginia	[11]
1820	Present	Phi Kappa Literary Society	Georgia	[11][22]
1820	(unkn.)	Henodelphisterian Society	Indiana	[23]
1821	(unkn.)	Alexandrian Society	Amherst	[1]
1821	(unkn.)	Athenian Society	Amherst	[1]
1822	Present	Enosinian Society	George Washington	[24]
1822	(unkn.)	Franklin Debating Society	Randolph-Macon	[11]
1823	(unkn.)	Ciceronian Society	George Washington	[24]
1824	1834	Franklin Society	Brown	[25]
1824	(unkn.)	Athenaeum Society	Trinity	[1]
1824	(unkn.)	Society for Inquiry	Colgate	[1]
1825	Present	Jefferson Society	Virginia	[11][26]
1825	Present	Phi Beta Kappa Society	Bowdoin	[8]
1825	1892	Philoclean Society	Rutgers	[1]
1825	(unkn.)	Agatheridan Society	Nashville	[19]
1825	1891	Peithissophian Society	Rutgers	[1][7]
1825	(unkn.)	Erodelphian Literary Society	Miami University	[27]
1826	(unkn.)	Franklin Society	William & Mary	[1]
1826	(unkn.)	Philozetian Society	Western Reserve	[28]
1827	(unkn.)	Literary Fraternity	Colby	[1]
1827	(unkn.)	Parthenon Society	Trinity	[1]
1827	(unkn.)	Philomathesian Society	Kenyon	[29]
1828	(unkn.)	Nu Pi Kappa Society	Kenyon	[29]
1828	(unkn.)	Philomathean Society	College of Charleston	[30]
1829	(unkn.)	Beth-Hacma	Maryville	[31]
1829	(unkn.)	Sophirodelphian Society	Maryville	[31]
1829	(unkn.)	Transylvania Whig Society	Transylvania	[32]
1829	(unkn.)	Union Philosophical Society	Transylvania	[33]
1829	(unkn.)	Zelosophic Society	Pennsylvania	[1]
1830	Present	Phi Beta Kappa Society	Brown	[8]
1830	Present	Philodemic Society	Georgetown	[11][34]
1830	(unkn.)	Athenian Society	Indiana	[23]
1830	(unkn.)	Calliopean Society	Maine Wesleyan	[1]
1830	(unkn.)	Philosophronian Society	Hanover	[35]
1830	(unkn.)	Union Literary Society	Hanover	[35]
1831	Present	Washington Literary Society and Debating Union	Virginia	[2][11]
1831	1840	Adelphic Society	Western Reserve	[28]
1831	1933	Erosophic Society	Alabama	[1][36]
1831	(unkn.)	Euphradian Society	College of Charleston	[30]
1831	1840	Franklin Society	Western Reserve	[28]
1831	(unkn.)	Peithologian Society	Wesleyan	[1]
1831	(unkn.)	Philomathean Society	Indiana	[23]
1831	(unkn.)	Philorhetorian Society	Wesleyan	[1]
1831	(unkn.)	Miami Union Literary Society	Miami University	[27]
1832	1943	Philomathic Society	Alabama	[1][36]
1833	1834	Franklin Polemic Society	Mercer	[11]
1833	Present	Washington Society	Randolph-Macon	[11]
1834	1943	Eucleian Society	New York	[1]
1834	1888	Philomathean Society	New York	[11]
1834	(unkn.)	Beth-Hacma ve Berith	Maryville	[31]
1834	Defunct	Ciceronian Society	Mercer	[11]
1834	(unkn.)	Ladies' Literary Society	Oberlin	[37]
1834	Defunct	Phi Delta Society	Mercer	[11]
1834	(unkn.)	Philo-Franklin Society	Allegheny	[1]
1834	(unkn.)	Philomathean Society	Wabash	[38]
1835	(unkn.)	Allegheny Society	Allegheny	[1]
1835	(unkn.)	Calliopean Society	Denison	[28]
1835	(unkn.)	Diagnothian Society	Franklin & Marshall	[1]
1835	(unkn.)	Erosophian Adelphoi Society	Colby	[1]
1835	(unkn.)	Euphronean Society	Wabash	[38]
1835	Present	Euzelian Society	Wake Forest	[39]
1835	(unkn.)	Philomathesian Society	Wake Forest	[39]
1835	(unkn.)	Society for Religious Inquiry	Vermont	[1]
1836	(unkn.)	Chi Delta Society	East Tennessee	[40]
1836	(unkn.)	Philomathesian Society	East Tennessee	[40]
1836	(unkn.)	Union Literary Society	Muskingum	[19]
1837	Present	Philanthropic Society	Davidson	[19][41]
1837	Present	Eumenean Society	Davidson	[19][41]
1837	Defunct	Phi Gamma Society	Emory	[19]
1837	(unkn.)	Philosophian Society	McKendree	[19]
1838	(unkn.)	Cliosophic Society	College of Charleston	[30]
1838	(unkn.)	Platonian Society	Indiana Asbury	[19]
1839	~1932	Tau Theta Kappa Society	Georgetown College (KY)	[19]
1839	~1932	Ciceronian Society	Georgetown College (KY)	[19]
1839	(unkn.)	Alpha Kappa Society	Marietta	[19]
1839	(unkn.)	Dialectic Society	Oberlin	[37]
1839	Present	Euphemian Society	Erskine	[11][42]
1839	Defunct	Few Society	Emory	[11]
1839	(unkn.)	Licivyronian Society	William & Mary	[1]
1839	(Defunct 1863)	Phi Delta Society	Oglethorpe	[43]
1839	(unkn.)	Philological Society	Indiana Asbury	[19]
1839	(unkn.)	Philomathesian Society	Oberlin	[37]
1839	(unkn.)	Psi Gamma Society	Marietta	[19]
1839	Present	Thalian Society	Oglethorpe	[43]
1840	(unkn.)	Adelphian Society	Colgate	[1]
1840	(unkn.)	Aeonian Society	Colgate	[1]
1840	(Present)	Calliopean Society	Emory & Henry	[44]
1840	Present	Hermesian Society	Emory & Henry	[44]
1840	(unkn.)	Phi Delta Society	Western Reserve	[28]
1840	(unkn.)	Philalethian Society	Hanover	[45]
1840	(unkn.)	Tau Chi Society	William & Mary	[1]
1841	(unkn.)	Philopaedian Society	St. Xavier	[19]
1842	(unkn.)	Adelphi Society	Howard	[46]
1842	(unkn.)	Franklin Society	Howard	[46]
1842	Present	Philomathean Society	Erskine	[47]
1842	(unkn.)	Phi Phi Alpha Society	Michigan	[1]
1843	(unkn.)	Alpha Nu Society	Michigan	[19]
1843	(unkn.)	Franklin Society	Denison	[1]
1843	Present	Sigma Pi Society	Illinois	[19][48]
1844	(unkn.)	Clever Fellows Society	Albion	[49]
1844	(unkn.)	Clever Girls Society	Albion	[49]
1845	(unkn.)	Adelphi Society	Knox	[50]
1845	(unkn.)	Atheniaedes Society	Albion	[51]
1845	Defunct	Calliopean Society	Citadel	[11][52]
1845	(unkn.)	Eclectic Society	Albion	[51]
1851	Present	Excelsior Men's Society	Heidelberg	[19]
1845	(unkn.)	Hermean Society	Geneva	[1]
1845	Present	Phi Alpha Society	Illinois	[19][48]
1845	(unkn.)	Zetagathea Society	Ohio Wesleyan	[19]
1846	(unkn.)	Alfreidian Lyceum Society	Alfred	[19]
1846	(unkn.)	Philomathean Society	Muskingum	[19]
1846	(unkn.)	Philosophian Society	Wittenberg	[19]
1847	(unkn.)	Calliopean Society	Wabash	[19]
1847	(unkn.)	Chrestomathean Society	Ohio Wesleyan	[19]
1847	(unkn.)	Lyceum Society	Wabash	[19]
1847	Present	Polytechnic Literary Society	Citadel	[11][52]
1847	Present	St. Anthony Hall	Columbia
1848	1948	Chrestomathic Society	College of Charleston	[11][53]
1848	(unkn.)	Philomatic Society	Spring Hill	[54]
1848	(unkn.)	Tripartite Union	Lycoming	[1]
1849	(unkn.)	Alethearian Society	Geneva	[55]
1849	(unkn.)	Gnothautii Society	Knox	[19]
1849	1946	Hermaean Society	Mississippi	[11]
1849	1934	Phi Sigma Society	Mississippi	[11]
1849	(unkn.)	Philo-Christomathean Society	Geneva	[55]
1849	Defunct	Platonian Society	McKendree	[19]
1850	(unkn.)	Athenian Society	Wisconsin	[56]
1850	(unkn.)	Belles Letters Society	Lycoming	[1]
1850	(unkn.)	Ciceronian Society	Roanoke	[19]
1850	Defunct	Columbian Society	Carson-Newman	[11]
1850	1865	Delphic Society	Rochester	[1][57]
1850	(unkn.)	Demosthenean Society	Roanoke	[19]
1850	(unkn.)	Eupia Society	Bucknell	[19]
1850	(unkn.)	Orophilian Lyceum Society	Alfred	[19]
1850	Defunct	Philomathean Society	Carson-Newman	[11]
1850	(unkn.)	Philophrenian Society	Columbian	[19]
1850	(unkn.)	Pithonian Society	Rochester	[1]
1850	(unkn.)	Soverville Society	Ohio Female	[19]
1850	(unkn.)	Theta Alphea Society	Bucknell	[19]
1851	(unkn.)	Addisonian Society	Kentucky Military	[19]
1851	(unkn.)	Adelphean Society	Wesleyan	[19]
1851	(unkn.)	Alleghenian Lyceum Society	Alfred	[19]
1851	(unkn.)	Amphictyon Society	Lawrence	[1]
1851	(unkn.)	Athenian Society	Ohio Wesleyan	[19]
1851	(unkn.)	Belles Letters Society	MacMurray	[58]
1851	(unkn.)	Clionian Society	Free Academy	[1]
1851	(unkn.)	Philolexian Society	Kalamazoo	[19]
1851	(unkn.)	Philomathean Society	Waynesburg	[1]
1851	(unkn.)	Philophronean Society	Otterbein	[19]
1851	(unkn.)	Sherwood Rhetorical Society	Kalamazoo	[19]
1851	(unkn.)	St. Aloysius Philodemic Society	Notre Dame	[19]
1851	(unkn.)	Students Philomathean Society	Hartsville	[19]
1851	(unkn.)	Union Society	Waynesburg	[1]
1852	Present	Philomathean Society	Wesleyan	[19]
1852	(unkn.)	Gamma Epsilon Society	Lycoming	[1]
1852	(unkn.)	Ladies Literary Society	Milton	[19]
1852	(unkn.)	Philaletha Society	Otterbein	[19]
1852	(unkn.)	Philomathean Society	Hiram	[59]
1852	(unkn.)	Philomathian Society	Mississippi	[19]
1852	(unkn.)	Philomethean Society	Wesleyan	[19]
1852	(unkn.)	Phrenocosmian Society	Free Academy	[1]
1853	(unkn.)	Amphictyon Society	Cornell College	[19]
1853	(unkn.)	Chrestomathian Society	Grinnell	[19]
1853	(unkn.)	Clio Society	Capital	[19]
1853	(unkn.)	Emma Willards Society	Waynesburg	[1]
1853	(unkn.)	Hentz Society	La Grange	[60]
1853	(unkn.)	Judson Society	La Grange	[60]
1853	(unkn.)	Parthenian Society	Baltimore	[19]
1853	(unkn.)	Periclesian Society	Franklin	[61]
1853	(unkn.)	Phi Nu Society	MacMurray	[58]
1853	(unkn.)	Phileans Society	Waynesburg	[1]
1853	(unkn.)	Union Literary Society	Geneva	[55]
1853	(unkn.)	Webster Society	Franklin	[61]
1854	(unkn.)	Alethezethian Society	Antioch	[62]
1854	Present	Archanian Society	Univ. of the Pacific	[19]
1854	(unkn.)	Aristotelian Society	Central	[1]
1854	(unkn.)	Calhoun Society	Wofford	[63]
1854	1875	Delphic Society	Hiram	[64][65]
1854	(unkn.)	Erodelphian Society	Burlington	[19]
1854	(unkn.)	Hamline Society	Iowa Wesleyan	[66]
1854	(unkn.)	Hesperian Society	Hiram	[64]
1854	(unkn.)	Hesperian Society	Wisconsin	[56]
1854	(unkn.)	Linnaen Society	Mount Union	[19]
1854	(unkn.)	Phi Alpha Society	Central	[1]
1854	(unkn.)	Philomathian Society	Bethel	[19]
1854	(unkn.)	Washington Society	Bethel	[19]
1855	(unkn.)	Alethean Society	Baldwin	[19]
1855	(unkn.)	Calliope Academy	Spring Hill	[54]
1855	(unkn.)	Crescent Society	Antioch	[62]
1855	(unkn.)	Curious Society	Milwaukee	[19]
1855	(unkn.)	Erosophian Society	Marshall	[1]
1855	(unkn.)	Hyperion Society	Marshall	[1]
1855	(unkn.)	Philalethean Society	Lawrence	[61]
1855	(unkn.)	Philologian Society	Richmond	[19]
1855	(unkn.)	Philopenthean Society	Geneva	[1]
1855	(unkn.)	Philophrenian Society	George Washington	[24]
1855	(unkn.)	Phoenix Society	Lawrence	[61]
1855	(unkn.)	Star Society	Antioch	[62]
1856	Defunct	Beltionian Society	Wheaton	[67]
1856	(unkn.)	Hinman Society	Northwestern	[64]
1856	(unkn.)	Mathesian Society	Northwestern Christian	[68]
1856	(unkn.)	Philadelphian Society	Monmouth	[19]
1856	(unkn.)	Philalethic Society	Santa Clara	[19]
1856	(unkn.)	Philomathean Society	Willamette	[69]
1856	(unkn.)	Philoneikean Society	Moores Hill	[70]
1856	(unkn.)	Phoenix Band Society	Earlham	[19]
1857	(unkn.)	Alpha Kappa Phi Society	Hillsdale	[19]
1857	(unkn.)	Amphictyon Society	Hillsdale	[19]
1857	(unkn.)	Eurodelphian Society	Spring Hill	[54]
1857	(unkn.)	Hesperian Society	Ohio Female	[19]
1857	(unkn.)	Ionian Society	Earlham	[19]
1857	(unkn.)	Ladies Literary Union	Hillsdale	[19]
1857	(unkn.)	Literary Adelphi Society	Michigan	[19]
1857	(unkn.)	Philomathean Society	Otterbein	[19]
1857	(unkn.)	Phreno-Cosmian Society	Baldwin	[19]
1857	(unkn.)	Pythonian Society	Northwestern Christian	[68]
1857	(unkn.)	Sigournean Society	Moores Hill	[70]
1858	(unkn.)	Adelphian Society	Cornell College	[19]
1858	(unkn.)	Athena Society	Lawrence	[1]
1858	(unkn.)	Excelsior Society	Albright	[1]
1858	(unkn.)	Preston Society	Wofford	[63]
1858	(unkn.)	Rhizomian Society	Univ. of the Pacific	[19]
1859	(unkn.)	Alethean Society	Beloit	[19]
1859	(unkn.)	Archaean Society	Beloit	[19]
1859	(unkn.)	Belles Letters Society	Illinois Wesleyan	[71]
1859	(unkn.)	Belles Letters Society	Southern	[72]
1859	(unkn.)	Clariosophic Society	Southern	[72]
1859	(unkn.)	Delean Society	Beloit	[19]
1859	Present	German Verein (now the Alpha Omega Chapter of Phi Kappa Tau Fraternity)	German Wallace	[19]
1859	(unkn.)	Germanae Sodales Society	Hillsdale	[19]
1859	(unkn.)	Literary Society	Maryland	[73]
1859	(unkn.)	Neocosmian Society	Albright	[1]
1859	(unkn.)	Philestorian Society	Santa Clara	[19]
1859	(unkn.)	Ruthean Society	Iowa Wesleyan	[74]
1859	(unkn.)	Sophronikopean Society	Missionary	[19]
1859	(unkn.)	Star Society	Adrian	[19]
1859	(unkn.)	Webster Society	Michigan	[19]
1860	(unkn.)	Adelphian Society	Furman	[75]
1860	(unkn.)	Adelphic Society	Northwestern	[64]
1860	(unkn.)	Athenaeum Society	Chicago	[19]
1860	(unkn.)	Erosophian Society	Lombard	[19]
1860	(unkn.)	Eulexian Society	St. Stephens	[19]
1860	(unkn.)	Franklin Reading Society	Furman	[75]
1860	(unkn.)	Philomathean Society	Milton	[19]
1860	(unkn.)	Philosophian Society	Furman	[75]
1860	(unkn.)	Reynolds Society	Stockwell	[19]
1860	Defunct	Philomathean Literary Society	Phi Kappa Sigma Male College
1861	(unkn.)	Addisonian Society	Wayland	[19]
1861	(unkn.)	Berean Society	Chicago	[76]
1861	(unkn.)	Phi Alpha Pi Society	Olivet	[19]
1861	(unkn.)	Tri Kappa Society	Chicago	[76]
1861	1933	Zetagathian Society	University of Iowa	[77]
1862	1933	Erodelphian Society	University of Iowa	[78]
1863	1933	Hesperian Society	University of Iowa	[78]
1864	1929	Irving Institute	University of Iowa	[78]
1865	(unkn.)	De La Salle Club	Manhattan	[19]
1865	(unkn.)	Erosophian Society	Baylor	[1]
1865	(unkn.)	Irving Society	Andalusia, (Pa.)	[19]
1865	Present	Philalethean Society (now the Philaletheis Society)	Vassar	[19][79]
1866	(unkn.)	Alka Society	Willamette	[69]
1866	(unkn.)	Brown Debating Society	Stockwell	[19]
1866	(unkn.)	Clionian Society	Almira	[19]
1866	(unkn.)	Garnet Society	Lincoln	[1]
1866	(unkn.)	Lincoln Association	Illinois Soldiers'	[19]
1866	(unkn.)	Philomathean Society	Union Christian	[19]
1866	(unkn.)	Robert E. V. Rice Society	Niagara	[1]
1866	(unkn.)	Scientific Society	Wilberforce	[19]
1866	(unkn.)	Semicentenary Society	Wilberforce	[19]
1866	(unkn.)	St Joseph Society	St. Joseph College, New York	[19]
1866	(unkn.)	Stonewall Society	Baylor	[1]
1866	(unkn.)	Themian Society	Quincy	[19]
1867	(unkn.)	Aristotelian Society	Harlem Springs	[19]
1867	(unkn.)	Athenian Society	Tennessee Wesleyan	[1]
1867	(unkn.)	Byronic Society	Harlem Springs	[19]
1867	(unkn.)	Erosophian Society	Albion	[19]
1867	(unkn.)	Eulexian Society	St. Augustine College, California	[19]
1867	(unkn.)	Euterpean Society	Muhlenberg	[80]
1867	(unkn.)	Neotrophian Society	Bethel	[1]
1867	(unkn.)	Philokosmian Society	Lebanon Valley	[19]
1867	(unkn.)	Philosophian Society	Lincoln	[1]
1867	(unkn.)	Sophronian Society	Muhlenberg	[80]
1867	(unkn.)	Zetalethean Society	Simpson	[19]
1868	(unkn.)	Adelphene Society	Union Christian	[19]
1868	(unkn.)	Alpha Delta Society	Hiram	[59]
1868	(unkn.)	German Society	St. Xaviers	[19]
1868	1888[81]	Irving Society	Cornell University	[19]
1868	(unkn.)	Lehigh Junto	Lehigh	[19]
1868	(unkn.)	Phi Delta Society	Berea	[1]
1868	(unkn.)	Philocurian Society	Northwestern Christian	[19]
1868	(unkn.)	Philomathean Society	Iowa State	[1]
1868	(unkn.)	Philomathian Society	Illinois	[19]
1869	(unkn.)	Athenaean Society	Kings College, Tennessee	[1]
1869	(unkn.)	Basilian Society	Niagara	[1]
1869	Still active	Clionian Literary Society	McKendree	[82]
1869	(unkn.)	Orthopatetic Society	Blackburn	[1]
1869	(unkn.)	Philomathean Society	Tennessee Wesleyan	[1]
1869	(unkn.)	Photozotean Society	Moore's hill	[70]
1869	(unkn.)	Zenobian Society	Minnesota	[19]
1870	Defunct	Aristonian Society	Wheaton	[67]
1870	(unkn.)	Atheneum Society	Willamette	[69]
1870	(unkn.)	Bachelor Society	Iowa State	[1]
1870	1906	Baconian Society	Potsdam	[83][84]
1870	(unkn.)	Castelian Society	Rockford	[1]
1870	(unkn.)	Crescent Society	Iowa State	[1]
1870	(unkn.)	Erodelphian Society	Highland	[19]
1870	(unkn.)	Grinnell Institute	Grinnell	[19]
1870	(unkn.)	Irving Society	Wooster	[19]
1870	(unkn.)	Philologian Society	St Stephens	[19]
1870	(unkn.)	Philotechnic Society	Louisiana State	[1]
1870	Present	Signet Society	Harvard
1870	(unkn.)	Vesperian Society	Rockford	[1]
1870	(unkn.)	Wayland Society	Brown	[19]
1871	(unkn.)	Bettina Society	German Wallace	[19]
1871	(unkn.)	Bonhommian Society	Highland	[19]
1871	(unkn.)	Cliolian Society	Iowa State	[1]
1871	1889	Delphic Society	Geneseo	[85][86]
1871	(unkn.)	Sodalian Society	Wilberforce	[19]
1872	(unkn.)	Adelphic Society	Geneva	[55]
1872	Defunct	Excelsior Society	Wheaton	[67]
1873	Defunct	Clariosophic Literary Society	University of Arkansas	[87]
1873	Defunct	Alamo Society	Southwestern	[11][88]
1874	(unkn.)	Ossoli Society	Northwestern	[64]
1875	Defunct	San Jacinto Society	Southwestern	[11][88]
1876	(unkn.)	Eutaxian Society	Oregon	[89]
1876	(unkn.)	Laurean Society	Oregon	[89]
1877	Present	Cleo of Alpha Chi	Trinity College
1879	Defunct	Arkansas Literary and Debating Society	Lyon College	[90]
1881	Defunct	Alethean Society	Southwestern	[11][88]
1883	Defunct	Philomathean Society	Lyon College	[90]
1884	(unkn.)	L'Etoile	Lyon College	[90]
1885	Defunct	Clio Society	Southwestern	[11][88]
1886	Defunct	Garland Literary Society	University of Arkansas	[87]
1886	Defunct	Adelphian Circle	Ouachita Baptist University
1888	Defunct	Hermesian Literary Society	Ouachita Baptist University
1888	Defunct	Philomathean Literary Society	Ouachita Baptist University
1889	Present	Winthrop Literary Society	Winthrop	[11]
1891	Defunct	Gamma Sigma Literary Society	Henderson State University
1891	Defunct	Erosophic Society	Lyon College	[90]
1892	Defunct	Delta Sigma Society	Lyon College	[90]
1895	Defunct	Grady Literary Society	University of Arkansas	[87]
1895	1928	Philomathean Society	University of Iowa	[78]
1897	Present	Gamma Nu Society	Illinois	[11][48]
1898	Defunct	Franklin Literary Society	Hendrix College
1899	Defunct	Harlan Literary Society	Hendrix College
1900	Defunct	Athenian Literary Society	Ouachita Baptist University
1900	1933	Octave Thanet	University of Iowa	[78]
1900	Defunct	Periclean Literary Society	University of Arkansas	[87]
1905	Defunct	Garland Literary Society	Henderson State University
1906	Defunct	Lee Literary Society	University of Arkansas	[87]
1907	Defunct	Demosthenean Literary Society	University of Arkansas	[87]
1908	Defunct	Franklin Literary Society	University of Arkansas	[87]
1911	Present	Elizabethan Club	Yale	[11]
1911	Present	Gamma Delta Society	Illinois	[48]
1912	Defunct	Hesperian Society	Heidelberg	[11][91]
1912	Present	Philomathean Society	Univ. of the Pacific	[92]
1913	Present	Euglossian Society	Heidelberg	[11][91]
1913	Present	Philalethean Society	Heidelberg	[11]
1913	Present	Philalethean Society	Rutgers	[11]
1913	1928	Whitby	University of Iowa	[78]
1914	Defunct	Adelphian Society	Mountain Home College
1915	Defunct	Athenian Society	Mountain Home College
1915	Defunct	Hypatian Society	South Carolina	[11]
1916	1933	Athena	University of Iowa	[78]
1916	Present	Sigma Phi Epsilon Society	Illinois	[11][93]
1920	Present	Chi Beta Society	Illinois	[11][48]
1920	1934	Hamlin Garland	University of Iowa	[78]
1921	Present	Aptonalton Literary Society	Heidelberg University
1923	Defunct	Daedalian Literary Society	Indiana State Normal School	[94][95][96]
1924	Present	Euphrosynean Society	South Carolina	[11]
1926	1928	Delta Rho Society	Lyon College	[90]
1928	Present	American Whig-Cliosophic Society	Princeton	[11][97]
1929	Present	Pi Pi Rho Society	Illinois	[11][48]
1991	Present	Philomathean Society	Union	[17][98]

Image gallery

• 

  The University of Pennsylvania Philomathean Society Meeting Room circa 1913

• 

  The Philodemic Society Room in 1910

• 

  Philomathean Hall of Erskine College

• 

  Clio Hall of Princeton University

• 

  Demosthenian Hall at the University of Georgia

• 

  The Dialectic Society Chamber in New West at the University of North Carolina

• 

  Jefferson Hall at the University of Virginia

References

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3. Lord, John King, A History of Dartmouth College, 1815, 1909, (Concord, N. H.: The Rumford Press, 1913), p. 515.
4. Ringwald, Madeleine. "PHILODEMIC WELCOMES GROUPS FROM UGA, UPENN, AND GWU". philodemicsociety.org. The Philodemic Society. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
5. David Potter, Debating in the colonial chartered colleges; an historical survey, 1642 to 1900, (New York: Teacher's College, Columbia Survey, 1642 to 1900, (New York: Teacher's College, Columbia University, 1944), pgs. 67-70.
6. Carson, Jane, "James Innes and His Brothers of the F.H.C."; (Charlottesville, Virginia: The University Press of Virginia, 1965)
7. "Inventory to the Records of the Peithessophian Society of Rutgers College, 1825-1927". .scc.rutgers.edu. Retrieved 2010-09-05.
8. Phi Beta Kappa was only a private literary society, and only until ca. 1831.
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10. "Dickinson College - Campus Life". Dickinson.edu. Retrieved 2010-09-05.
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30. Easterly, James Harold, History of the College of Charleston, Founded 1770, (Charleston, S.C., 1935), pp. 82-83, 137-138.
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35. Hanover College, The Crow, 1890-91, (Hanover, Indiana), pg. 59.
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37. Fletcher, Robert Samuel, A History of Oberlin College from its Foundation Through the Civil War, (Oberlin, Ohio: Oberlin College, 1943), II, pg. 761.
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45. Philalethean Society, Records, MS, I, Oct 30 & Nov. 5, 1840.
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49. Erosophian Society, Catalogue of the Officers, Members, Graduates, and Library of the Erosophian Society of Albion College, (Albion: Cole's Steam Printing House, 1879), p. 3.
50. Calkins, Earnest Elmo, They Broke the Prairie; Being an Account of the Settlement of the Upper Mississippi Valley by Religious and Educational Pioneers, Told in Terms of One City, Galesburg, and of One College, Knox, (New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1937), pg+N167s. 131-32.
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61. Cady, John F., Centennial History of Franklin College, (Franklin: Franklin College of Indiana, 1934), pg. 128.
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63. Wallace, David Duncan, History of Wofford College, 1854 - 1949, (Nashville: Vanderbilt University Press), pg. 79.
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68. Smith, Leland R., The early Days of the Pythonian Society, MS, pg. 1.
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80. davidson, John s., "Literary Society Libraries at Muhlenberg College," College and Research Libraries, XVII, (April, 1955), pg. 184.
81. Last document public meeting held in May 1887 as a coeducational society. F.E. Moyer, "Cornell Student Activities," Cornell Magazine(8:4)(Jan. 1895) at 192. A fraternity later claimed to be the "custodian" of this society and claims to carry out private literary exercises within one fraternity house.
82. Walton, William Clarance, Centennial McKendree College with St. Clair County History, (Lebanon, Ill.: McKendree, 1928), pgs. 310- 312.
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89. Sheldon, Henry D., The University of Oregon Library, 1882 - 1942, ("studies in Bibliography, no. 1"; Eugene: University of Oregon Library, 1942), pg. 3.
90. Blevins, Brooks (2003). Lyon College, 1872-2002 : the perseverance and promise of an Arkansas college. Fayetteville: University of Arkansas Press. ISBN 1557287422.
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92. Archived September 4, 2006, at the Wayback Machine.
93. "Illinois College-Sigma Phi Epsilon". .ic.edu. Retrieved 2010-09-05.
94. The Daedalian Literary Society at Indiana State became Delta Lambda Sigma in 1923; Delta Lambda Sigma affiliated with Lambda Chi Alpha in 1952. http://cougar.indstate.edu/u?/isuarchive,6581
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