Going Greek - History, 1940

Greeks emerged as the dominate force behind the social scene at UC in the 1940s and 1950s. This was the height of their popularity and influence and it would carry over into the 1960s. Candidates were offered for ROTC Honorary Cadet Colonel, Sophos Queen, Junior Prom Queen, Freshman Queen, ROTC Song Queen, Band Sponsor, Homecoming King and Queen, and Kampus King. Additionally, each fraternity had their own Queen/Sweatheart. They worked hard for the community and their floats dominated the homecoming parade.

There was so much interest in the Greek world that a Rushing Bureau was established in 1940 to handle registration of rushees and pledges. Around the same time the Inter-Fraternity Pledge Council was organized to guide and train pledges for fraternity life. Dean of Women Katherine Ingle reported that around fifty percent of incoming women students pledged a sorority in 1941-1942. Over 400 men (~40%) pledged fraternities in the fall of 1952. Over 200 women (~44%) pledged sororities that year.

World War II had a huge impact on both fraternity and sorority life. Upon the country's entry into the war, it was hoped that men currently enrolled in college would not be drafted due to school deferments and age restrictions, but in late 1942, as the military's requirements for forces grew, those hopes gave way to the realization that the male population at colleges would soon be shrinking. The loss of so many individual men put a large dent in fraternity membership. By 1944, there were only nine active fraternities on campus, down from 17 the previous year.

Sororities were not immune to war activities either. The 1944 Cincinnati, offered the following lament from sorority girls:

Sororities! Nuts! A heck of a lot of sorority life WE got this year. With all the men gone we've been at our wit's end to get dates for ourselves, much less for our pledges. And as for exchange dinners, record parties, beer brawls, coke dates, etc., well, they've been mighty few. We've had to Improvise with a few sandwich dates, for instance, two blondes, and a brunette. And all those cozy little hen parties — boring, but they pass the time. The day has long passed since we ceased sneering at 4 F's as possibilities. Anything that can prove it has a pair of longers, is a possibility. And don't forget the Army Air Corps and the A.S.T.P. on campus. They have been a source of never-ending delight to the "fromage gateaux" around here.

While members of the Army Student Training Program (ASTP), operating at UC from March 1944 - March 1945, were permitted to join fraternities, the new members were not enough to keep most fraternities going through the height of the war years. The ASTP took over some fraternity houses as well, displacing the remaining frat members that had not yet been called to service. The Interfraternity President's Council remained active. After the war, fraternities benefitted from the influx of veterans taking advantage of the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, better known as the GI Bill. Three chapters had revived by 1945, bringing the total active chapters to twelve. In 1945 some of the fraternities replaced their annual "Hell Week" with a kinder, gentler pledge period, which featured an interfraternity sing, dinners, lectures, and an interfraternity dance. Twelve fraternities and their pledge classes participated in the event. By 1948 all of the pre-war fraternities were again active. (See more about the impact of World War II on campus in ARB's exhibit School and Country.)

The Inter-Sorority House Council was established in 1950 to determine new rules to govern the sorority houses. Previously
they had followed the same rules as the girls' dormitory but the need for a separate organization was felt this year. Each sorority was represented on the council by one member and the council was supervised by the Dean of Women. A dedicated staff member, Assistant to the Dean of Women Rose Rupp, advised the sororities on the Panhellenic Council from 1946-1956, and on the House Council from its inception. The sororities began to use a quota system in the 1950s. Only partly successful and often controversial, the quota system limited the amount of girls that each sorority could pledge during a year. If a sorority did not reach their quota in formal fall rush, they participated in informal rush throughout the year and could pledge girls until their quota had been filled.

Pledges gained their own governing boards during these years with the establishment of the Junior Panhellenic Council for sororities and the Interfraternity Pledge Council for fraternities. These groups brought pledges from all of the groups together, offering them support and and opportunity to get acquainted with the Greek system together.

The public side of fraternity and sorority pledging continued to be demonstrated as pledges took part in service projects. "Greek Help Week" was the product of the University YMCA's 1952 offer to help the fraternities interest their pledges in community service. Through the program, fraternity pledges contributed about 500 hours to community service organizations. Greek Weekend, started sometime in the late 1940s, featured a banquet, scholarship presentation, open houses, and a dance. In 1953, Greek Help Week and Greek Weekend combined to form Greek Week. The first Greek Week, held March 9-14, 1953, featured a panel discussion to discuss greek issues and practices, a movie showing, scholarship awards, a Greek Unity Dance, tug of war and an "ugliest Man" contest.

Of great significance in the racial make-up of Greek life, the American Commons Club was the first historically all white fraternity to pledge African American members, taking their first in 1956. The Greek world would become more aware of this issue in the following decade.