The Most Notorious Fraternities in the United States (2024)

FAQs

What fraternity hazes the hardest? ›

Sigma Alpha Epsilon, one of the country's oldest and most prestigious frats, has accounted for "nine deaths related to drinking, drugs and hazing since 2006, more than any other Greek organization," according to a new investigation by Bloomberg's John Hechinger and David Glovin.

Most Celebrity Alums: Alpha Phi Alpha

Famous Alpha Phi Alpha members include Martin Luther King, Jr., NAACP Founder W. E. B. Du Bois, Frederick Douglass, Lionel Ritchie, Walt Frazier, Jesse Owens, Justice Thurgood Marshall, ESPN Sportscaster Stuart Scott, and Academy Award winning Moonlight director Barry Jenkins.

Currently, the largest fraternity by number of members is Sigma Alpha Epsilon. You can also rank frats by the number of active chapters across college campuses. Tau Kappa Epsilon holds this distinction with 290 chapters in colleges and universities.

The most common hazing behaviors included participating in a drinking game (53%); singing or chanting in public in a situation that is not a related event, game, or practice (31%); drinking large amounts of alcohol to the point of getting sick or passing out (26%); being awakened at night by other members (19%); and ...

The most common fraternity is Sigma Alpha Mu, with seven billionaires. However, the billionaires of Beta Theta Pi have accumulated the most wealth with a combined net worth of $107 billion.

Alpha Sigma Phi is the 10th oldest men's Greek organization in the country, as well as one of the fastest growing in the nation.

As part of our investigation into the education of the Forbes 400, we looked into how many of America's wealthiest people joined fraternities in college. We were able to confirm that at least 30 billionaires were members of at least 16 fraternities while in school.

Phi Alpha Delta (P.A.D.) is a professional law fraternity composed of law students, attorneys, judges, and educators. With over 250,000 members across the world, we are dedicated to promoting professional competency, service, and achievement within the legal profession.

Delta Kappa Epsilon has over 160 years worth of alumni and connections to take advantage of. Our fraternity has produced the most influential politicians and businessmen of any fraternity. In fact, 6 Dekes have been Presidents of the United States, the most of any fraternity.

The very first fraternity, Phi Beta Kappa was founded in 1776, and was kept a "secret". In 1831 they disclosed their secrets and bylaws. Today, some fraternities keep their traditions and constitutions secret, and some publish them.

What is the most academic fraternity? ›

The Phi Beta Kappa Society (ΦΒΚ) is the oldest academic honor society in the United States, and the most prestigious, due in part to its long history and academic selectivity.

Continuously active since 1845, Chi Psi is the oldest fraternity, and the oldest student organization, at the University of Michigan. Chi Psi is credited with building the first fraternity house in the United States.

Baruch College student Chun "Michael" Deng died following a fraternity initiation ritual. Unbeknownst to Mary Deng, her son was pledging the Asian-American fraternity Pi Delta Psi at Baruch. Police said the 18-year-old died after a hazing ritual at a home the fraternity rented in Pennsylvania's Pocono Mountains.

Dirty rushing is when a Greek chapter specifically tells a PNM that if they want that chapter, it's theirs. It can also include drinking/partying with PNMs and speaking to a PNM during the 'silent period' - the period after final party but before bid day where members of Greek Life are forbidden to speak to PNMs.

Since 1970, there has been at least one hazing-related death on a college campus each year2. 82% percent of deaths from hazing involve alcohol2.

Since its founding in 1869, Sigma Nu has been fundamentally opposed to hazing. In fact, one of the primary reasons the Fraternity's Founders formed Sigma Nu was to protest the hazing practices that was occurring at the Virginia Military Institute at the time.

“Violent” hazing is behavior that has the potential to cause physical, emotional, and/or psychological harm. It often includes activities that tend to be the most extreme types of hazing. Examples may include: Capturing or kidnapping. Total or partial nudity.

Kappa Alpha Psi was founded January 5, 1911, at Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana and its opposition to hazing or unlawful or anti-social conduct of any kind has been continuous since its founding, implicit in its founding precepts and explicit in its declaration first published in the year 1949 stating that ...

In 1929, Delta Chi became the first fraternity to officially abolish hazing practices associated with “hell week.” Since its founding at Cornell, Delta Chi has grown to more than 110 chapters across the United States and Canada and has initiated more than 126,000 brothers.