Case Western Reserve University Archives

Student Organizations at Western Reserve College

Students at Western Reserve College were involved in various organizations such as literary societies, musical groups, and fraternities and honorary societies.  These organizations helped to develop students beyond the core academic curriculum and became an important part of student life on campus. 


Student Literary Societies

In the earliest decades of Western Reserve College, there were very few student organizations.  The first student group was the Philozetian Society, one of several so-called “literary societies.”  Today, we would consider these societies debate clubs.  Their purpose was to give students practice in debate, oration, and parliamentary procedure - all necessary skills for the ministry, law, and public affairs, for which students at the college were being prepared.

The Philozetian Society was established on October 22, 1828.  Meetings were held weekly, usually on Wednesday evenings.  The meetings included extemporaneous debates during which the chairman proposed a topic and called upon members to speak without prior notice.  Topics for scheduled debates were assigned in advance by the program committee one week in advance.  Topics included a broad range of contemporary issues, including, (1867) “Should the Right of Suffrage be extended to American Women?” (1871) “Should ministers preach politics?” (1874) “Is cremation better than burial?” (1879) “Have we anything to fear from Catholicism in this country?”


As was common among college literary societies, the Philozetian Society established its own library, separate from that of the College.  Books were purchased, using society dues and fines.  Members, former members, and friends of the College were also encouraged to donate books from their own libraries.  Some of the Philozetian Societies’ books can still be found in Kelvin Smith Library’s Special Collections.  The group continued to operate after Western Reserve College moved to Cleveland in 1882, but was much less active and seems to have ceased around 1890.

During the 1829-1830 academic year, a rival literary society was founded at Western Reserve College.  One senior, one sophomore, and four freshman organized the Adelphic Society, derived from the Greek word meaning “brotherly.”  The Adelphic Society followed the same procedures as the Philozetian Society.  It imposed secrecy on its members, had a system of fines, met weekly, and was incorporated in 1838.  It started a library at its first meeting, and within a year the library had about a hundred volumes.  In 1840, the Adelphic Society merged with a younger rival, the Franklin Society, which had been founded in 1836, to form the Phi Delta Society.  During its ten years in existence, the Adelphic Society had accepted 110 members, while by 1840, the Philozetian Society had initiated 350 members. 

Despite being rivals, the literary societies worked together in 1838 to bring a speaker from abroad to address them in a public meeting during commencement week.  This oration before the literary societies became a feature of that week, second only to commencement itself, and continued for over thirty years.  Among the annual speakers were many men of national prominence, including social reformer, abolitionist, orator, and writer, Frederick Douglass, in 1854.  The literary societies also worked together to publish an annual newspaper, “The Transcript,” in the 1860s.  Not surprising from debating clubs, editorials on issues of the day as well as the state of the College were a staple of the newspaper. 


Student Musical Groups

Musical groups were part of the extracurricular activities of college life long before formal instruction in music was offered.  At Western Reserve College, musical organizations were established quickly. In 1828, only two years after the college was chartered, the Handel Society was organized by Rufus Nutting, a member of the faculty, and ten Western Reserve College students.  The Handel Society met weekly to practice singing and read essays about music and musicians.  The income from membership dues was used to purchase a library of music that continued to grow until the Handel Society was disbanded in the 1860s.

The college choir started in the 1830s, and continued for many years.  Members of the Handel Society constituted the early college choir.  The choir gave a concert at the time of Junior Exhibition and another during commencement week.  From the choir, a glee club was finally developed.  On 11/11/1835, students were granted permission to form “the Musical Band of Western Reserve College.”  The band continued for the next fifteen years, before it was supplanted by the college orchestra in 1850. 



Fraternities and Honorary Societies

Several fraternities were active at Western Reserve College.  The first fraternity established there was Alpha Delta Phi, and one of the College's most prominent honorary societies was Phi Beta Kappa.

Alpha Delta Phi was originally founded at Hamilton College in 1832.  It was established at Western Reserve College on 7/1/1841, making it the tenth chapter of Alpha Delta Phi in the nation and the second chapter west of the Allegheny Mountains.  The charter members were four seniors and two juniors.  A fifth senior was soon added, and four professors were made honorary members soon after.  The Western Reserve College faculty granted the chapter use of a room in the Athenaeum building on campus and a place in the commencement program in 1842.  In its 41 years at Hudson, before Western Reserve College moved to Cleveland in 1882, the Alpha Delta Phi chapter initiated 196 members.


The Alpha of Ohio chapter of Phi Beta Kappa was established at Western Reserve College on 10/28/1847.  It was the 10th chapter established, and the first chapter west of the Allegheny mountains.


Phi Beta Kappa was founded at William and Mary College on 12/5/1776.  An honor society in the arts and sciences, it is the country’s oldest honor society.  Before the William and Mary chapter was suspended during the Revolutionary War (when the college was temporarily closed), charters were granted to Yale (1780) and Harvard (1781).  According to Western Reserve University historian Frederick C. Waite, it was the connection between Yale and Western Reserve College that led to the Alpha of Ohio Chapter.

In 1841, six members of the Western Reserve College faculty petitioned the Alpha of Connecticut chapter of Phi Beta Kappa (at Yale) to establish a chapter.  Five of the six faculty members were graduates of Yale and members of Phi Beta Kappa.  By the time the charter was granted, the non-Yale alumnus had left Western Reserve College and been replaced with a Yale alumnus.  The Yale chapter approved the request pending approval by the other Alpha chapters.  On 10/19/1847, the Connecticut Alpha of Phi Beta Kappa granted the charter.

The Western Reserve College charter members convened on 10/28/1847 to organize a branch of Phi Beta Kappa.  Elijah Barrows was appointed chairman and Henry Noble Day was appointed secretary.  At this meeting, the six faculty invited two other faculty members (Dartmouth alumni and Alpha of New Hampshire Phi Beta Kappa members) to unite in the organization of the Alpha of Ohio chapter.

The Alpha of Ohio charter members were:  George E. Pierce, Western Reserve College president; Elijah P. Barrows; Henry Noble Day; James Nooney, Jr.; Samuel St. John; and Nathan P. Seymour. Faculty members Samuel C. Bartlett and Clement Long were the two additional organizing members.






The chapter was commonly referred to as the Alpha of Ohio at Western Reserve College.  In 1882, Western Reserve College moved from its Hudson campus to Cleveland and became Adelbert College of Western Reserve University.  The Alpha of Ohio chapter was then referred to as the Alpha of Ohio at Adelbert College.

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