Greek Life at VSU is a Rush!
Rush is coming! Thinking of joining a fraternity or sorority on campus this fall? You may be sent to Special Collections and Archives to find out more about the organization you want to join. Unfortunately, since we only have what we are given by a sorority or a fraternity, we do not have a lot of original material relating to the VSU chapters, but there is some information available here at SC&A.
Manuscript Material!
We have some original material relating to the Alpha Omega chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha. Click here for the finding aid.
We also have some scrapbooks of the Pyramid Club and Delta Sigma Theta. Due to their fragility, they are available on a limited basis. Call or email Special Collections for more information.
Materials pertaining to Sororities and Fraternities, or members of certain sororities and fraternities in VSU’s Special Collections and Archival holdings can be found here at these links:
Please note that not all materials will deal with the VSU chapters of the organization, even though we hold the materials. Please read the guide to see if the material is useful to you. Also note which collections you would like to see (for instance, if you want to look at the Alpha Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Papers, please note the title of the collection, the accession number [ie 1976-79], and any box:folder numbers you want to look at [ie 2:3].) This helps us help you faster!
Remember: Materials are in closed stacks which means a friendly member of the Archives Staff will have to retrieve the materials for you, so the more information you bring us, the faster we can help you get what you need.
Also remember that items must be used in our Reading Room and my not be checked out or removed from the building, so plan your visits accordingly with enough time to read through what you want to see!
Books!
General:
Brown, Tamara L., Gregory S. Parks, Clarenda M. Phillips. African-American Fraternities and Sororities: The Legacy and The Vision (2005) **
LJ31 .A47 2005
Alpha Kappa Alpha:
Parker, Marjorie. Alpha Kappa Alpha Through the Years, 1908-1888 (1990)
LJ165 .A4968 1990
Parker, Marjorie. Alpha Kappa Alpha: In the Eye of the Beholder(1978)
LJ165 .A6 P3
Parker, Marjorie. Past is Prologue: The History of Alpha Kappa Alpha, 1908-1999
LJ145 .A592972 P37 1999
Footprints in the Sand of Time…The Legacy
LJ145 .F66 L43 1998
Alpha Phi Alpha:
Wesley, Charles H. The History of Alpha Phi Alpha; A Development in Negro College Life (1929, 1935, 1948)
LJ121 .A55 W4
Wesley, Charles H. Henry Arthur Callis: Life and Legacy (1977)
R154 .C22 W47
Mason, Herman. The Talented Tenth: The Founders and Presidents of Alpha (1999) **
LJ75 .A55 M37 1999
Parks, Gregory S. and Stefan M. Bradley. Alpha Phi Alpha: A Legacy of Greatness, the Demands of Transcendance (2012)**
LJ121 .A55 A56 2012
Delta Sigma Theta
Vroman, Mary Elizabeth. Shaped to its Purpose: Delta Sigma Theta- The First Fifty Years (1965)
LJ145. D58 V7
Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Delta Girls: Stories of Sisterhood: An Anthology of Stories Written by Women of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. (2004)
LJ145 .D4 D45 2004
Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. History (ca. 1987)
LJ145 .D615 D34 1987
Giddings, Paula. In Search of Sisterhood: Delta Sigma Theta and the Challenge of the Black Sorority Movement (2006)
LJ145 .D615 G53 2006
Omega Psi Phi
Dreer, Herman. The History of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, a Brotherhood of Negro College Men, 1911 to 1939 (1940)
LJ75 .O55 D7
Not currently on VSU Campus:
Sigma Pi Phi
Wesley, Charles H. History of Sigma Pi Phi, First of the Negro-American Greek-Letter Fraternities (1954)
LJ165 .S55 W4
Please note books marked with ** indicate there may be a copy available to check out at Johnston Memorial Library. Please consult the Troy Library Catalog to check availability.
Bring us the name and call number of the book you want for fastest service!
There may be other books on African-American Greek organizations, their members, and Greek life available in Johnston Memorial Library that are not listed here. Please check out the catalog or talk to one of the friendly reference librarians and they will point you in the right direction! They can also help you get books through Interlibrary Loan that can be found on other campuses throughout the United States.
Can’t find what you want at VSU? Think about traveling to other repositories:
Most of these materials will pertain to a certain member of the fraternity or sorority, or a specific chapter. The materials not at VSU are not likely to have information on the VSU chapters, but may have general information available. Read through the finding aid or contact the holding repository to find out more about what information the collections have. Remember: Special Collections and Archival material does not circulate, so if you want to see or use the materials, you will have to travel to the holding institution and many repositories require appointments or are only open limited hours so it is recommended to contact the holding institution (in a university, can generally be found on the library page) before traveling to save yourself unneeded headaches!
Maybe you’d consider a guest blog for http://www.HBCUstory.com with a pictorial glimpse at greek life on Virginia State’s campus. We’d love to share what you have to offer in your wider collections as well with our readers. Email us at info@HBCUstory.com if you’re interested.
We’re making memories matter!
-cad