Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 1853 | Amphicyton Literary Society forms four days after Cornell College was founded |
| 1857 | Philomathean Literary Society forms for women |
| 1859 | Adelphian Literary Society forms |
| “The Club,” Cornell’s first underground group, disbands | |
| 1869 | The Collegian, the first student newspaper, is founded by literary society members |
| 1870s | Literary society libraries are a major source of literature on campus |
| 1871 | Miltonian Literary Society forms |
| 1872 | Aesthesian Literary Society forms at the Academy |
| 1876 | Star Literary Society forms at the Academy |
| 1878 | Star and Aesthian societies merge |
| 1880 | The Collegian becomes The Cornellian |
| 1886 | Grover Cleveland accepts honorary Adelphian membership |
| 1888 | Academy societies move to college |
| Alethean Literary Society forms at the Academy | |
| 1891 | Aletheans move to college |
| 1898 | Secret societies form, including Delta Phi Rho (Delts); some, ignoring institutional policies, eventually affiliate with national Greek organizations |
| 1900s | Literary societies lose control of The Cornellian |
| 1901 | Aonian Literary Society forms |
| 1913 | About 70 students are suspended after announcing their affiliation with national Greek organizations; they are allowed to resume school after renouncing (publicly, anyway) their affiliation |
| 1914 | Star-Aesthian Society changes its name to Zetagathean Literary Society |
| 1916 | Promethean and Parmenian Societies form |
| 1920s | Literary societies decay |
| 1927 | Secret societies again declare existence and seek recognition from the college |
| Literary societies reluctantly disband | |
| 1928 | Professor Thomas McConnell assists students in researching the underground Greek system |
| Student research reveals 52% of students affiliated | |
| 1929 | Faculty votes to recognize 6 female and 7 male groups, including the Milts, Arrows, Delts, Axes, Gammas and Owls |
| 1933 | Delta Phi (Delphis) breaks off from Alpha Sigma Pi (Arrows) |
| 1940s | Delt alumni/actives unsuccessfully petition for national chapters |
| Owls rechartered after suspension of unknown length | |
| 1944/45 | Panthers (Gammas) and Thalians disband |
| 1946 | Aletheans disband; 1/3 go independent and 2/3 affiliate again |
| 1947 | Chi Theta, Kappa Psi Omega and Omega Xi Lambda chartered |
| 1949/50 | Omega Xi Lambda disbands and Gamma Tau (Gammas) chartered |
| 1951 | Gamma Tau (Gammas) add Pi, now resembles the old Panthers |
| Tri Phi chartered, Kappa Psi Omega and Theta Chi disbanded | |
| 1954 | Kappa Theta (Thetas) chartered |
| 1957 | Kappa Delta Chi (K-D-Chis) chartered |
| 1960 | Tri Phi disbands |
| 1962 | Phi Omega (Phi Os) chartered |
| 1964 | Delta Phi (Delphis) disbands |
| 1966 | Psi Sigma Psi chartered |
| 1970s | Descendent of the literary societies, Alpha Theta Alpha, disbands |
| 1971 | Psi Sigma Psi disbands |
| 1975 | Phi Kappa Nu (Newts) chartered |
| 1980s | Increasing enrollment contributes to increased interest in the Greek system |
| 1982 | Kappa Delta Chi rechartered, now called the K-Delts |
| 1983 | Chi Chi Chi (Tri Chis) chartered |
| 1985 | Underground group Sigma Proifera Omega (Sponges) forms |
| 1986 | Delta Phi (Delphis) rechartered, has 32 members by 1991 |
| 1989 | Sigma Tau (Taus), offshoot of Phi Kappa Nu (Newts), chartered |
| Alpha Sigma chartered | |
| 1990 | Chi Chi Chi disbands |
| Phi Lambda Xi (Phi Lambs) chartered | |
| 1994 | Alpha Sigma disbands |
| Five K-Delts deactivate and remaining three members revitalize the group, calling themselves the K-D-Chis once again | |
| 1999 | Rho Zeta Omicron (Rhozes) chartered |
| 2003 | Delta Phi (Delphis) changes letters to Delta Phi Delta |
| 2005 | Sigma Kappa Psi (Skys) chartered |
| 2006 | Social groups become fraternities and sororities |
| 2010 | Sigma Tau (Taus) disbands |
| 2011 | Kappa Delta Chi (K-D-Chis) disbands |
| 2012 | Beta Psi Eta (Betas) chartered |
| 2013 | Kappa Delta Chi (K-D-Chis) chartered |
| 2018 | Delta Phi Rho (Delts) disbands |
| 2020 | The COVID-19 pandemic creates many difficulties for all greek groups on campus. |
| 2021 |
Pre-pledge and pledging is conducted virtually by all greek groups |
|
Sigma Kappa Psi (Skys) disbands |
|
|
Rho Zeta Omicron (Rhozes) disbands |
|
| 2022 |
Underground group forms, revitalizing Delta Phi Rho (Delts) |
| 2023 |
Beta Psi Eta (Betas) disbands |