Alpha Delta Alpha

Alpha Delta Alpha (ΑΔΑ) was an American fraternity, established in 1920. It ceased operation as a national in December 1934 with at least one chapter continuing as a local organization for several years, and a second merging into another national.

Alpha Delta Alpha Fraternity
ΑΔΑ
Founded1920 (1920)
Coe College
TypeSocial
ScopeNational
Colors  Red,   White and   Purple
PublicationThe Creset
Chapters8 active chapters at dissolution

History

Alpha Delta Alpha was founded at Coe College in 1920 as a local scientific and radio society. It became a national fraternity shortly thereafter in a merger with a similar society at the University of Iowa.[1]

By 1923 it had shifted focus to become a general social fraternity, adding within a few years chapters at six additional regional institutions in Iowa and Indiana.

The organization was dissolved in December 1934, at a national meeting held in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Baird's notes no national successor group, however ΑΔΑ's Gamma chapter at Northern Iowa was present for nine years after the national was disbanded, operating as a local fraternity according to that institution's yearbooks. Due to WWII enlistment, by 1944 all fraternity activity on the campus appears to have ceased; no fraternities are shown in the 1944 yearbook, while the sororities continued in operation.[1][2] On that campus, other fraternities resumed in 1946 but these did not include Alpha Delta Alpha.

The Beta chapter appears to have left by 1924, forming (or reforming) as a local for three years. Some of its members went on to join Theta Tau.

The Tri-State (Trine) Eta chapter? joined Alpha Kappa Pi in 1935, which later merged into Alpha Sigma Phi.

Chapters

Baird's Manual (20th ed.) notes the formation of eight chapters by 1932, seven of which are now dormant, while one continues as another national:

Name Chartered Institution Location Status Notes Reference
Alpha 1920 Coe College Cedar Rapids, Iowa Active until 1943 [1][3]
Beta 1921 University of Iowa Iowa City, Iowa Became ΧΔΣ (local) by 1924
See ΘΤ[4]		 [1][5]
Gamma 1923 Iowa State Teachers College (now UNI) Cedar Falls, Iowa Active until 1943 [1][2]
Delta 1926 Buena Vista University Storm Lake, Iowa [1][6]
Epsilon? 1927 Simpson College Indianola, Iowa [1]
Zeta? 1928 Hanover College Hanover, Indiana [1]
Eta? 1930 Tri-State College (Trine) Angola, Indiana Originally Pi Lambda Tau (local)[7]
Became a chapter of ΑΣΦ		 [1]
Theta? 1932 Upper Iowa University Fayette, Iowa [1]

Symbols

The badge of Alpha Delta Alpha was an equilateral triangle, one point down, having a border of 21 pearls. The inner triangle was formed of black enamel with a single pearl, a radio antenna, and the letters Α, Δ and Α.

The fraternity's colors were red, white and purple.[3]

References
  1. Anson, Jack L.; Marchenasi, Robert F., eds. (1991) [1879]. Baird's Manual of American Fraternities (20th ed.). Indianapolis, IN: Baird's Manual Foundation, Inc. p. VIII-37. ISBN 978-0963715906.
  2. The 1941 Iowa State Teachers College Old Gold yearbook, p.157 notes Alpha Delta Alpha as a continuing organization, seven years after national dissolution. Accessed 16 Nov 2020. It dropped the Gamma name after the 1934 edition, continuing as a local.
  3. According to the 1930 Coe College Acorn yearbook, the Alpha chapter was located at 116 South Twelfth Street, accessed 16 Nov 2020. Chapter was present thru the 1943 yearbook, with scattered graduates after WWII until 1947.
  4. This chapter appears to have fizzled as ΑΔΑ by 1924, straddling the line between social and professional. Some members continued as Chi Delta Sigma (local, professional technology) per the 1925 yearbook, and a few years later some members would join Theta Tau - but not all. Appears to have been a consolidation, as Theta Tau's Omicron chapter had formed by 1923.
  5. Noted in the Hawkeye yearbook, 1923, p.306. Accessed 16 Nov 2020.
  6. Noted in the 1931 Rudder yearbook, accessed 16 Nov 2020.
  7. This local chapter dated to 1925
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