Dialectic and Philanthropic Societies

The Dialectic Society (originally known as the Debating Society) was established in 1795, making DiPhi the oldest student organization at any public university in the United States. They adopted the motto "Virtus et Scientia." The members stated as their goals: "...to promote useful Knowledge..." and "...to cultivate a lasting Friendship with each other..." It is significant that the first order of business for the Debating Society was an order for the purchase of books. Indeed, as the University had no library, the Debating Society's collection became the primary resource for the University, later becoming the core of the school's library.

One month after the founding of the Debating Society, the Philanthropic Society (originally known as the Concord Society) split off due to strict rules and political disagreements. It took a new motto, "Virtus, Libertas, et Scientia", with the addition of the word Libertas lending some insight into the reasons for splitting. In 1796 the two societies adopted the Greek equivalents of their names, becoming the Dialectic Society and the Philanthropic Society, known as the Di and the Phi for short. Due to the common use of the shortened form, "Philanthropic" is properly pronounced with a long "i" in the first syllable.

In the early days of the University, students were required to join one of the two societies, and the rivalry between the two was extremely bitter. Society members would ride out on horses to greet incoming students, attempting to recruit them and dissuade them from joining the other society. According to legend, this rivalry eventually led to dueling. The university administration eventually intervened and changed the societies' official rules, making membership based upon geography with the Phi members coming from the eastern part of the state and the Di members from the western part (see below for a detailed description of this arrangement). Now together in a Joint Senate, the societies still maintain the rivalry in a more congenial way.

Shortly after the societies split, they each took a color. The Dialectic Society took a light blue, today known as Carolina blue, while members of the Philanthropic Society took white. Following a football game against the University of Virginia, in which UVA students displayed orange and blue pennants, the Societies' colors were adopted as the University's official colors.

Throughout the 19th century, the two societies engaged in an intense rivalry with each other for campus supremacy. The Societies trained students in speaking. And, in the thirty years before the Civil War, they also invited distinguished speakers (often alumni) to address the school at graduation. The addresses, which were multi-day graduation exercises, brought politicians, lawyers, physicians, and others to campus. One of the most important graduation speeches came from North Carolina Supreme Court Justice William Gaston in 1832, in which he urged the end of slavery. Those graduation speeches have proved an important source for gauging public attitudes towards union and constitutional law in North Carolina. They illustrate that U.N.C. was substantially more moderate and more supportive of Union than other universities in the south.[1]

It became the tradition of the societies to handle the funeral expenses of members who died while attending the University, and several members are now buried in the Societies' adjoining plots in the Old Chapel Hill Cemetery.

The Dialectic Society Chamber is located on the 3rd floor of New West Hall and the Philanthropic Society Chamber is located on the 4th floor of New East Hall. At one time, each Society's library was located on these floors with their meeting room (or the odeon) on the floor below.

The Societies suffered a steady decline membership after the University ended the requirement that all undergraduate students be a member of one of the two societies. In addition, in 1904, the University established an independent student government, thus taking away a large amount of the power wielded by the Societies. By 1946, the last vestige of general student governmental power had been given over to the new Student Congress. By 1959, the Societies had joined together as a Joint Senate for the purposes of preserving their membership rolls and today maintain a steady membership.

The Societies still meet together as a Joint Senate with the members of the Phi Society sitting on the north side of the former Di chamber and members of the Di sitting on the south side of the chamber. Each society is responsible for putting forward a slate of candidates for Joint Senate officers. These officers include the President of the Joint Senate, President Pro-Tempore, Critic, Clerk, Treasurer, Sergeant-at-Arms, and Historian.

Membership in the societies is open to all UNC students. Students become senators by petitioning either the Dialectic or Philanthropic Society.

The Dialectic and Philanthropic Societies Foundation holds one of the largest privately held portrait collections in the United States, composed mainly of 19th- and early-20th-century portraits of prominent former members, many of whom held positions of power in the State of North Carolina. It is believed that the Foundation has either the largest or second largest collection of William Garl Browne portraits in the world.

In addition, the Societies hold a number of pieces of mid-19th-century furniture in both chambers, some of which are pieces known to have been made by the famed free black furniture-maker Thomas Day. The remainder of the pieces are likely the work of a similar furniture-maker.

The Societies meet every Monday night at 7:30 on the top floor of New West while classes are in session. Meetings are held in the Dialectic Society Chamber, on the 3rd floor of New West, an academic building near the center of campus. Debates are held under the guidelines of parliamentary procedure and adhere to a modified Robert's Rules of Order. Resolutions are drafted in advance. For each debate, four members are scheduled as speakers: a primary affirmative and primary negative, who are both given seven minutes to deliver a speech, and a secondary affirmative and secondary negative, who are both given five minutes to speak. After delivering a speech, speakers must field queries from fellow senators and guests.

After the four scheduled speakers have finished, the President recognizes speakers from the floor. Speakers from the floor may be members or guests. When time has elapsed for debate, the Societies hold two votes. The first is open to anyone in the chamber while the second is open only to active senators. Anyone may abstain from voting, although this is lightheartedly frowned upon and is usually met with hisses and jeers. The result of the vote is entered into the Societies' archives.

Business of the Societies follows the program, Old and then New. Reports of Officers are made at this time.

The most popular part of the meeting is known as PPMA: Papers, Petitions, Memorials, and Addresses. Historically, they are assigned by class, with freshman presenting Papers, sophomore Petitions, and so forth; however, anyone is free to speak on any topic. Since this portion of the evening often has the most speakers, time limits are generally kept at five minutes; decorum suggests the speaker requests an extension before beginning to speak. There are no time limits for Memorials.

The Report of the Critic concludes the meeting; members and interested guests then adjourn to the top floor of New East for light refreshment and to foster the "bonds of amity."

President: This individual presides over all meetings and maintains the authority to pass or deny any motions per the voting of the Joint Senate. This individual also attends all committee meetings and supports the committees in their various tasks.

President Pro Tempore (PPT): This individual is the constitutional officer and essentially the vice president of the Joint Senate. They chair the Executive Committee and the Constitutional Committee and are responsible for maintaining order at meetings.

Critic: This individual is responsible for critiquing and scoring the speeches that are presented during meetings. They offer notes and any suggestions or commentaries they would like to share upon the conclusion of the debate.

Clerk: This individual is tasked with taking the minutes of meetings, managing the Societies' correspondence, and depositing records in the Societies' archives.

Sergeant at Arms: This individual is responsible for maintaining the Societies' chambers and book and portrait collections.

Historian: This individual is charged with knowing and upholding the traditions and customs of the Societies.

Dialectic President (Di President): This individual is responsible for representing the Dialectic Society at meetings and on the Executive Committee.

Philanthropic President (Phi President): This individual is responsible for representing the Philanthropic Society at meetings and on the Executive Committee.

Various committees have been constitutionally approved by the Joint Senate along with several ad hoc committees as well that all function to efficiently help maintain the Di Phi organization.

Executive Committee: This committee is constituted of all officers of the joint senate and the society presidents. They are tasked with various issues that pertain to the organization as a whole.

Constitutional Committee: This committee ensures that the Societies are adhering to their Constitution. They are tasked with proposing amendments to the Constitution.

Finance Committee: Its chair and members are responsible for maintaining the budget and finances of the Joint Societies.

Membership Committee: This is the committee that actively recruits new members and encourages new and current members to maintain their membership with the organization. It is charged with handling the table at Chapel Hill's annual Fall Fest to introduce potential members to the organization and garner their interest.

Philanthropy Committee: This committee organizes the Societies' charitable endeavors.

Programs Committee: This committee is charged with the task of creating each meeting's debate topic and helping coordinate specialty topics on those respective nights. Their agenda helps guide the evening's meeting.

Social Committee: This committee organizes all the Societies' social events, excluding the December and the April. This includes handling affairs with other organizations at U.N.C. and other schools across the east coast.

December/April Committee: This committee has the responsibility of organizing the December, the Societies' annual formal dance, or the April, the Societies' annual semi-formal dance.

Acquisitions Committee: This committee looks to acquire portraits and other properties for the Societies.

Portrait Committee: Its members are required to maintain and arrange the Societies' extensive portrait collection.

Traditions Committee: This is the committee that ensures that the Societies maintain and respect the traditions that created the organization.

Crotchety Old Senators: This committee consists of the eldest members of both societies. They are allowed—encouraged, even—to be as old and crotchety as they please.

Flag Committee: This committee seeks to establish and maintain a flag of the Societies.

• Philolexian Society of Columbia University
• Philomathean Society of the University of Pennsylvania
• American Whig-Cliosophic Society of Princeton University
• Philodemic Society of Georgetown University
• Washington Literary Society and Debating Union and Jefferson Literary and Debating Society of the University of Virginia
• Union-Philanthropic (Literary) Society of Hampden-Sydney College
• Demosthenian Literary Society of the University of Georgia in Athens
• Olivaint Conference of Belgium

• Coates, Alfred, and Coates, Gladys Hall. The Story of Student Government in the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill: Professor Emeritus Fund. 1985. ASIN B00070WQNC.
• "Culture Corner: Di-Phi: The Oldest Organization", Carolina Review, vol. XIII, no. 6 (March 2006), p. 13.
• "The Republics of Liberty and Letters: Progress, Union, and Constitutionlism in Graduation Addresses at the Antebellum University of North Carolina"