Phi Mu Delta


Phi Mu Delta is a small, national fraternity founded on March 1, 1918 at the Universities of Connecticut, New Hampshire, and Vermont. The fraternity is focused on the ideals of democracy, service, and brotherhood.

History

Phi Mu Delta was originally derived from the National Federation of Commons Clubs, which was formed at Wesleyan University in 1899. Clarence Dexter Pierce, one of the fraternity's founders, petitioned the NFCC to form a Greek letter fraternity at the 1918 NFCC meeting. Four colleges initially agreed to join the organization, the University of Vermont, the University of New Hampshire, the University of Connecticut and Union College. Union College's Commons Club members later decided against joining, so there were only three founding chapters.
The fraternity expanded slowly during the 1920s, merging or expanding to seven additional chapters by 1930. Expansion of the Fraternity was slowed during the great depression. Phi Mu Delta merged with another fraternity, Delta Alpha Pi in 1934-1935, gaining three chapters, all of which closed shortly afterward. In 1936 one of the founding chapters, the University of Vermont, also closed. By the end of World War II, the Connecticut chapter had also closed.
After the war, the fraternity expanded more rapidly, coinciding with a general increase in fraternity enrollment. This trend petered out by the late 1960s, and by the late 1970s the organization was making plans to shut down. A reorganization effort centered on the State College, Pennsylvania chapter, stabilized the fraternity, and prompted a resurgence in growth. It was at this time that the University of Vermont was recolonized. In the early 1980s, the organization rewrote its constitution. During the 1980s, the fraternity only gained one chapter.
Since then the fraternity has expanded steadily. In 2006, the fraternity established an Executive Director position. In 2015, the National Office was moved to Westmont, New Jersey.

Chapters