University of Detroit
Detroit, Michigan

How did we happen to get here?

Early Years
Delta Sigma Epsilon
The New Epsilon Phi Chapter
An Era Ends

THE EARLY PANHELLENIC YEARS

The University of Detroit (originally known as Detroit College) was founded in 1877 by the Jesuits. The University was one of many Jesuit collegiate institutions founded throughout the United States in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

By 1916 the University opened its doors to women for higher education. The uptown McNichols Campus at Livernois and McNichols was opened in 1927.
It was at this venue that several Greek women's organizations developed.

There had been several fraternal, social, law and other specialized organizations already in existence for the men who attended U-D. Women students felt the need for campus groups to develop bonds of common interests and sisterhood.

The formation of Greek Letter Sororities took the names of
Alpha Chi Tau
Gamma Phi Sigma
Kappa Beta Gamma
Phi Gamma Nu
Sigma Delta
Theta Phi Alpha

Some of these campus sororities merged with other national groups during their individual histories.

In 1990 the University of Detroit found it feasible to merge with
Mercy College of Detroit, thereby joining two extensive frameworks of undergraduate and graduate programs. The institution is now known as The University of Detroit-Mercy, with 3 campuses: McNichols, Downtown and Outer Drive.