Alpha Phi Delta
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Alpha Phi Delta (ΑΦΔ), commonly referred to as APD, was originally a social society, founded by Nicholas Frunzi, but has become a male fraternity. The Alpha Phi Delta has an Italian American heritage, but the organization has members from many various religious and ethnic backgrounds.
Values of the fraternity include honor, integrity, unity, respect, forming a brotherhood that is beneficial to the overall strength of the group, as well as developing the individuality of college men.
Alpha Phi Delta Fraternity
Alpha Phi Delta [link] was founded in 1914 at Syracuse University in Syracuse, New York, by a group of men with Italian roots. The fraternity has 20,000 lifelong members.The Beginnings
When Cesidio Guarini enrolled at Syracuse University in 1911, he met another Italian, Ferdinand DiBartolo. The Italian immigrants had much in common. In the following months, they became friends.In time, more Italian-American students came to the school. On May 5, 1913, a small group of men founded Il Circolo Italiano at Syracuse University, at the home of Professor Charles W. Cabeen. Though small, Il Circolo Italiano became a leading campus social organization.
As a culmination of their active years as a college campus group, Il Circolo Italiano donated a fountain to the University. The friends did not wish their friendship to end with graduation.
The Founding Years
Nicholas Frunzi, a member of Il Circolo Italiano, proposed the concept of a fraternity. His idea was met with enthusiasm by the group. On November 5, 1914, seven men took the oath and became the first brothers of Alpha Phi Delta Fraternity. These were Joseph Cangiamila, Dominic T. Ciolli, Ferdinand F. DiBartolo, Otto Gelormini, Cesidio A. Guarini, Anthony T. Frascati and Nicholas Frunzi. Ferdinand DiBartolo, an instructor at the time, requested and was granted, permission to establish the Fraternity at Syracuse University.A Fraternity at Columbia University Six months later, 300 miles away in New York City, a similar realization of the need for a fraternity was crossing the minds of the members of Il Circolo Italiano at Columbia University. An attempt to form such a fraternity failed in May of 1915. In the fall of 1915, four close and staunch friends, Ernest DeMuria, Salvatore LaCorte, William Liccone and Anthony Pascarella decided to organize a fraternity. With support and encouragement from college administrators, the students founded Sigma Gamma Phi fraternity in November 1915.
The Birth of Alpha Phi Delta as a National Fraternity Nicholas Frunzi transferred to Columbia University in January 1916. He met with Sigma Gamma Phi and correspondence started between the two fraternities. A merger meeting was held in June 1916 at Syracuse University. Since the Syracuse fraternity was formed earlier, their name, Alpha Phi Delta, was adopted. At this point, Syracuse was declared the Alpha Chapter and Columbia, the Beta Chapter.
In the first showing of national fraternal spirit, the men from Syracuse rallied around Salvatore LaCorte and William Liccone, both from Beta, as Grand Consul (President) and Grand Quaestor (Treasurer), respectively. They were elected unanimously, along with Otto Gelormini of Alpha as Grand Tribune (Secretary).
Fraternity Formation
Causes of the Formation of Alpha Phi Delta The following is the dedication to The History of Alpha Phi Delta Fraternity, 1914-1973 (by Stanley W Raffa), written by Rev. Salvatore J. Federici. Rev. Federici was the National Chaplain of Alpha Phi Delta until the time of his death in 1968. The dedication is perhaps the best description of the formation of the Fraternity that can be offered.
“At the turn of the century, the sons of Italo-American immigrants were reaching the economic status whereby they were able to attend colleges and universities throughout the United States. As was the case with their parents before them, they encountered many difficulties; not the least among them was exclusion from the normal social life on the various campuses.
“A group of Italo-American students, convinced of their innate status of equality, without fanfare, demonstrations or protest, formed their own colonies. From this modest beginning, Alpha Phi Delta was born.
“To these pioneers, endowed with a sense of their own human dignity and nobility, this volume is humbly dedicated.”
The Creeds of Alpha Phi Delta Fraternity The following Creeds of Alpha Phi Delta were adopted at the time of foundation and reflect the goals and ideals of the fraternity.
- The unstinted contribution to the development of democratic ideals.
- The instillation in the minds of its members of the need to foster and develop the highest and noblest traits of man.
- The development of the common bond.
- The development and perpetuation of friendships formed during college days.
- The demonstration that pride in ancestry can strengthen one's faith in America.
- The knowledge that culture can be and is essential to civilization.
- The advancement of the fact there is really no segregation and that all members are Americans.
External links
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