On May 20, 1841, Chi Psi Fraternity was founded at Union College. While it was the eighth fraternity in the country and the fifth to be founded at Union, it was the first to emphasize the fraternal and social principles of a brotherhood, rather than the literary characteristics of existing societies. From its founding, Chi Psi has had a uniqueness that has persisted throughout its history, particularly because it has sustained an innovative tradition.
This innovative spirit has spawned many firsts in the fraternity world. In 1846, Chi Psi Fraternity was responsible for constructing the first fraternity house in America. The undergraduates at the University of Michigan constructed a log cabin in the woods in Ann Arbor to provide a meeting place for the Fraternity, as the faculty was then hostile to secret societies. The undergraduates dubbed the cabin "the Lodge," and this tradition has continued today as all Chi Psi chapter houses are called "Lodges."
The Lodges of Chi Psi presently exist on 30 campuses across America. Chi Psi is known by the fact that it extends membership to only the very best schools. Chi Psi chooses its host institutions by carefully analyzing the student body, the academic standards, the endowment, the faculty, and the alumni activity of the institution. Additionally, the Fraternity extends membership only to institutions which have sufficient regional concentrations of active alumni to support the chapter.
To properly oversee the chapters, Chi Psi developed the first consultant program in which full time professionals of the Fraternity visit each chapter to ensure that the undergraduates adhere to the ideals of the Fraternity. Today, this program is a standard practice in the fraternity world. Chi Psi has still remained unique, however, in conducting this standard program. Whereas other fraternity consultants visit 60 to 70 chapters a year, Chi Psi's consultants visit no more than 15 chapters, allowing for thorough and effective visits due to the small size of our intimate association.
Our latest "first" revolves around leadership training. In 1990, Chi Psi became the first fraternity to offer a National Leadership Training Program (NLTP) to every undergraduate Brother. Although other fraternities have offered leadership programs, their training has been restricted only to elected officers of each chapter. The Chi Psi Educational Trust realized the need to offer all undergraduates a sequential four unit program that coincides with the four years of college. The result is a comprehensive, four year National Leadership Training Program that begins with the freshman's introduction to college life and study requirements, then turns to self awareness, moves to group and community leadership skills, and concludes with career guidance in the senior year. The benchmark of the final career guidance unit is the mentoring program. Seniors are matched with alumni mentors working in the student's chosen field to provide counseling and to assist them in employment search techniques. For over 150 years, Chi Psi has dedicated itself to refining and elevating fraternal friendship. Concomitant with this realization has been the need to foster more than just friendship by assuming the complimentary role of educator in the name of brotherhood. With its innovative leadership and scholarship programs, small size, committed alumni volunteers, and rich financial resources, Chi Psi looks forward to the challenges of the 21st Century, and to maintaining its status as one of America's preeminent fraternities.