Philomathean Society
Founded 1793 - Refounded 1991
History
In 1793, founded at a local academy, was a small society whose goal was to give a place for intellectual growth, that could not be found anywhere else outside the classroom. When Union College was founded two years later in 1795, the society adopted the name of Calliopean Society. In the 1830's, or even the 1840's, with the advent of Greek Letter Societies, this one picked up its Greek letters, KF, Kappa Phi. This was short for Kalliopeia Foibh, Kalliopeia Phoibe, meaning "Bright Kalliope." Kalliope was the one of the nine muses of Greek mythology. Her realm was Epic Poetry, and verse.
It is believed that, somewhere in the late 1890's, the Society split into a fraternity, which called Kappa Phi, and the intellectual society it was founded as.
For whatever reason, at the turn of the century, the Society changed its name to the Philomathean Society.
Over the years, the Society faltered and was dormant. Few records exit of the last 70 years, so we are never really sure.
In 1991, the Society was refounded, and is now on a firm base to head into the future