Excerpt from The Story of Student Government in the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill by Albert Coates and Gladys Hall Coates, pp. 121-22.

"For years after the opening of the University in 1795, the Dialectic (Di) and Philanthropic (Phi) Societies satisfied the fraternizing spirit among the students. But their numbers grew to the point that the societies excused attendance of juniors and seniors in order to make room for new members. These students naturally sought new affiliation, and students of similar tastes began to draw together in exclusive groups known as "secret clubs" which flourished under cover.

"As early as 1842, the trustees of the University came out with a resolution opposing secret and exclusive clubs as not less injurious 'to the regularly established Literary Societies in the University than to the cause of good morals and sound learning,' and ordered the faculty to suppress them and receive no student unless he pledged not to join them. The Di and Phi literary societies supported this trustees action but with some misgivings. A resolution was passed after being lost at two previous meetings: 'Resolved, That the Philanthropic & Dialectic Societies concur in the opinion of the Trustees that secret associations are injurious both to the regularly constituted Literary Societies & the institution, and that they will heartily cooperate with them in their endeavors to effect their suppression now and hereafter.'

"A committee member stated that, when the committee conferred with Governor Swain, he said that he as agent for the trustees ' would be satisfied with nothing less than passage of the Resolution.' "

"These suppressing efforts evidently succeeded for a while but by 1851 secret clubs began to reappear, and less than ten years later an article in the University Magazine, October 1860, set their total number between ten and fifteen. A few survived the Civil war and they petitioned the trustees for recognition at reopening of the University; they were again refused. But though the doors were closed to their admission, they kept coming in at the windows, and in 1885, the faculty recommended and the trustees 'granted the admission of all fraternities or Greek letter societies on condition that they provide the Faculty with the names of their members and would pledge themselves not to use intoxicating liquors at any banquet given in Chapel Hill.' The trustees authorized the faculty to admit others in the future who met these conditions.

Excerpt from The Story of Student Government in the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill by Albert Coates and Gladys Hall Coates, p. 164

"Each fraternity within limits made its own rules of fraternity house conduct. In 1912, all fraternities joined the Panhellenic Council as an advisory body with power to recommend rules of conduct. In 1919 with the adoption of a new constitution its rules became binding on all fraternities when passed by a five-sixths vote. The Interfraternity Council replaced the Panhellenic Council in 1926 and had 'practically unlimited powers in regard to affairs common to fraternities.' It worked in cooperation with the faculty committee on fraternities and the Student Council, exercised general control over conduct, drew up regulations as to time of initiation, time of pledging, scholastic standards, rushing procedure, etc., and acted as a clearinghouse for all problems relating fraternities.

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