Alpha Delta Phi Society
Brunonian Chapter
Brunonian Chapter
The Alpha Delta Phi Society is a diverse, gender-inclusive community of friends that encourage each other's passions and have lots of fun along the way. Whether you find us hanging out in the lounge, singing in the pine room, playing video games in the TV room, or baking in the kitchen, you can expect excellent company, meaningful conversation, and boundless shennanigans. We celebrate our Society's rich history and traditions, but most importantly, we care deeply for one another and develop lifelong friendships. If the Alpha Delta Phi Society sounds like a place you'd like to call home, stop by anytime—we'd love to meet you!
Founded in 1836, four years after Alpha Delta Phi's inception, the Brunonian Chapter was the first Greek-letter organization established at Brown. In 1973, the Chapter opened its doors to women. In 1992, the Brunonian Chapter became a founding member of the Alpha Delta Phi Society, which welcomes people of all genders as full and equal members.
You can also visit our instagram here!
What is rushing?
Rushing provides an opportunity to meet the siblings of the ADPhi Society, visit our social spaces, and get a feel for the community of our house. During rush, which starts with the spring semester, we host events every week to feature the different aspects of our organization, from poetry to karaoke and much more! We encourage everyone to rush; we love making new friends! To the left are some pictures from our events!
When is rush?
Rush begins in late January and continues throughout the month of February. Rush is only a few weeks, so we encourage you to come around house as much as possible so we can get to know you better!
When are bids given out?
Bids are typically given out towards the end of rush. For more general information about rush, visit Brown Greek Council's website.
Who can I contact?
You can contact any of our lovely rush chairs!
Cookies and Crochet
Jan. 24 5-7PM
Corliss-Bracket Lounge (45 Prospect St.)
Crocheting and home-baked goods in a dark academia mansion? Dare I say more...
Plants & Poetry
Feb. 5 8:30-11PM
Friedman Hall Room 101
Join us in living the cottage-core lifestyle by writing poetry on pots and walking away with your own botanical beauty!
Murder Mystery
Feb. 7 8-11PM
Alpha Delta Phi Lounge (Goddard)
Our most popular event is back! Spent your childhood imitating Nancy Drew? Join ADPhi’s own Mystery Inc. and see if you can crack the code!
Midnight Writing Marathon
Feb. 8 10PM-1AM
Corliss-Bracket (45 Prospect St)
Write till midnight in every form from mysteries to sonnets to comedy, complete with milk, cookies, and category prizes!
Egg Drop By to ADPhi
Feb. 9 12-2PM
Foxboro Auditorium (Kassar)
Don’t be a chicken! Egg Drop by for a fresh brunch, and put your building skills to the test. Will your egg survive?
Super Society Super Bowl Social
Feb. 9 6-10PM
Smith-Buonano Room 201
Watch the Super Bowl with us, complete with food, drink, and friends! Not your thing? Festive crafts and extra friends included!
Inclusion Tea
Feb. 12 5-7PM
Friedman Hall Room 208
Enjoy a relaxing tea party, play board games, complete challenges, and learn about how Alpha Delta Phi creates an amazing environment in a Q&A!
What is the ADPhi Society?
The Alpha Delta Phi Society is a gender-inclusive literary society dedicated to developing character, scholarship, and enduring friendships. Our mission is to bring together a diverse and supportive community, foster intellectual and personal growth, and cultivate passionate individuals of good character and integrity. As a living, breathing organization rooted in a tradition of shared values, we proudly redefine what it means to be a Greek-letter organization.
Are there other chapters of the ADPhi Society?
In addition to the Brunonian chapter, the ADPhi Society has active chapters in places such as MIT, George Washington University, and Wesleyan University. The ADPhi Society also has affiliates at University of Pennsylvania, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Ursinus College, and more.
How do I get to the ADPhi Society?
The ADPhi Society is located in Goddard House on Patriot’s Court, near the Sharpe Refectory. Goddard House is directly across from the gate to Wriston Quad on Thayer Street, and has a green swing and picnic tables right out front.
What kind of facilities does the ADPhi Society have?
In addition to the highest number of single dormitory rooms available on Wriston Quad, the ADPhi Society has numerous social rooms. Our spacious and comfortable lounge is an excellent space for both school work and socializing with friends. Holding our large collection of books, our library is another great place for studying and reading. Our game room and TV room can provide hours of entertainment, with a pool table, countless board games, multiple game consoles, and plenty of cozy couches. Our fully stocked kitchen is a great place to prepare meals and plenty of baked goods. On the weekends, you'll often find Alpha Delts enthusiastically singing our traditional songs in the Pine Room.
How Greek is the ADPhi Society?
The close-knit and supportive community of the Alpha Delta Phi Society embodies the principle of siblinghood that the words “fraternity” and “sorority” invoke. However, the ADPhi Society is quite different from traditional perceptions of other Greek organizations, hosting Friday afternoon tea and literary events. Most of our members never expected to join a Greek house. That being said, we are still a 180-plus-year-old Greek society with our own traditions and secrets.
Why should I consider joining the ADPhi Society?
In addition to our various social rooms and centrally-located house, the ADPhi Society has a strong community centered around the ideals of caring, trust, commitment, and respect. Here, new friendships are forged, and existing friendships are strengthened. Many of us couldn't imagine our experience at Brown without the community we've found in the Alpha Delta Phi Society. Together, we support and challenge one another, exchange ideas, and encourage each other to pursue our passions.
What is rushing?
See Above for pledging info + rush calendar!
What does pledging involve?
Pledging is a process which helps to both build our community and introduce our pledges to the ideals of the ADPhi Society. We like to keep our pledging process private, but rest assured that we never haze, belittle, or abuse anyone. Through this process, pledges learn about the traditions of the ADPhi society and forge strong bonds with both their fellow pledges and the members who help them along the way. If you are interested in joining the ADPhi Society, you'll have plenty of opportunity to talk with us more seriously about the pledging process.
To be updated!
From 1836 until 1904, except for a ten-year period of inactivity from 1841 to 1851, the Brunonian Chapter thrived without the benefit of residential quarters. The brothers met first in a small room at University Hall, then at Old Arnold Block on North Main Street. We at last became a residential society in 1904, when Brother John D. Rockefeller Jr., class of 1897, purchased and renovated the mansion at 54 College Street. In 1952, Alpha Delta Phi sold the mansion, now the Department of East Asian Studies, to Brown University and transitioned to our present home on Wriston Quad “without loss of fraternal spirit.”
In 1973, the Brunonian chapter began to admit women, a highly controversial move as the chapter was then a member of the all-male Alpha Delta Phi Fraternity. The Brunonian chapter banded together with other functionally co-ed chapters and demanded equal status for their female members. After 17 long years of debate, in 1990 the Alpha Delta Phi was split into two organizations, the all-male Fraternity and the mixed Society, which would allow single-sex as well as co-ed chapters. To date, all six chapters and four affiliates of the Alpha Delta Phi Society admit members of any gender.
Today, the Brunonian Chapter is a leader in the Alpha Delta Phi Society and we aim to be a role model for strong, supportive, healthy communities at Brown. By balancing our strong literary tradition with the more traditional fraternal aim of providing a relaxing social atmosphere for our members, Alpha Delta Phi has set a standard that lasts to the present.
For a detailed history of Alpha Delta Phi, please select one of the articles below:
Biography of Samuel Eells -- our fearless founder, who lived a short and painful life but made a name for himself in the process.
History of the Fraternity System -- Unhappiness with student life not only created the Greek system, but radically changed it several times over.
The Founding of Alpha Delta Phi -- Sammy's vision of "a society of a higher nature" and his successful attempts to spread the wealth.
History of the Brunonian Chapter -- The ADPhi Society transforms student life at Brown, again and again.
History of Coeducation in Alpha Delta Phi -- In which the Brunonians have their women members accepted and recognized as brothers and eventually help create the Alpha Delta Phi Society.
Chapters of the Society -- The current chapters of the Alpha Delta Phi Society.
For over 50 years, Alpha Delts have called the east wing of Goddard House, overlooking Patriot's Court on the Wriston Quadrangle, home. Although we have not enjoyed the benefits of owning our own house for many years, Alpha Delts have made the best of the situation by investing substantially in the upkeep and beautification of our social rooms. From the wood paneling in the game room to the tiered seats in the TV room to the foosball table to the original paneling in bedrooms 142 and 144 to the pool table to the grandfather clock in the stairwell to the Steinway piano in our lounge, much of our history is still there for Alpha Delts to enjoy.
When older alumni return to the house after many years, they are first amazed at how much has changed, then they remark with even more surprise at how much has remained the same. Although the men and women who live in the house today have little in common superficially with the men who lived here in 1952, nothing has remained more constant than the tempering of respect for our past with vision for our future.
Contact Information
Please use the following address for all written correspondence.
Alpha Delta Phi Society
Brown University
Box 1156
Providence, RI 02912
For general correspondence, please e-mail the Vice President: kayley_newlin@brown.edu