# Chi Zeta Chi

Chi Zeta Chi (ΧΖΧ) was an American medical fraternity that was established at the University of Georgia (now Medical College of Georgia) in 1903. It merged with Phi Rho Sigma Medical Fraternity in 1929.

## History

Chi Zeta Chi was established by Dr. Jesse Ainsley Griffin at the Medical Department of the University of Georgia on October 4, 1903. Griffin was a medical doctor in Augusta, Georgia who believed the southern medical schools needed a "high class fraternity". Membership was limited to white males who had completed the first year of medical school. The founding members were:
| N. Whatley W. Battey Jr. Guy Talmadge Bernard John B. Carter Jr. William Hampton Galloway Jesse Ansley Griffin | John Moore Sigman John W. Simmons Jr. Rembert Hugo Thigpen Hugh Rutledge Tison William Preston Turner Jr. |
With the assistance of Battey, Griffin expanded the fraternity to the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University and the New York Polyclinic Medical College. The fraternity held its first conference in Atlanta in April 1905 with delegates from the first six chapters. Later that year, Phi Beta Phi medical fraternity offered to absorb Chi Zeta Chi; the latter declined the offer.
Originally, Chi Zeta Chi named its chapters after a distinguished physician related to the chapter's host institution. However, the fraternity adopted a new naming system based on the Greek alphabet at its third annual convention on January 8, 1909.
The fraternity was overseen by a Supreme Council and its designated Grand Council. It also had a regent for each state which it called a province.
By 1927, the fraternity had installed 27 collegiate chapters; however, eight were defunct because their host institution closed and seven were inactive. On April 6, 1929, in Cincinnati, Chi Zeta Chi signed an agreement to merge into Phi Rho Sigma Medical Fraternity.

## Symbols

The letters ΧΖΧ in the fraternity's name stood for Chrisanthenes Zono Chrismon or "Seeking Knowledge Our Highest Pursuit".
The fraternity's colors were gold and purple. Its flower was the white carnation. The fraternity's badge consisted of two triangles superimposed on each other to create a six-pointed star. The lower triangle was base up and gold, with the Greek letter Χ in the upper two corners and Ζ in the lower corner, in black enamel. The upper triangle was base down and had a black enamel background that had an inlaid gold skull and crossbones above the Greek word iatros, meaning physician. The top triangle has a border of pearls and amethyst or ruby in each corner.
Chi Zeta Chi also had a grand chapter badge which was a solid gold key engraved with the fraternity's coat of arms on a square flare. Its pledge pin was a round purple plaque made of celluloid that featured two hollow triangles, like those of the badge, outlined in gold. The fraternity also had an identification badge that was a replica of the coat of arms in bronze.

## Chapters
### Collegiate chapters

Following are the chapters of Chi Zeta Chi. Inactive chapters at the time of the merger, and inactive institutions are indicated in italics.
| Chapter | Original name | Chartered date and range | Institution | Location | Status |
| Alpha | Milton Antony | October 4, 1903 – April 6, 1929 | University of Georgia Medical Department | Augusta, Georgia | Merged |
| Beta | Francis Delafield | May 1904–1919 | Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons | New York City, New York | Inactive |
| Gamma | J. Marion Sims, Prime | June 1904–1905 | New York Polyclinic Medical College | New York City, New York | Inactive |
| Delta | Louis McLane Tiffany | October 14, 1904 – April 6, 1929 | University of Maryland Medical Department | Baltimore Maryland | Merged |
| Epsilon | W. F. Westmoreland Sr. | October 25, 1904 – October 1913 | Atlanta College of Physicians and Surgeons | Atlanta, Georgia | Consolidated |
| Zeta | Edmund Rhett Walker | October 14, 1905 – 1913 | Baltimore Medical College | Baltimore, Maryland | Consolidated |
| Eta | William Osler | 1905–1906 | Johns Hopkins University Medical Department | Baltimore, Maryland | Inactive |
| Theta | Richard Douglas | May 1906–1919 | Vanderbilt University Medical Department | Nashville, Tennessee | Inactive |
| Iota | J. Marion Sims, Bis. | 1906–1907 | South Carolina Medical College | Charleston, South Carolina | Inactive |
| Kappa | Crawford W. Long | November 1, 1906 – October 1913 | Atlanta School of Medicine | Atlanta, Georgia | Consolidated |
| Lambda | Heber Jones | October 14, 1906 – April 6, 1929 | University of Tennessee Medical Department | Memphis, Tennessee | Merged |
| Mu | Stanford Emerson Chaillé | November 1906 – April 6, 1929 | Tulane University Medical Department | New Orleans, Louisiana | Merged |
| Nu | James Anthony Dibrell | November 15, 1906 – April 6, 1929 | University of Arkansas Medical Department | Little Rock, Arkansas | Merged |
| Xi | William Beaumont | November 26, 1906 – April 6, 1929 | St. Louis University Medical Department | St. Louis, Missouri | Merged |
| Omicron | John D. Hodges | January 6, 1906 – April 6, 1929 | Washington University in St. Louis Medical Department | St. Louis, Missouri | Merged |
| Pi | James M. G. Carter | December 6, 1907 – 1909 | University of Illinois College of Physicians and Surgeons | Chicago, Illinois | Inactive |
| Rho | John S. Lynch | February 1, 1908 – 1915 | Baltimore College of Physicians and Surgeons | Baltimore, Maryland | Consolidated |
| Digamma colony | Norman Bridge | October 1908–1909 | University of Southern California | Los Angeles, California | Inactive |
| Sigma | Willam W. Johnston | February 25, 1908 – 1914 | George Washington University Medical Department | Washington, D.C. | Inactive |
| Tau | J. Marion Sims, Ter. | March 14, 1908 – 1910; 1922 –April 6, 1929 | Jefferson Medical College | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Merged |
| Upsilon | James. J. Walsh | May 20, 1908 – 1921 | Fordham University Medical Department | New York City, New York | Inactive |
| Phi | Daniel Drake | November 8, 1908 – 1915 | Lincoln Memorial University Medical Department | Knoxville, Tennessee | Inactive |
| Chi | John Cowell MacEvitt | February 16, 1909 – 1914 | Long Island Hospital Medical College | Brooklyn, New York | Inactive |
| Psi | Arthur Holmes | February 26, 1910 – April 6, 1929 | Medical College of Virginia | Richmond, Virginia | Merged |
| Omega | | January 2, 1911 – 1913 | Birmingham Medical College (later University of Alabama) | Birmingham, Alabama | Inactive |
| Alpha Alpha | | October 1913 – April 6, 1929 | Emory University School of Medicine | Atlanta, Georgia | Merged |
| Beta Beta | | May 28, 1921 – April 6, 1929 | University of Oklahoma College of Medicine | Norman, Oklahoma | Merged |
| Upsilon Upsilon | | November 12, 1921 – April 6, 1929 | Baylor University Medical Department | Dallas, Texas | Merged |
| | | 1924 – April 6, 1929 | Wake Forest University | Winston-Salem, North Carolina | Merged |
* ↑ This chapter organized in 1902, becoming the first fraternity of the medical school. In 1929, it became the Chi Alpha chapter of Phi Rho Sigma with the national merger of the two fraternities.
* ↑ Chapter went defunct during World War I.
* ↑ Delta chapter consolidated with Zeta in 1913 and Rho in 1915. In 1929, it became the Chi Gamma chapter" of Phi Rho Sigma with the national merger of the two fraternities.
* 1 2 3 Kappa and Epsilon combined in 1915 as the new Alpha Alpha chapter when the Atlanta School of Medicine merged with the Atlanta College of P & S to form the Medical Department at Emory University.
* ↑ This chapter was originally called the W. F. Westmoreland Sr. chapter but was changed to the Robert Battey chapter. Later, it became the Epsilon chapter.
* 1 2 Chapter consolidated with Delta chapter when the Baltimore Medical College merged with the University of Maryland.
* ↑ Chapter officially ended when South Carolina passed an anti-fraternity law. It did operate sub-rosa for a time but was not recognized by the fraternity's Supreme Council. Later, it became the Chi Delta chapter" of Phi Rho Sigma with the national merger of the two fraternities.
* 1 2 Phi chapter consolidated with Lambda chapter when Lincoln Memorial University merged with the University of Tennessee in 1914.
* ↑ The chapter originated at the College of Physicians and Surgeons which was absorbed by the University of Tennessee College of Medicine in Memphis in 1911. In 1929, it became the Chi Epsilon' chapter" of Phi Rho Sigma with the national merger of the two fraternities.
* ↑ In 1929, this chapter merged with the Delta Omicron Alpha chapter of Phi Rho Sigma with the national merger of the two fraternities.
* ↑ In 1929, it became the Chi Zeta chapter" of Phi Rho Sigma with the national merger of the two fraternities.
* ↑ Chapter was formed at the Marion Sims-Beaumont Medical College which became the Medical Department at St. Louis University. In 1929, it became the Chi Eta chapter" of Phi Rho Sigma with the national merger of the two fraternities.
* ↑ In 1929, this chapter merged with the Alpha Delta chapter of Phi Rho Sigma with the national merger of the two fraternities.
* ↑ This chapter was organized but went defunct before it was chartered when the University of Southern California Medical School merged with the University of California Medical School. As a result, it was given an intercalary name instead of the planned Rho prime or Beta Rho.
* ↑ In 1929, this chapter merged with the 'Rho chapter of Phi Rho Sigma with the national merger of the two fraternities.
* ↑ Chapter went dormant when Fordham closed its medical department.
* ↑ In 1929, this chapter merged with the Upsilon chapter of Phi Rho Sigma with the national merger of the two fraternities.
* ↑ In 1929, Alpha Alpha chapter became the Chi Beta chapter of Phi Rho Sigma with the national merger of the two fraternities.
* ↑ After the merger of Chi Zeta Chi with Phi Rho Sigma in 1929, the latter had a Chi Theta chapter at Wake Forest University, indicating that this chapter existed. However, its name and documentation still need to be verified.

### Alumni chapters

Following is a list of Chi Zeta Chi alumni chapters:
| Chapter | Chartered | Location | Status |
| Atlanta Alumni | October 14, 1909 | Atlanta, Georgia | Inactive |
| Memphis Alumni | December 1911 | Memphis, Tennessee | Inactive |
| Augusta Alumni | December 1912 | Augusta, Georgia | Inactive |
| Knoxville Alumni | December 26, 1912 | Knoxville, Tennessee | Inactive |
| New York Alumni | February 4, 1913 | New York City, New York | Inactive |
| St. Louis Alumni | 1920 | St. Louis, Missouri | Inactive |
| Baltimore Alumni | January 3, 1920 | Baltimore, Maryland | Inactive |
| Florida State Alumni | 1921 | Florida | Inactive |
| Missouri State Alumni | 1922 | Missouri | Inactive |
| Hot Springs–Little Rock Alumni | Before 1923 | Hot Springs and Little Rock, Arkansas | Inactive |
| New Orleans Alumni | Before 1923 | New Orleans, Louisiana | Inactive |
* ↑ Chapter was rechartered in 1922 to modernize its original charter.
* ↑ The St. Louis Alumni chapter applied for its chapter in the fall of 1915. It was approved in December 1915 but was not issued until 1920.

## Notable members

* Bradbury Robinson, football player and physician