# Alpha Delta Alpha

Alpha Delta Alpha (ΑΔΑ) was an American fraternity that was established in 1920. It ceased operation as a national in December 1934 with six chapters continuing as local organizations, and of these, at least three eventually merged into another national fraternity.

## History

Alpha Delta Alpha was founded at Coe College in 1920 as a local scientific and radio society, emerging out of a radio club that had existed for the previous decade. Shortly thereafter, it became a national fraternity when it merged with a similar society at the University of Iowa.
By 1923 it had shifted focus to become a general social fraternity, adding chapters at six additional regional institutions in Iowa and Indiana. A merger was discussed with Beta Phi Theta in the early 1930's but was not consummated.
The organization was dissolved in December 1934, at a national meeting held in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Baird's notes no single national successor group, However, several chapters continued as locals, sooner or later joining other national fraternities.
The Gamma chapter at the University of Northern Iowa was present for nine years after the national was disbanded, operating as a local fraternity according to that institution's yearbooks. Due to World War II enlistment, by 1944 all fraternity activity on the campus appears to have ceased; no fraternities are shown in the 1944 yearbook; the sororities at Northern Iowa continued in operation. On that campus, other fraternities resumed in 1946 but these did not include Alpha Delta Alpha.
The Beta chapter appears to have withdrawn from ΑΔΑ by 1924, forming (or reforming) as a local for three years. Some of its members went on to join a new chapter of Theta Tau on that campus.
In 1935, the Eta chapter joined Alpha Kappa Pi, a national organization that later merged into Alpha Sigma Phi.

## Symbols

The badge of Alpha Delta Alpha was an equilateral triangle, one point down, having a border of 21 pearls. The inner triangle was formed of black enamel with a single pearl, a radio antenna, and the letters Α, Δ and Α.
The fraternity's colors were red, white, and purple.

## Chapters

The Baird's Manual Archive notes the formation of eight chapters by 1932. Active chapters at the time of dissolution in December 1934 listed in bold, inactive chapters listed in italics.
| Name | Chartered | Institution | Location | Status |
| Alpha | 1920–1946 | Coe College | Cedar Rapids, Iowa | Active, (local) (later, to ΛΧΑ) |
| Beta | 1921–1924 | University of Iowa | Iowa City, Iowa | Withdrew, (local) (later, to ΘΤ) |
| Gamma | 1923–1943 | Iowa State Teachers College (now UNI) | Cedar Falls, Iowa | Active, (local) |
| Delta | 1926–1936 | Buena Vista University | Storm Lake, Iowa | Active, (local) |
| Epsilon | 1927–1934 | Simpson College | Indianola, Iowa | Inactive |
| Zeta | 1928–1936 | Hanover College | Hanover, Indiana | Active, (local) (later, to ΣΧ) |
| Eta | 1930–1935 | Tri-State College (Trine) | Angola, Indiana | Active, (local) (later, to ΑΣΦ) |
| Theta | 1932–1947 | Upper Iowa University | Fayette, Iowa | Active, (local) |
* ↑ Alpha chapter originated out of a Radio Club (local) that had formed on the Coe campus in 1910. After dissolution in December 1934 this chapter continued as a local, then became the Zeta–Alpha chapter of Lambda Chi Alpha, in 1946.
* ↑ This chapter appears to have fizzled as ΑΔΑ by 1924, straddling the line between social and professional. Some members continued as Chi Delta Sigma (local, professional technology) per the 1925 yearbook, and a few years later some ΧΔΣ members would join Theta Tau, but not all. This appears to have been a consolidation, as Theta Tau's Omicron chapter had already formed by 1923.
* ↑ This chapter originated as Gamma Kappa Delta (local) in 1925. It appears to have gone inactive at the time of national dissolution.
* ↑ This chapter originated as Sigma Lambda Chi (local) in 1924. After dissolution, it revived the dormant Chi chapter of Sigma Chi in 1936.
* 1 2 Tri-State University was renamed Trine University in 2008.
* ↑ This chapter originated as Phi Lambda Tau (local) in 1924. After dissolution of ΑΔΑ it became the Alpha Beta chapter of ΑΚΠ in 1935. In 1946, ΑΚΠ merged into ΑΣΦ, where the chapter became the Beta Omicron chapter of that fraternity.
* ↑ This chapter originated as Delta Chi Upsilon (local) in 1908. It appears to have lingered for some years as a local fraternity after the national dissolution.