# Iota Alpha Pi

Iota Alpha Pi (ΙΑΠ) was an international collegiate sorority operating in the United States and Canada from March 3, 1903, to July 1971, when it ceased operations. It was then restarted when Alpha chapter was rechartered at Hunter College in October 2023. As of November 2024, the Alpha chapter has been suspended by Hunter College.

## History

Iota Alpha Pi was the first national sorority for Jewish women. On March 3, 1903, on the campus of New York City, Normal College (now Hunter College), seven young women created a new sorority which they called the J.A.P. club, or "Jay-ay-peez",$^{:80–82}$ focused on religious education and settlement house work.
The founders were:
| Hannah (Finkelstein) Swick Olga (Edelstein) Ecker Sadie (April) Glotzer Rose (Posner) Bernstein | Rose (Delson) Hirschman May (Finkelstein) Spielgel Frances (Zellermayer) Delson$^{:309}$ |
Frances Zellermayer was a sister to Zeta Beta Tau founder Maurice Zellermayer and later married the brother of her fellow founder Rose Delson.
In 1913, with the new name Iota Alpha Pi, the members began the traditional sorority expansion process. The original organizers grouped themselves as Alpha chapter and the succeeding group became Beta chapter. Early expansion was at other schools in the New York Area, Gamma at the Brooklyn Law School, Delta at NYU Washington Square and Epsilon at the New Jersey Law School The Sorority became international in 1929 with the founding of Kappa chapter at University of Toronto, University of Manitoba had a particularly prosperous chapter.
In 1924, a Rotation Scholarship Fund was created, allowing money to be loaned to worthy students by the sorority on the expectation of it being repaid. In 1925 the sorority began creating its own semi-annual bulletin.
Iota joined the National Panhellenic Conference as an associate member in November 1953 and became a full member on November 4, 1957. Although many chapters were planned, Iota Alpha Pi could not keep up with its rapidly growing competitors.
Historian Marianne Sanua recounts the life of Iota Alpha Pi in her book, Going Greek: Jewish College Fraternities in the United States, 1895-1945. The sorority was "not for the especially popular, affluent, or snobbish, but just a group of good friends" (p. 81) The American Jewish Yearbook 5692 describes the sorority as Jewish in a positive way".
By 1966, Iota Alpha Pi had granted a total 23 charters. A report by Wilson Heller indicates that the sorority was strong until 1968. Its national philanthropy wasNational Philanthropy: Muscular Dystrophy Heller posits that the sorority saw dramatic declines in membership, particularly with the cessation of the "Christians only" clause in non-Jewish organizations. As of June 1, 1967 an NPC report indicated that Iota Alpha Pi had eleven chapters, eight alumnae groups and 5,802 sisters and thirteen chapters, eght alumnae groups, and 6,204 members as of June 1, 1969.
In 1969, Iota Alpha Pi established new chapters at the University of Maryland College Park and Hunter College Park Avenue. In July 1971, the international headquarters voted to disband Iota Alpha Pi (Heller). Two chapters went on to affiliate into other national sororities. The Beta Alpha chapter at Penn State joined Alpha Epsilon Phi, while the Upsilon chapter at Rider University eventually affiliated with Delta Phi Epsilon. As of 2008, some alumni continue to hold reunions and other events. However, no formal organization exists to coordinate these gatherings.
In October 2023, Barbara Cardarelli and Cheyanne Weiner restarted Iota Alpha Pi's Alpha chapter at Hunter with the support of Alumni from multiple chapters.

## Symbols

The original name of the sorority was J.A.P. Their publication was The J.A.P. Bulletin. With the name change to Iota Alpha Pi, the magazine was also renamed The Heights.
The first official badge was a scarlet horizontal diamond surrounded by seed pearls, with the Greek letters Ι, Α, and Π in gold. Above the Α, in gold, was a skull and crossbones. Later versions of the badge included two full blown roses at the points of the diamond.
Its colors are red and black. As of 1931, the sorority used in " a diamond of scarlet surrounded by jewels" where a crest would otherwise be used. The flower was a red rose, each new member is given a rose at the end of the installation ceremony.

## Chapters

Chapters of Iota Alpha Pi include the following. Active chapters are indicated in bold. Inactive chapters are in italics.
| Name | Chartered | Institution | Location | Status |
| Alpha | March 3, 1903–1913 | Normal College of the City of New York | New York, NY | Consolidated |
| Beta | 1913–1965; October 2023 | Hunter College | New York, NY | Active |
| Gamma | 1913–1941 ? | Brooklyn Law School | New York, NY | Inactive |
| Delta | 1922–1971 | NYU Washington Square | New York, NY | Inactive |
| Epsilon | 1922–1942, 1946–1947 | New Jersey Law School (Rutgers) | Newark, NJ | Withdrew |
| Zeta | February 27, 1926–1971 | Adelphi University | Garden City, Long Island, NY | Inactive |
| Eta | April 17, 1927–1942 | University of Denver | Denver, CO | Inactive |
| Kappa | 1929–1956 | University of Toronto | Toronto, Ontario, Canada | Inactive |
| Iota | 1930–1970 | Long Island University (Brooklyn) | Brooklyn, NY | Inactive |
| Lambda | 1931–1971 | Brooklyn College (CCNY) | Brooklyn, NY | Inactive |
| Mu | March 27, 1932–1965 | University of Manitoba | Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada | Inactive |
| Nu | October 12, 1935–1971 | Wayne State University | Detroit, MI | Inactive |
| Omicron | 1938–1971 | Queens College (CCNY) | Queens, NY | Inactive |
| Pi | December 13, 1942–1971 | Syracuse University | Syracuse, NY | Inactive |
| Rho | 1946–1956 | Miami University | Oxford, OH | Inactive |
| Sigma | February 1946–1971 | Temple University | Philadelphia, PA | Inactive |
| Upsilon | 1947–1955 | Rider University | Lawrence Township, NJ | Withdrew |
| Phi | October 17, 1954–1971 | University of Illinois | Champaign, IL | Inactive |
| Psi | June 1961–1965 | NYU University Heights | New York, NY | Inactive |
| Omega | | | | Unassigned |
| Beta Alpha | May 5, 1962–1971 | Pennsylvania State University | University Park, PA | Withdrew |
| Beta Beta | 1965–1971 | City College of New York | New York, NY | Inactive |
| Beta Gamma | | | | Unassigned |
| Beta Delta | May 21, 1966–1971 | Cornell University | Ithaca, NY | Inactive |
| Beta Epsilon | 1966–1970 | C.W. Post College (LIU Post) | Brookville, NY | Inactive |
| Beta Eta | 1969–19xx? | University of Maryland | College Park, MD | Inactive |
The Archive notes a 1969 colony as a separate chapter from Alpha and Beta at Hunter College, Park Avenue, but this group did not charter. This appears to be an error and should be clarified as simply an attempt to reestablish itself on the sorority's first campus.
* ↑ Combined with Beta chapter in 1913.
* ↑ Today's Hunter College is a product of several mergers. The Normal College and Hunter College, for a time, appear to have operated units under the same administration. When these merged, the chapters merged.
* ↑ Absorbed Alpha chapter in 1913.
* ↑ By 1969 Brooklyn Law School no longer had a chapter although the date of disbanding is uncertain.
* ↑ Absorbed local sorority ΓΓΓ in 1938. Withdrew to become local ΗΝΤ in 1947.
* ↑ Originated as Theta Gamma Phi (local).
* ↑ Originated as Pi Kappa Epsilon (local) in 1941.
* ↑ Originated as Rho Lambda Phi (local) in 1931.
* ↑ This chapter originated as Pi Eta Sigma (local) in 1925. Withdrew to reform as a local, and in 1962 became the Delta Sigma chapter of Delta Phi Epsilon.
* ↑ Merged into the existing Alpha Zeta chapter of Alpha Epsilon Phi.

## Conventions

Conventions include:
| December 22–27, 1925, New York City December 20–25, 1926, New York City December 20–25, 1927, New York City December 20–25, 1929, New York City December 20–25, 1930, New York City December 20–25, 1931, New York City | December 20–25, 1933, New York City December 22–24, 1934, New York City 33rd Annual Convention, December 21–24, 1935, New York City 34th Annual Convention, December 1936, New York City 35th Annual Convention, December 25–26, 1937, New York City. 36th Annual Convention, December 24–26, 1938, New York City. | 37th Annual Convention, December 23–25, 1939, New York City 38th Annual Convention, December 21–24, 1940, New York City 44th Annual Convention, December 22–24, 1947 Waldorf Astoria, New York City. 1948 Syracuse, New York August 1954, Roney Plaza Hotel, Miami Beach June 22, 1968, Washington D.C. |

## Notable members

* Jill Wine-Banks - (Phi) one of the prosecutors during the Watergate scandal. She was the first woman to serve as US General Counsel of the Army (1977–80)
* Jerry Lewis - (Nu Honorary Pledge) comedian, actor, National Chairman Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA)