Phi Alpha Gamma (ΦΑΓ) was a professional fraternity for homeopathic medicine founded at the New York Homeopathic Medical College in 1894. Once the largest medical fraternity in the United States, It merged with Phi Chi in 1948.

History

Phi Alpha Gamma was established by seven students at the New York Homeopathic Medical College on March 25, 1894. Its founders were: • Thomas Drysdale Buchanan • Thomas Franklin Davies • Edmund M. De Vol • Robert Mortimer Jones • Brooks De Forest Norwood • Arthur Barr Smith • Harry Sterns Willard The fraternity held its first annual convention at Boston University on November 26, 1896. During the convention, it became a national fraternity by chartering Beta chapter at the Boston University School of Medicine. In January 1897, delegates from the Alpha and Beta chapters met delegates from a similar society called Kappa Delta Upsilon, which had been established the month before at the Hahnemann Medical College of Philadelphia and was considering merging with Phi Alpha Gamma. Phi Alpha Gamma held a Constitutional Convention at the Knickerbocker Athletic Club in New York City on January 26 and 27, 1897 where it adopted a national constitution and chartered Kappa Delta Upsilon as the Gamma chapter. At the convention, the fraternity also adopted the Kappa Delta Upsilon ritual as its own. In 1897, the Delta and Epsilon chapters were formed by absorbing the two chapters of the local fraternity Pi Kappa Tau, established for students of homeopathic medicine. Eight additional chapters were chartered as various medical schools through 1906, for a total of thirteen chapters. By 1901, it was the largest medical fraternity in the United States. In October 1902, the Beta chapter opened its chapter house at 18 Worcester Square. The Phi Alpha Gamma Quarterly publication was authorized at the fifth annual convention in 1900, with the first issue arriving in 1902 The fraternity published a directory in 1905 and 1920. It also published a history in 1912.

Merger with Phi Chi

In 1947, Phi Alpha Gamma was reduced to two active chapters: New York Medical College (Alpha) and Hahnemann Medical College (Gamma). Dr. Albert Saunders of Phi Chi Medical Fraternity worked on the preliminary details of an amalgamation between Phi Alpha Gamma and Phi Chi. At the Phi Chi National Convention of 1947, Saunders's proposal was approved with instructions to the Executive Trustees to complete the merger. The merger of Phi Alpha Gamma with Phi Chi was completed on February 21, 1948. Phi Chi installed the New York Medical College chapter as Phi Alpha chapter and the Hahnemann Medical College chapter as Phi Alpha Gamma chapter. Members of the Alpha Mu, Rho Delta, and Upsilon Sigma chapters of the Phi Chi Alumni Association met in New York City for its annual Founders' Day Banquet. During the banquet, Dr. Jacob E. Reisch initiated the 48 charter members of Phi Alpha and the seven charters members of the then-existing Gamma chapter, ceremonially completing the merger of Phi Alpha Gamma into Phi Chi.

Symbols

The Phi Alpha Gamma badge was a middle phalanx from the little finger of a human hand, mounted in gold, with the letters ΦΑΓ in gold upon a field of black enamel. An amended pledge pin and badge were adopted at the seventeenth annual convention. The fraternity's color was violet, and its flower was the violet.

Members and governance

By 1914, the Phi Alpha Gamma had nearly 3,500 members. The fraternity had four classes of members: undergraduates, alumni, graduates, and honorary. It was overseen by a Grand Chapter that met each year at the fraternity's annual convention.

Chapters

Collegiate chapters

Phi Alpha Gamma consisted of the following collegiate chapters. Inactive chapters and institutions are indicated in italics.

Alumni and graduate chapters