Gamma Eta Gamma () is a co-ed professional law fraternity that was a member of the Professional Fraternity Association. Chapters are limited to law schools on the approved list of the American Bar Association.
History
Gamma Eta Gamma was founded on February 25, 1901, at the University of Maine School of Law as a law fraternity for men. Its founders were Charles Vey Holman, Charles Hickson Reid Jr., and Harold Dudley Greeley.
From the beginning, the fraternity exhorted its members to a high degree of personal and professional conduct. At its founding, the three men who established the Fraternity wrote in their handwriting into the preamble of its constitution: "We the undersigned students of the Law School of the University of Maine, with a view of establishing on this and other schools of law, as well as in the general practice of the profession, an elevated standard of personal deportment, a high code of professional ethics and a broad and catholic development of mental culture and moral character do associate ourselves in the lasting bonds of a fraternal union under the name of Gamma Eta Gamma." Its officers were chancellor, proctor, judge, lictor, sheriff, quaestor, recorder, bailiff, and tipstave. The pledge manual included chapters on how to study law effectively, a chapter on etiquette, and general fraternity information.
The Gamma Eta Gamma annual convention called a Witan, was first held on May 29, 1901. Later, the convention shifted to a biennial basis, with province conferences held in off years. The Beta chapter was installed at the Boston University School of Law on May 24, 1902.
Gamma Eta Gamma published a songbook in 1909 and 1915. In 1912, the fraternity started publishing an annual called The Rescript; it became a semi-annual and, later, quarterly in 1920. Also in 1912, the chapters at Albany and Cornell owned a chapter house, while the chapters at Boston, Creighton, and Indiana rented houses.
By 1976 it had granted 33 charters with a national roster of over 7,000 initiates. By 2017, there was one remaining active chapter, the University of Minnesota Law School in Minneapolis, which is coed. It provides low-cost housing for law students in a Richardsonian Romanesque style house that was built in 1892.
Traditions and insignia Founders' Day is generally held on the founding anniversary, February 25. However, some chapters celebrated the Prandium Cancellari on June 7, the date of the fraternity's first banquet in 1901.
The fraternity's badge is a shield with a lamp, a star, and a Roman fasces or bundle, above the motto. A triangle encloses the letter with on both sides and below a balance. The official badge contains 20 pearls surrounding the shield. The outgoing president or high chancellor is awarded a badge with a diamond border.
The pledge pin is a circular button, with the letters appearing in a circle on a red field, imposed on a triangle, with the rest of the button in black. There is a fasces key, in gold, for alumni who graduated with a law degree, with the letters of the Fraternity name on the face of the key. The colors of the fraternity are red and black.
Governance While the fraternity had multiple chapters, a council of twelve members called the Curia managed the fraternity between conventions. The Curia consists of four elective executive officers and officials from the eight provinces of the fraternity. Eight of these twelve leaders were required to be alumni.
Governance is now held by the University of Minnesota Law School chapter which operates as an informal, local fraternity.
Chapters Following is a list of Gamma Eta Gamma chapters. Inactive groups indicated by italics, the active chapter in bold.
ChapterCharter date and rangeInstitutionLocationStatusAlpha – 1910University of Maine School of LawPortland, MaineInactiveBeta – 1917Boston University School of LawBoston, MassachusettsInactiveGamma – xxxx ?Albany Law SchoolAlbany, New YorkInactiveDelta1908–1932Syracuse University College of LawSyracuse, New YorkInactiveEpsilon1909–1918Cornell Law SchoolIthaca, New YorkInactiveZeta1911–1929University of Michigan Law SchoolAnn Arbor, MichiganInactiveEta – xxxx ?Indiana University Maurer School of LawBloomington, IndianaInactiveTheta – xxxx ?Creighton University School of LawOmaha, NebraskaInactiveIota – xxxx ?Georgetown University Law CenterWashington, D.C.InactiveKappa1915–1917University of Oregon School of LawEugene, OregonInactiveLambda1919–xxxx ?Northwestern University Pritzker School of LawChicago, IllinoisInactiveMu1919–xxxx ?University of Detroit Mercy School of LawDetroit, MichiganInactiveNu1920–xxxx ?University of Chicago Law SchoolChicago, IllinoisInactiveXi1920–xxxx ?Fordham University School of LawManhattan, New York City, New YorkInactiveOmicron1920–xxxx ?University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of LawBaltimore, MarylandInactivePi1921–1931University of Illinois College of LawChampaign, IllinoisInactiveRho1922–xxxx ?Ohio State University Moritz College of LawColumbus, OhioInactiveSigma1922–xxxx ?USC Gould School of LawLos Angeles, CaliforniaInactiveTau1922–1928Vanderbilt UniversityNashville, TennesseeInactiveUpsilon1923–xxxx ?University of Wisconsin–MadisonMadison, WisconsinInactivePhi1923–xxxx ?University of IowaIowa City, IowaInactiveChi1924University of Minnesota Law SchoolMinneapolis, MinnesotaActiveOmega1925–1929Washington University in St. LouisSt. Louis County, MissouriInactiveBeta Gamma1927–xxxx ?Wake Forest UniversityWinston-Salem, North CarolinaInactiveBeta Delta1929–xxxx ?Duke UniversityDurham, North CarolinaInactiveBeta Epsilon1930–xxxx ?Louisiana State UniversityBaton Rouge, LouisianaInactiveBeta Zeta1930–1932Case Western Reserve UniversityCleveland, OhioInactiveBeta Eta1931–xxxx ?George Washington UniversityWashington, D.C.InactiveBeta Kappa1931–xxxx ?Catholic UniversityWashington, D.C.InactiveBeta Theta1931–xxxx ?Santa Clara University School of LawSanta Clara, CaliforniaInactiveBeta Mu1934–xxxx ?DePaul UniversityChicago, IllinoisInactiveBeta Nu1950–xxxx ?University of VirginiaCharlottesville, VirginiaInactive
Notable members
NameChapterNotabilityW. Russell ArringtonPiattorney, Illinois House of Representatives, and Illinois State SenateJohn L. BatesAlpha honoraryGovernor of Massachusetts, lawyerJohn B. Bennettattorney and United States House of Representatives Homer Boneattorney, U.S. Senator, United States circuit judgeThomas Leo BrownBeta Kappapolitician and United States circuit judgeHeriot Clarksonjustice of the North Carolina Supreme CourtWarren A. ColeBeta Businessman and lawyerBly, Betsy K., ed. (2000). The Paedagogus (48th ed.). Indianapolis: Lambda Chi Alpha. pp. 62, 64.Edward Matthew CurranUnited States district judgeJoseph DainowBeta Epsilonprofessor of law at Louisiana State UniversityL. B. DayThetajustice of the Nebraska Supreme CourtLucilius A. EmeryAlpha honoraryjustice of the Maine Supreme Judicial CourtMichael Fanslerjustice of the Indiana Supreme CourtGeorge S. Fitzgerald Attorney and politicianJohn H. GillisjudgeMartin H. GlennGamma honoraryGovernor of New YorkWilliam H. HamptonDeltalawyer, politician, and U.S. CommissionerAlbert H. HendersonEpsilonlawyer, New York State Assembly, and Surrogate of Bronx County"A. H. Henderson Named Surrogate" (PDF). The New York Times. Vol. LXXIX, no. 26390. New York, N.Y. 26 April 1930. p. 4.Sveinbjorn Johnsonattorney general of North DakotaHarold LeVanderChiGovernor of MinnesotaRichard J. McCormicklawyer and Massachusetts State House of Representatives Francis M. McKeownlawyer and Massachusetts State SenateFrank MurphyMuLieutenant governor of MichiganDaniel J. O'MaraDeltaNew York State Assembly and Justice of New York Supreme CourtSamuel E. PingreeAlpha honoraryGovernor of VermontHarold M. RyanMucircuit judge, United States House of Representatives, and Michigan SenateAl SmithGamma honoraryGovernor of New YorkJames C. SoperPiIllinois SenateAlbert SpearAlpha honoraryChief Justice of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court and president of the Maine SenateHarold StassenChipresident of the University of Pennsylvania and governor of MinnesotaMelvin D. SynhorstIowa Secretary of StateAmos TaylorBeta Attorneyf and politicianAndrew P. Wiswell Alpha honoraryjustice of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court
References