| Phi Lambda Alpha | |
|---|---|
| ΦΛΑ | |
 | |
| Founded | November 26, 1920; 105 years ago (1920-11-26) University of California, Berkeley |
| Type | Social |
| Affiliation | Independent |
| Status | Merged |
| Merge date | December 26, 1931 |
| Successor | Phi Iota Alpha |
| Emphasis | Latino |
| Scope | North America |
| Motto | Semper Parati Semper Juncti |
| Publication | Boletin de Fi Lambda Alfa |
| Chapters | 7 |
| Headquarters | United States |
Phi Lambda Alpha (ΦΛΑ) was the first Latin American–based Greek lettered collegiate fraternity in theWestern United States. It was established on November 26, 1920.[1] It merged to formPhi Iota Alpha in 1931.
Phi Lambda Alpha was a local fraternity established on November 26, 1920, at the University of California, Berkeley by twelve individuals.[2][1][3] These founding members were Enrique Munguia Benitez, Luis Obispo Benoist, Horacio Peter Gabriel Madero, Raul Ramirez, Alfonso Samper, Abel Santos, Jesus Elias Sasaeta, Santiago Sompre, Gustavo Stahl, Juan Valenzuela, and Douglas Weatherston. It established communications withPi Delta Phi, established in 1916 atMassachusetts Institute of Technology by the following eleven individuals: Nemesio Alvare y Gomez, Segundo Heliodoro Ayala, Rodolfo Lucio Fonseca, Eduardo Germain, Viviano Llano Valdés, Marcial Ernesto Martínez Vilches, Roberto José Ottonello, José Augusto Padilla, Luciano Atilio Preloran, Enrique Rivero Monasterio, and Antonio Helier Rodriguez y Cintra.[4][5][6][7][8][3] Later, they included a non-Greek letter secret society, theUnion Hispano Americana, established atRennselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1898.[3][9] The three organizations merged, adopting the name of Phi Lambda Alpha Fraternity on June 19, 1921, inNew York City, New York.[3] The new fraternity adopted Pi Delta Phi's distinctive emblem and constitution and the goals and motto of Union Hispano American.
After Phi Lambda Alpha was organized, other societies joined as new chapters. The Club Latino-Americano founded in 1919 atColorado School of Mines became theDelta chapter in 1927.[3] The Federación Latino-Americana founded in 1926 atColumbia University joined in 1928 as theEpsilon chapter.[3] The Club Hispania founded in 1929 atCornell University, joined in 1931 as theZeta chapter.[3] The Club Hispano-Americano founded in 1921 ofTri-State College joined in 1929 as theEta chapter.[3] In addition, theAlfa Tenoxtitlan Militant chapter was established in 1929 by alumni of Phi Lambda Alpha in Mexico.[10]
On December 26, 1931, Phi Lambda Alpha merged withSigma Iota fraternity to formPhi Iota Alpha.[3] In 1934 graduate members of former Sigma Iota, Phi Lambda Alpha, and current Phi Iota Alpha in Puerto Rico, joinedPuerto Rican fraternity Sigma Delta Alpha, and reorganized the latter asPhi Sigma Alpha.[11]
Phi Lambda Alpha's motto wasSemper Parati Semper Juncti. Its annual publication wasBoletin de Fi Lambda Alfa.[3]
Following are the chapters of Phi Lambda Alpha.[3][12]
| Chapter | Charter date and range | Institution | Location | Status | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alpha | June 19, 1921 – December 26, 1931 | Rennselaer Polytechnic Institute | Troy, New York | Merged (ΦΙΑ) | [a][b] |
| Beta | June 19, 1921 – December 26, 1931 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Cambridge, Massachusetts | Merged (ΦΙΑ) | [c][b] |
| Gamma | June 19, 1921 – December 26, 1931 | University of California, Berkeley | Berkeley, California | Merged (ΦΙΑ) | [1][d][b] |
| Delta | 1927–1931 | Colorado School of Mines | Golden, Colorado | Inactive | [e] |
| Epsilon | 1928 – December 26, 1931 | Columbia University | New York City,New York | Merged (ΦΙΑ) | [f][b] |
| Zeta | 1929 – December 26, 1931 | Cornell University | Ithaca, New York | Merged (ΦΙΑ) | [g][b] |
| Eta | 1931 – December 26, 1931 | Tri-State College | Angola, Indiana | Merged (ΦΙΑ) | [h][b] |
| Alfa Tenoxtitlan Militant | 1929–1931 ? | Mexico | Inactive | [i] |