Some of the most well-known men from acting, music, politics and business have come from fraternities. For some college men, it’s an ideal setting to be groomed and prepare for life on the other side of school, to create a network of contacts, create lifelong friendships, and find opportunities for career.
Here are several famous fraternity members and their houses:

Alpha Delta Gamma
• Babe Ruth – Athlete
• George Brett – Athlete
• Chuck Norris – Actor

Alpha Delta Phi
• Ben Stein – Actor

Alpha Epsilon Pi
• Wolf Blitzer – Journalist
• Jerry Lewis – Entertainer
• Paul Simon – Musician
• Mark Zuckerburg – Founder of Facebook

Alpha Gamma Rho
• J.C. Penney – Founder of retail store of same name

Alpha Kappa Lambda
• Chuck Woolery – Game Show Host

Alpha Phi Alpha
• Martin Luther King, Jr. – Activist
• Keenan Ivory Wayans – Entertainer
• Lionel Richie – Singer

Alpha Phi Delta
• Frank Sinatra – Singer
• Tony Danza – Actor

Alpha Phi Omega
• Bill Clinton – Former President


Alpha Sigma Phi
• Vincent Price – Actor
• Warren Buffet – Entrepreneur


Beta Theta Pi
• James Arness – Actor

Chi Phi
• Walter Cronkite – Journalist

Chi Psi
• Bill Belichick – NFL Coach

Delta Chi
• Ashton Kutcher – Actor
• Kevin Costner – Actor

Delta Kappa Epsilon
• George H. W. Bush – Former President
• George W. Bush – Former President
• J.P. Morgan – Entrepreneur
• Dick Clark – Entertainer


Delta Tau Delta
• Drew Carey – Entertainer
• Matthew McConaughey – Actor
• Will Ferrell – Actor


Delta Upsilon
• Tommy Hilfiger – Designer

Kappa Sigma
• Edward R. Murrow – Journalist
• Jimmy Buffett – Singer
• Robert Redford – Actor
• Ted Turner – Entrepreneur

Lambda Chi Alpha
• Benjamin Bratt – Actor
• Kenny Chesney – Singer
• Will Forte – Actor

Pi Kappa Alpha
• Colonel Sanders – Founder KFC
• Bobby Bowden – College Football Coach
• Tim McGraw – Singer
• Jeremy Piven – Actor

Phi Gamma Delta
• Jack Nicklaus – Professional Golfer
• Donald Trump – Entrepreneur
• Matthew Fox – Actor
• Johnny Carson – Entertainer

Phi Kappa Tau
• Paul Newman – Actor, Entrepreneur
• Bob Hope, Entertainer

Psi Upsilon
• Bud Wilkenson – College Football Coach

Sigma Alpha Epsilon
• David Spade – Actor
• Fred Savage – Actor
• Nick Lachey – Singer
• Troy Aikman – Former Pro Football Player

Sigma Chi
• Brad Pitt – Actor
• Andy Rooney – Journalist
• David Letterman – Entertainer
• Mike Ditka – Former Pro Football Player
• Tom Selleck – Actor
• Warren Beatty – Actor
• Matt Groening- Simpson’s Creator

Sigma Nu
• Eli Manning – Pro Football Player
• Paul Rudd – Actor

Sigma Phi Epsilon
• Dave Thomas – Founder of Wendy’s
• Dr. Seuss – Author
• James Naismith – Creator of Basketball

Tau Kappa Epsilon
• Elvis Presley – Singer
• Les Paul – Musician
• Willie Nelson – Singer
• Ronald Reagan – Former President

This week we’ll be talking about the different types of hazing. We’ll begin with the that takes place in sororities and fraternities, as it’s the one most closely associated with the term.

When most people hear the term “hazing” it conjures up images of greek letter orgs. Unfortunately, hazing occurs in many arenas including fraternities and sororities,,athletic teams, student organizations (like marching bands) at both the high school and collegiate levels, and even the military. Most believe that hazing in fraternities and in general is nothing more than silly antics and harmless pranks. This is a direct reflection of what’s been seen on tv and movies such as Animal House. However, what really transcends on college campuses is dramatically different than the humorous images depicted in the big screen. Hazing is abusive, and an inaappropriate leverage of power that can have debilitating and even have life-threatening consequences. Hazing is responsible for deaths in college fraternities and countless more physical injuries including paralysis. Not to mention the devastating emotional effects that can result for so many young men and women who endure verbal abuse.

It seems like a fair question to ask why young men and women engage in such activities just to belong to a group? To really be able to answer, you have to have a deeper understanding of hazing. The key issue is consent to partake in the activity. Many states that have anti-hazing legislation recognize the variable that is the intensity of the peer pressure. It has such a large influence that prevents victims from being able to truly consent to participate in the questionable activities.

Another contributing factor is secrecy. Potential new members don’t know ahead of time the intricate details of what their pledge process will entail. Add to the element of surprise the fact that often times hazing is something that escalates as the pledge class or line is coming closer to completing the process. A sensitive mental state along with fatigue and exhaustion don’t exactly help with having the fortitude to stop the hazing. Another very big factor is the desire to prove that whatever obstacles faced can be overcome. Finding validation in the survival of such a process can be a tremendous pull.

Stay tuned for more on the different types of hazing.