Alpha Zeta Literary Society records

For twenty-five years, Phi Delta Literary Society maintained an elite reputation as Berea College’s only literary society. However, when in the fall of 1894 “the society became unwieldy and torn by internal dissension,” twenty young men held separate meetings to form a new society. A committee drew up a constitution “which differed from the constitution of Phi Delta chiefly in that it allowed Academy men to be admitted to the privileges of full membership” and the first official Alpha Zeta meeting was held on October 26, 1894. For the first two years, Alpha Zeta received little respect. However, winning a debate over Phi Delta in 1896, “she was no longer a child…she was strong, respected, proud of the past, and confident for the future.” Much of Alpha Zeta’s activities centered on its debates and annual banquet. The banquet “date[d] back to the school year 1900-01, which was a year of great success in the History of Alpha Zeta.” The debates between the two college literary societies, however, instilled an “absolute frenzy” in the participants.