Rutgers University
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ranging from traditional to historically African-American, Hispanic, Multicultural, and Asian interest organizations. The New Brunswick campus of Rutgers University has a chapter of the only active co-ed Pre-medical Fraternity, Phi Delta Epsilon, as of 2008. Greek organizations are governed by the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs. Twelve organizations maintain chapters in New Brunswick without sanction by the University's administration.
In the late 1800s, the University banned fraternities because of their unusual hazing practices. This caused them to go underground as secret societies. It also sparked the interest of some students to create their own societies. Cap and Skull was founded at Rutgers before the turn of the century.
Alumni
Since 1774, when the entire graduating class consisted of one student, Matthew Leydt, there have been over 335,000 graduates, or alumni, of Rutgers University. Many alumni remain active through alumni associations—including the Rutgers Alumni Association founded in 1831—annual Reunions and Homecomings, and other events. Rutgers alumni are often known as "Loyal Sons", a term of affection dating from the days when Rutgers offered admission only to men. This term, since the dawn of coeducation has been extended to include Rutgers' "Loyal Daughters."
One of Rutgers' most famous alums was Paul Robeson. Robeson, an African American, won an academic scholarship to Rutgers College. When he went out for the football team, other players beat him up and pulled out his fingernails. He bore the
abuse to prove his worth and when he graduated he was a two-time All-American and the school valedictorian, exhorting his classmates to "catch a new vision." Robeson was the third African-American student accepted at Rutgers, and was the only Black student during his time on campus. Robeson was one of three classmates at Rutgers accepted into Phi Beta Kappa. He was valedictorian of his graduating class and one of four students selected in 1919 to Cap and Skull, Rutgers' honor society. A noted athlete, Robeson earned fifteen varsity letters in football, baseball, basketball, and track and field. For his accomplishments as an end in football, he was twice named a first-team All-American in (1917 and 1918). Football coach Walter Camp described him as "the greatest to ever trot the gridiron."
Rutgers has graduated three Nobel Laureates, including Selman A. Waksman (A.B. 1915) in Medicine, Milton Friedman (A.B. 1932) in Economics, and David A. Morse (A.B. 1929), Director-General of the International Labour Organization, who won the Peace Prize in 1969. Several alumni have been awarded the Pulitzer Prize, including Michael Shaara (A.B. 1951), author of The Killer Angels and other historical fiction, in Fiction (1975), journalist Richard Aregood (B.A. 1965) in editorial writing (1985), Roy Franklin Nichols (A.B. 1918) in history (1949), and Junot Díaz in fiction (2008).
Alumni of Rutgers have had a considerable impact in the arts, including those by two noted modern sculptors, George Segal (M.A. 1963) and Alice Aycock (B.A. 1968). Many notable buildings in Boston (the Copley Plaza Hotel), and New