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BIPOC Greek Letter Organizations in the Special Collections and Archives Research Center

About the Divine Nine

The Divine Nine refers to a group of nine historically African-American fraternities and sororities that make up the organization National Pan-Hellenic Council, which was first established in 1930. Four of the nine organizations had OSU chapters that are represented in this guide: Alpha Kappa Alpha, Alpha Phi Alpha, Delta Sigma Theta, Kappa Alpha Psi.

Outside the African-American community, the Divine Nine is most well known for their step show performances that are essentially an annual dance competition between the chapters that made up the Divine Nine membership. The last step show at OSU was staged in 2014 and was publicized as the 12th annual. In 2007, the ASOSU Senate allotted $5000 in contingency funds to support the Divine Nine Step Show.

Resources Documenting the Divine Nine

Archival Resources: All collections listed below are part of SCARC's archival holdings. If materials from those collections have been digitized, it will be noted near the top of the collection's online guide (linked below). Depending on the amount of material and staffing capacity, archival staff may be able to provide digital access to portions of the collections listed below. Please reach out to us by email at scarc@oregonstate.edu to find out more!

  • Student Club and Organization Records
    The Student Club and Organization Records document the approval and recognition of more than 900 student clubs and organizations at Oregon State University. The records include annual review forms, constitutions and by-laws, lists of officers and members, and event registration forms. The Office of Student Involvement provides support services to student organizations and oversees the process for annual recognition of clubs and organizations. Materials documenting the activities of the Divine Nine can be found in Box-Folder 3.08.

Archival Resources Available Online: The digital materials linked to below are hosted online in our digital repository, Oregon Digital, and exist physically in our archives. Canned search results comprised of only those materials relevant to the Divine Nine's history at OSU are linked to below.