' s ▁establishment ▁in ▁ 1 8 1 9 . ▁Before ▁this ▁time ▁social ▁life ▁at ▁the ▁university ▁was ▁fixed ▁around ▁deb ating ▁soci eties ; ▁the ▁now - def unct ▁Patrick ▁Henry ▁Society , ▁for ▁instance , ▁initially ▁had ▁a ▁membership ▁nearly ▁equal ▁to ▁the ▁size ▁of ▁the ▁student ▁body . ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 8 5 0 s ▁the ▁first ▁frat ern ities ▁began ▁to ▁appear ▁and ▁assumed ▁a ▁significant ▁role ▁in ▁the ▁student ▁body ' s ▁social ▁landscape . ▁In ▁the ▁following ▁dec ades , ▁the ▁university ▁became ▁the ▁birth place ▁of ▁two ▁national ▁frat ern ities ▁and ▁saw ▁many ▁more ▁frat ern ity ▁chap ters ▁char tered . ▁The ▁tw enti eth ▁century ▁saw ▁the ▁system ▁expand ▁even ▁more ▁to ▁include ▁professional ▁frat ern ities , ▁social ▁sor or ities , ▁local ▁frat ern ities , ▁and ▁black ▁frat ern ities ▁and ▁sor or ities . ▁Mov ing ▁into ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 0 s , ▁several ▁new ▁social ▁organizations ▁were ▁founded , ▁and ▁mult icult ural ▁organizations ▁began ▁to ▁rise ▁to ▁prom in ence . ▁▁ 1 8 0 0 s : ▁Deb ating ▁soci eties , ▁secret ▁soci eties , ▁and ▁the ▁creation ▁of ▁frat ern ities ▁ ▁For ▁several ▁dec ades ▁following ▁the ▁found ing ▁of ▁the ▁university , ▁the ▁major ▁student ▁soci eties ▁on ▁grounds ▁were ▁the ▁deb ating ▁soci eties . ▁Several ▁of ▁these ▁soci eties , ▁not ably ▁the ▁Jefferson ▁Liter ary ▁and ▁Deb ating ▁Society ▁and ▁the ▁Washington ▁Liter ary ▁Society