In 1940 most of the 14 UT fraternities joined in Greek Week in the spring quarter. The purpose of the new week was to extend the pledge experience to encompass aspects of university citizenship and an appreciation for the general fraternity system.
In 1957 the Interfraternity Council initiated Greek Week for the purpose of promoting goodwill between the various fraternities, the university, and the community. In 1982 the week was discontinued but was revived in 1988 to kick off the city of Knoxville’s Art Fest ’88. The revived Greek Week included competition for the Roddy Cup, donated by the Roddy Coca-Cola Bottling Company and to be handed down to each year’s winning Greek organization; incorporation of a Kid’s Day—bringing members of Girls’ and Boys’ Clubs to campus for a day of activities; and a chariot race (in which each group constructed a pullable conveyance in which a member of the sorority or fraternity rode while the device was pulled by other organization members in a race down the road at Fraternity Park). The chariot race was discontinued after a few years because of injuries sustained because of chariots falling apart in midrace or the “horses” tripping and being hit by the chariots.
Activities such as blood drives, volleyball tournaments, placing of chalk crests on the plaza at Presidential Court, scavenger hunts, and tugs-of-war have been featured.