The establishment of the Toronto Chapter was an important event in the history of the Fraternity since it marked its entrance into the international field. This initial move was followed by the establishment of chapters at McGill University, Montreal, in 1897, and at the University of British Columbia in 1926.

The Toronto Chapter Charter was granted to a group which had formed in April 1892, for the express purpose of petitioning Alpha Delta Phi. The group was carefully chosen from graduate and undergraduate members of the University and included three prominent members of the faculty. The petition was considered by the convention held in Utica in May, 1892, and the petitioning body was carefully investigated by several delegations that visited Toronto in 1892-93.

Subsequently the charter was granted in May 1893, and as many as possible for the Provisional Society proceeded to New York to be initiated on June 10 under the auspices of the Columbia Chapter with Brother Clarence A. Seward, President of the Fraternity presiding.

The new members were accompanied to Toronto by two brothers of the Columbia Chapter and on June the thirteenth the remaining members of the group were initiated. A chapter house was immediately secured, the first to be established at the University, and since then the chapter has enjoyed a successful career. It has been honoured by the election of several of its members as officers of the Fraternity. The Toronto Chapter was only preceded by only two other fraternities on the campus, Zeta Psi and Kappa Alpha.

During the Great War of 1914-18, the Toronto Chapter acquitted itself with merit. Over one hundred members were in the service and of these eighteen were killed. In the spring of 1916 a curious situation arose. All the active members of the chapter were on active service, but the Executive Council adopted a resolution to the effect that the members were to be regarded as on leave of absence. Hence the charter was neither suspended nor revoked. The Chapter is grateful to the seven graduates who supervised the resumption of chapter activities in January 1919.

During World War II over one hundred and fifty members served in the forces. The active chapter, although forced to carry on with greatly reduced members, continued its activities successfully. Since the war, the Chapter has flourished and its active membership now stands at forty. Brother Colin Gibson, a member of this Chapter was elected President in 1948.

Due to the expansion of the University, in 1964 the Chapter House moved to its current location of 94 Prince Arthur Avenue. Although the initial move off campus proved to be a challenge to the recruitment of Brothers, over the years the Chapter has maintained its standards and reputations within the Fraternity and University communities.

Over the past few decades, the Toronto Chapter has flourished in its new house. It has consistently ranked as one of the top three fraternities on campus and has maintained its credentials of producing men of leadership at the University. In 1977 Toronto was honoured to host the International Convention and three years later won the Outstanding Chapter Award. With its prime location located in the heart of three major universities in Toronto, the Toronto Chapter is no longer exclusively open to the men attending the University of Toronto. It has embraced brothers from Ryerson and York University, as well as students from the Ontario College of Art and Design (OCAD). Brothers from a variety of background and education continue to contribute to the high scholastic and athletic standards that the Fraternity upholds. Today the Toronto Chapter has held to its aim to develop the whole man, intellectually and spiritually. The future is full of promise and the brothers are ready for the challenges ahead.