Acacia Fraternity was founded on May 12, 1904 at the University of Michigan by fourteen Master Masons. The group was an outgrowth of the University of Michigan Masonic Club. Acacia's founders established a fraternity on a new basis. Membership was restricted to those who had already taken the Masonic obligations, and the organization was to be built on the ideals and principles inculcated by the vows already taken by Master Masons. The members were to be motivated by a desire for high scholarship and of such character that the fraternity house would be free of the social vices and unbecoming activities that for years had been a blot on the fraternity life of the nation. Within one year, four other Masonic clubs received Acacia charters paving the way for rapid expansion in the following years.

Since Acacia's founding in 1904, changes in the student enrollment of American colleges and universities have resulted in changes in membership requirements from time to time. Today, members are no longer required to belong to the Masonic Fraternity. However, since Acacia was founded by members of the Masonic Fraternity, it still enjoys an informal spiritual tie to Masonry. Many Acacians eventually join the Masonic Fraternity, and Masonic lodges and individual masons have been an invaluable service to Acacia chapters over the years; this relationship, however is voluntary.

The evolution and development of Acacia over the years has resulted in a fraternity considerably different from what the founders originally envisioned. But, each major change has been an adaptation to the needs of new conditions, and each has permitted the fraternity to grow in reputation, influence, and strength. The future will undoubtedly require further change, but so long as Acacia continues to stand for high scholarship, fraternal brotherhood, and human service, the intentions of the founders will be well realized.

Local
The Millersville Chapter of Acacia began as an idea, conceived by Brad Skiles in the winter of 1987 in Bard Hall. The inspiration for the idea came from Todd Skiles, Brad's brother, an Acacian at Shippensburg University. Brad obtained the names of 25 interested men with the help of Mark Hess and, after contacting the Acacia National Headquarters, Millersville became an official Colony. Sixteen of the 25 men began the four-week pledge program, and temporary officers were elected. When the four-week pledge program was completed, the executive council of the Acacia Chapter initiated the sixteen. Thus, the Acacia Chapter of Millersville University was founded on May, 2, 1987. The chapter was officially chartered on April 23, 1988.