Locals that became TKE chapters
 

I was wondering if anyone had chapter history stories from before chartering. I know my chapter, Theta Mu at University of New Orleans, started in Sept. 29 1958, 20 days after the founding of the university. The local fraternity was called Theta Phi because the founding fathers had every intention of becoming a TKE chapter, and they assumed that they would become Theta Phi chapter after a charter was granted. As it turned out, we became Theta Mu on May, 5, 1961. We take pride in being the first greek organization on campus as well as the first with national affiliation. Our history is a big part of that although much of it has been lost to time. One of our fraters has been trying to contact the Louisiana attny. general, one of our founding fathers, because many of the symbols and ritual of Theta Phi have been lost. Does anyone have any pre-charter stories they can share. For example, im interested in how Scorpion chapter got that designation.

I'm sure Erik could give you more info than you'd ever want or need...lol

I know my own chapter (Beta-Omega at Missouri State) was once called Tri-C, which stood for Camden Country Club.

From Erik
 

The Sigma chapter of TKE at Cornell went inactive back in the 30s. There was a local at
Cornell (actor Dan Duryea was in the chapter). They approached TKE about becoming a
chapter, but they wanted to keep the name "Scorpion." Since Scorpion started with an S
as Sigma did, TKE agreed and ever since it has been known as Scorpion chapter instead
of Sigma. At the Conclave in '59 a skirmish developed whether they were allowed to keep
the designation Scorpion or would have to now revert to Sigma. Fair is fair said the fraters,
and Scorpion is OFFICIALLY, now and forever, the chapter.
:)

Hopefully He will get back on soon!!!

Delta Epsilon's story
 

Greetings Fraters! I had the fortunate opportunity of editing our history when we created our new webpage last year. Here I present to you three excerpts from it telling the story of the Delta Epsilon chapter's founding at Cleveland State University (actually, at the time of the founding in 1932 it was Fenn College, which renamed itself Cleveland State University when it became an Ohio state college in 1964). The full history can be read at our (now unused) website: http://tke-csu.org/wp/history/

YITB,
Chris Dolton, DE943, LLT

1932
October 6th - Ten students from the business school of Fenn College meet in the Johnson Building of the downtown YMCA and start a social fraternity for members of the Business School. The Greek name they choose, Beta Beta Alpha, comes from their degree designation Bachelor of Business Administration. They believe that there is more than a degree to be gained from college. From this beginning, growth takes place through innovation. First, survival during a depression; next, survival during World War II; then the drive for recognition, primarily striving to establish a permanent force on the Fenn campus through incorporation as Beta Beta Alpha, Inc.

1952 - Twenty Years of BBA
After determining that they were destined to be more than a local fraternity, the men of BBA start looking at various national fraternities to become members of. With many of these groups already established at other Greater Cleveland colleges, none are willing to go onto the Fenn College campus - except for Tau Kappa Epsilon. The members later learn that their advisor, Paul Anders, is a Teke from Knox College in Galesburg, Illinois.

1953 - The Big Decision
The men of BBA have to make a choice on whether to join TKE or continue as BBA. The majority chose to become part of TKE. They are the first Fenn College fraternity to go international. On May 10th, these men became founding members of the Delta Epsilon Chapter of Tau Kappa Epsilon Fraternity. For many years, the Tekes try to maintain their relation to BBA and recognize 1932 as their founding date. Throughout the 20th Century, many BBA members choose to not become members of TKE and maintain their own alumni association and hold regular annual events.

we were the Zeta chapter of Alpha Lambda Tau before TKE decided to expand down South

Rho Pi was formally Alpha Delta Epsilon. A lot of the ADE history has stuck around due to Rho Pi is still relatively young and also ADE alumni come down to hang out.

The Omicron Theta chapter at Newberry College (SC) began as a local I believe

Xi-Lambda was initially known as Upsilon Gamma Alpha (UGA), being that the Xi-Lambda chapter is at the University of Georgia, but that only lasted slightly under a year before we became a chapter of TKE.

Sorry to hijack - question
 

I dated a Teke for more than 4 years, and had many TKE friends at a few schools in CT. I know that the U of Hartford closed their chapter a few years ago due to some issues with "the House" (NOT oncampus; UHA doesn't allowe houses) a mile or two down the street. I was actually there when the first few brothers began living in the grey house. (If you have been there, you know what house I am talking about.

I was wondering at the CCSU colony, which UHA I *beleive* helped charter, as well as Quinnipiac. It seems that a lot of schools in CT had TKE chapters but only a few remain.

Epsilon Omicron
 

Here and Epsilon Omicron, University of Houston, we started out back as a local fraternity called Rho Beta. It stood for Party Boys. We then got our charter back in 1956 and some of the old Rho Beta rituals and symbols stuck around for a little from what im told, but as of now I have seen nothing. Fortunately, I had the pleasure of being Pylortes at the latest Initiation Fall 06, in which Bob Lightfoot, a founding member of Rho Beta was intiated as an honorary member of Tau Kappa Epsilon and he even managed to get a low scroll that was for some reason left empty.

RIT
 

Xi-Upsilon here at RIT used to be the Alpha chapter of Zeta Tau, a local fraternity. We became TKE in 1973.

The Kappa Delta Chapter at Old Dominion University used to be the local fraternity Pi Phi Sigma founded in 1955, It was comprised if generally older individuals than the general student population. Most were either married or Korean War veterans who took great pride in their academic accomplishments. As time went on the membership began to change becoming more representative of the general college population

In 1964 Pi Phi Sigma Fraternity petitioned to join Tau Kappa Epsilon. The charger members of the Kappa Delta Chapter were the last group of initiated members into Pi Phi Sigma. Kappa Delta Chapter was founded on March 6, 1965.

I am a member of a colony at Saint Leo University in Tampa, Florida. We should be chartering this semester! Anyway, we had a chapter here since the 60's. In the early 90's (94 to be exact) the chapter was shut down due to financial and hazing reasons. With every intention of once again becoming TKE, the chapter decided to become a local called Kappa Lambda (KL = Knights of Lore). They kept many of the same traditions, and have passed those down to us.