[nyapbp]

Today's Pi Phi blog has a post about the cancelled 1917 convention, Pi Phi's 50th anniversary convention. It was cancelled because of WWI. Many, if not almost all, fraternity and sorority conventions were cancelled during World War II. Some organizations put the funds towards "war work."

I, for one, am fascinated by the old hotels which were host to fraternity and sorority conventions. Someone mentioned French Lick. NPC met at the French Lick hotel as did Kappa Kappa Gamma at its Centennial in 1970. It is not the easiest place to get to. (I am reading Herman B Well's book and he talks about the railroad that took people to French Lick.) Kappa Alpha Theta had an early 1900s convention at West Baden Springs Hotel, which is on property adjoining the French Lick Hotel.

Chi Omega had a series of conventions at the Greenbrier, decades worth as I recall.

Pi Phi's Centennial Convention in 1967 took place at the Edgewater Beach Hotel in Chicago. It was the site of the 1936 convention. The story I've heard is the hotel cashed our check in 1967 and promptly closed. It was torn down shortly thereafter.