Duquesne University Fraternities (Kappa Sigma Phi and Beta Pi Sigma)

[perdido88]

are there any registered users who belonged to these two fraternities? I didn't see them listed in the Duquesne University website. What happened to them? These were two local fraternities in Duquesne campus. It'd be a shame if they "disappeared".

I knew a whole bunch of Kaps, so I wonder what they're up to.

later,

j.c.

[kddani]

I didn't realize Duquesne had locals

How long ago was this when you were there?

I know the fraternities and the administration didn't get along well for awhile.

[honeychile]

My brother had a friend at Duquesne who was a Gamma Chi. That's a local, I would imagine. It was also a gazillion years ago!

[perdido88]

Yup... Duquesne had a couple of locals:

fraternities: Kappa Sigma Phi, Beta Pi Sigma.

sororities: Sigma Lambda Phi, Tau Delta Tau.

Through this forum, I found out what happened to the Sigma Lambda Phi (the Lambs); I knew a whole bunch of them. I had also found out they joined a national sorority (don't remember which). The Tau Delta Tau sorority did the same thing.

by the way, I remember when Sigma Alpha Epsilon (am I right?) used to be Zeta Beta Tau (in Duquesne, of course). Why they changed? don't know.

They even had a chapter of the now infamous Delta Tau Chi...
the fraternity of the movie "Animal House". They shut down this fraternity almost nationwide. I met a guy who was a Delta Tau Chi, who told me in 1990 that his fraternity was reduced to two campuses (I started in Duquesne the year after they were banned in campus).

I went to Duquesne from 1988-1992, B.A.

1992-1995 (M.A.) but ended up graduating in 1997; I had moved and was doing "field work" (independent study).

Thanks for your reply. It is somewhat sad that a new generation does not know that Duquesne University had local fraternities. are you in a fraternity/sorority? Go check out the yearbooks... you'll find some interesting things (I know I did)

I would appreciate if you find out something and let me know. I'd let you know (privately... e-mails and private messages) some of the stuff that went on then.

later,

Perdido88

Truhan El Mero-Mero

[perdido88]

Thanks for the reply, Honeychile. I know you're very active in this forum.

But one correction: its Gamma Phi, not Gamma Chi.
Duquesne had Gamma Phi, also known as the Gammas. Good bunch of crazy guys. I had a couple of friends, who were Gammas, but I didn't hang out with them as much.

Know your brother's friend's name?

Thanks for the Reply.

perdido88

[honeychile]

Originally posted by perdido88
Thanks for the reply, Honeychile. I know you're very active in this forum.

But one correction: its Gamma Phi, not Gamma Chi.
Duquesne had Gamma Phi, also known as the Gammas. Good bunch of crazy guys. I had a couple of friends, who were Gammas, but I didn't hang out with them as much.

Know your brother's friend's name?

Thanks for the Reply.

perdido88

It was Don Something. I'll ask him tomorrow - and yes, he was crazy!!! Even though my brother is now a pastor, he sowed a few wild oats himself in school!

[33girl]

Originally posted by perdido88
know.

They even had a chapter of the now infamous Delta Tau Chi...
the fraternity of the movie "Animal House". They shut down this fraternity almost nationwide. I met a guy who was a Delta Tau Chi, who told me in 1990 that his fraternity was reduced to two campuses (I started in Duquesne the year after they were banned in campus).

Actually, the fraternity in Animal House was based on Alpha Delta Phi at Dartmouth. They became the local Alpha Delta in 1969 and still exists at Dartmouth.

Delta Tau Chi never existed as an organized national fraternity - there may have been various local groups who thought it was cool to name themselves after the Animal House fraternity, but it was simply a case of likemindedness. "They" (whoever "they" are) did not shut down this fraternity nationwide - there was nothing to shut down nationallly. More likely the different groups either died out or joined national fraternities.

There is, of course, a Delta Chi fraternity, but it has nothing to do with either Animal House or Dartmouth.

[ΑΓΔSquirrelGirl]

Originally Posted by 33girl

Actually, the fraternity in Animal House was based on Alpha Delta Phi at Dartmouth. They became the local Alpha Delta in 1969 and still exists at Dartmouth.

Delta Tau Chi never existed as an organized national fraternity - there may have been various local groups who thought it was cool to name themselves after the Animal House fraternity, but it was simply a case of likemindedness. "They" (whoever "they" are) did not shut down this fraternity nationwide - there was nothing to shut down nationallly. More likely the different groups either died out or joined national fraternities.

There is, of course, a Delta Chi fraternity, but it has nothing to do with either Animal House or Dartmouth.

I doubt any national would be ok with being represented by name in Animal House anyway. If you search Delta Tau Chi on the internet, the chapters that come up are locals founded after the movie was out, as far as I've seen.

As for Delta Chi's, I know some who like to think there's a connection to Animal House. I gently argued this at first, since the screenwriter has a book about Alpha Delta, but eventually gave up. It makes them happy to think there's a connection in there somewhere. That and if they took down all memorbilia in the house that references Animal House they'd have big bare spots on the walls.

[perdido88]

yes, the thing was that the Delta Tau Chi people I met spoke of their organization as a national fraternity.. so I could be wrong. The Tau Kappa Epsilon brothers at duquesne branched out sometime during the '80s and renamed themselves with the greek letters Delta Tau Chi and were probably not chartered by Duquesne. you have to understand that back in the day, some fraternities lived up to the Animal House lifestyle, which is why the movie was done in the first place.. I saw the last of the "Animal House" days at Duquesne, where carnival tents had plenty of beer and cops in front of them guarding the area (it was bizarre! cops wouldn't arrest anybody as long as the beer was inside the tent); this is before 1990 and George Bush Sr. policy of dry campus and financial incentives to universities that maintained one. so yes, there could've been a "national" fraternity known as Delta Tau Chi (or a bunch of people who decided to use the name and encouraged others).. or the most likely thing is your assertion: local groups using the greek letters Delta Tau Chi.. its kinda hard to ascertain because there are occurrences that happened before the internet was available.... so more research will have to be done... thanks for the post.

Originally Posted by ΑΓΔSquirrelGirl

I doubt any national would be ok with being represented by name in Animal House anyway. If you search Delta Tau Chi on the internet, the chapters that come up are locals founded after the movie was out, as far as I've seen.

As for Delta Chi's, I know some who like to think there's a connection to Animal House. I gently argued this at first, since the screenwriter has a book about Alpha Delta, but eventually gave up. It makes them happy to think there's a connection in there somewhere. That and if they took down all memorbilia in the house that references Animal House they'd have big bare spots on the walls.

[ΑΓΔSquirrelGirl]

Originally Posted by perdido88

yes, the thing was that the Delta Tau Chi people I met spoke of their organization as a national fraternity.. so I could be wrong. The Tau Kappa Epsilon brothers at duquesne branched out sometime during the '80s and renamed themselves with the greek letters Delta Tau Chi and were probably not chartered by Duquesne. you have to understand that back in the day, some fraternities lived up to the Animal House lifestyle, which is why the movie was done in the first place.. I saw the last of the "Animal House" days at Duquesne, where carnival tents had plenty of beer and cops in front of them guarding the area (it was bizarre! cops wouldn't arrest anybody as long as the beer was inside the tent); this is before 1990 and George Bush Sr. policy of dry campus and financial incentives to universities that maintained one. so yes, there could've been a "national" fraternity known as Delta Tau Chi (or a bunch of people who decided to use the name and encouraged others).. or the most likely thing is your assertion: local groups using the greek letters Delta Tau Chi.. its kinda hard to ascertain because there are occurrences that happened before the internet was available.... so more research will have to be done... thanks for the post.

Yeah it would be interesting to see if there was a loose organization nationally. I can easily believe that's what it was like in the "old days". There's plenty of chapters that try to live up to it (and the house and the atmosphere and the people remind me of certain friends of mine...BUT), still, but these days liability is such an important issue...and there's plenty of things in that movie that would probably end up in arrests and charters being pulled these days because of legal issues.

[Markasm70]

They were primarliy known as the Delts. I was at Duquesne from 88-93, and Kap. One of the last remaining Delts, Father Ed, was a good friend to the Kaps.

It's still the bluff!

[perdido88]

Well, I didn't know that. They did take themselves seriously, those Delta Tau Chi. My friend spoke of them as if they were the real thing. If I seem to remember the yearbook correctly, Duquesne 1987, they had a charter and all the privileges of a national fraternity. Thus, the confusion.

Thanks for clearing that up. In hindsight, I think it was cool to have met someone from that group. It was a part of history... even if it was not entirely legitimate.

Still, I would like to find out what happened to the Kaps (Kappa Sigma Phi) and the Betas (Beta Pi Sigma) if possible. I tried to contact the Duquesne Greek office, but they haven't replied to my e-mail.

later,

perdido88

[honeychile]

Originally posted by perdido88
Thanks for the reply, Honeychile. I know you're very active in this forum.

But one correction: its Gamma Phi, not Gamma Chi.
Duquesne had Gamma Phi, also known as the Gammas. Good bunch of crazy guys. I had a couple of friends, who were Gammas, but I didn't hang out with them as much.

Know your brother's friend's name?

Thanks for the Reply.

perdido88

Don Altmeyer.

[bordeaux hearts]

Originally posted by perdido88
are there any registered users who belonged to these two fraternities? I didn't see them listed in the Duquesne University website. What happened to them? These were two local fraternities in Duquesne campus. It'd be a shame if they "disappeared".

I knew a whole bunch of Kaps, so I wonder what they're up to.

later,

j.c.

Hey i go to duquesne now and the only local that is there is Gamma Phi. The Kaps had their charter revoked this year as did the Lambs. As for the Betas I haven't seen any on campus for awhile so they must have left before i came there. Officially the Lambs are not a npc sorority and while duq is searching for another sorority i dont know if it will be the lambs. And i so agree with honeychile, the gammas are one crazy group of guys that are great to have fun with!

[33girl]

Originally posted by bordeaux hearts
Officially the Lambs are not a npc sorority and while duq is searching for another sorority i dont know if it will be the lambs.

Do you mean...when another NPC sorority is chosen...it's not a "done deal" that the Lambs will be a part of it?