PHC History at Mizzou!

[BaylorBean]

Originally posted by STL Kappa
The reason the chapter closed was simply that they were struggling with numbers. The SK chapter had about 55 members going into 2003 recruitment. Nationals said that in order to keep their status as a chapter, there would need to be at least 100 members by December 31, 2003. (The other 13 sororities at Mizzou had totals between 150-200... give or take a few!) When that was not achieved, the chapter voted on January 28, 2004 to become dormant. Both the chapter and Greek Life said they could not "pinpoint a specific reason" why the numbers declined... Sigma Kappa's number were declining even though recruitment numbers were increasing.

I have several good friends who became Sigma Kappas at another chapter, and one urged me that this was not the "real" reason the chapter closed... but I'm confident that was speculation or rumor because she (and I!) were still in high school when the SK chapter at Mizzou closed... leading me to believe she may not know all the facts.

The Mizzou house did close based off of numbers, that's it. My chapter had helped them many times in recruitment but it just never seemed to be enough. It was a very sad day finding out that the doors were closing. I am hopeful that in the coming years recolinization is considered because of the strong alumnae base in Missouri along with the other wonderful chapters in the state.

[STL Kappa]

Originally posted by IvySpice
Didn't the Alpha Phi chapter at Duke do the same thing? Maybe the national org prefers that technique?

Hmm... I don't know, perhaps that's what their nationals prefer. I guess if it can get the chapter back on track without having to go dormant and then recolonize it's probably a great idea. However, it was VERY controversial when it happened at Mizzou...

[Tom Earp]

As it should be.

Damn when a Chapter is a at a LARGE State U. Numbers, Numbers, Numbers.

It doesnt matter that there are a very close group of Sisters who Love Their Soroity, they will be gone.

My contention is and has always been, if a Chapter is having problems, go to their aid, not just close them.

I have a problem with that scenerio as I am having with mine.

It according to my source within LXA, it cost @ $7,000.00 + to colonize at a school. I am sure, it would depend on the size of the School, and the Greek System. Houseing would be a major issue of course.

Every GLO wants to be on a Flag Ship School, but Cost is and can be prohibitive.

[old school]

I did some research & here is a revised history of sororities at MO

Predecessor: Sorority:
- - - 1875 Kappa Kappa Gamma
(inac. 1880-1884)
- - - 1888-1892 Beta Sigma Omicron
1891 Iazug 1899 Pi Beta Phi
1906 Delta Psi 1909 Kappa Alpha Theta
1908 - - - 1909 Delta Gamma
1909 Sub Rosa 1910 Alpha Phi
- - - 1913 Phi Mu
2001 Colony (rev.) (inac. 1942-2002)
1909 Delta Rho 1913 Chi Omega
- - - 1915 Alpha Delta Pi
1913 - - - 1915 Delta Delta Delta
Colony 1921 Gamma Phi Beta
1921-1927 Theta Phi Alpha
1921 Tuesday Study Club 1922-1989 Alpha Gamma Delta
Colony (rev.) (inac. 1975-1981)
1921 Alpha Nu Beta 1922 Alpha Chi Omega]
1922 Pi Beta Tau 1924 Zeta Tau Alpha
Colony (rev.) (inac. 1933-1945)
1929-1997 Alpha Epsilon Phi
1918 Chi Beta Epsilon 1931-1933 Alpha Delta Theta
1931 Phi Delta Pi 1935-1956 Phi Sigma Sigms
1957-1968 Sigma Delta Tau
1964 Alpha Kappa Alpha
1966 Delta Sigma Theta
Colony 1967-2004 Sigma Kappa
Colony (rev.) (inac. 1973-1990)
1973 Sigma Gamma Rho
1975 Colony 1976 Kappa Delta
1978-1984 Delta Phi Epsilon
1981 Zeta Phi Beta
1985 Colony 1986-1994 Alpha Omicron Pi

A few dates & predecessor organizations are unknown, maybe others can add to this.

[STL Kappa]

Originally posted by old school
I did some research & here is a revised history of sororities at MO

Predecessor: Sorority:
- - - 1875 Kappa Kappa Gamma
(inac. 1880-1884)

I don't know HOW I didn't notice this before, but Kappa's Theta chapter was never inactive and has been a continuously open chapter since its founding in 1875.

Mizzou did have a sub rosa period beginning in 1880 and ending in 1885, and although many fraternities disbanded (Phi Psi, SAE), others remained and continued meeting. (Phi Delta Theta became the Shakespearian Society and Zeta Phi, later to become a chapter of Beta Theta Pi, moved their meetings off campus.) Kappa is one of those organizations that continued to meet and even kept initiating members during the sub rosa period.

[FAB*SpiceySpice]

Originally posted by STL Kappa
The reason the chapter closed was simply that they were struggling with numbers. The SK chapter had about 55 members going into 2003 recruitment. Nationals said that in order to keep their status as a chapter, there would need to be at least 100 members by December 31, 2003. (The other 13 sororities at Mizzou had totals between 150-200... give or take a few!) When that was not achieved, the chapter voted on January 28, 2004 to become dormant. Both the chapter and Greek Life said they could not "pinpoint a specific reason" why the numbers declined... Sigma Kappa's number were declining even though recruitment numbers were increasing.

I have several good friends who became Sigma Kappas at another chapter, and one urged me that this was not the "real" reason the chapter closed... but I'm confident that was speculation or rumor because she (and I!) were still in high school when the SK chapter at Mizzou closed... leading me to believe she may not know all the facts.

There have been a lot of proposals flying around this past year regarding the chapter. One suggested that panhel waits four academic years to consider a recolonization of Sigma Kappa so that all the Greeks who were members at the time of the chapter's closing will have graduated. (I guess just so there will be no knowledge or speculation of why the chapter closed in the first place.) Another that if the campus is opened for expansion, SK should be approached first to recolonize before other organizations are invited to present... but I really don't know the outcome or if decisions have been made on any of these things.

The greek system at Mizzou is an interesting one, that's for sure. It's hard to say why exactly some chapters work and some just don't. I was a junior (?) I think when Sigma Kappa decided to leave. I remember the things those women had to go through and how hard they tried, it was really sad when they decided to close the chapter, even though many people had been talking about it for at least two years.

This year I think something like 6 or 7 out of the 13 sororities did not officially make quota and even though everyone snap bid or COB'd up to quota by the end of the next two or so weeks after FR, I don't think expansion is going to happen here any time soon.

Housing is a huge issue here. In the area of campus where the majority of the greek houses are there two houses that are vacant (SK and the AKL annex) and those are the only empty places left, whether they're going to stay with the original chapters or someone leases them. The rest of greek town is completely full, and there are no vacant lots over on College Ave. where Beta, KA, Sig Chi (LXA is leasing their house until next year though), Ag Rho, Fiji, and Sigma Nu are. I'm pretty sure there is no room left over by SAE, Delta Chi, and Kappa Sigma and those houses are really located in a more residential area so they'd have to tear down some peoples houses to make room for a fraternity house which I really don't ever see happening.

It sucks because right now Sig Tau, Pi Kappa Phi, and Acacia are all unhoused and I have no clue where they will build houses. LXA recolonized my sophomore year and they had a hugely successful one, they were able to lease the Sigma Chi house (Sigma Chi left at the beginning of sophomore year) for four years, but after next year they're going to have to find a new place to live. I think if anyone is going to lease out SK it would be them, but that's not based on any actual fact, just my opinion. As for the AKL annex (which I think has been condemned) I don't know what they're planning to do with it...

And it seems like fraternities at MU can do ok without a house, but I cannot even begin to imagine a sorority trying to recolonize here or colonize here without a house. All 13 sororities have huge, very expensive and absolutely gorgeous houses. It'd be next to impossible I think for anyone to try and compete with this fact without having any concrete plans for a house that would be built very soon after the opening of the chapter. I know when my chapter recolonized in 2001 a lot of girls in my rush group were like "I don't want to join a chapter without a house" blah blah blah, but we got lucky and got our original house back that was finished at the end of my freshman year. It was hard enough our first year trying to compete even though we HAD a house, it just wasn't finished yet. It really makes a huge difference here and good or bad, that's just how it is.

And I can't believe I just wrote all of this at 7 am on a SATURDAY...

[g41965]

DU was founded at Mizzou as the Dana Press Club, a journalism society in 1909, in 1921 Dana began to petition Greek Letter Fraternities Dana's Petition was approved by DU on its 3 try in 1923 and DU was installed in 1924. DU has always had a solid chapter at Mizzou.

[STL Kappa]

Originally posted by FAB*SpiceySpice
It sucks because right now Sig Tau, Pi Kappa Phi, and Acacia are all unhoused and I have no clue where they will build houses. LXA recolonized my sophomore year and they had a hugely successful one, they were able to lease the Sigma Chi house (Sigma Chi left at the beginning of sophomore year) for four years, but after next year they're going to have to find a new place to live. I think if anyone is going to lease out SK it would be them, but that's not based on any actual fact, just my opinion. As for the AKL annex (which I think has been condemned) I don't know what they're planning to do with it.

Pi Kappa Phi's old house is apartments now... a friend of mine said they tossed around the idea of trying to get the Sigma Kappa house, but I think that idea has been abandoned. Sig Tau has an "unofficial" house and considered trying to get AKL's annex. (I don't know if it's condemned, if it has been, it's recent because AKL used it to pomp for Homecoming...) And members of LXA have said they'll be building a new house, in Greektown, although I can't imagine WHERE there would be any room for it.

I wonder if Sigma Kappa still owns their house and what will happen to the former Sigma Chi/current Lambda Chi Alpha house once LXA moves... I guess there will be two vacant houses...

[FAB*SpiceySpice]

Originally posted by STL Kappa

I wonder if Sigma Kappa still owns their house and what will happen to the former Sigma Chi/current Lambda Chi Alpha house once LXA moves... I guess there will be two vacant houses...

I'm pretty sure that SK still owns their house and aren't actually wanting to sell it since they're going to try and come back in four years. I don't know what they're thinking about leasing though. I think that Sigma Chi will be back on campus as soon as they're allowed since the chapter here is/was a very strong one with very strong alumni support in the area. Where that leaves LXA, I have no idea. It'd be nice if Pi Kappa Phi could take back Richmond Place but I don't know anything about that. I knew about the unofficial Sig Tau house but I don't think they could ever make it their official one until a lot of work has been done there. I'd love to see the land in greek town that LXA plans to build a house on b/c really I can't think of ANYWHERE that they could...I guess we'll see though.

[GeekyPenguin]

Originally posted by STL Kappa
I don't know HOW I didn't notice this before, but Kappa's Theta chapter was never inactive and has been a continuously open chapter since its founding in 1875.

Mizzou did have a sub rosa period beginning in 1880 and ending in 1885, and although many fraternities disbanded (Phi Psi, Sig Ep), others remained and continued meeting. (Phi Delta Theta became the Shakespearian Society and Zeta Phi, later to become a chapter of Beta Theta Pi, moved their meetings off campus.) Kappa is one of those organizations that continued to meet and even kept initiating members during the sub rosa period.

SigEp wasn't even a fraternity then....unless you mean SAE and not SPE.

[STL Kappa]

Yes you're right. (And I knew that, haha.) Silly me... posting replies at 2:00 in the morning. Maybe the lack of sleep is effecting my memory? In any event, I apologize for the error.... post is edited!!

[GeekyPenguin]

Originally posted by STL Kappa
Yes you're right. (And I knew that, haha.) Silly me... posting replies at 2:00 in the morning. Maybe the lack of sleep is effecting my memory? In any event, I apologize for the error.... post is edited!!

LOL it's okay - I think I know SigEp history better than my own sometimes, my boyfriend was a founding father of his chapter.

I've always thought Mizzou had a really interesting Greek system.

[AGDAlum]

STL Kappa and FAB Spicey Spice and any other Mizzou folks--

Regarding Greek houses at MU:
* Where is the AKL annex?
* Didn't someone build an annex in what used to be the vacant lot on Curtis (between the former AGD/SK and the former LXZ/now Phi Mu), and what is it?
* What's in the building between TriDelt and Chi O? For a while it was DPhiE.
* Sigma Pi was at the corner of Providence and, umm--Rollins?(the street that PiPhi and Kappa and Delt are on). AGD was there for a year. What's there now?
* What's between Delt and the Sigma Pi house?
* What's at the corner of Providence and Kentucky?
* Is there any available land across Providence, between PhiPsi and PhiDelt?
* Any available real estate across the street from DU and the Newman Center? (IIRC those were streets of old houses, divided into many apartments. Possible to tear down and replace with Greek houses?)
* There used to be a couple of frat houses on a side street east of College. Maybe University? In my day one of them was a women's home ec coop. Way, way back it was Delta Chi, maybe.
What's there now?
* I remember reading that there's major residence hall refurbishing--Jones, Laws, Lathrop being torn down? Where will students (many PNMs among them) stay?

Thanks for the info! I'm feeling nostalgic!

Ye olde AGD Alum

[Tom Earp]

Mizzou is The Flag Ship of Missouri!

But, Now, Mo. State Un. Missouri is now becoming in Focus!

SWMoState U.

If any have Been to Columbia, Land is Prime as it is at most Flag Schools!

Paying to build New Houses is very expensive. So what do Greeks Do? Rent from those that were closed.

LXA was owned by LCAP a part of LXA, then sold and then rented SX when they got a Charter Pulled. SX Got Charter Pulled and the rest is History.

I keep reading these posts and wonder How Many Greeks can afford to go to a Major Campus and Compete with Intrenceched GLOs who have Nice Houses? Oh, dont forget, keep them up!

[STL Kappa]

Originally posted by AGDAlum
STL Kappa and FAB Spicey Spice and any other Mizzou folks--

Regarding Greek houses at MU:
* Where is the AKL annex?
* Didn't someone build an annex in what used to be the vacant lot on Curtis (between the former AGD/SK and the former LXZ/now Phi Mu), and what is it?
* What's in the building between TriDelt and Chi O? For a while it was DPhiE.
* Sigma Pi was at the corner of Providence and, umm--Rollins?(the street that PiPhi and Kappa and Delt are on). AGD was there for a year. What's there now?
* What's between Delt and the Sigma Pi house?
* What's at the corner of Providence and Kentucky?
* Is there any available land across Providence, between PhiPsi and PhiDelt?
* Any available real estate across the street from DU and the Newman Center? (IIRC those were streets of old houses, divided into many apartments. Possible to tear down and replace with Greek houses?)
* There used to be a couple of frat houses on a side street east of College. Maybe University? In my day one of them was a women's home ec coop. Way, way back it was Delta Chi, maybe.
What's there now?
* I remember reading that there's major residence hall refurbishing--Jones, Laws, Lathrop being torn down? Where will students (many PNMs among them) stay?

Thanks for the info! I'm feeling nostalgic!

Ye olde AGD Alum

Hmm, let's see what I can tell you...

- The AKL annex is on the corner of Providence and Rollins, next door to Delta Tau Delta. (Surprisingly, it's closer to the Delts and maybe even Sigma Pi than it is to the AKL house... haha.)

- The annex between the former AGD/former Sig Kap house and the Phi Mu house is Phi Mu's annex.

- The only thing I know of between Chi O and Tri Delt is Tri Delt's annex... maybe it once housed DPhiE and now Tri Delt owns it?

- Sigma Pi is on the little stretch of Providence between Rollins and Burnam. I think that's where they've always been.

- Delt (which faces Rollins) and Sigma Pi (which faces Providence) are on different streets but are both next door to the AKL annex. (I don't know if that answers your question, but that's the only thing I can think of!)

- Pi Kappa Alpha and SigEp are both around Providence and Kentucky... Pi Kappa Alpha faces Providence while Sig Ep is kind of at Curtis/Kentucky.

- Umm, I don't know!

- Cornell Hall (home of the business school?) is now directly across Maryland from DU and the Newman Center... I believe it's relatively new. Between that and the alumni center, there is NO space.

- There are still many a-fraternity house on College (between Rollins and about Broadway, I guess?) but the only house on University is Kappa Alpha Order.

- Jones, Laws and Lathrop are being torn down, but the first to go (Goodbye Jones!) won't be demolished until fall of 2012. Residential Life is in the middle of a 10+ year project to replace/renovate all dorms. (Check it out here: http://reslife.missouri.edu/RLMP/index.html)

I have a few questions, too but I don't know if anyone can help me... oh well, here goes anyway!:

- I believe the current AKL house (on Richmond, between Kappa and ADPi) used to be the AEPhi house... was it anything before that?
- Did Alpha Omicron Pi have a house during their years at Mizzou? Where was it?
- KD says their house on Rollins used to be a fraternity house... anybody know which one?