Category Archives: Men’s Fraternities

On the White House Lawn with the First Lady, Grace Goodhue Coolidge

On April 11, 1924, one of the most unique events took place at the White House. It did not involve the President, a Phi Gamma Delta from Amherst College, and he was not a part of the festivities. It was … Continue reading

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Phi Kappa Psi’s Monmouth Connection on #PhiPsi167

Happy 167th to Phi Kappa Psi! It was founded on February 19, 1852 in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, at Jefferson College (now Washington and Jefferson College in Washington, Pennsylvania). Phi Kappa Psi’s founders are William Henry Letterman and Charles Page Thomas Moore.  … Continue reading

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“By God! Mother Cahill’s Picture!”

As I was researching sorority women’s service during World War I, I came across this entry in a post WWI Banta’s Greek Exchange and it sent me down a rabbit hole. Who was Mother Cahill? Ann, who was sometimes referred to as … Continue reading

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Woodrow Wilson, Grace Coolidge and Me

Phi Kappa Psi is the only fraternity (as far as I can tell) that can boast of a U.S. President who was an active member of two chapters and served as a delegate to the fraternity’s Grand Arch Council (Convention). Woodrow … Continue reading

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Happy 149th, Kappa Alpha Theta!

Kappa Alpha Theta was founded on January 27, 1870.  In 1867, 17-year-old Bettie McReynolds Locke [Hamilton] was the first female to enroll in Indiana Asbury University (now DePauw University) in Greencastle, Indiana.  Although the first decision to allow women to … Continue reading

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Charles R. Walgreen, Jr. on TKE’s Founders’ Day

Tau Kappa Epsilon was founded on January 10, 1899 at Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington, Illinois. In a meeting at 504 East Locust Street, Charles Roy Atkinson, Clarence Arthur Mayer, James Carson McNutt, Joseph Lorenzo Settles, and Owen Ison Truitt formulated … Continue reading

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Elvis and Two Kappa Sigmas (One a Chi Omega)

Having a birthday two weeks after Christmas and a week after New Year’s Day is not easy. I know it very well and so I want to highlight three others who share a birthday with me. Kappa Sigma Dr. Charles … Continue reading

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Vincent Price on Alpha Sigma Phi’s Founding Day

Alpha Sigma Phi was founded on December 6, 1845, at Yale University (it was then known as Yale College). The Yale of 1845 was worlds away from the Yale of today. In 1845, only a very small percentage of American … Continue reading

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George H. W. Bush, R.I.P.

George Herbert Walker Bush, our 41st President, died yesterday at the age of 94. His wife, Barbara Bush, died this past April. President Bush became a member of the Delta Kappa Epsilon chapter while he was a student at Yale … Continue reading

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Here’s to Convention Name Tags!

I was in awe of this name tag which was posted on Facebook by the Archives of Phi Gamma Delta. It is in excellent condition for being almost a century old. The purple ribbon appears flawless! This type of circa … Continue reading

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