Chapter History

The Epsilon-Kappa chapter of Lambda Chi Alpha has existed on Drexel’s campus since before Drexel was recognized as a university. In 1941, Lambda Chi Alpha saw its newest official chapter begin at the Drexel Institute of Technology after local fraternity, Alpha Upsilon Mu (est. 1924), joined the ever-growing brotherhood.

Since then over 1,600 men have been initiated and have enjoyed the perks of a lifetime of TRUE brotherhood. For over 75 years, Epsilon-Kappa has held countless philanthropy events to combat hunger; committed copious amounts of hours to bettering our community, and have always striven to be the best men we can be.

The Epsilon-Kappa Chapter of Lambda Chi Alpha has had a long history at Drexel University. In the fall of 2009, the re-founding fathers of the Drexel Chapter were brought into the fraternity and began building and bettering the organization. In the winter of 2010, the 24 re-founding fathers were initiated and since then, the Chapter has continued to grow! 

Chapter House

The local chapter of Alpha Upsilon Mu was founded in 1924. In 1932, the Alpha Upsilon Mu brothers purchased the property at 3507 Baring Street; an 1865 italianate, three-story house. Several years later, in 1941, after successfully petitioning to be apart of the Lambda Chi Alpha national fraternity, the property at 3507 Baring Street officially became the Chapter House for Epsilon-Kappa Zeta of Lambda Chi Alpha.

Overtime the fraternity grew in members, and the house began to look smaller and smaller. The chapter was eventually moved from 3507 Baring Street to 3401 Powelton Ave, the historic George Burnham mansion.

The Drexel Lambda Chi Alpha chapter has called the property at 3401 home since 1966. Over the years, the Fraternity has spent many millions of dollars in maintenance and upkeep to the house in order to preserve it in its original, full magnificence. The house was placed on the Philadelphia Historic Register on June 1, 1972 and is located within the Powelton National Historic District.

The George Burnham mansion house is a Victorian Era home built in 1886. It is a marvelous example of the Romanesque style faced in ashlar granite with carved and dressed limestone trim. The most interesting feature of the architecture is the use of curved elements, some rather unusual. The house, located prominently at the corner of 34^th and Powelton Avenue in West Philadelphia, is a reminder of the rich architectural history found in the Powelton Historic District.

National History

Lambda Chi Alpha was established in 1909 at Boston University by Warren A. Cole. In 1939 Lambda Chi Alpha merged with Theta Kappa Nu fraternity. Without this merger Lambda Chi Alpha could not become the third largest fraternity with over 300 chapters initiating 280,000 brothers in the United States and Canada. This large association allows great network opportunities with brothers around the nation and the world.

There are two versions of the story about the founding of Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity. The first, resulting from an agreement in late 1912 between Warren Cole in Boston and Albert Cross in Philadelphia, holds that on November 2, 1909, Warren A. Cole, Percival C. Morse, and Clyde K. Nichols met at 22 Joy St., Boston, and swore allegiance to the new fraternity. The meeting had been called, by whom it is not recorded, for the purpose of considering the reorganization of the Cosmopolitan Law Club, a society of law students of Boston University, of which Cole was a member, into the Greek letter society.

The first three members were all close friends before Cole’s withdrawal from the law club, for all had been members of Alpha Mu Chi, a preparatory school fraternity. Cole was also a member of the legal fraternity, Gamma Eta Gamma, and the Grange or Patrons of Husbandry, a society of agriculturalists. The laws and rites of these societies are thought to have had a strong influence on Cole as he formulated the first regulations and Initiation Ritual of Lambda Chi Alpha.

The name Lambda Chi Alpha is thought to have been used from the beginning. The Greek letter name was not used in the Alpha Zeta minutes until April 27, 1910, however, and, as far as is known, this was the first time it was recorded.

The second version of our founding results from interviews with Cole and other early members in later years, and further investigation. When Cole entered Boston University in the fall of 1909, his first residence lay too far from the law school on Beacon Hill, so he and a varied group of youngsters rented a room at Pemberton Square, which they used for study between classes or work. This loosely-held group became known as the Tombs or Cosmopolitan Club, but did not lead directly to the formation of Lambda Chi Alpha.

Before the end of 1909, Cole moved to 22 Joy St., where he shared an apartment with James C. McDonald and Charles W. Proctor, both of whom later joined the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. Cole, however, was determined to start his own fraternity, and by the spring of 1911 had settled on the name Lambda Pi. In the fall of 1911, he moved to 35 Hancock St., rooming with Ralph S. Miles and Harold W. Bridge. On November 15, 1911, the Lambda Pi constitution, largely derived from Gamma Eta Gamma’s, was signed by Cole, Miles, Bridge, and Morse – the four founders.

Over the next month, wonderful, yet mysterious, events of great significance occurred with the appearance of our first badge, along with the change of name from Lambda Pi to Lambda Chi Alpha. A new fraternity, at once national in scope, was born. Each of the four founders bought a badge. They issued themselves a charter for Alpha Zeta, back-dating it to November 15, 1911.

From this point on, Lambda Chi Alpha progressed at an incredibly rapid rate. Cole soon wrote the original Initiation Ritual, and within one year chapters at the Massachusetts Agricultural College (University of Massachusetts-Amherst), the University of Pennsylvania, and Pennsylvania State University were installed. Titles of national officers, such as Supreme Eminent Archon, were most likely borrowed from Sigma Alpha Epsilon, and the overall design of our first coat of arms, known as the Gamma Plate, may have been inspired by the seal of McDonald’s prep school, the Worcester Academy.