Kappa Sigma Kappa (ΚΣΚ) is the name of three separate college fraternities, sharing a common history and traditions but disconnected by decades and a break in organizational continuity. The original incarnation of Kappa Sigma Kappa was formed at Virginia Military Institute on September 28, 1867. Most of its active chapters merged into Phi Delta Theta in 1886.
A larger, second incarnation sparked by the memory of the first group at the University of Virginia was formed approximately fifty years after the first merger, leading to the creation of over seventy new chapters. Many of these would later merge into Theta Xi in 1962. Some of Kappa Sigma Kappa's chapters were unable to join in this merger due to NIC rules, leading to a third incarnation of the fraternity. In the late 1970's, this third edition of Kappa Sigma Kappa dissipated as a formal entity. One chapter remained active until 1992.
On that night, Tutwiler invited the three other cadets to his room where the fraternity was founded. The original name selected for the fraternity was C.E.C., but it was soon changed to Kappa Sigma Kappa. The letters "C.E.C." would continue to retain ritual significance in the new fraternity. As a result of their efforts, ten chapters had been chartered by 1885.
After the closure of several chapters, five of its remaining chapters became part of Phi Delta Theta in 1886. One chapter merged into Sigma Nu.[1][2][3]
Symbols and traditions
The badge was a gold Jerusalem cross in the center of which is a circular black enameled disc displaying the letters of the fraternity. The letters "C.E.C." are engraved on the back of every badge.
Chapters
These are the chapters of the first iteration of Kappa Sigma Kappa, many of which left to join Phi Delta Theta in 1886. Inactive chapters and institutions are listed in italics.[3]
Almost fifty years after the original fraternity had dissolved, a group of four students at the University of Virginia desired to form a new social fraternity in 1935. They were attracted to the Kappa Sigma Kappa badge, so they decided to revive the former fraternity as their own. After searching the University of Virginia archives, the students found the names of three members from the old Delta chapter who were still alive, including two charter members. They then discovered that one of the founders of the original fraternity, Kenneth McDonald, was still alive and living in San Francisco, California. The students made contact with McDonald, and he assisted them in redeveloping the fraternity and learning many of the original fraternity traditions. The second incarnation of Kappa Sigma Kappa was officially established in September 1935. Seven chapters of the new Kappa Sigma Kappa were established before World War II.
After the war, the fraternity emphasized expansion. New chapters were rapidly established, and members of the fraternity felt the need to become better organized on a national level. The fraternity held its first national convention in St. Louis, Missouri in 1948. National conventions continued to be held every year, but the fraternity still lacked a strong national organization. Although the fraternity had experienced great growth in the years after the war, Kappa Sigma Kappa found itself struggling by the early 1950s. It had allowed several chapters on campuses of unaccredited schools, and as a result, Kappa Sigma Kappa was unable to obtain membership in the National Interfraternity Conference (NIC). As a result of its lack of NIC membership, lack of uniform chapter operations, and lack of a strong national organization and central office, Kappa Sigma Kappa began rapidly losing its chapters in the 1950s as it began to affiliate with other NIC fraternities.
Kappa Sigma Kappa saw a merger with Theta Xi as its opportunity to repair its rapidly deteriorating situation. Following a series of meetings, the national organization of Kappa Sigma Kappa officially merged with Theta Xi on August 20, 1962. As a result of the merger, twenty-one chapters of Kappa Sigma Kappa located at accredited schools became chapters of Theta Xi.[6] In addition, one further chapter of Kappa Sigma Kappa at Lawrence Technological University joined when the school was accredited.[6] Each of the chapters was given a new Greek-letter chapter designation that was prefaced by the letter Kappa.
Merger symbolism
As part of the terms of the merger, the fraternity flower of Theta Xi was changed from the white carnation to the blue iris. The Theta Xi coat of arms was modified to replace its fleurs-de-lis with upright crescents, and the fraternity pledge manual title was changed from The Theta Xi Pledge Manual to The Quest For Theta Xi.[7][8]
Chapters
Inactive chapters and institutions are noted in italics. [3][9]
Several chapters were noted by the Archive as forming post-merger with the support of the remaining chapters of ΚΣΚ. This was the "third iteration" of the fraternity. These are listed separately, below.
Third incarnation (1962–1992)
Seven active chapters of the former Kappa Sigma Kappa fraternity were not accepted by Theta Xi in the 1962 merger because they were located at unaccredited schools. Although their national organization had merged and was now a part of Theta Xi, these seven chapters formed a new national structure and continued to use the Kappa Sigma Kappa name. In turn, they began approving new chapters of Kappa Sigma Kappa on more campuses, often at community colleges. During the late 1970s, the national organization dissolved but the Pennsylvania Alpha chapter remained active until 1992.
Chapters
Chapters held over into the third iteration of the Kappa Sigma Kappa or created after the merger, include the following. Inactive institutions and chapters are in italics.[3]
There may have been up to 30 chapters in this third iteration of the fraternity. While not listed in Baird's Archive (as of July 2022), the Quincy CollegeGyrfalcon yearbook of 1974 notes re-establishment of ΚΣΚ on that campus that year, occurring post-merger as part of the third iteration of the fraternity. That same reference notes there being 30 chapters of the fraternity at that time. Thus some chapters may be missing from this third chapter list.[23]
Notes
^Chapter closed in 1886 following a ban on fraternities at VMI. Baird's Archive notes it merged into the Virginia Epsilon chapter of ΦΔΘ, which held out until 1889, also closing.
^Merged with Virginia Gamma chapter of Phi Delta Theta in 1886.
^ abA 1942 effort to restart ΚΣΚ's Upsilon chapter on the Randolph Macon campus failed a year later. Besides the University of Virginia, this was the only other school where ΚΣΚ had had a presence in both the first and second iterations.
^Merged with Virginia Delta chapter of Phi Delta Theta in 1886.
^Merged with (or possibly, became) the North Carolina Beta chapter of Phi Delta Theta in 1886. Baird's reports the Phi Delt chapter had formed only the year prior.
^Charter was withdrawn in 1886. Became the Phi chapter of Sigma Nu in 1887.
^This was the fourth oldest chapter to emerge on the campus. Phi Delt would appear some fifty years later, with no apparent connection to the earlier group.
^Chapter closed in 1942 during WWII; after the war, it became a local fraternity known as Knights of the Valley.
^Originated as Phi Alpha Epsilon (local) in 1931. Chapter withdrew from ΚΣΚ in 1939 to become Alpha Beta Gamma (local), then joined Alpha Kappa Pi on May 18, 1940, becoming its Beta Phi chapter. This small national soon merged into Alpha Sigma Phi in 1946. The Wofford group kept that same designation going into ΑΣΦ, becoming its Beta Phi chapter.
^Originated as Alpha Gamma Epsilon (local) in 1934.
^This chapter originated as the Exemplars Club (local) in 1928.
^Originated as Phi Kappa Delta (local) in 1935. Became the Kappa Alpha chapter of Theta Xi in 1962.
^This chapter had its origin in Theta Psi Omega (local), formed in 1912. It became the Delta chapter of small national Phi Lambda Theta in 1938. It then joined ΚΣΚ at the dissolution of that fraternity a few years later. In 1959 it withdrew from ΚΣΚ to become Kappa Phi Nu (local?), then joined ΘΧ.
^Became the Kappa Beta chapter of Theta Xi in 1962.
^This chapter originated as a chapter of the Commons Club.
^Originated as Omicron Pi (local) in 1927.[10] Became the Kappa Gamma chapter of Theta Xi in 1962.
^Originated as Beta Sigma Mu (local) in 1932. Became the Kappa Epsilon chapter of Theta Xi in 1962.
^Originated as Phi Delta Chi (local) in 1936. Named Phi Delta chapter of ΚΣΚ in recognition of previous local. Became the Alpha Delta chapter of Alpha Kappa Lambda in 1962.
^Started as a colony of ΚΣΚ. Became the Kappa Delta chapter of Theta Xi in 1962.
^Originated as Mu Gamma (local) in 1946. Withdrew from ΚΣΚ in 1958 to form Chi Nu, then became Zeta Gamma chapter of ΠΚΑ in 1964.
^Originated as Alpha Sigma Delta (local) in 1946. Later, absorbed Tau Delta Sigma (local). Became the Epsilon Beta chapter of Tau Kappa Epsilon in 1955.
^Originated as Beta Beta Beta (local) in 1945. Became the Epsilon Phi chapter of Theta Chi in 1962.
^Became the Kappa Zeta chapter of Theta Xi in 1962.
^Became the Kappa Eta chapter of Theta Xi in 1962.
^Became the Kappa Theta chapter of Theta Xi in 1962.
^Originated as Phi Beta Omicron (local) earlier in 1947. Became the Kappa Kappa chapter of Theta Xi in 1962.
^Chapter possibly started in 1948. It merged into Maryland Alpha-Kappa chapter with an unnamed chapter at Baltimore College of Commerce - Kappa, somehow, as the merged name became MD Alpha-Kappa?. Chapter was not eligible for the 1962 merger with Theta Xi; it became part of the third Kappa Sigma Kappa organization.
^Withdrew to become Kappa Sigma Phi (local). Later, in 1961, merged into Alpha Sigma Phi.[11]
^Originated as Kappa Beta (local) earlier in 1947. Became the Kappa Iota chapter of Theta Xi in 1962.
^Continued as local group until October 5, 1968, when it was chartered as Kappa Chi chapter of Theta Xi.
^Armstrong College was a business school that closed in approximately ~1990.
^Withdrew to form Kappa Tau (local) in 1951. Became the CA Epsilon chapter of ΣΦΕ in 1958.
^Became a local fraternity at the time of the 1962 Theta Xi merger, then the Iota Nu chapter of ΤΚΕ in 1963.
^Became the Kappa Rho chapter of Theta Xi in 1962.
^ abTrine University was known as Tri-State University until 2008.
^This chapter originated as the Alpha chapter of Sigma Mu Sigma, a small fraternity that disbanded as a national entity in 1934 during the Great Depression, with most chapters joining ΤΚΕ. The Tri-State group did not follow its other chapters at that time. Instead, it merged into Alpha Lambda Tau in 1936. It later attempted to participate in that group's merger into Tau Kappa Epsilon in 1947 and was granted a charter, but was disallowed by NIC rules due to lack of school accreditation. (The campus ΤΚΕ chapter maintains this date for its origination, even though that later-formed group had a break in lineage.) Hence the Tri-State group continued as Tau Kappa Lambda (local) [This was possibly Tau Kappa Sigma (local), due to a typo] from 1949 to 1952. In 1952 the Tri-State chapter joined ΚΣΚ. Eight years later that fraternity sought a national merger into ΘΞ. The same accreditation situation forced the Tri-State group to again leave, continuing as one of several fractured "locals" of the third iteration of ΚΣΚ. No ΘΞ chapter name was issued for the Trine group. But four years later, in 1966 once school accreditation was secured, the Tri-State chapter became the Theta-Xi chapter of Kappa Sigma. It appears merely coincidental that this chapter took on a chapter name (Theta-Xi) that matches the eventual merger partner (ΘΞ) chosen by its former national fraternity, Kappa Sigma Kappa (that is, the second iteration). Note too, that a later re-establishment of ΣΜΣ at Tri-State, sponsored by an alumnus, would eventually merge into Acacia.
^Originated as Alpha Tau (local) in 1949. Chapter disaffiliated with Kappa Sigma Kappa in November 1954 to became Kappa Sigma Epsilon (local) due to the forced localization of SUNY campuses.
^Originated as a club, The Society for the Preservation and Prevention from Extinction of Cocoa Drinkers in America, in 1953. Became Chi Sigma Alpha (local) in July 1954. Became the Kappa Sigma chapter of Theta Xi in 1962.
^The Archive places the start of this chapter in 1954 at the Pharmacy School at URI, while an earlier version of this page had it chartered in 1958. If its origin was at the pharmacy school it is reasonable to assume it moved to the main university. No specific reason for its closure is given in this reference, except "abolition" is noted.
^Became the Kappa Tau chapter of Theta Xi in 1963.
^Became the Kappa Upsilon chapter of Theta Xi in 1962.
^Became the Kappa Phi chapter of Theta Xi in 1962.
^ abThe Baltimore College of Commerce merged with the University of Baltimore chapter in 1974, closing soon thereafter.
^ abcdefgThis chapter had formed with the second iteration of the fraternity and continued independently after the 1962 Theta Xi merger. It joined with others to re-establish Kappa Sigma Kappa for its third iteration.
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