Lambda Chi Alpha (ΛΧΑ) is one of the largest men's general fraternities in North America, having initiated more than 280,000 members and held chapters at more than 300 universities. It is a member of the North-American Interfraternity Conference (NIC) and was founded by Warren A. Cole, while he was a student at Boston University, on November 2, 1909. The youngest of the fifteen largest social frat
ernities, Lambda Chi Alpha has initiated the third highest number of men ever, based on NIC statistics. Lambda Chi's National Headquarters is located in Indianapolis, Indiana. Lambda Chi Alpha seeks to promote higher education by providing opportunities for academic achievement and leadership. Its open mottos are Vir Quisque Vir (Latin) Every Man a Man; Per Crucem Crescens (Latin) Crescent in the Cross; and Χαλεπα Τα Καλα (Greek) Naught Without Labor. Its members are referred to as "Lambda Chis," or more informally as "Lambdas," "Lambos," or "Chops"
Founding
The history of the founding of Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity resulted 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. Prospective members of Lambda Chi Alpha must be college students of good moral character attending various collegiate institutions within the United States and Canada; be willing to foster a high moral and spiritual standard of life based on Christian ideals; promote honorable friendship; cultivate intellectual excellence; secure for members the greatest advantages in college life; establish brotherly love, mutual aid, close personal connection between alumni, undergraduates and colleges; and bind them together for mutual pleasure and interest in college, as well as the after life by testing each with courage, self-control, obedience, democracy, and courtesy toward all. Cole boldly approached many local groups at colleges and universities throughout the Northeast in hopes of finding others willing to join his new fraternity. Before the acquisition of Lambda Chi Alpha's first functioning chapter, Cole had corresponded with or visited 117 institutions. Expansion
Early in 1912, Cole, wrote to a student at Massachusetts Agricultural College (MAC) in Amherst, was the University of Massachusetts, asking the names of the Greek-letter fraternities on campus and the names of at least two "good, non-fraternity men." Herbert E. Cole responded with the names of six Greek-letter groups and two names, including that of Lewis Drury. Warren Cole wrote to Drury asking if he was interested in forming a Greek-letter society. Apparently Drury was quite interested, as he had his Agronomy professor write a letter of recommendation to Warren Cole. The MAC petition was duly submitted and quickly approved—after all, it was Cole's first success in attracting a group after more than one hundred futile efforts. Lambda Chi Alpha's first established chapter, Gamma Zeta, was born. During the spring of 1912, Albert Cross, a student in the department of civil engineering at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, received a letter from Warren Cole indicating that he had received Cross' name from a mutual acquaintance and that he would like to form a chapter of Lambda Chi Alpha at Pennsylvania. Cross liked Cole's idea and began talking with some of his friends. One of these friends was John E. "Jack" Mason, whom Cross had met in a French class that summer. Mason, who had hardly been interested in existing fraternities at Penn, suggested to another friend, Raymond Ferris, that they "take a shot at" establishing a chapter of Lambda Chi Alpha. Thus, with colossal nerve, Cross, Mason, Ferris, and five other men dared to launch a fraternity chapter on a campus with an abundance of long-established national fraternities. But with determination, Epsilon Zeta began. Following the addition of Zeta Zeta at Penn State, the infant fraternity now felt confident in contacting established local groups. Cole made the acquaintance of members of Sigma Phi Delta at Brown University and won its affiliation. A "picked delegation" at MIT proved successful. By the beginning of 1913, Delta Upsilon at Maine was admitted as the seventh chapter. On March 31, 1913, Sigma Zeta at the University of Michigan was founded, being the first chapter installed with the Mason initiation ritual. Within a decade of Cole's funding, the fraternity grew to 53 chapters spanning from Maine to California and from Michigan to Texas. Cole accomplished this largely by traveling to schools and finding local fraternities that aspired to affiliated with a national organization. Since these groups were largely ignored by other established fraternities, Cole's method was very successful. Early in 1912, Cole, wrote to a student at Massachusetts Agricultural College (MAC) in Amherst, was the University of Massachusetts, asking the names of the Greek-letter fraternities on campus and the names of at least two "good, non-fraternity men." In 1927 Lambda Chi Alpha became an international fraternity with the founding of Epsilon-Epsilon Zeta at the University of Toronto in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Today the Fraternity is represented by three more Canadian chapters in addition to Epsilon-Epsilon: Epsilon-Rho Zeta at the University of Alberta (Edmonton, Alberta); Iota-Iota Zeta at McGill University (Montreal, Quebec); and Delta-Eta Zeta at the University of Western Ontario (London, Ontario). Theta Kappa Nu
Theta Kappa Nu Fraternity was formed by the union of 11 well-established local fraternities on June 9, 1924 in Springfield, Missouri. The pinnacle of the Springfield Grand Chapter was the signing of the League and Covenant-the instrument that embodied the ideals of the various groups and would bind them together to form one organization. Those present at the founding meeting were asked to come forward and sign the document. Each delegate realized that the signature meant the end of his local fraternity. In silence each delegate present came forward, removed the badge of the local from over his heart, placed it on the table, and signed the League and Covenant. Theta Kappa Nu was born. With the help of the National Interfraternity Conference in identifying local groups and Theta Kappa Nu's policy of granting charters quickly to organizations with good academic standards, the young national fraternity grew quickly, and boasted 2,500 initiates in 40 chapters by the close of 1926. This record expansion remains unequaled in the fraternity world. As the Great Depression was drawing to a close, many fraternities were struggling in terms of membership and finances. Theta Kappa Nu began seeing its chapters shut down for the first time in the early 1930s, and was forced to reduce fees in 1933 and again in 1935 to maintain its membership. Meanwhile, Lambda Chi Alpha had lost one third of its membership. In 1938 a merger committee was formed. In 1939, Lambda Chi Alpha merged with the Theta Kappa Nu Fraternity. The ceremony was held at the Howard College, now Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama, chapter of Theta Kappa Nu, where the documents were signed. The merger increased the number of chapters from 77 to 105 (or 78 to 106) and the number of members from 20,000 to 27,000. At the time, this was the largest merger in fraternity history. All Theta Kappa Nu chapters became Lambda Chi Alpha chapters and were given chapter designations that began with either Theta, Kappa or Nu. At schools where chapters of both fraternities previously existed, the two merged and retained Lambda Chi's Zeta recognition. For example, the University of California at Berkeley was home to a chapter of both and is still denoted Mu Zeta. Associate Membership
When Lambda Chi Alpha ended its pledging program in 1972, it was the first fraternity to do so. The Associate Member program was created to take its place. An Associate Member (AM) of Lambda Chi Alpha is entitled to all of the rights and privileges of a fully initiated member. Accordingly, he also bears the same responsibilities as a brother. An AM is prohibited from few things before he is initiated: he may not run for the office of Ritualist (High Phi); he may not serve as the Official Delegate to the General Assembly, and he may not vote on his own initiation or the disassociation of an initiated member. Unlike most pledge programs, however, AMs do not have separate meetings or officers. Indeed, there is no Associate Member Class as the entire concept of the AM program is designed to encourage chapter, rather than class, unity. That principle also implies that there is no separate dress code or work responsibilities for AMs. An AM may wear the letters and regalia of the fraternity.The initiation ceremony of Lambda Chi Alpha members is, like most fraternities, secret to its members. Fraternity Education
Beginning in August 1969, the concept of "fraternity education" replaced "pledge education." The fraternity education program is designed to include all members of the chapter equally. The program of fraternity education should be designed to integrate the new member into the chapter as a whole, develop a standard of treatment that treats associate members and initiates completely equally, and should continue throughout a member's undergraduate years and throughout a member's life. Anti-hazing policies
Lambda Chi Alpha's first stance against hazing was in 1928 at a North-American Interfraternity Conference meeting when the fraternity condemned the practice. Today Lambda Chi Alpha prohibits hazing of any form, on or off campus, by any of its members. The fraternity's definition of hazing is broadly defined as "any action taken or situation created intentionally to produce physical discomfort or mental discomfort by embarrassment, harassment, or ridicule.” Lambda Chi Alpha is one of the founding members of the Greek Anti-Hazing Hotline, 1-888-NOT-HAZE (1-888-668-4293). The line is available to those who think they, or someone they know, have been or may become victims of hazing.
