NEW CHAPTER OF THETA XI

Epsilon Sigma of Ames Becomes Mu Chapter of Theta XI. Installed at Purdue University.

On Friday evening, April 2nd at Purdue University, ten men representing the local Epsilon Sigma, were initiated into the Theta Xi fraternity, the installation being carried on by Theta chapter at Purdue assisted by representatives from Cornell, Yale, Washington and the Rose Polytechnic school.

The party from Ames arrived in LaFayette at 12:30 P. M. Friday and spent the afternoon in looking over the city. In the evening an informal banquet was given at the chapter house, after which the installation took place. Saturday was spent in showing the visitors around the university and in the evening a formal banquet. was held at the Lahr Hotel. This was the largest banquet ever given by the fraternity outside of New York City, there being forty five members from six chapters present. Toasts were responded to by alumni and members of each chapter represented.

The installation of a chapter at Iowa State College is of special interest because of the fact that it is the second chapter to be established west of the Mississippi, the other being at Washington University at St. Louis.

Theta Xi is the oldest professional fraternity in the United States, having been founded at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1864. It is similar in character to other Greek letter societies with the exception that its membership is restricted to students in engineering and science.

The I.S.C. Student, “New Chapter of Theta Xi,” 12 April 1909.

Theta Xi’s first home was 221 Sheldon Avenue, a lot that is now an apartment building. That house was built around 1906 and first occupied by the Ozark Club, which would eventually become Phi Kappa Psi. A few years later, the Theta Xi moved to a bit — but still in the West Gate area — to 116 Hyland, which is now the empty lot north of Campus Garage.

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Greek Community Re-establishing at Iowa State

Court upholds fraternity ban (1894)
Fraternities (re)approved (1904)

ORIGINAL TWO: Delta Tau Delta (1911) | Pi Beta Phi (1906)

NATIONAL FRATERNITIES: Acacia (1909) | Alpha Tau Omega (1908) | Beta Theta Pi (1905) | Kappa Sigma (1909) | Phi Gamma Delta (1907) | Phi Sigma Kappa (1911) | Sigma Alpha Epsilon (1905) | Sigma Nu (1904) | Theta Xi (1909)

NATIONAL SORORITIES: Alpha Delta Pi (1911)