Alpha Lambda Chapter of Tau Kappa Epsilon

Chapter Traces Its Roots Back To 1912

The birth of Tau Kappa Epsilon’s 35th chapter goes way beyond the installation date of January 31, 1931. In order to get a full understanding, we must go back to April 5, 1912.

On April 5, 1912, Eta Chapter of Alpha Psi, the first national fraternity installed at Kansas State, was established. A house was maintained from the beginning of the school year in 1913. The purpose of this organization was to ban together a group of students who had common interests in both social and professional advancement. The organization styled nationally as a professional veterinary medicine fraternity but operated on both a social and professional basis in most of the schools into which it entered.

After the establishment of Alpha Psi at Kansas State, many of the leading national, social fraternities established chapters and competition in pledging grew keener from year to year. With the growth and development of other departments of the institution, Alpha Psi found it impossible to maintain its high standards of desirable men and limited its pledging to veterinary students. As a result, in 1923, Alpha Psi turned in its charter and reorganized as a local general college social fraternity. Throughout the history of Alpha Psi, the organization ranked as one of the leaders on the campus in scholastic standing (fifth in 1922 and third in 1923) as well as in athletics and other school activities. The surrender of the charter of Alpha Psi affected the organization only with respect to a change in policy to a strictly social fraternity.

The reorganized body of the former Alpha Psi Fraternity adopted the name Alpha Sigma Psi and reconstructed its ritual to bring it into harmony and with the new purpose of the organization. In 1926, for the purpose of bringing together two groups of young men with a common purpose, Alpha Sigma Psi absorbed Kappa Phi Alpha. Kappa Phi Alpha was the other outstanding local social fraternity on campus. It owned its own home and was organized in 1920 for the purpose of petitioning Sigma Chi. Due to later developments in the expansion program Sigma Chi, that fraternity was never petitioned, but instead Arthur F. Peine, a Sigma Chi and a close friend of Kappa Phi Alpha from the time of its establishment, advised the group to amalgamate with the Alpha Sigma Psi for the purpose of increasing the strength of the two organizations and with the view of petitioning Tau Kappa Epsilon, which was established at his alma mater, and in which he felt a keen fraternal interest. For these reasons, Kappa Psi Alpha abandoned its original purpose of petitioning Sigma Chi and united with Alpha Sigma Psi.

Correspondence was begun with Tau Kappa Epsilon and also with various alumni of Alpha Sigma Psi to learn more of Tau Kappa Epsilon. It was soon evident that Tau Kappa Epsilon was preeminently worthy of the consideration of the local chapter and primary inspection was obtained. This inspection was conducted January 13, 14, and 15, 1928 by Clifford A. Hauge (Theta Chapter, University of Minnesota) and Laurance S. Staples (Omicron Chapter, Ohio State University), both residing in Kansas City, Missouri.

After Alpha Sigma Psi achieved the objectives to petition Tau Kappa Epsilon, dispensation to petition was granted on April 18, 1930. Alpha Sigma Psi immediately resolved to avail itself of this dispensation. Formal resolutions concerning the same were passed at the regular meeting Wednesday, April 23, 1930, and immediately full force was extended toward completion of a formal petition to Tau Kappa Epsilon.

During the spring semester 1929-30, another Teke has entered into the Alpha Sigma Psi program and has found his way to the hearts of the boys in the person of A. A. “Judd” Wolfram (Lambda Chapter, University of Wisconsin-Madison). Both Frater Wolfram and Professor Donald A. Wilbur (Tau Chapter, Oregon State University), a member of the Kansas State University faculty and instrumental in the development of Alpha Sigma Psi as a TKE Colony, are listed among the charger members of their respective chapters.

January 29, 30 and 31 of 1931 will be remembered as red-letter days to the 50 members of Alpha Sigma Psi who were installed as charter members of Alpha-Lambda of Tau Kappa Epsilon. These three days brought with them the fulfillment of a long cherished hope, that of making Alpha Sigma Psi a worthy chapter of Tau Kappa Epsilon. Years of preparation and toil were to be rewarded at last. Those three eventful days were made even more eventful by being three days of splendid spring-like weather, a proper setting for the passage of Alpha Sigma Psi from a local fraternity into Tau Kappa Epsilon as Alpha-Lambda Chapter.

Alumni of Alpha Sigma Psi and visiting Tekes began to arrive early for the installation and to avoid all chances of missing any of the events that were scheduled. H. P. Flint arrived Wednesday, January 28, and became quickly acquainted with the local group. Actual proceedings started Thursday morning when President Comfort of Alpha Sigma Psi formally opened the meeting and turned over the presiding chair to Frater Flint. The first day’s ceremonies were closed with a smoker in the community house. Representatives from chapters located in Missouri, Illinois, Nebraska, Idaho, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Indiana and Oregon were present at the session held the first day. Judd Wolfram was Master of Ceremonies at the smoker and proved to be truly the master of the situation by keeping everyone laughing throughout the whole evening.

Instructions and demonstrations were given throughout Friday and the members of the installation team made many inspiring talks. After each instruction, discussions were held and questions asked concerning any doubtful points brought up in the lectures. Included in the talks were: “Undergraduate Structure and History of Tau Kappa Epsilon” by Frater C. E. Nieman (Kappa Chapter, Beloit College); “Physical Structure of Tau Kappa Epsilon” by Frater D. A. Wilbur (Tau Chapter, Oregon State University); and “Fraternity Finance” by Frater Clifford Hauge (Theta Chapter, University of Minnesota). Frater Leland F. Leland (Theta Chapter, University of Minnesota), also a member of the installing team, spoke on rushing. Friday evening, January 30, was a busy one preparing for the formal ball.

Everything went smoothly as scheduled the next day and Alpha Sigma Psi was formally installed into Tau Kappa Epsilon. The installation took place in Calvin Hall, one of the many beautiful buildings on the Kansas State campus. The following were installed as the first officers of Alpha Lambda Chapter of Tau Kappa Epsilon: Kenneth Comfort, Prytanis; Donald Stoltz, Epiprytanis; Merle Allen, Grammateus; Edward Tabb, Histor; Marion Caldwell, Crysophylos; Edgar Cooper, Hypothetes; Theodore Gingrich, Hegemon; and Fred Storz, Pylortes.

Immediately following the formal installation came the installation banquet, which was held in the Crystal Room of the Wareham Hotel in the downtown business section. Here, Frater Comfort, our first Prytanis, offered a welcome from the chapter. Dr. J. T. Willard’s address on the “Fraternity and the College” was followed by a splendid conception of fraternity opportunities by Frater Wilbur, Chapter advisor. Frater Flint spoke and welcomed the newly installed Alpha Lambda Chapter of Tau Kappa Epsilon, the Fraternity’s 35th chapter.

Chapter House History

In 1931, Alpha Lambda occupied its first chapter house at 413 North 17^th Street. By the mid- 1930’s the Tekes had outgrown this facility. With capital support from Alpha Lambda alumni, Alpha Lambda moved into the chapter house at 1606 Fairchild Avenue in the fall semester of 1937. For the next 29 years ‘1606’ was home to almost 500 Tekes. In 1954, Alpha Lambda alumni once again answered the call by providing capital support for a new addition. By the spring semester of 1966, the Tekes had dreams of building a new chapter house and moved out of ‘1606’. 

After five long semesters in temporary quarters (three at Garden Way apartments, two in West Stadium) the Tekes moved into the present chapter house at 1516 N. Manhattan Avenue in the fall semester of 1968. The house was a bold new design at the time with cutting edge features including two man rooms throughout the house. For over forty years, 1516 N. Manhattan has been home to over 900 Tekes. In those intervening decades, both the men and the house have had a significant impact on the Kansas State University community.