Beta Kappa

American collegiate fraternity (1901–1942) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Beta Kappa (ΒΚ) was an American social fraternity founded at Hamline University in 1901. It merged with Theta Chi in 1942.

FoundedOctober 15, 1901; 124 years ago
Hamline University

TypeSocial

Former affiliationNIC

StatusMerged

Quick facts Founded, Type ...

Beta Kappa
ΒΚ

Founded	October 15, 1901; 124 years ago (1901-10-15) Hamline University
Type	Social
Former affiliation	NIC
Status	Merged
Merge date	April 14, 1942
Successor	Theta Chi (Mostly)
Scope	National
Member badge
Colors	Purple and Gold
Symbol	Coiled serpent, Lamp, Crossed swords
Flower	Red Templar Rose
Publication	Beta Kappa Journal
Chapters	47
Headquarters	Saint Paul, Minnesota United States

History

Beta Kappa was formed at Hamline University in Saint Paul, Minnesota on October 15, 1901 with the name The Knights of Beta Omicron Sigma Kappa. Eventually, this somewhat unwieldy name was colloquially shortened to Beta Kappa (date?), maturing into a local fraternity that continued for twenty-one years before beginning a period of rapid expansion.

Founders honored by the fraternity were Edward T. Marlatte, Daniel Paul Rader, Albert T. Spencer, and Charles H. Wallace.

In 1922, the Beta chapter at the University of Washington was formed, and in quick succession, it established over 40 chapters with a total membership of over 5,000.^[1]^[2]^[3]

During the height of WWII, the fraternity merged with Theta Chi, on April 14, 1942 with three exceptions released to join other national groups. The mother chapter at Hamline University was granted the chapter name, Beta Kappa chapter to honor its rank as a former Alpha chapter. The merger added seventeen new chapters to Theta Chi, and two Beta Kappa chapters were merged into existing chapters.

The fraternity became a Junior Member of the NIC in 1926, and a full member in 1928. It continued as a member until the merger with Theta Chi in 1942.

Symbols and traditions

The fraternity's colors were Purple and Gold. Its flower was the Red Templar Rose. Its badge was shaped like a diamond in black enamel, longer from top to bottom, with 24 pearls on its perimeter. It held a small, white circular disk in the center, a coiled serpent above a lamp, and below were two crossed swords. On the sides of the disk were the Greek letters Β and Κ.

The fraternity's magazine was The Journal of Beta Kappa ^[4]

Chapters

The chapters of Beta Kappa were as follows. Chapters noted in bold were active at the time of the merger, with dormant chapters in italics. A few chapters that were active but did not merge (with ΘΧ) are also in bold:^[1]^[5]

More information Name, Charter date and range ...

Name	Charter date and range	Institution	Location	Status	Notes	Ref.
Alpha	October 15, 1901	Hamline University	Saint Paul, Minnesota	Merged	Became Beta Kappa chapter of ΘΧ	^[6]
Beta	1922–1936	University of Washington	Seattle, Washington	Dormant		^[7]
Gamma	1923–1933	Nebraska Wesleyan University	Lincoln, Nebraska	Dormant		^[8]
Delta	1924–1932	University of California	Berkeley, California	Dormant		^[9]
Epsilon	1925	Middlebury College	Middlebury, Vermont	Merged	Became the Beta Mu chapter of ΘΧ.	^[10]
Zeta	1925	University of Cincinnati	Cincinnati, Ohio	Merged	Became the Beta Omicron chapter of ΘΧ.	^[11]
Eta	1925–1934	Bucknell University	Lewisburg, Pennsylvania	Dormant		^[12]
Theta	1925–1934	Tufts University	Medford, Massachusetts	Dormant		^[13]
Iota	1925	University of Nevada	Reno, Nevada	Merged	Became the Beta Phi chapter of ΘΧ.	^[14]
Kappa	1925	University of Illinois	Champaign and Urbana, Illinois	Merged	Joined the Rho chapter of ΘΧ.	^[15]
Lambda	1926	Oregon State University	Corvallis, Oregon	Merged	Joined the Sigma chapter of ΘΧ.	^[16]
Mu	1926–1931	University of Wisconsin	Madison, Wisconsin	Dormant		^[17]
Nu	1926–1934	Miami University	Oxford, Ohio	Dormant		^[18]
Xi	1926	Allegheny College	Meadville, Pennsylvania	Merged	Became the Beta Chi chapter of ΘΧ.	^[19]
Omicron	1926–1935	University of Maine	Orono, Maine	Dormant		^[20]
Pi	1926	Monmouth College	Monmouth, Illinois	Merged	Became the Beta Pi chapter of ΘΧ.	^[21]
Rho	1926	Illinois Wesleyan University	Bloomington, Illinois	Merged	Became the Beta Rho chapter of ΘΧ.	^[22]
Sigma	1927–1942	Auburn University	Auburn, Alabama	Withdrew	Became the Alpha Lambda chapter of ΦΚΤ.	^[23]
Tau	1927–1940	Pennsylvania State University	University Park, Pennsylvania	Dormant		^[24]
Upsilon	1927–1937	University of Denver	Denver, Colorado	Dormant		^[25]
Phi	1927–1934	Boston University	Boston, Massachusetts	Dormant		^[26]
Chi	1927–1933	University of Virginia	Charlottesville, Virginia	Dormant		^[27]
Psi	1927	Birmingham–Southern College	Birmingham, Alabama	Merged	Became the Beta Xi chapter of ΘΧ.	^[28]
Omega	1928–1935	University of Pennsylvania	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania	Dormant		^[29]
Alpha Alpha	1928–1935	Ohio State University	Columbus, Ohio	Dormant		^[30]
Alpha Beta	1928–1933	Wabash College	Crawfordsville, Indiana	Dormant		^[31]
Alpha Gamma	1929–1942	Georgia Tech	Atlanta, Georgia	Withdrew	Became the Beta Kappa Zeta chapter of ΛΧΑ.	^[32]
Alpha Delta	1929–1941	Mississippi State University	Starkville, Mississippi	Dormant		^[33]
Alpha Epsilon	1929–1939	University of Arizona	Columbus, Ohio	Dormant		^[34]
Alpha Zeta	1929	University of Tennessee at Chattanooga	Chattanooga, Tennessee	Merged	Became the Gamma Alpha chapter of ΘΧ.	^[35]
Alpha Eta	1930	Presbyterian College	Clinton, South Carolina	Merged	Became the Beta Psi chapter of ΘΧ.	^[36]
Alpha Theta	1930	University of Southern California	Los Angeles, California	Merged	Became the Beta Tau chapter of ΘΧ.	^[37]
Alpha Iota	1930–1940	Denison University	Granville, Ohio	Dormant		^[38]
Alpha Kappa	1930–1940	Utah State University	Logan, Utah	Dormant		^[39]
Alpha Lambda	1930–1935	University of Florida	Gainesville, Florida	Dormant		^[40]
Alpha Mu	1931	Furman University	Greenville, South Carolina	Merged	Became the Gamma Beta chapter of ΘΧ.	^[41]
Alpha Nu	1931	Case Western Reserve University	Cleveland, Ohio	Merged	Became the Beta Nu chapter of ΘΧ.	^[42]
Alpha Xi	1932–1933	University of Utah	Salt Lake City, Utah	Dormant		^[43]
Alpha Omicron	1933–1936	Hamilton College	Clinton, New York	Dormant		^[44]
Alpha Pi	1934–1936	Cornell University	Ithaca, New York	Withdrew		^[45]^[46]
Alpha Rho	1934–1941	Western Colorado University	Gunnison, Colorado	Dormant		^[47]
Alpha Sigma	1934	Lehigh University	Bethlehem, Pennsylvania	Merged	Became the Beta Sigma chapter of ΘΧ.	^[48]
Alpha Tau	1935	University of Akron	Akron, Ohio	Merged	Became the Beta Lambda chapter of ΘΧ.	^[49]
Alpha Upsilon	1935	California State University, Fresno	Fresno, California	Merged	Became the Beta Upsilon chapter of ΘΧ.	^[50]
Alpha Gamma	1936–1942	Michigan State University	East Lansing, Michigan	Withdrew	Became the Gamma Psi chapter of ΣΧ.	^[51]^[52]
Alpha Chi	1938–1941	Kansas State University	Manhattan, Kansas	Dormant		^[53]
Alpha Psi	1938	Susquehanna University	Fresno, California	Merged	Became the Beta Omega chapter of ΘΧ.	^[54]

Notable members

Daniel Paul Rader^[55]

References

[1]
William Raimond Baird; Carroll Lurding (eds.). "Almanac of Fraternities and Sororities (Baird's Manual Online Archive)". Student Life and Culture Archives. University of Illinois: University of Illinois Archives. Retrieved December 18, 2021. The main archive URL is The Baird's Manual Online Archive homepage.
[2]
Anson, Jack L.; Marchesani Jr., Robert F., eds. (1991). Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities (20th ed.). Indianapolis, IN: Baird's Manual Foundation, Inc. pp. VIII–4–5. ISBN 978-0-9637159-0-6. OCLC 25278937.
[3]
The Rattle of Theta Chi. Vol. 30, no. 5. Theta Chi Fraternity Inc. April–May 1942. pp. 42–. UOM:39015006968690.
[4]
Beta Kappa chapter of Theta Chi
[5]
Lasher, George Starr, ed. (1957). Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities (16th ed.). Menasha, Wisconsin: George Banta Co. p. 84. OCLC 19297015.
[6]
Pre-merger initiates, 374. This chapter originated as "Beta Omicron Sigma Kappa" (local), remaining so for 21 years when it determined to become national in scope. Its ΘΧ name is a nod to its role in starting its national fraternity.
[7]
Pre-merger initiates 143. This chapter originated as a colony. It died out before the merger. An unaffiliated ΘΧ chapter was already present on the campus.
[8]
Pre-merger initiates 122. This chapter originated as Sigma Gamma Xi (local). It died out before the merger. An unaffiliated ΘΧ chapter was later placed on this campus in 1949.
[9]
Pre-merger initiates 111. This chapter originated as the Oricum Club (local). It died out before the merger. An unaffiliated ΘΧ chapter was already present on this campus by 1913.
[10]
Pre-merger initiates 183. This chapter originated as Chi Kappa Mu (local) in 1921. At the dissolution of the small national Beta Psi, in 1934, it gained additional members.
[11]
Pre-merger initiates 243. This chapter originated as Sigma Delta Pi (local) in 1913.
[12]
Pre-merger initiates 120. This chapter originated as Phi Theta Sigma (local). It died out before the merger. An unaffiliated ΘΧ chapter was later placed on this campus in 1947.
[13]
Pre-merger initiates 123. This chapter originated as Beta Tau (local). It died out before the merger. An unaffiliated ΘΧ chapter was later placed on this campus in 1957, absorbing another local with the name Beta Chi (local).
[14]
Pre-merger initiates 175. This chapter originated as Phi Gamma (local) in 1922.
[15]
Pre-merger initiates 244. This chapter originated as Alpha Phi Omega (local) in 1920, with no apparent relation to the national service fraternity of that name that emerged on the Illinois campus in 1932. Just before the ΘΧ merger, in 1940, the Beta Kappa chapter absorbed another small group, the Alpha chapter of a regional fraternity, Delta Alpha Epsilon, formed in 1923, whose three daughter chapters had died in the 1930s. (Baird's Archive, dormant groups).
[16]
Pre-merger initiates 160. This chapter originated as Theta Epsilon (local) in 1919.
[17]
Pre-merger initiates 55. This chapter originated as Beta Sigma Pi (local) in 1924. It died out before the merger. An unaffiliated ΘΧ chapter had earlier been placed on this campus in 1918.
[18]
Pre-merger initiates 100. This chapter originated as Alpha Delta Mu (local) in 1925. It died out before the merger. An unaffiliated ΘΧ chapter was later placed on this campus in 1948.
[19]
Pre-merger initiates 148. This chapter originated as Phi Alpha Kappa (local) in 1922.
[20]
Pre-merger initiates 91. This chapter originated as Phi Omega Delta (local) in 1923. It died out before the merger. An unaffiliated ΘΧ chapter had previously been placed on this campus in 1907.
[21]
Pre-merger initiates 246. This chapter originated as Xi Gamma Delta (local) in 1915.
[22]
Pre-merger initiates 245. This chapter originated as Pi Mu Epsilon (local) in 1919.
[23]
Pre-merger initiates 133. This chapter originated as Kappa Phi (local) in 1921.
[24]
Pre-merger initiates 137. This chapter originated as Delta Kappa Sigma (local) in 1921. An unaffiliated ΘΧ chapter had previously been placed on this campus in 1919.
[25]
Pre-merger initiates 80. This chapter originated as Omicron Sigma (local) in 1924. An unaffiliated ΘΧ chapter was later placed on this campus in 1948.
[26]
Pre-merger initiates 96. This chapter originated as Psi Nu (local) in 191x (?).
[27]
Pre-merger initiates 58. This chapter originated as Alpha Phi Epsilon (local) in 1921. An unaffiliated ΘΧ chapter had previously been placed on this campus in 1915.
[28]
Pre-merger initiates 109. This chapter originated as Kappa Alpha Chi (local) in 1926.
[29]
Pre-merger initiates 101. This chapter originated as Phi Delta Tau (local) in 1922. An unaffiliated ΘΧ chapter had previously been placed on this campus in 1912.
[30]
Pre-merger initiates 76. This chapter originated as the Varsity Club (local) in 1901. An unaffiliated ΘΧ chapter had previously been placed on this campus in 1921.
[31]
Pre-merger initiates 58. This chapter originated as Phi Sigma Alpha (local) in 1914.
[32]
Pre-merger initiates 143. This chapter originated as Chi Beta Sigma (local) in 1927.
[33]
Pre-merger initiates 144. This chapter originated as Delta Sigma Tau (local) in 1926.
[34]
Pre-merger initiates 92. This chapter originated as Phi Gamma Psi (local) some time prior to 1929. An unaffiliated ΘΧ chapter was formed soon after the merger, and placed on this campus in 1941. That chapter came from a different local, called Delta Sigma Lambda, formed in 1930.
[35]
Pre-merger initiates 95. This chapter originated as Chi Alpha Nu (local) in 1925.
[36]
Pre-merger initiates 55. This chapter had originated in 1924 as the Epsilon chapter of Chi Tau, a small fraternity that disbanded by 1929.
[37]
Pre-merger initiates 98. This chapter originated as Rho Alpha Sigma (local) in 1927.
[38]
Pre-merger initiates 93. This chapter originated as Phi Kappa Epsilon (local) in 1926.
[39]
Pre-merger initiates 125. This chapter originated as Omega Tau (local) in 1922.
[40]
Pre-merger initiates 71. This chapter originated as Pi Alpha Sigma (local) in 1927.
[41]
Pre-merger initiates 78. This chapter originated as Psi Chi (local) sometime in the 1920s. (No connection to the national honor society for Psychology, also named Psi Chi.)
[42]
Pre-merger initiates 117. This chapter originated as Sigma Tau Delta (local) in 1909.
[43]
Pre-merger initiates 6. This chapter originated as Psi Rho Lambda (local) in 1926.
[44]
Pre-merger initiates 40. This chapter originated as Chi Beta Sigma (local) in 1923.
[45]
Pre-merger initiates 56. This chapter originated as the Zodiac Club (local) in 1904. In 1934, several dislocated members of the Delta Alpha chapter of ΒΨ, whose small national had disbanded, joined Zodiac. At the same time, Zodiac was in search of national affiliation, but its planned absorption by ΒΚ was "unsuccessful" according to the chapter's history, and the chapter withdrew to merge into the older ΑΤΩ chapter on campus.
[46]
An unaffiliated ΘΧ chapter had earlier been placed on this campus in 1912.
[47]
Pre-merger initiates 68. This chapter originated as Sigma Delta Phi (local) in 1924. It appears to have died out just before the merger. An unaffiliated ΘΧ chapter was placed on this campus in 1947, via a colony formed in 1946.
[48]
Pre-merger initiates 70. This chapter had originated as Omega Sigma Phi (local) in 1928.
[49]
Pre-merger initiates 141. This chapter originated as Chi Theta Tau (local) in 1921.
[50]
Pre-merger initiates 63. This chapter originated as Sigma Chi Alpha (local) in 1921.
[51]
Pre-merger initiates 94. This chapter originated as the Phylean Club (local) in 1911.
[52]
Just prior to the merger, an unaffiliated ΘΧ chapter had been placed on this campus in 1939.
[53]
Pre-merger initiates 43. In 1938 this chapter, previously the Beta chapter of small national Phi Lambda Theta formed in 1923, joined ΒΚ with the dissolution of its original fraternity.
[54]
Pre-merger initiates 36. In 1938 this chapter, previously the Epsilon chapter of small national Phi Lambda Theta formed in 1928, joined ΒΚ with the dissolution of its original fraternity.
[55]
Billy Graham Center -Ephemera of Daniel Paul Rader - Collection 38

Beta Kappa

History

Symbols and traditions

Chapters

Notable members

See also

References

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