Nu Beta Epsilon

Defunct American legal fraternity From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Nu Beta Epsilon (ΝΒΕ) was an American professional Jewish law fraternity.[1][2]

Founded1919; 107 years ago (1919)
Northwestern University Law School
TypeProfessional
AffiliationIndependent
StatusDefunct
Quick facts Founded, Type ...
Nu Beta Epsilon
ΝΒΕ
Founded1919; 107 years ago (1919)
Northwestern University Law School
TypeProfessional
AffiliationIndependent
StatusDefunct
Defunct dateAfter 1969
EmphasisLaw, Jewish
ScopeNational
MottoNomus Carcilia Esta
"Law is king"
PublicationThe Nu Bate
Chapters23
Members1,750 (as of 1963) lifetime
Headquarters
United States
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History

Nu Beta Epsilon was formed in 1919 at Northwestern University School of Law by Barnet Hodes, with the assistance of Louis Brandeis and Dean Wigmore, as a Greek letter fraternity for Jewish students at accredited law schools.[3][4][5] It expanded to other law schools across the United States.[6] It also established an alumni association.[6]

Alpha Kappa Sigma (ΑΚΣ) was a Jewish law fraternity founded by H. Edwin Siff at University of Maryland Law School in 1918.[4][7][2] Representatives of the two fraternities met at a convention in Columbus, Ohio in 1939 with Hodes as the keynote speaker.[5][8][9] The merger of the two fraternities went into effect in 1940 under the name of the Nu Beta Epsilon group.[9][2] A. D. G. Cohn of Atlanta was elected as its vice grand chancellor.[8]

Nu Beta Epsilon's quarterly newsletter was The Nu Bete.[2] The fraternity presented three awards each year:

  • Barnet Hodes Awards to an alumnus performing outstanding service to the fraternity on a national level[2]
  • Ben Rubin Endowment to an undergraduate for scholarship, with the trophy going to his chapter[2]
  • National Pledge Essay Award for the best legal essay written by a pledge[2]

Symbols

Nu Beta Epsilon adopted the seal and motto of the former Nu Beta Epsilon fraternity.[2] Its motto was Nomus Carcilia Esta, meaning "Law is king".[2] Its seal or crest included symbols associated with the legal professional.[2]

Governance

The Ground Council of the fraternity's annual national convention governed Nu Beta Epsilon.[2]

Membership

Nu Beta Epsilon was founded as non-sectarian, with no racial membership limitations.[1] Originally male only, its membership became open to women c. 1960.[2] In 1945, it had 850 members.[1] Its membership had grown to 1,750 in 1968.[1]

Chapter List

The chapters of Nu Beta Epsilon were as follows. Active chapters are indicated in bold. Inactive chapters and institutions are in italics.

More information Chapter, Charter date and range ...
Chapter Charter date and range Institution Location Status Ref.
Alpha 1918 University of Maryland Law School Baltimore City, Maryland Inactive [2]
Brandeis 1919–c. 1935 Northwestern University Law School Chicago, Illinois Inactive [2][10][a]
Delta 1919–c. 1965 Temple University Law School Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Inactive [2]
Epsilon 1919–c. 1963 Newark Law School Newark, New Jersey Inactive [2]
Cardozo 1923 DePaul University College of Law Chicago, Illinois Inactive [2]
Benjamin 1924 Chicago-Kent College of Law Chicago, Illinois Inactive [2][11][b]
Marshall 1926 Washington University School of Law St. Louis, Missouri Inactive [2][12]
Chicago 1929–c. 1963 University of Chicago Law School Chicago, Illinois Inactive [2]
Horner 1921 University of Illinois Law School Champaign, Illinois. Inactive [2]
Beta Gamma 1931 George Washington University Law School and Georgetown University Law School Washington, D.C. Inactive [2]
Loyola 1932–c. 1963 Loyola University Chicago School of Law Chicago, Illinois Inactive [2]
Zeta 1933 Atlanta Law School, Emory University Law School, Atlanta's John Marshall Law School Atlanta, Georgia Inactive [2]
Coleman 1941 University of Southern California Law School Los Angeles, California Inactive [2]
Theta 1946 University of Miami School of Law Coral Gables, Florida Inactive [2]
Currie 1950 UCLA School of Law Los Angeles, California Inactive [2]
Warren September 1966 University of San Fernando College of Law San Fernando, California Inactive [13][c][d]
Gamma Gamma Lambda September 1967 California College of Law Hollywood, California Inactive [14]
Traynor Western State University College of Law Orange County, California Inactive [15][e]
Holmes February 1, 1969 University of West Los Angeles School of Law Los Angeles, California Inactive [16][17][f]
September 1969 John F. Kennedy University Pleasant Hill, California Inactive [18]
Baker Humphrey College Stockton, California Inactive [19][20][g]
Dooley Glendale University College of Law Glendale, California Inactive [h][21]
Sebring Stetson University College of Law Gulfport, Florida Inactive [22][23][i]
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  1. [a]
    Chapter named for Louis Brandeis.
  2. [b]
    Chapter named for Judah P. Benjamin.
  3. [c]
    Chapter named for Earl Warren.
  4. [d]
    The San Fernando Valley College of Law merged into the University of West Los Angeles in 2002.
  5. [e]
    Chapter named for Roger J. Traynor.
  6. [f]
    Chapter named for Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.
  7. [g]
    Chapter is named for Joseph H. Baker, district attorney.
  8. [h]
    In 1927, the chapter was renamed in honor of Raymond G. Dooley, a former faculty member.
  9. [i]
    Chapter named for Harold Sebring.

Notable members

More information Name, Chapter and year ...
Name Chapter and year Notability Ref.
Ellis Arnall Honorary, 1946 Governor of Georgia [24][13]
Bernard Baruch Honorary, 1946 Financier and statesman [24]
Louis Brandeis Brandeis, 1919 Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States [4][13]
Raymond Burr actor [25]
Benjamin N. Cardozo Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States [13]
Joseph E. Davies United States Ambassador to the Soviet Union [13]
Paul A. Dorf State senator and judge [26][27]
Phillip C. Goldstick Member of Illinois General Assembly [28]
Barnet Hodes Brandeis, 1919 Counsel of the City of Chicago [5][29]
Sam Massell Alpha, 1936 Mayor of Atlanta [7]
Eurith D. Rivers Zeta Honorary 1941 Governor of Georgia [30]
John M. Slaton Zeta Honorary 1941 Governor of Georgia [31][30][32]
Harold Washington Mayor of Chicago and U.S. House of Representatives [33][34]
Wendel Wilkie lawyer, corporate executive, and nominee for President of the United States. [13]
Bernard B. Wolfe Member of Illinois General Assembly [35]
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References

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