Lambda Chi Alpha

Lambda Chi Alpha(ΛΧΑ), commonly referred to asLambda Chi, is acollegiate fraternityinNorth America. With over 300,000 initiates as of 2024, it is the third-largest social fraternity in the world by number of initiates. It has almost 8,700 current undergraduate members affiliated with chapters and associate chapters at 166 colleges and universities in theUnited StatesandCanada.Its members may be known variously as Lambda Chis, LXAs, LCAs, Lambdas, Chops, or Choppers at different campuses.
Lambda Chi Alpha was founded atBoston Universityin 1909. It is a member of theNorth American Interfraternity Conference(NIC), which it rejoined in November 2023 after withdrawing from the conference in 2015.Among the largest 15 social fraternities in the world, Lambda Chi Alpha is the youngest.Since 2014, after maintaining its headquarters at various locations inIndiana,Massachusetts, andPennsylvania, it has been headquartered inCarmel, Indiana, outsideIndianapolis.
Lambda Chi Alpha was founded byWarren A. Cole, a law student atBoston University School of LawinBoston. There are two different accounts of the fraternity's founding.
The official story told by Cole and Albert Cross is that onNovember 2, 1909, Cole, Percival C. Morse, and Clyde K. Nichols reorganized the Cosmopolitan Law Club, a society of Boston University law students into the Loyal Collegiate Associates, which was renamed Lambda Chi Alpha in 1912.All were close friends and had been members of Alpha Mu Chi, aprep schoolfraternity. The Greek letter name is thought to have been used from the beginning but is not recorded in theAlpha Zetaminutes until April 27, 1910.
A second account of the founding, based on interviews with contemporaries, is that Cole and others did belong to a loose group known as the Tombs or Cosmopolitan Club but this was not related to Lambda Chi Alpha's founding. Instead, according to the alternative account, Cole shared an apartment with James C. McDonald and Charles W. Proctor, who later joinedSigma Alpha Epsilon. Cole then established his own fraternity with Ralph S. Miles, Harold W. Bridge, and Percival C. Morse onNovember 23, 1911. The group issued a charter for itself that was backdated to November 15.
Cole approached many local groups at colleges and universities throughout theNortheastseeking others willing to join his new fraternity. He corresponded with or visited 117 institutions by 1912, when a group atMassachusetts Agricultural Collegeaccepted a charter to becomeGamma Zeta.The first General Assembly, establishing a structure for the national fraternity, was held in Boston on April 13, 1912.
The fraternity held its second general assembly in Boston onMarch 22, 1913in which the fraternity adopted its secret motto, ritual insignia including its badge and coat of arms, and the basic organizational structure. Lambda Chi Alpha virtually replaced the fraternity Cole had established outside of its name.The 14th General Assembly, in 1931, recognized March 22 as Lambda Chi Alpha Day in recognition of these achievements. In 1942, the board of directors renamed it Founder's Day.November 2, 1909is also still recognized, so Lambda Chi Alpha celebrates two Founders Days annually.
In the years that followed, a divide opened between Cole and a group of young alumni led by Mason, Ernst J.C. Fischer of Lambda Chi'sCornell Universitychapter inIthaca, New York, and Samuel Dyer of theUniversity of Mainechapter inOrono, Maine. Dyer was supported by Albert Cross at theUniversity of Pennsylvaniachapter inPhiladelphiaand Louis Robbins of theBrown Universitychapter inProvidence, Rhode Island.In 1920, Cole was ousted and Fischer was elected national president. In 1927, Fischer became international president whenEpsilon-Epsilon Zetaat theUniversity of TorontoinTorontowas chartered.
TheTheta Kappa Nufraternity was formed by eleven local fraternities on June 9, 1924, inSpringfield, Missouri. With the help of theNorth American Interfraternity Conferencein identifying local groups, and Theta Kappa Nu's policy of granting charters quickly to organizations with good academic standards, the fraternity grew quickly and had approximately 2,500 initiates in 40 chapters by the end of 1926.
During theGreat Depression, bothTheta Kappa Nuand Lambda Chi Alpha saw membership decrease and chapters shut down. In 1939, the two fraternities agreed to merge.The merger ceremony was held at Howard College (nowSamford University) chapter of Theta Kappa Nu inBirmingham, Alabama. The merger immediately 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 eitherTheta,Kappa, orNu.At schools where chapters of both fraternities previously existed, the two merged and retained Lambda Chi's Zeta recognition.
Lambda Chi Alpha was founded inBoston, Massachusetts, in 1909. For the first decade of its existence, the fraternity lacked a central office and records were divided between the homes of Grand High AlphaWarren A. ColeinSwansea, Massachusettsand Registrar Samuel Dyer inAttleboro, Massachusetts.In 1920, the fraternity moved its headquarters toNortheastern Pennsylvania, where it was located inKingstonandWilkes Barre. Later that year, it relocated toIndianapolis, where many otherfraternity and sororitynational headquarters are located. Since 2021, its headquarters has been based inCarmel, Indiana, outside Indianapolis.Its former headquarters include:
The fraternity first joined theNorth American Interfraternity Conference(NIC) in 1913.In October 2015, it resigned from the association, citing in-fighting and dysfunctional governance. The fraternity's exit coincided with NIC lobbying for theSafe Campus Act, which was opposed by both the fraternity and sexual assault advocacy groups.Lambda Chi Alpha re-joined the NIC in November 2023.
The colors of Lambda Chi Alpha are royal purple, kelly green, and old gold. Its symbols are the cross and crescent. Its flower is the white rose and its mascot is thelion rampant. Its mottos arePer Crucem Crescensor "Crescent through the Cross",Χαλεπά τά καλὰor "Naught Without Labor", andVir Quisque Viror "Every Man a Man."
Beginning in August 1969, the concept of fraternity education replaced pledge education at Lambda Chi Alpha.The fraternity education program was designed to integrate all new members into the chapter equally.
In 1972, Lambda Chi Alpha officially abolished the pledge process and replaced it with associate membership. Associate members in Lambda Chi Alpha to this day have all of the same rights as initiated brothers, can hold officer positions, wear the letters, and can vote on all issues except for those involving Lambda Chi'sinitiationritual. Status as an associate member permits new members to enter the fraternity with respect, and helps to combat the issues that arise from the possible abuse of pledges. Lambda Chi Alpha was the first fraternal organization to abolish pledging.
From 1993 to 2012, Lambda Chi Alpha's philanthropy was the North American Food Drive (NAFD). As of 2010, NAFD had collected around 33 million pounds of food forfood banks.In 2012, NAFD was discontinued under that name and rolled into an ongoing partnership withFeeding America.
In 2017, Lambda Chi Alpha announced a trial partnership with theSt. Baldrick's Foundation, aMonrovia, California-based organization that fundschildhood cancerresearch. Chapters were encouraged to host or participate in head-shaving events to raise money for the foundation.
In 2019, Lambda Chi Alpha announced a partnership withThe Jed Foundation, aBoston-based non-profit organization that seeks to protect emotional health and prevent suicide for teens and young adults. Together, they are launching Lambda Chi Alpha Lifeline, an online mental health resource center tailored from the foundation's ULifeline website, which provides college students with information about emotional health issues and specific resources available to them on their respective campuses. It also offers a confidential mental health self-screening tool.
In 2020, Lambda Chi Alpha announced its partnership withMovember, anAustralia-based non-profit foundation that raises awareness of men's health issues such asprostate cancer,testicular cancer, and men'ssuicide. Movember has recently become a primary philanthropic focus for Lambda Chi Alpha and the fraternity's national administrative office.
In 2023, Lambda Chi Alpha announced its partnership withAmerican Red Cross, a nonprofit humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief, and disaster preparedness education in the United States. Lambda Chi Alpha is the first and only fraternity with a partnership with The American Red Cross.
As of 2024, Lambda Chi Alpha reported 185 active chapters and associate chapters, representing universities in most U.S. states and threeCanadianprovinces.
Lambda Chi Alpha is atypical in its naming scheme. Unlike most fraternities, the order in which chapters are named is not strictly based on theGreek alphabet. Instead, Lambda Chi Alpha chapters are known as Zetas. As such, for instance, the Alpha-Beta chapter is designated Alpha-Beta Zeta. In addition, since the fraternity's founding, Cole assigned Greek letters to petitioning groups that had not yet been chartered. Not all of these groups were chartered, however. As a result, the first 22 chapters were designated Α, Γ, Ε, Ζ, Ι, Λ, Β, Σ, Φ, Δ, Π, Ο, Μ, Τ, Η, Θ, Υ, Ξ, Χ, Ω, Κ, Ν, Ρ, Ψ. After the 24th chapter, the sequence was continued with a prefix following the same sequence (Α-Α, Α-Γ, Α-Ε, ... Γ-Α, Γ-Γ, Γ-Ε, ... Ε-A, etc.)
WhenTheta Kappa Numerged with Lambda Chi Alpha in 1939, the former Theta Kappa Nu chapters were each given chapter designations prefixed with Θ, Κ, or Ν. The second letter of their chapter name was assigned in the order mentioned above and applied to the chapters in order of their precedence in Theta Kappa Nu. On campuses with chapters of both Lambda Chi Alpha and Theta Kappa Nu, the chapter of Lambda Chi Alpha kept its original designation.
A singular exception was the chapter atGeorgia TechinAtlanta,Β-Κ Zeta, which was named in recognition of its existence as a chapter of theBeta Kappa, a national fraternity whose other existing chapters merged withTheta Chiin 1942.
Lambda Chi Alpha has over 300,000 members.
In 1945,Harry S. Truman, the 33rdpresident of the United States, was made an honorary initiate of the Lambda Chi Alpha chapter at theUniversity of Missouri.
Lambda Chi Alpha is referenced in the 2005Kenny Chesneysong "Keg in the Closet", which includes the lyrics: "This ol' guitar taught me how to score, right there on that Lambda Chi porch, Mary Ann taught me a little more, about wanting what you can't have."Chesney is a Lambda Chi brother from the Iota-Omicron chapter atEast Tennessee State University.
In 2023, theUniversity of New Orleanschapter was featured inSeason Seven, Episode 1of theNetflixseries,Queer Eye.
In October 1958, a Lambda Chi pledge atMIT,Oliver R. Smoot, gained global recognition when his MIT fraternity brothers had him lay down repeatedly onHarvard BridgebetweenBostonandCambridgewhile they measured the bridge using his height, which turned out to be 5 feet 7 inches. Smoot's height was defined as one "smoot", and Harvard Bridge was officially measured as 364.4 smoots (2,035 ft; 620.1 m) smoots long. The measurement is commemorated with a plaque on Harvard Bridge describing the incident. In 2009, in remembrance and celebration of the legacy ofOliver Smoot, thePennsylvania Western University Edinborochapter contributed to funding the construction of a pickleball facility in collaboration with the university.The addition comprised a total square footage of 46,735.8 smoots (261,720,384.48 sq ft).
In 2011, the word "smoot" and its definition were added to the fifth edition of theAmerican Heritage Dictionary.
In October 1958, the fraternity expelled itsHamilton Collegechapter inClinton, New York, for insisting on a non-discrimination policy for admitting members. The national fraternity insisted that its members beChristianswho were either White orNative American.The expelled chapter reorganized as an independent society called Gryphon, which continued to operate for more than two decades.
In May 1988, James Callahan, an associate atRutgers UniversityinNew Brunswick, New Jersey, died of an alcohol overdose from a Lambda Chi Alpha drinkinghazingritual. Fifteen members of the chapter were indicted for his death.
In November 2007, Remy Okonkwo, a member atGeorgetown CollegeinGeorgetown, Kentucky, was found hanging in the Lambda Chi house on campus. The coroner ruled his death asuicidebut his family alleged foul play was involved.
In January 2011, the chapter atFlorida State UniversityinTallahassee, Floridawas suspended after a sorority member whose identical twin sister was dating a Lambda Chi brother shot and killed her inside the house.
In May 2014, following a yearlong investigation, seven members at theUniversity of Illinois Urbana-Champaignwere arrested and charged with using and distributing illegal drugs. Police foundMDMApills, 40 grams of MDMA powder,cocaineresidue,Adderallpills, suspectedLSD,cannabis, a large tank ofnitrous oxide, and drug paraphernalia in the fraternity house.As a place to purchase drugs, the fraternity had reportedly gained the nickname "the candy shop", according toThe News-Gazette.
In March 2016, the chapter atSouthern Methodist UniversityinUniversity Park, Texaswas placed on a five-year suspension for hazing and code of conduct violations. In 2009, the fraternity was previously suspended for similar infractions, which led to the expulsion of 35 out of its 92 members.
In May 2016, the fraternity's national office suspended the chapter at theUniversity of OregoninEugene, Oregonafter a photo of a Lambda Chi Alpha cooler decorated with the phrase, "Do you wanna do someblowman?" went viral on the Internet. The cooler was discovered along with a half-mile wide swath of trash left behind atShasta LakeinNorthern California, where an estimated 1,000 students had docked houseboats over the weekend.
In August 2016, Colson Machlitt, a football player atGeorgetown CollegeinGeorgetown, Kentucky, died after allegedly jumping down a flight of stairs at the fraternity. Alcohol was suspected to be involved in his death.
In January 2017, theIndiana University-Bloomingtonchapter inBloomington, Indiana, was placed under a two-year suspension after an associate member reported hazing activities occurring in the chapter house to the university, which allegedly included brutal physical exercise, liquor hazing, and the act of capping were mentioned in the report. In response, the fraternity's national office removed over 100 members, who were able to fully recolonize in fall 2021.
In April 2018, the chapter atCal Poly SLOinSan Luis Obispo, Californiawas placed on interim suspension after social media images surfaced depicting members dressed up as gang members with one wearingblackfaceduring the school's multicultural celebration weekend.
In August 2018, the chapter atButler UniversityinIndianapoliswas suspended by the school, which did not cite a specific reason for the suspension. TheIndianapolis Starreported that alcohol violations played a part. The university said it would not consider reinstating the chapter until 2021.Following the suspension, a woman filed a civil rights complaint against the university, saying that it grossly mishandled her allegation that she wasrapedby a member of the fraternity during a fraternity party. The fraternity member had previously been accused of sexual misconduct by another student.
In September 2020, theUniversity of Georgiachapter inAthens, Georgia, was suspended after racist and other insensitive text messages between members were exposed by a fellow student onTwitter.
In January 2024, theWest Virginia Universitychapter inMorgantown, West Virginiawas placed on an interim suspension following allegations of permitting and facilitating underage alcohol consumption.