Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-11-01

than itself. Washington has goodly rep
resentation of these frat houses. The
majority OF these are affiliated with
George Washington University. which
has almost d score of chapters, local and
national in character. not TO mention
three sororities. Geors etown has but
tWo-a fac. caused by the objection OF
Catholic institutions to secret orcan;za-
tons Of any kind. Gal.audet, although
IL has but compare lively few students
supports one fraternity
OF the national fraternities of GEORGE
washington University, Sigma Chi is the
oldest from q local standpoint having
been established in connection with the
Columbian University in 1854 The home
OF the orr anization is now q: 114S S
street northwest The building in a plain
prick affair with a wide stoop in front
Resides the room devoted to the initia-
ton exercises of the society there are
three others-a library. a general reading
room and sort of smoking and louneins
room fitted out as den
Sigma Chi is now among the smaller
OF the iocal fraternitles, having twenty
active members at present. However. ii
= represented in fifty universities,
throughout the United States. Conspicu-
Gus among the institutions of learninr.
represented are the University of Penn
syiVanla University of Virginia. Dickin-
son College. Washington and Lee, Uni
versity of Michigan. the Massachusetts
institute of Technology and many others
prominent in the educational world
The Youngest Local Chapter.
The present chapter Of the Sigma Alpha
Epsilon dates only from 1905, So that it
Is regarded as the youngest of George
Washington Universitys Greek letter So
cieties. 1t is not generally known how
ever. that the S. A. E., as it is popu,arlv
known, established a chapter in the old
columbian University George Washing
TONS predecessor. in 1858, only two wears
after the establishment of the parent
body at the University of Alabama. The
civil war almost absolutely destroyed this
fraternity. as Its membership then was
entirely in the south, and many Of them
joined the Confederate army. The
chapter at Columbian, however, survived
and it was this chapter which, after the
war, granted the charters which permit
led the perpetuation of this society. In
1869, nevertheless. due to hostility on the
part of the faculty. the S. A. E. was
discontinued, and only re-estab lished in
1903 as the Rho Chapter. Today the ma
tonal organization is one of the strong
est. being represented in no less than
seventy of the universities and COLLEGES
In all sections of the country
Inc local house is at 2O24 G street
This neighborhood was at one time con.
sidered one OF the most fashionable To-
calltIes in the city, and today some of
the Oldest families in Washington are the
neighbors and good friends of the S 4 n
The house is one of the largest of the
local fraternity houses. The parlors and
dining room. on the first floor, are sna
ciors. and are often the scene of merry
social gatherings. ranging from smokers
to dances The house is large enough TO
be home for sixteen of the members.
Phi Sigma Kappa founded at the Mas
sachusetts Agricultural College in 1S73
has the distinction of numbering among
its alumni members the president IF
George Washington University, DIR
Charles w. Needham, various other mem
bers Of the faculty and one cabinet off,
Ger. Mr.. George b. Cortelyou The local
branch is the Lambda Chapter, and was
installed In 1899. For some time it oc-
cupied very attractive home on the
same block as the s. A. E. house, but at
present ii is located at 1898 nth street
in a very comfortable home Most Of the
house is given up to the sleeping GUAR
ters of the members, but it's parlors will
be the scene of numerous entertainment s
this winter. 1t has a membership of
seventeen brothers in the university and
five brothers in the faculty. Affiliated
with II are chapters in twenty-three of
the leading universities. including the Uni
versity Of Pennsylvania. Cornell, Yale and
the University Of Virginia.
One of the most prominent fraternities
at George Washington is the Kappa AL
pha. Southern. The parent chapter of
this organization was founded at Wash
ington and Lee University in 1896 The
local branch, known as the Alpha NJ