Lambda Chi Alpha Lambda Chi Alpha ( ΛΧΑ ) is one of the largest men ' s secret general fraternities in North America , having initiated more than 280 , 000 members and held chapters at more than 300 universities . It is a member of the North - American Interfraternity Conference ( NIC ) and was founded by Warren A . Cole , while he was a student at Boston University , on November 2 , 1909 . The youngest of the fifteen largest social fraternities , Lambda Chi Alpha has initiated the third highest number of men ever , based on NIC statistics . Lambda Chi ' s National Headquarters is located in Indianapolis , Indiana . Lambda Chi Alpha seeks to promote higher education by providing opportunities for academic achievement and leadership . Its open motto es are " Vir Quisque Vir " ( Latin , " Every Man a Man " ) , " Per Crucem Crescens " ( Latin , translated variously as " Crescent in the Cross " or " Growth through the Cross " ) , and Χαλεπα Τα Καλα ( Greek , " Naught Without Labor " ) . Its members are referred to as " Lambda Chis . " History . Founding . The history of the founding of Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity resulted from an agreement in late 1912 between Warren A . Cole in Boston and Albert Cross in Philadelphia , holding that on November 2 , 1909 , Warren A . Cole , Percival C . Morse , and Clyde K . Nichols met at 22 Joy St . , Boston , and swore allegiance to the new fraternity . The meeting had been called , by whom it is not recorded , for the purpose of considering the reorganization of the Cosmopolitan Law Club , a society of law students of Boston University , of which Cole was a member , into the Greek letter society . The first three members were all close friends before Cole ’ s withdrawal from the law club , for all had been members of Alpha Mu Chi , a preparatory school fraternity . Cole was also a member of the legal fraternity , Gamma Eta Gamma , and the Grange or Patrons of Husbandry , a society of agriculturalists . The Greek letter name was not used in the Alpha Zeta minutes until April 27 , 1910 , however , and , as far as is known , this was the first time it was recorded . Cole approached many local groups at colleges and universities throughout the Northeast in hopes of finding others willing to join his new fraternity . Before the acquisition of Lambda Chi Alpha ' s first functioning chapter , Cole had corresponded with or visited 117 institutions . Expansion . Early in 1912 , Cole wrote to a student at Massachusetts Agricultural College ( MAC ) in Amherst , asking the names of the Greek - letter fraternities on campus and the names of at least two " good , non - fraternity men . " Herbert E . Cole responded with the names of six Greek - letter groups and two names , including that of Lewis Drury . Warren A . Cole wrote to Drury asking if he was interested in forming a Greek - letter society . Apparently Drury was quite interested , as he had his Agronomy professor write a letter of recommendation to Warren Cole . The MAC petition was duly submitted and quickly approved — after all , it was Cole ' s first success in attracting a group after more than one hundred futile efforts . Lambda Chi Alpha ' s first established chapter , Gamma Zeta , was born . During the spring of 1912 , Albert Cross , a student in the department of civil engineering at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia , received a letter from Warren Cole indicating that he had received Cross ' name from a mutual acquaintance and that he would like to form a chapter of Lambda Chi Alpha at the University of Pennsylvania . Cross liked Cole ' s idea and began talking with some of his friends . One of these friends was John E . " Jack " Mason , whom Cross had met in a French class that summer . Mason , who had hardly been interested in existing fraternities at Penn , suggested to another friend , Raymond Ferris , that they " take a shot at " establishing a chapter of Lambda Chi Alpha . Thus , with colossal nerve , Cross , Mason , Ferris , and five other men dared to launch a fraternity chapter on a campus with an abundance of long - established national fraternities . But with determination , Epsilon Zeta began . Following the addition of Zeta Zeta at Penn State , the infant fraternity now felt confident in contacting established local groups . Cole made the acquaintance of members of Sigma Phi Delta at Brown University and won its affiliation . A " picked delegation " at MIT proved successful . By the beginning of 1913 , Delta Kappa at Maine was admitted as the seventh chapter . Within a decade of Cole ' s founding , the fraternity grew to 53 chapters spanning from Maine to California and from Michigan to Texas . Cole accomplished this largely by traveling to schools and finding local fraternities that aspired to affiliate with a national organization . Since these groups were largely ignored by other established fraternities , Cole ' s method was very successful . In 1927 Lambda Chi Alpha became an international fraternity with the founding of Epsilon - Epsilon Zeta at the University of Toronto in Toronto , Ontario , Canada . Today the Fraternity is represented by two more Canadian chapters in addition to Epsilon - Epsilon : Epsilon - Rho Zeta at the University of Alberta ( Edmonton , Alberta ) ; and Delta - Eta Zeta at the University of Western Ontario ( London , Ontario ) . Theta Kappa Nu . Theta Kappa Nu Fraternity was formed by the union of 11 well - established local fraternities on June 9 , 1924 in Springfield , Missouri . The pinnacle of the Springfield Grand Chapter was the signing of the League and Covenant - the instrument that embodied the ideals of the various groups and would bind them together to form one organization . Those present at the founding meeting were asked to come forward and sign the document . Each delegate realized that the signature meant the end of his local fraternity . In silence each delegate present came forward , removed the badge of the local from over his heart , placed it on the table , and signed the League and Covenant . Theta Kappa Nu was born . With the help of the National Interfraternity Conference in identifying local groups and Theta Kappa Nu ' s policy of granting charters quickly to organizations with good academic standards , the young national fraternity grew quickly , and boasted 2 , 500 initiates in 40 chapters by the close of 1926 . This record expansion remains unequaled in the fraternity world . As the Great Depression was drawing to a close , many fraternities were struggling in terms of membership and finances . Theta Kappa Nu began seeing its chapters shut down for the first time in the early 1930s , and was forced to reduce fees in 1933 and again in 1935 to maintain its membership . Meanwhile , Lambda Chi Alpha had lost one third of its membership . In 1938 a merger committee was formed . In 1939 , Lambda Chi Alpha merged with the Theta Kappa Nu Fraternity . The ceremony was held at the Howard College , now Samford University in Birmingham , Alabama , chapter of Theta Kappa Nu , where the documents were signed . The merger 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 either Theta , Kappa or Nu . At schools where chapters of both fraternities previously existed , the two merged and retained Lambda Chi ' s Zeta recognition . For example , the University of California at Berkeley was home to a chapter of both and is still denoted Mu Zeta . Associate Membership and Fraternity Education . " Perhaps the most fundamental change which was made at this Assembly was the complete elimination of pledgeship , and the adoption of fraternity education to replace pledge education . . . . We feel in fact that this action is one of the most significant changes by any fraternity in the past fifty years . " — George W . Spasyk following the 1972 General Assembly Fraternity Education . Beginning in August 1969 , the concept of " fraternity education " replaced " pledge education . " The fraternity education program , the first of its kind , is designed to include all members of the chapter equally . The program of fraternity education should be designed to integrate the new member into the chapter as a whole , develop a standard of treatment that treats associate members and initiates completely equally , and should continue throughout a member ' s undergraduate years and throughout a member ' s life . Anti - hazing policies . Lambda Chi Alpha ' s first stance against hazing was in 1928 at a North - American Interfraternity Conference meeting when the fraternity condemned the practice . Today Lambda Chi Alpha prohibits hazing of any form , on or off campus , by any of its members . The fraternity ' s definition of hazing is broadly defined as " any action taken or situation created intentionally to produce physical discomfort or mental discomfort by embarrassment , harassment , or ridicule . ” Lambda Chi Alpha is one of the founding members of the Greek Anti - Hazing Hotline , 1 - 888 - NOT - HAZE ( 1 - 888 - 668 - 4293 ) . The line is available to those who think they , or someone they know , have been or may become victims of hazing . North American Food Drive . “ On November 6 , 1993 , Lambda Chi Alpha began a philanthropy project that has collected more than 33 million pounds of food for the needy across North America . Called the North American Food Drive , this annual event has become the largest single - day philanthropic project sponsored by a collegiate organization . Its success is so impressive that Lambda Chi Alpha became the first fraternity to receive the Summit Award from the American Society of Association Executives in 1995 , an award presented annually to associations and companies nationwide as part of its Associations Advance America Awards Program . ” Lambda Chi Alpha won its second Advance America award in 2005 . The Food Drive began as the " Pantry Raid " at Millsaps College in the early 1980s . Though the " Pantry Raid " was not the only food drive in Lambda Chi Alpha at the time , the general fraternity used it as a model for a fraternity wide philanthropy . The fraternity chose " Brothers Feeding Others " as its theme and began promoting a one day food drive . Though the initial goal for the first food drive was 100 , 000 pounds , it was far surpassed . 256 , 416 pounds of food were collected and donated to needy food banks . The philanthropy has continued to expand and grow yearly . The fraternity collected over 1 million pounds for the first time in 1997 and had its first 2 million pound year in 1999 . In 2005 over 3 million pounds of food were collected . " The North American Food Drive touches the lives of more and more community members each year . With an increased effort in helping those who are less fortunate , brothers continue to uphold the ideals of the Fraternity for all to see by making a difference for the needy in your community . " Notable members . Since its founding in 1909 , dozens of Lambda Chi Alpha members have gone on to fame and accomplishment in the fields of academia , acting , athletics , business , government , music , politics , science , and other fields . Chapters . Chapter locations . Chapters of Lambda Chi Alpha represent the fraternity in nearly all of the contiguous United States . Four of Canada ' s ten Provinces also are home to several chapters and / or colonies . In addition , Lambda Chi Alpha previously had a colony in Alaska , but that has since been disbanded . Chapter naming . Most fraternities and sororities in the U . S . name their chapters using the Greek alphabet . The order usually follows one of two patterns : one which names chapters alphabetically nationally , e . g . , Alpha - Beta chapter ; the other by state , e . g . , Indiana - Alpha chapter . Lambda Chi Alpha is unique in its naming scheme . The order in which they are named is not alphabetical , but , rather , a variation on the Greek alphabet . Chapters of Lambda Chi Alpha are known as " Zetas " . Thus , a member of Alpha - Beta chapter would say he was a member of Alpha - Beta Zeta . At the fraternity ' s inception , the founder Warren Cole assigned Greek letters to petition ing groups that had not yet been charter ed . Predictably , not all of these groups were chartered . As a result , the first seven chapters were designated : Α , Γ , Ε , Ζ , Ι , Λ , and Β , in that order . John E . Mason created a twenty - four word mnemonic device with words representing each Greek letter once — the first seven words were in the order that the chapters were already named . " A good energetic Zeta is Lambda ' s boast ; ‘ Strength from Delta Pi ’ , our motto , to each through union ; excellent character only , knowing no retreating steps . " Therefore , the chapters are named in the order : 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 twenty - fourth 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 . ) When Theta Kappa Nu merged with Lambda Chi Alpha in 1939 , a scheme was adopted to name the new chapters , and the original scheme was modified , as well . The former Theta Kappa Nu chapters were all 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 ; e . g . , Theta Kappa Nu ' s Alpha chapter at Howard College ( now Samford University ) became Theta Alpha Zeta . On twenty - one campuses , chapters of both Lambda Chi Alpha and Theta Kappa Nu existed . In those cases , the chapter of Lambda Chi Alpha kept its original designation , and the letter which would have been assigned to the chapter of Theta Kappa Nu was permanently retired . A singular exception , the chapter at Georgia Tech , Β - Κ Zeta , was named in recognition of its existence as a chapter of the national fraternity Beta Kappa , whose other existing chapters merged with Theta Chi in 1942 . Headquarters Locations . Lambda Chi Alpha ' s founding in Massachusetts in 1909 lead to the location of its first headquarters outside of Boston until after World War I . Later it was moved by members to Northeastern Pennsylvania and eventually to Indianapolis , Indiana , where many other Fraternity and Sorority national headquarters are located . Popular culture . The song " Keg in the Closet " was written by Kenny Chesney and Brett James , which recalls various details of college life in the late 1980s , including a beer keg which was hidden in the closet at Chesney ' s house , Lambda Chi Alpha at East Tennessee State University . It is mentioned by name in the line :