Delta Epsilon (fraternity)
| Delta Epsilon | |
|---|---|
| ΔΕ | |
| Founded | 1862 Roanoke College |
| Type | Social |
| Affiliation | Independent |
| Scope | Regional (Virginia) |
| Chapters | 3 installed; 0 survived |
| Headquarters | , Virginia United States |
Delta Epsilon (ΔΕ) was an American regional college fraternity for men. It was founded in 1862 at Roanoke College in Salem, Virginia.
History[edit]
Delta Epsilon was established in 1862 at Roanoke College in Salem, Virginia. The founders intended to limit the fraternity entirely to Virginia colleges.[1] Two additional chapter were established, including one at Hampden–Sydney College. The first edition of Baird's Manual suggests that all three chapters "were weak", ostensibly due to their formation in the tumultuous days leading up to the Civil War.[2]
After establishing three chapters, Delta Epsilon became defunct. Alpha and one other chapter disbanded due to the Civil War.[1] The chapter at Hampden–Sydney College survived the war but became the Zeta chapter of Beta Theta Pi in 1869. Baird's 2nd edition describes the Zeta chapter of Beta Theta Pi as having been "killed by the War" but notes that it was revived with the adoption of Delta Epsilon's sole remaining chapter in 1869.[3][4][5][6]
Chapters[edit]
| Name | Chartered | Institution | Location | Status | Notes | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alpha | 1862-186x ? | Roanoke College | Salem, Virginia | Disbanded | No post-Civil War activity | [1] |
| Beta? | 186x-186x ? | school? [7] | City?, Virginia | Disbanded | No post-Civil War activity | [1] |
| Gamma? | 186x ? - 1869 | Hampden–Sydney College | Hampden Sydney, Virginia | Merged | Became Zeta chapter of ΒΘΠ | [8] |
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d Anson, Jack L.; Marchenasi, Robert F., eds. (1991) [1879]. Baird's Manual of American Fraternities (20th ed.). Indianapolis, IN: Baird's Manual Foundation, Inc. p. VIII-6. ISBN 978-0963715906.
- ^ American College Fraternities. J.B. Lippincott. 1890. p. 165.
- ^ Clarification of the outcome of this particular fraternity is made more difficult by the lack of reference materials that survived the wartime period. Yearbook publishing hadn't yet come into vogue, and campus records are thin.
- ^ American College Fraternities. J.B. Lippincott. 1883. p. 47.
- ^ William Raimond Baird (1912). Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities. G. Banta Company. p. 628.
- ^ 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 21 May 2021. The main archive URL is The Baird's Manual Online Archive homepage.
- ^ There is a narrow list of six possible schools this could be: Washington and Lee, UVA, Randolph-Macon, and VMI, with a less likely possibility of VCU or Emory and Henry. None of the other Virginia institutions would fit what is known about this group.
- ^ This chapter became the Zeta chapter of Beta Theta Pi in 1868 after Beta's earlier attempt "was killed off" during the Civil War. It was viable for 140 years, but in 2012, this chapter was declared inactive, subject to revival by ΒΘΠ.