The Theta Nu Epsilon Society.

The Kappa Chapter at Hamilton College.

The 1890 Hamilton yearbook.

Ha! ha! ha!

He!! he!! he!!

Hamilton! Hamilton!

T. N. E.!!!

The Kappa Chapter at Hamilton College was a small but thriving chapter of the society. The Kappa Chapter was founded in 1882. It was founded directly by the Alpha Chapter and was therefore legitimate. The Kappa Chapter had immediate competition in 1884 from the very short-lived Thrice Secret order of Alpha Psi Kappa, another Sophomore society, which may have only lived a year. The Kappa Chapter made the Utica Press in 1891 with its colorful initiation at Washington Mills on May 19th of that year. “A number of students from Hamilton College were, Friday night, initiated into a college society, the initiation taking place at Washington Mills. It is said that some of them were somewhat sore after the ceremony.” The society was usually very strong, but complications in 1897 led to only one initiate of the Class of 1899, but that was corrected in a large initiation the following year. Nevertheless, there were only seven Active Members by 1899. Apparently the Chapter developed a taste for the finer things of life by 1901, when the Chapter hosted a smoker and whist party at the D.K.E. house on March 6th.

The Chpter reorganized itself in 1906. As much later reported in the Hamilton Alumni Review, the Kappa Chapter had been “gradually going downhill and was replaced in the Class of 1903 by D. T., which consisted of two men from six of the Greek letter fraternities, and an odd man who acted as President. In 1904, ‘Butinsky’ with four members, was formed. It graduated into a junior honor society called Was Los, with a membership increased to six.” the D.T. society remains a fixture on the Hamilton Campus to this day, although its direct relation to the Kappa Chapter is unclear.

The National Organization of the Alpha Chapter of Theta Nu Epsilon 1999 - 2009 ©  All rights reserved.