The Theta Nu Epsilon Society.

The Alpha Alpha Chapter at the Purdue University.

The Alpha Alpha chapter probably dates to 1892, but was illegitimate at that time, and whatever authority chartered the chapter, records for the chapter date to 1905 when the chapter was legitimized by the Alpha Chapter. During its period of illegitimacy it renamed itself the Indiana Alpha for a few years in the 1890’s. The Chapter was a traditional chapter of the society and therefore was driven out of the national in the 1913-16 Interfraternity Conflict. It later is reported to have been a N. P. of T. N. E. chapter until 1929. The chapter ended its existence in 1931 when it became a chapter of the Skull & Crescent society, an intercollegiate Sophomore honorary society organized at Ohio State University in 1924. The society is still active on the Purdue campus today, and the current Purdue chapter of Skull & Crescent is the last surviving chapter of that society.

There has recently been an internet hoax perpetuated about this chapter that it somehow still exists. The theory was that there was some hidden inner organization that held the secrets of the United States treasury and Salmon P. Chase, and that this secret inner order is still alive and thriving, despite the fact that it has no members. Obviously this is silly, no one commits national secrets to Sophomore class societies. The hoax has had little effect becasue it is so extreme as to not even be plausible. People should be careful when dealing with anyone making claims about Theta Nu Epsilon and Purdue because it is not known what the real aims are of the people spreading this hoax. It is possible that this is some precursor to some scheme trying to take advantage of people in some way, and so everyone should consider themselves duly warned.

But to be absolutely clear, the National Organization of the Alpha Chapter certainly does not support these people or their claims, and we do take offense that people would try to bring discredit to this society by misusing our name in this manner. They have already done some real damage to Theta Nu Epsilon.

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