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The Alpha Beta, Delta Sigma, and Kansas Alpha(?) Chapters at Kansas University.
There have been more than one chapter at Kansas University. The Alpha Beta Chapter at the University of Kansas was created in 1893. It was a legitimate chapter, possibly chartered by Alpha-Beta national, but legitimized in 1894 by Alpha Chapter. Alpha Beta chapter was also listed at times as the Beta Epsilon Chapter or the Mu Nu Chapter. It had a contentious history, and in 1907, for reasons not recorded, in April of that year, all the fraternities of the University instituted a boycott of the Chapter. It was last recorded in existence in 1914. The Delta Sigma Chapter at Kansas University was founded in 1920 as a legitimate chapter, since it was chartered by the Madden National. The chapter did not accept the attempt to force the society into a four-year fraternity status, and was on the N. P. of T. N. E. side in the 1925 split. It is not known how long the chapter survived, but it did not likely survive the late 1920’s.
This is the history of an illegitimate chapter. There was another chapter at Kansas University, probably a Society of 1870 type chapter, which appears to use the name Kansas Alpha. It has regularly engaged in behavior that has detracted from the character of Theta Nu Epsilon, and has generally been an unnecessary embarassment to Kansas University. It may still exist today. It is unknown when this chapter was founded, but it first appeared in 1948, when the Chapter raised a large piece of plasterboard up the University flagpole, with the motto, “Merry Xmas. Mallett will scream and tear his hair, but T.N.E. will still be thair.” There was a victory claimed by the University administration in 1951, supposeddly crushing the organization, but in September of 1952, the Chapter burned the letters “TNE” into the turf of the football stadium the night before a televised game. There were other acts unnecessary to record through the fifties. On May 19, 1960, the Board of Regents for both Kansas University and Kansas State University authorized the presidents of the respective institutions “to expel any student found to be a member of TNE or any similar organization not recognized and approved by that institution.” We have a record of some of the investigation of the chapter at Kansas State, (and curious readers should read that history); we can assume the same scenario played out at Kansas. In 1963, Dean Donald K. Alderson noted that a decorated pumpkin had been literally left on his doorstep. The pumpkin had five messages written on it: “To our God, Dean Alderston, from the guys. T.N.E.” “Booze helps.” “Too bad you were blacked out in our frat, too.” “This pumpkin contains one hundred percent booze!” “Keep it clean, Dean.” If this chapter had kept to this level then they would likely have just been considered a quaint part of Kansas University life, and almost picturesque. That was not to be. The Kansas Chapter was never as conspicuous as its Nebraska twin, so it is harder to gauge what it has been doing. Readers are encouraged to read the Kansas State and Nebraska histories and apply the same lessons here. The Chapter does seem to be a little quiescent lately.
The National Organization of the Alpha Chapter of Theta Nu Epsilon 1999 - 2009 © All rights reserved.
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