Kappa Sigma Kappa () is the name of three separate college fraternities, sharing a common history and traditions but disconnected by decades and a break in organizational continuity. The original incarnation of Kappa Sigma Kappa was formed at Virginia Military Institute on . Most of its active chapters merged into Phi Delta Theta in .
A larger, second incarnation sparked by the memory of the first group at the University of Virginia was formed approximately fifty years after the first merger, leading to the creation of over seventy new chapters. Many of these would later merge into Theta Xi in . Some of Kappa Sigma Kappa's chapters were unable to join in this merger due to NIC rules, leading to a third incarnation of the fraternity. In the late 's, this third edition of Kappa Sigma Kappa dissipated as a formal entity. One chapter remained active until .
First incarnation (1867–1886) History Kappa Sigma Kappa was founded at Virginia Military Institute on , by four cadets: John M. Tutwiler James Gunnell Hurst Kenneth McDonald David Gamble Murrell
On that night, Tutwiler invited the three other cadets to his room where the fraternity was founded. The original name selected for the fraternity was C.E.C., but it was soon changed to Kappa Sigma Kappa. The letters "C.E.C." would continue to retain ritual significance in the new fraternity. As a result of their efforts, ten chapters had been chartered by .
After the closure of several chapters, five of its remaining chapters became part of Phi Delta Theta in . One chapter merged into Sigma Nu.
Symbols and traditions The badge was a gold Jerusalem cross in the center of which is a circular black enameled disc displaying the letters of the fraternity. The letters "C.E.C." are engraved on the back of every badge.
Chapters These are the chapters of the first iteration of Kappa Sigma Kappa, many of which left to join Phi Delta Theta in . Inactive chapters and institutions are listed in italics.
Chapter Charter date and range Institution Location Status Gamma – Virginia Military Institute Lexington, Virginia Merged () Epsilon – Washington and Lee University Lexington, Virginia Merged () Zeta – Virginia A&M College Blacksburg, Virginia Inactive Delta – University of Virginia Charlottesville, Virginia Inactive Eta – Emory and Henry College Emory, Virginia Inactive Upsilon – Randolph–Macon College Ashland, Virginia Merged () Nu – University of Richmond Richmond, Virginia Merged () Rho – Bethel Military Academy Warrenton, Virginia Inactive Omega – University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, North Carolina Merged () Alpha – Louisiana State University Baton Rouge, Louisiana Withdrew ()
Second incarnation (1935–1962) History Almost fifty years after the original fraternity had dissolved, a group of four students at the University of Virginia desired to form a new social fraternity in 1935. They were attracted to the Kappa Sigma Kappa badge, so they decided to revive the former fraternity as their own. After searching the University of Virginia archives, the students found the names of three members from the old Delta chapter who were still alive, including two charter members. They then discovered that one of the founders of the original fraternity, Kenneth McDonald, was still alive and living in San Francisco, California. The students made contact with McDonald, and he assisted them in redeveloping the fraternity and learning many of the original fraternity traditions. The second incarnation of Kappa Sigma Kappa was officially established in . Seven chapters of the new Kappa Sigma Kappa were established before World War II.
After the war, the fraternity emphasized expansion. New chapters were rapidly established, and members of the fraternity felt the need to become better organized on a national level. The fraternity held its first national convention in St. Louis, Missouri in 1948. National conventions continued to be held every year, but the fraternity still lacked a strong national organization. Although the fraternity had experienced great growth in the years after the war, Kappa Sigma Kappa found itself struggling by the early 1950s. It had allowed several chapters on campuses of unaccredited schools, and as a result, Kappa Sigma Kappa was unable to obtain membership in the National Interfraternity Conference (NIC). As a result of its lack of NIC membership, lack of uniform chapter operations, and lack of a strong national organization and central office, Kappa Sigma Kappa began rapidly losing its chapters in the 1950s as it began to affiliate with other NIC fraternities.
Kappa Sigma Kappa saw a merger with Theta Xi as its opportunity to repair its rapidly deteriorating situation. Following a series of meetings, the national organization of Kappa Sigma Kappa officially merged with Theta Xi on . As a result of the merger, twenty-one chapters of Kappa Sigma Kappa located at accredited schools became chapters of Theta Xi. In addition, one further chapter of Kappa Sigma Kappa at Lawrence Technological University joined when the school was accredited. Each of the chapters was given a new Greek-letter chapter designation that was prefaced by the letter Kappa.
Merger symbolism As part of the terms of the merger, the fraternity flower of Theta Xi was changed from the white carnation to the blue iris. The Theta Xi coat of arms was modified to replace its fleurs-de-lis with upright crescents, and the fraternity pledge manual title was changed from The Theta Xi Pledge Manual to The Quest For Theta Xi.
Chapters Inactive chapters and institutions are noted in italics.Some dates from the 2013 edition of The Quest for Theta Xi
Chapter Charter date and range Institution Location Status Delta – University of Virginia Charlottesville, Virginia Inactive Pi – Lebanon Valley College Annville, Pennsylvania Withdrew (local) Pi (2) – Wofford College Spartanburg, South Carolina Withdrew () Beta – Western Reserve University Cleveland, Ohio Inactive Theta – Texas College of Mines El Paso, Texas Inactive Iota – Youngstown State University Youngstown, Ohio Merged () Lambda – Waynesburg College Waynesburg, Pennsylvania Withdrew () Mu – New Mexico Highlands University Las Vegas, New Mexico Inactive Nu – University of Illinois Champaign, Illinois Inactive Kappa – Arkansas Agricultural and Mechanical College Monticello, Arkansas Merged () Upsilon – Randolph–Macon College Ashland, Virginia Inactive Omicron – Fairmont State College Fairmont, West Virginia Merged () Rho –19xx ? University of Scranton Scranton, Pennsylvania Inactive Xi – Concord College Athens, West Virginia Merged () Phi Delta – Fort Hays Kansas State College Hays, Kansas Withdrew () Sigma – Indiana Institute of Technology Fort Wayne, Indiana Merged () Tau – Eastern Illinois State College Charleston, Illinois Withdrew () Chi – Arizona State College Flagstaff, Arizona Inactive Florida Alpha – University of Tampa Tampa, Florida Withdrew () Psi – Central Missouri State College Warrensburg, Missouri Withdrew () Michigan Alpha –19xx ? Detroit Institute of Technology Detroit, Michigan Inactive West Virginia Gamma – Morris Harvey College Charleston, West Virginia Merged () West Virginia Delta – Glenville State College Glenville, West Virginia Merged () Illinois Gamma – Western Illinois University Macomb, Illinois Merged () Indiana Beta – Ball State College Muncie, Indiana Merged () Maryland Alpha – University of Baltimore Baltimore, Maryland Withdrew ( revival) British Alpha – Northern Polytechnic Institute London, England Inactive New Zealand Alpha – University of Canterbury Christchurch, New Zealand Inactive Tasmania Alpha – University of Hobart Hobart, Tasmania Inactive California Alpha – Sacramento State College Sacramento, California Withdrew () Arkansas Beta – Henderson State Teachers College Arkadelphia, Arkansas Merged () Canadian Alpha – University of Manitoba Winnipeg, Manitoba Inactive Michigan Beta – Lawrence Institute of Technology Southfield, Michigan Merged () Ohio Delta – University of Toledo Toledo, Ohio Inactive Georgia Alpha –19xx Georgia State University Atlanta, Georgia Inactive Iowa Alpha –19xx Upper Iowa University Fayette, Iowa Inactive Ohio Epsilon – Cedarville College Cedarville, Ohio Inactive Cedarville College Cedrus yearbook, 1949, p.19 California Beta –19xx ? Stanford University Stanford, California Inactive The Pony Express - Sacramento Junior College - April 14, 1950, page 4 Fraternity picks Pioneer HeadCalifornia Beta1948–19xx ?Sacromento Junior CollegeSacromento, CaliforniaInactive California Gamma – Armstrong College Berkeley, California Inactive California Delta – San Jose State College San Jose, California Withdrew () Spartan Daily - San Jose State College - February 24, 1949 Volume 37, Number 88, p 2 "Frat Chat" Lambda Mu –19xx Washington State University Pullman, Washington Inactive Illinois Delta –19xx ? Eureka College Eureka, Illinois Inactive New York Alpha – University of Buffalo Buffalo, New York Inactive Illinois Epsilon – Chicago Technical College Chicago, Illinois Withdrew ( revival) Virginia Beta ? – Old Dominion University Richmond, Virginia Merged () New York Beta – Rochester Institute of Technology Rochester, New York Merged () Michigan Gamma – Western Michigan University Kalamazoo, Michigan Withdrew () Western Michigan University Brown and Gold yearbook, 1950, p.113 Ohio Zeta – Defiance College Defiance, Ohio Merged () Michigan Delta – University of Detroit Detroit, Michigan Merged () Pennsylvania Gamma – Widener University Chester, Pennsylvania Inactive California Iota –19xx ? University of California, Berkeley Berkeley, California Inactive The Pony Express - Sacramento Junior College - May 12, 1950, page 4 Kappa Sigma's Slate National Convention<ref>The Pony Express - Sacramento Junior College - March 17, 1950 page 4 Fraternity Men go to Berkeley</</ref> California Zeta ? ?–19xx ? University of California, Los Angeles Los Angeles, California Inactive The Pony Express - Sacramento Junior College - March 10, 1950, page 4 Frat Men hold Pledge Week Illinois Zeta –19xx ?, –19xx ? Quincy College Quincy, Illinois Inactive Rechartered in 1974, post-merger? New York Gamma – Erie County Technical Institute Buffalo, New York Withdrew ( revival) North Carolina Alpha – Lenoir-Rhyne University Hickory, North Carolina Merged () Lenoir Rhyne Hacawa yearbook, 1957 p.126. Missouri Beta – Saint Louis University St. Louis, Missouri Withdrew () Michigan Epsilon – Wayne State University Detroit, Michigan Merged () Wayne State Archives Virginia Alpha –19xx ? College of William & Mary Williamsburg, Virginia Inactive Michigan Zeta – Hillsdale College Hillsdale, Michigan Withdrew () Michigan Eta – Ferris State University Big Rapids, Michigan Merged () Ferris State University Ferriscope yearbook, 1955 p.76 Indiana Gamma –, – Trine University Angola, Indiana Withdrew ( revival), Withdrew () New York Delta – Russell Sage College Troy, New York Inactive New York Epsilon – Alfred State College Alfred, New York Withdrew (local) Michigan Gamma (2) – Kettering University Flint, Michigan Merged () Chapter History - The House - Theta Xi - Kappa Sigma Chapter Rhode Island Alpha – University of Rhode Island College of Pharmacy Providence, Rhode Island Inactive University of Rhode Island Renaissance yearbook, 2002, p.373, accessed 18 Jul 2022. West Virginia Eta – West Virginia Wesleyan College Buckhannon, West Virginia Merged () New York Zeta – Utica College Utica, New York Merged () Illinois Eta – Northern Illinois University DeKalb, Illinois Inactive North Carolina Beta – Western Carolina University Cullowhee, North Carolina Merged () Western Carolina Catamount yearbook, 1960 p.35 New York Eta – Westchester Community College Valhalla, New York Withdrew ( revival) New York Theta –19xx ? Hudson Valley Community College Troy, New York Withdrew ( revival)