Beta Kappa () was an American college fraternity that was founded in 1901 at Hamline University in Saint Paul, Minnesota. It established 47 chapters in the United States before merging with Theta Chi in 1942.
History Beta Kappa was formed at Hamline University in Saint Paul, Minnesota on October 15, 1901, with the name The Knights of Beta Omicron Sigma Kappa. Eventually, this somewhat unwieldy name was colloquially shortened to Beta Kappa, maturing into a local fraternity that continued for twenty-one years before beginning a period of rapid expansion. Its founders were Edward T. Marlatte, Daniel Paul Rader, Albert T. Spencer, and Charles H. Wallace. Beta Kappa was incorporated in 1912.
In 1922, the Beta chapter was established at the University of Washington. The fraternity's grand convention held its first meeting in 1923 in Saint Pail. The Gamma chapter was established at the Nebraska Wesleyan University in 1924.
The fraternity established a committee on expansion in 1925. In quick succession, Beta Kappa established 47 chapters with a total membership of over 5,000. An award cup was presented annually for the best chapter scholarship and national relations.
Beta Kappa became a junior member of the National Interfraternity Conference in , and a full member in . In 1929, it had initiated 2,173 members. Membership dropped during the Great Depression; by 1940, only 25 of its 47 chapters were still active. The start of World War II further weakened the fraternity with a reduction in membership. In 1942, it had 22 chapters. Beta Kappa's leadership decided to seek a merger with another national fraternity.
Beta Kappa merged with Theta Chi on April 14, 1942, with three exceptions released to join other national groups. The mother chapter at Hamline University was granted the chapter name, Beta Kappa chapter, to honor its rank as a former Alpha chapter. The merger added 6,000 members and seventeen new chapters to Theta Chi; two Beta Kappa chapters were merged into existing chapters.
Symbols Beta Kappa's badge was shaped like a diamond in black enamel, longer from top to bottom, with 24 pearls on its perimeter. It held a small, white circular disk in the center with a coiled serpent; above was a lamp, and below were two crossed swords. On the sides of the disk were the Greek letters "" and "".
The fraternity's colors were purple and gold. Its flower was a yellow (golden) rose. It magazine was The Journal of Beta Kappa, established in 1924.
Governance Beta Kappa was governed by a grand convention that met biennially. At these annual meetings, the fraternity elected its grand executive council, consisting of seven members. The grand executive council oversaw operations between grand conventions. The first grand convention was held in 1923 in Saint Paul, followed by a meeting in 1925 in Saint Paul; a 1927 meeting in Cleveland, Ohio; and a 1929 meeting in Jamestown, New York.
In 1925, the fraternity established a national office in Oakland, California. It moved to Tucson, Arizona in 1927 and to Oxford, Ohio in 1929.
Chapters The chapters of Beta Kappa were as follows. Chapter Charter date and range Institution Location Status <noinclude> Alpha – April 15, 1942Hamline UniversitySaint Paul, MinnesotaMerged ()Beta–University of WashingtonSeattle, WashingtonInactiveGamma–Nebraska Wesleyan UniversityLincoln, NebraskaInactiveDelta–University of CaliforniaBerkeley, CaliforniaInactiveEpsilon – April 15, 1942Middlebury CollegeMiddlebury, VermontMerged ()Zeta – April 15, 1942University of CincinnatiCincinnati, OhioMerged ()Eta–Bucknell UniversityLewisburg, PennsylvaniaInactiveTheta–Tufts UniversityMedford, MassachusettsInactiveIota – April 15, 1942University of NevadaReno, NevadaMerged ()Kappa – April 15, 1942University of IllinoisChampaign and Urbana, IllinoisMerged ()Lambda – April 15, 1942Oregon State UniversityCorvallis, OregonMerged ()Mu–University of WisconsinMadison, WisconsinInactiveNu–Miami UniversityOxford, OhioInactiveXiAllegheny CollegeMeadville, PennsylvaniaMerged ()Omicron–University of MaineOrono, MaineInactivePi – April 15, 1942Monmouth CollegeMonmouth, IllinoisMerged ()Rho – April 15, 1942Illinois Wesleyan UniversityBloomington, IllinoisMerged ()Sigma–Auburn UniversityAuburn, AlabamaWithdrew () Tau–Pennsylvania State UniversityUniversity Park, PennsylvaniaInactiveUpsilon–University of DenverDenver, ColoradoInactivePhi–Boston UniversityBoston, MassachusettsInactiveChi–University of VirginiaCharlottesville, VirginiaInactivePsi – April 15, 1942Birmingham–Southern CollegeBirmingham, AlabamaMerged ()Omega–University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, PennsylvaniaInactiveAlpha Alpha–Ohio State UniversityColumbus, OhioInactiveAlpha Beta–Wabash CollegeCrawfordsville, IndianaInactiveAlpha Gamma–Georgia TechAtlanta, GeorgiaWithdrew ()Alpha Delta–Mississippi State UniversityStarkville, MississippiInactiveAlpha Epsilon–University of ArizonaColumbus, OhioInactiveAlpha Zeta – April 15, 1942University of Tennessee at ChattanoogaChattanooga, TennesseeMerged ()Alpha Eta – April 15, 1942Presbyterian CollegeClinton, South CarolinaMerged ()Alpha Theta – April 15, 1942University of Southern CaliforniaLos Angeles, CaliforniaMerged ()Alpha Iota–Denison UniversityGranville, OhioInactiveAlpha Kappa–Utah State UniversityLogan, UtahInactiveAlpha Lambda–University of FloridaGainesville, FloridaInactiveAlpha Mu – April 15, 1942Furman UniversityGreenville, South CarolinaMerged ()Alpha Nu – April 15, 1942Case Western Reserve UniversityCleveland, OhioMerged ()Alpha Xi–University of UtahSalt Lake City, UtahInactiveAlpha Omicron–Hamilton CollegeClinton, New YorkInactiveAlpha Pi–Cornell UniversityIthaca, New YorkWithdrew ()Alpha Rho–Western Colorado UniversityGunnison, ColoradoInactiveAlpha Sigma – April 15, 1942Lehigh UniversityBethlehem, PennsylvaniaMerged ()Alpha Tau – April 15, 1942University of AkronAkron, OhioMerged ()Alpha Upsilon – April 15, 1942California State University, FresnoFresno, CaliforniaMerged ()Alpha Gamma–Michigan State UniversityEast Lansing, MichiganWithdrew ()Alpha Chi–Kansas State UniversityManhattan, KansasInactiveAlpha Psi – April 15, 1942Susquehanna UniversityFresno, CaliforniaMerged ()
Notable members
Paul Rader, college football coach and president of the Christian and Missionary AllianceBilly Graham Center -Ephemera of Daniel Paul Rader - Collection 38
See also Theta Chi List of social fraternities
References