Alpha Chi Alpha

History

In March 1917, twelve Dartmouth College students formed the Epsilon Kappa Alpha fraternity. In 1919, this group became the Phi Nu chapter of the national fraternity, Alpha Chi Rho. In the early 1930s, it declined drastically due to several new fraternities on campus and financial difficulties caused by the Great Depression. In 1935, Alpha Chi Rho merged with campus chapters of Lambda Chi Alpha, Phi Kappa Sigma, and Alpha Sigma Phi to create a new fraternity, Gamma Delta Chi.

On March 9, 1957, 24 undergraduates broke from Gamma Delta Chi and reactivated the Phi Nu chapter of Alpha Chi Rho. The revived Alpha Chi Rho chapter moved into a house on Webster Avenue, which was purchased and renovated by the college.

In the spring of 1963, a committee of members met and recommended a break from Alpha Chi Rho. The national fraternity required members to "accept Jesus as their lord and savior," a tenet that brothers at the Dartmouth chapter strongly disagreed with. An overburdening financial obligation to the national fraternity may have been another consideration. On May 21, 1963, the Pi Nu chapter voted to disaffiliate from Alpha Chi Rho and to form the local fraternity Alpha Chi Alpha. Alpha Chi Alpha continues to occupy the Wester Avenue chapter house.

Symbols

Alpha Chi Alpha's motto is Fidelis et Suavis. The fraternity's colors are red and black. Its symbol is the white horse. Its nickname is Alpha Chi.

Alpha Chi Alpha pledges are recognized by their "sirens", red baseball cap-like headwear, which they wear for the duration of their pledge term.

Chapter house

Professor Fred Emery purchased the vacant lot on May 5, 1896, and constructed the house in 1898. Later owners sold the house to the college in March 1957, and it has been leased by the fraternity ever since. The college, as the fraternity's landlord, takes care of all major structural repairs The living room and the second floor above it were added in May 1963. The addition of a third floor resulted from the efforts of member Bob Ceplikas. During the summer of 1985, the college spent over $180,000 on major renovations.

Costing $1.3 million, the 2004 renovations involved the razing of a structure that was once known as the Emory Barn or simply the Barn. A concrete hallway called the Slide was constructed at some point, adjoining the fraternity's physical plant and the Barn. The Barn was one of the most distinctive social atmospheres on Dartmouth's campus and was cherished by the fraternity. The second floor of the Barn, known as the Upstairs Barn, housed three brothers each term. The basement, along with the new main floor area and recently refurbished tube room, has replaced the Barn and the old front room as the primary social spaces for the fraternity.

Activities

The fraternity hosts over 600 guests for the Beach Party during Winter Carnival, and also for a Pigstick BBQ each spring on the first Saturday in May.

Notable members

• Jim Coulter, co-founder of private equity firm TPG Capital
• John Hoeven, senior United States senator from North Dakota, former governor of North Dakota
• Christopher Miller, co-director of Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, 21 Jump Street, The Lego Movie, and 22 Jump Street
• Jake Tapper, chief Washington D.C. correspondent and daily news anchor for CNN
• Bill Chisholm, founder, managing partner, and chief investment officer of STG Partners, owner of the Boston Celtics

References

References

1. "History of CFS Organizations at Dartmouth".