DELTA CHI HISTORY

Sir Edward Coke was born in 1552 and died in 1634. Coke was a Reader of the Inner Temple, one of two members elected each year to conduct lectures for the law students. He served as Speaker of the Parliament and Attorney General for Queen Elizabeth I and as Chief Justice of the King’s Bench, traditionally known as the Lord Chief Justice of England, for King James I, and later as a Member of Parliament. As we read about Sir Edward, we note that he was a member and Reader of the Inner Temple, but our understanding of that phrase is limited. 

To understand the traditions and heritage of Delta Chi, we must first comprehend the heritage and life of Sir Edward. In order to do that, we must look at the beginnings and evolution of the English legal system, especially the Temple and Inns of Law. Those traditions start not in London, or even England. To truly understand their heritage, and ours, we must journey to Palestine during the early twelfth century, shortly after the First Crusade and the establishment of the Latin Kingdom in the “Holy Land”.  

In 1118 A.D., a group of nine French and Flemish Knights formed the Regula Pauperum Commilitnrum Christi, the Order of the Poor Fellow Soldiers of Christ. The order had as its avowed purpose the protection of persons making pilgrimages from Europe to the Holy Land while journeying in Palestine, thus becoming the first organized groups of Knights Errant, knights with a mission. Their quest was not to find the Grail or rescue damsels in distress, but to become the standing army of Christendom and to protect the Holy Land from the infidel.  

Hugh de Payens, the first Master of the Order, and his eight comrades were poor indeed, landless and penniless. They presented themselves to Baldwin II, King of Jerusalem who admired their purpose in uniting. King Baldwin entertained such a high opinion of the nine knights that he became their patron, giving them certain buildings in Jerusalem for their quarters. The quarters chosen for the Knights were in a palace formed partly of a building erected by the Emperor Justinian and partly of a mosque built buy the Calyph Omar out of or upon the site of Solomon’s Temple. In recognition of this, the Order added “…et Templi Salamonis”, and of Solomon’s Temple, to their name, and the basis for their more common appellation, Knights Templar. 

One historian has said, “The name and reputation of the Knights Templars

speedily spread throughout Europe.” The History of the Knights Templar, Charles G. Addison, Adventures Unlimited Press (1842). One person who heard of the Templars was Bernard, the Abbot of Clairvaux, friend and confidante of Pope Innocent II and his successor to the throne of Peter, Eugenius III. The King of Jerusalem dispatched a letter to Abbot Bernard, advising him that the Templars were desirous of obtaining recognition of their Order from the Church as well as a rule for their government. In 1128 their desires were granted as Pope Honorious II and the ecclesiastical council of Troyes confirmed them as a holy order subservient to the Pope alone and Abbot Bernard wrote the rule of the order. 

In his work, Addison quotes the historian Albertus Miraeus who in his writing, Chronicle of the Cistercians (1641), describes the Templars’ rule as “…principally of a religious character, and of an austere and gloomy cast.” The Knights were to participate in “severe devotional exercises, self-mortification, fasting, and prayer, and a constant attendance at matins, vespers, and on all the services of the church.” 

In his book, The Three Edwards, the third of four volumes chronicling the Plantagenet monarchs of England, Thomas B. Costain succinctly describes the severe life of the Templars: 

Their uniform was white, in token of chastity. The good knights existed on two meals a day and had meat only three times a week. They spoke rarely and used signs at table to indicate their wants. They went to bed immediately after compline and slept in their shirts and breeches, and with lights beside the beds, to be ready in case of emergency. They seldom bathed. They foreswore communication with the rest of the world. No letters could be received and none sent except by the express permission of the Master.…They respected the orders of the Grand Master as they would the commandments of heaven.

In Dungeon, Fire and Sword: The Knights Templar in the Crusades, (John J. Robinson 1991)….suggests that the very fact the Templars, as secular knights, were willing to take on the three-fold vow of poverty, chastity, and obedience set them apart from their contemporaries, whom according to Robinson, were avaricious, sexually insatiable, and resistant to most authority.  

After receiving the Church’s imprimatur at Troyes, the Templars received gifts of land and money from the Count of Champagne. They used these gifts for establishing their first “preceptory”, a provincial supply base to support their operations in the Holy Land. The Templars recruited new members, instructed them in the Rule, and even provided rudimentary instruction on group military tactics, a new concept. This proved to be the pattern for Templar expansion throughout Europe. 

The Templars had three provinces, later known as “preceptories” or “priories”, in the East: Palestine, Antioch, and Tripoli. Europe was divided into nine, England being one. The Order was divided into three classes of members: knights, priests, and serving brethren. None could become a Knight Templar who had not previously received the honor of knighthood. At the head of the Order was the Grand Master, elected by the Grand Chapter. Each province had at its head a Grand Preceptor or a Grand Prior. 

Although the date of establishment of the Order in London is unknown, it is known that Richard de Hastings was the head of the Order in England a the time Henry II ascended the throne in 1153. The Templars constructed a round church in conjunction with their London headquarters at about this time. About the year 1160 the Templars moved to new quarters near the Thames River, known as “The New Temple”. Amid the other buildings of the New Temple, the Templars constructed their Chapel, known as the Round. Wherever the Templars built, the constructed a round chapel, modeled after the one built in Jerusalem over the site of the Holy Sepulcher. The Round at the New Temple in London was constructed in 1185. 

It was apparent shortly after the establishment of the Order that the vow of poverty applied only to the individual knights, not the Order as a whole. More and more lands, money, and gifts were directed to the Templars. Wealthy members of the nobility rushed to join the Order, surrendering all their riches to the control of the Grand Master. Toward the end of their existence, Costain estimates the Templars owned ten thousand manor houses and estates scattered across Europe. They paid no taxes and became the bankers of civilization, always charging fees and interest for their services and loans to kings, nobles and great merchants. 

Historians assert a variety of reasons for the downfall of the Templars. The Crusades ended as the Mongols and Muslims regained possession of the entire Holy Land, thus erasing the Templars very raison d’etre. The populace of Europe no longer believed that the Templars abided by their Rule, thinking that they had become fat and lazy. The greatest threat to their existence, however, was their own wealth, which was envied by many monarchs, especially Phillip le Bel, King of France. 

For the purposes of this article the details of the betrayal of the Order are unnecessary. Suffice it to say that Phillip the Fair and his cohort in crime, Pope Clement V, conceived one of the most dastardly plots ever recorded in the annals of infamy. At the direction of Phillip, and with the acquiescence of Clement, on Friday, October 13^th, 1307, every Templar in France was arrested and their property confiscated. In castles throughout France, Templars were barbarously tortured into confessing heresy and impiety. They were executed in the many bloody fashions popular at the time, with Jacques DeMolay, the Grand Master, burned at the stake on an island near Notre Dame on March 19, 1314, after almost seven years of incarceration and torture. 

In England, King Edward II initially withstood pressure from Phillip and Clement to treat English Templars in the same manner. However, after receiving numerous letters, from Clement, in 1310 Edward finally ordered Templars arrested and tortured. In 1311, the Order of the Temple was dissolved and all its property confiscated to the Crown, although the Pope had decreed it be transferred to the rival order, the Hospitallers. Unlike their brethren in France, the English Templars were not executed, but permitted to return to private life or join the Hospitallers. 

In 1272 Edward I succeeded his father, Henry III, to the throne of England. Edward was destined to be one of the greatest monarchs ever to ascend that throne. Among his first tasks as king, Edward set forth to completely reorganize and codify the laws of his realm and the judicial system. This process lasted for many years and earned Edward the sobriquet of “The English Justinian.” 

At this time in England, indeed throughout the Western World for the entire Middle Ages, there was an ongoing battle for temporal power between the Church and secular rulers. After the Norman conquest in 1066, England’s legal system was controlled by the educated men in the country and they were universally clerics, trained by and loyal to the Church. During the reign of King Stephen, 1135-1154, foreign clergy, who arrived in great numbers, attempted to introduce the ancient civil law of Rome to England. The King and Barons resisted and clung to the old common law practices and customs. This led to the establishment of two distinct legal systems, that of the Church and that of the monarchs. 

Throughout the years an intense rivalry was to develop between the King’s courts and those of the Church. Some of the most bitter disputes between Monarchs and Popes had jurisdiction and sanctuary at their center. During the reign of Edward’s father, Henry III, 1216-1273, the Church went so far as to forbid clerics to practice in common law courts, permitting them to appear only in the separate ecclesiastical courts. The practical effect of this prohibition was to leave those courts empty and unused. 

When Edward I instigated his reform of the judicial system it was his intent to revive and strengthen the ancient common law courts. He knew that he would need a group of secularly trained attorneys and judges to man his own courts, which were located at the Royal Court in Westminster. Accordingly, he summoned over eighty men from all parts of the realm to study law in London and gave the responsibility for their training to John de Metingham, Chief Justice of the Court of Common Pleas. 

In the later years of his reign, Edward I conducted almost continuous warfare with France, Wales, and Scotland. In most histories these wars overshadow his legacy as the English Justinian. Indeed, along with his ancestor William the Conqueror and his grandson, Edward III, he was one of the greatest military geniuses of the Middle Ages. But the continual warfare took a toll on the human and material resources of the kingdom. 

On July 7, 1307, the great Edward I died at the age of seventy-eight. If Edward I was one of the greatest of English monarchs, the young son who succeeded him, Edward II was unquestionably one of the worst. In the ongoing struggles with France and Scotland, Edward II proved to be ineffectual, losing all the territorial gains of his father. The barons and other nobles rose up against the young king and his short reign was marked by conflict with them until, in 1327, he was forcibly dethroned in favor of his fifteen year old son, Edward III. 

As an aside, Edward II upon the occasion of his knighting, received the charge to “Be thou a brave and gentle knight, faithful to thy God, thy liege lord, and they lady fair.” This predated what was to become the customary pronouncement in later years, the brief, “I dub thee knight” so often quoted in movies and novels.  

When the lawyers came into the Temple, they found engraved upon the ancient buildings of the Knights Templar – a shield argent, a plain cross gules, and (brouchant sur le tout) the holy lamb, known as the Angus Dei, bearing the banner of the Order, surmounted by a red cross. During the fifth year of the reign of Elizabeth I, 1563, the society of the Inner Temple abandoned that device and assumed in its place a galloping winged horse called Pegasus.  

The Knights Templar had used a device consisting of two persons riding a single horse. This is said to be a depiction of a Knight bearing a pilgrim to safety in token of the Order’s original purpose. It is the misinterpretation and poor rendering of this device over the years which resulted in its evolution into Pegasus. The ancient drawings showing this evolution are in the Temple library still. 

The new inhabitants of the Temple took upon themselves many of the characteristics of the Knights Templar, including similar ceremonies of induction. The ancient Order of the Temple admitted new members by the Master of the Temple placing a coif upon their heads and the white mantle over their shoulders. The new initiates then sat upon the ground while the Master lectured them concerning the duties of their new profession.

Similarly, the knights and serjeants of the common law have always constituted a fraternity, and always address one another as Brother. The ceremony of admission into the legal fraternity is very similar to that of the Templars. In his charge to newly admitted brethren, the Chief Justice of England still speaks of the moral and religious duties of their profession, using as a portion of his discourse the scriptural references used in the Papal Bull which established the ancient Order. 

Even today, the Chief Justice tells the newly initiated brethren that the coif they wear is an emblem of purity and virtue. He cautions them to “place a watch on their mouths” and to dine together with sober countenance, just as the ancient Templars were ordered to dine. The attorneys of the Temple even today are required to dine together in the Temple Hall a set number of times each term of Court. 

In 1333 A.D., the sixth year of the reign of Edward III, the judges of the Court of Common Pleas were made Knights. That is the earliest known grant of the honor of knighthood for purely civil services. The professors of law who had the exclusive privilege of appearing in that court, assumed the title of Freres Serjens or Fratres Servientes, so that knights and serving brethren similar to those of the ancient Order of the Temple were revived and introduced into the legal profession. 

To this day, this “new kind of Templars” retains possession of the Temple complex. The modern Templars have been termed milites justitiae, or “soldiers of justice”. John of Salisbury, a writer of the twelfth century, said: 

They alone do not fight for the state who, panoplied in helmets and breastplates, wield the sword and the dart against the enemy, for the pleaders of causes, who redress wrongs, who raise up the oppressed, do protect and provide for the human race as much as if they were to defend the lives, fortunes, and families of industrious citizens with the sword. 

What is oft forgotten about the templars is that they were a religious order, warrior monks. Historians have written an untold number of books about the Templars’ role in the battles and military campaigns collectively referred to as the Crusades, but very little attention has been given to the Templars as monks. Later practices of the Order and of the attorneys who were to succeed them make sense only when this is remembered. Thus it is that the legal societies annually choose two of their most esteemed members to be “Readers”, lecturers on law, just as the Knights Templar had chosen Readers as lecturers on religion and scripture. It is the religious and moral duties of the profession that the Chief Justice dwells upon in his charge to new initiates, charging them to “protect the weak, succor the needy, reverence old men, and do good to the poor.” 

Edward Coke was called to the Bar on April 20, 1578. (The “Sir” was added in 1603, when he was knighted by King James I.) Although a servant of the monarch throughout his career when called, Coke took the carge he received to heart. Upon his elevation to the office of Serjeant-at-Law, Sir Edward adopted as his motto: “Lex est tutissima cassius” – Law is the safest shield. He would later write, “the Law is the surest sanctuary that a man can take, and the strongest fortress to protect the weakest of all; lex est tutissima cassius. During his tenure as Chief Justice, Sir Edward acted as a buffer between the common subjects and a king obsessed with his Divine right to rule. 

During his second service as a Member of Parliament, in the House of Commons, Sir Edward was an outspoken critic of a corrupt government and a champion of the rights of the people. He so incensed King James that he was imprisoned in the Tower of London for nine months and forced to defend himself against many empty charges before his eventual release. In the Parliament of 1626, during the reign of Charles I, son of James I, Sir Edward penned legislation “for the better securing of every free man touching property of his goods and liberty of his person.” This Act of Parliament, known as the “Petition of Rights” became the model and basis for many of the provisions contained in the Bill of Rights of the Constitution of the United States. 

The Founders of our Fraternity were all students of the law. The English Common Law is the foundation for our North American legal systems, in both the United States and Canada. With the exception of vestiges of the Roman Civil Law practiced in Continental Europe that survive in Louisiana, the English Common Law is still the basis for American law. 

In 1890, law students were much more familiar with English Common Law than is true today. We now have developed our own body of decisions as precedents for Courts. But in 1890, the study of Sir Edward Coke was still prevalent. Our Founders decided that Sir Edward Coke was the personification of the principles the infant fraternity would herald as its own. 

The fledgling society of lawyers of the Temple established in the early fourteenth century grew in numbers until, in the reign of Henry VI, they split into two societies, that of the Inner Temple and that of the Middle Temple. Those names seem to derive from the location of the two societies within the Temple complex.  

Sir Edward was a member of the Inner Temple and rose to the highest ranks of that order. Thus it is that the long tradition and heritage of the ancient Knights Templar and their worthy successors are carried on by The Delta Chi Fraternity, modern “Knights of the Inner Temple”, members of the “Order of Pegasus” and soldiers of Justice. 

(more on the Knights Templar is available at: www.templarhistory.com )

~ Christopher W. Johnson (Kentucky '77, Order of the White Carnation)

reprinted from the Winter/Spring 2001 DC Quarterly 

This list has not always been the accepted one. Even those on the list had differing opinions as to who deserved such recognition. To more fully understand the confusion, let us go back to the school year of 1889-90 and "set the stage" for the inception of the second law fraternity at Cornell. The school year of 1889-90 began with conversations of starting a new law fraternity, but, as school work increased, the idea was put off until the spring semester. Two incidents have been credited with providing the impetus for renewed interest in the founding of what was to become Delta Chi. One was the election of a Phi Delta Phi as the Law School Editor of the Cornell Daily Sun (the student newspaper) and the second was the election of the law school junior class president. in the case of the class presidency, Alphonse Derwin Stillman had done some campaigning for a student named Irving G. Hubbard and was unaware of any effort being made in anyone else's behalf. When the voting results were in, Charles Frenkel, a Phi Delta Phi, was declared the winner. That caused Stillman to start "asking around." It appears that what he found was a law school which was dominated by one small, closely knit group -- Phi Delta Phi.

The question of who first conceived the idea of a new fraternity will probably never be answered. According to Frederick Moore Whitney there were probably two or three groups working on the idea that spring.

Monroe Marsh Sweetland (who was also a member of Delta Tau Delta from Cornell) claimed the idea was his alone; Myron McKee Crandall claimed the fraternity was started in his and Frank Edward Thomas' apartment at 126 E. Seneca Street; Stillman remembered being approached by "one of the boys" after the class election but couldn't remember who.

In any case, there were meetings held in Crandall's apartment as well as in Sweetland's law office on Wilgus Street. It is not clear how these two groups came together, or even in which month, though there seems to have been some individuals who had attended both groups. Crandall did remember approaching Sweetland about the concept of the new fraternity and how excited he was, and how he had joined right in. Sweetland said he always had considered the founding of Delta Chi to date back to when he had unfolded the whole idea to Crandall.

While the class officer elections and the Law School Editorship incidents may have provided the initial incentives for organization, it soon became clear that those involved were looking for much more. Realizing a common desire for fellowship and intellectual association, they sought to enrich their college experiences by creating among themselves a common bond; a bond that would materially assist each in the acquisition of a sound education; a bond that would provide each enduring value. As with any important commitment, there must be time for contemplation and planning.

Over the summer, many of the details of the organization were worked out by Crandall, who had stayed in Ithaca until after school opened. There was additional work accomplished by Sweetland, John Milton Gorham and Stillman.

In the fall of 1890 the names of Fred Kingsbury Stephens, Martin Joseph Flannery and Frank Edward Thomas appeared on the agreement to share the cost of purchasing a sample badge for the fraternity, and the signatures of both Flannery and Stephens appeared on the pledge "... to form a Greek letter fraternity...." Since both Flannery and Stephens dropped out of the organization early, they have not been included as Founders.

Click on the image for a larger version.

In the same letter, Whitney recommended that Peter Schermerhorn Johnson not be recognized as a Founder since he wasn't initiated until December 1890 or March 1891. Johnson was, however, responsible for a large portion of the secrets of the Fraternity, writing "Foven's Mater" and drawing the first emblem for Delta Chi.

There seems to be no doubt that Barnes obtained the first badge (which he lost at a class reunion 25 years later) and that the second badge was made for Whitney but purchased by Sweetland.

In an article published in Volume 5 Number 1 of the Quarterly, Barnes stated that he had in his possession at that time, 1907, "... no less than seventeen designs ..." for the badge. Barnes also claimed to be the chairman of a committee on designing the badge. The badge that Barnes owned had gold letters and a diamond in the center. This badge was worn by the Founders and frequently borrowed by the other members for special occasions, and while having their pictures taken.

The first departure from this, according to Johnson, came when Richard Lonergan, Cornell '92, had his made retaining the diamond in the center, but had the Delta mounted in black enamel. An early description of the badge stated that the Delta was jeweled or enameled to suit the owner with a diamond usually surmounting the center. The Chi was jeweled with one garnet on each arm.

Shown here is a replica of the original badge worn by the Founders

The main work of composing the Ritual was done by Stillman, either during the summer or early fall of 1890. Supposedly the Ritual was read at a meeting when it was still incomplete and was submitted shortly thereafter at a meeting on October 20, 1890, where it was adopted. Since a committee on the Ritual composed of Stillman, Barnes, and Stephens was appointed on October 13, 1890, it seems probable that it was originally read at that meeting, and that Stillman was given some help in completing the Ritual. In Stillman's own words, "I looked upon that Ritual as temporary and that (it) would serve until some genius could devise something entirely original. The ritual contained many phrases that were not original and which, as I '(Stillman) remember, I did not take the trouble to mark as quotations. The principal ideas are almost as old as civilization, and it was my idea that an entirely new ritual would be prepared." The original Ritual was written on both sides of some sheets of old style legal cap, and was signed by each new initiate. A rehearsal was held on November 14, 1890, and on November 26, 1890, Albert T. Wilkinson (who later introduced Kimball to the Fraternity), Frank Bowman, and George Wilcox were initiated in short form. It was not until December 3, 1890, when Frederick Bagley was initiated, that the full initiation was used. At the November 14, 1890 meeting, Gorham, Stillman, and Sullivan presented the grip and passwords for adoption.

We have placed that ancient emblem on the banner that we love,
Golden key of golden promise, with tha open hand above:
Aid our Masters strength, my brother, that our own fraternity:
In the coming years yet distant, have the hand that grasps the key.

The owl, interlocking Delta and Chi, and the oil lamp, which appears on some of the early charters, may have been the work of the committee on charters which was formed in the spring of 1891.

It wasn't until the Easter vacation of 1899 that Fraser Brown and Roy V. Rhodes decided to design a coat of arms for the young fraternity. The design they developed involved the "marriage" or union of two "families": that of Sir Edward Coke, one of the towering figures in the establishment of law as the instrument of justice, and that of the knight-errant, the feudal Delta Chi predecessor of law in enforcing justice, as symbolized by his weapons. In regards to the alterations made on their original design, Roy V. Rhodes had this to say:

The coat of arms involves the "marriage" or union of two "families";
that of Sir Edward Coke and that of the knight-errant.

On April 14, 1891, John Francis Tucker, of New York University, went to Ithaca and earned the confidence and regard of the Cornell Chapter. He was initiated into Delta Chi that night and was sent back to prepare his associates for induction.

Although Stillman remembers Tucker (who was a member of Delta Upsilon) coming to find out about Delta Chi, Wilkinson tells the story with more confidence:

Wilkinson's contention that the general fraternity wasn't formed until later seems, at least in part, to be verified by the minutes of the April 15, and May 23, 1891, meetings. At the April 15, 1891 meeting, the constitution and ritual were adopted as read, the committee on charters was appointed, and the men traditionally considered the first set of officers ("AA" Owen Lincoln Potter, "BB" John Mil ton Gorham, "CC" George A. Nall, and "DD" Albert T. Wilkinson) were elected. It is interesting to note, in light of Wilkinson's statement about "a hurry call for a meeting to organize a body to which he (Tucker) could apply" is the fact that this April 15 meeting occurred the night after Tucker's initiation. At tha may 23 meeting, the motto, grip, challenge, and the colors were adopted by the fraternity.

One solution to the confusion is the possibility that Delta Chi was originally founded as a national fraternity, but with the pressures of school work and the chapter at Cornell to keep them busy, the Founders allowed the national organization to take a back seat. When Tucker appeared the next spring, the national organization had to be reorganized in order to accommodate the applicant from N.Y.U.

As it turned out, Tucker played a significant role in the development of the Fraternity. In a letter to Johnson dated February 22, 1892, he stated:

The debt which Delta Chi owes Tucker would appear to be larger than previously recognized. In 1892 four more chapters were established, three of which exist today (the fourth -- Albany Law School -- had its charter transferred in 1901 to Union College; the Union Chapter existed until 1994). Twelve chapters were founded within the first decade and on February 13, 1897, Delta Chi became an international fraternity with the installation of the Osgoode Hall Chapter in Toronto, Canada. Delta Chi's first convention was held in 1894 at the Michigan Chapter. By the turn of the century, Delta Chi had grown to ten chapters. The initial years of the new century saw conservative growth and the 1902 Convention (where the White Carnation was selected as the fraternity's flower) authorized the Delta Chi Quarterly. The convention had misgivings. Everybody wanted it, some thought it was an unwarranted risk; no one had the slightest idea how to go about it. Harold White, Chicago-Kent '01 became the first editor and Edward Nettles, Chicago-Kent '00 was the first business manager. In an article in the May 1929 Quarterly, White had this to say:

April, 1903 saw the first issue of the Delta Chi Quarterly published for a fraternity of fourteen chapters and fewer than 3,000 alumni.

Artwork used on early charters

Founded as a professional law fraternity, Delta Chi was initiating members of Delta Tau Delta, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, Alpha Tau Omega and the other general fraternities. As time passed, several chapters which had voluntarily refrained from initiating members of other fraternities began pushing for a change in the Constitution to prevent dual memberships.

Delta Chi stood out as a law fraternity, not an honorary or club, but yet something special. As the Fraternity expanded, a divergent policy grew, contoured by the different chapters. The metropolitan law school chapters wanted to continue the practice of initiating members from the general fraternities. The campus chapters which had voluntarily refrained from such practice, though it was then still allowable, were agitating for a change in the constitution to prevent future initiation of such men. For some years, the single standard men had been slightly in the majority but were not numerically strong enough to change the constitution.

The limelight focused on the issue as early as 1903 and was personified by the man elected as "CC" that year. Floyd Carlisle, Cornell '03, was awarded that office while still an undergraduate. The election is indicative of the impression this man made on a group. He was class president in both his sophomore and senior years at Cornell. Determined to resolve the question in favor of the single membership standard, he championed a change in the Fraternity's form of government. Up to that point, with only five executive officers to be elected by the convention, the older, more experienced and attractive personalities of the graduate double-fraternity men (who were usually the alumni delegates from the metropolitan law chapters) held the stage and the attention of the delegates during the two or three days of convention acquaintance. As a result, they almost always succeeded in being elected. Carlisle planned to break up this habit. By proposing the election of a fifteen-man "XX" (which then elected its own officers: "AA", "CC" and "DD"), the eighteen chapters of the day would concentrate on trying to get one of their own elected to the governing board. By combining their votes against a double fraternity candidate, the single membership chapters were able to elect an overwhelmingly predominate single-standard "XX". This principal question of dual membership was debated for about five years. The arguments of "a man can be both a good Mason and a good Elk" and "no man can serve two masters" were heard time and time again. Finally, after unseating four "dual membership" chapters on alleged violations, the 1909 Cornell Convention adopted an amendment to the constitution prohibiting dual membership. he "guilty" chapters were then reseated. The issue and ultimate decision cost the Fraternity the New York Law (1905), West Virginia (1908), Northwestern (1909) and Washington University (in St. Louis)(1909) Chapters. All were dual membership chapters. But the tide of change had only begun to engulf Delta Chi. During the next dozen years, another undertow would build to turn the fraternal ship.

Although the debate over whether Delta Chi should be a law or a general fraternity had received some press as early as 1916, notice was served in the May, 1919 issue of the Quarterly in the editorial "Shall We Go On a General Fraternity?" that a torchbearer had taken up the cause of Delta Chi becoming a general fraternity. The editor, Roger Steffan, Ohio State '13, claimed a majority of the chapters were "no longer even predominantly legal in their membership."

As editor of the fraternity Roger Steffan, Ohio State '13 was certainly a major force behind the general membership movement. A Phi Beta Kappa student, Steffan assumed the editorship of the Quarterly in 1916. In the May 1929 issue of the Quarterly, he recalled his May 1919 editorial effort:

In short order, the Fraternity's magazine became filled with comments from all interested, each expressing their exact and often colorful opinions on the subject.

The "general" supporters felt that Delta Chi had long ceased to be strictly a law fraternity. The first step toward this was the 1909 decision to bar members of other fraternities. In order to compete successfully, given the requirements now needed for entry to law schools, there had to be a wider field from which to choose members. So the fraternity began allowing the initiation of men who "intended" to study law. A number of these men eventually failed to study law thus giving Delta Chi more of a general character. Several chapters then claimed that it was becoming increasingly difficult to identify exactly which men were eligible for recruitment (those who intended to study law) soon enough to effectively compete with the general fraternities. Besides being hard to identify, the number of eligible men was further being reduced by the increasing requirements for law school admission as well as the increasing interest in the new and popular Colleges of Business Administration.

As with any battle, there are men who seem to stand out on both sides. On the side of remaining a law fraternity was John J. Kuhn, "AA", Cornell '98. He and others felt that Steffan's reports of chapters being already general in character were erroneous and that any move toward making Delta Chi a general fraternity would destroy the alumni strength that currently existed. The law advocates pointed out that the legal qualifications gave the chapters an added feature in rush and the fraternity had a definite purpose, and this attracted the type of freshmen who did things in college and made the "all around man." Appearing in Quarterly articles by the law advocates were such statements as: "...Delta Chi cannot hope to compete as strongly in the old fraternity world as a general fraternity. She would be lost in the shuffle."

With the issues clearly stated, the Fraternity held its first convention in four years. For the larger part of four days, delegates to the 1919 Minneapolis Convention grappled with the problem. Discussion began after Brother Steffan introduced a motion to repeal restrictions in the constitution limiting membership to law students or pre-law students. A. Frank John, Dickinson '00, who had attended every convention since 1898, declared the debate to be the finest ever heard at any convention. After nearly six hours of debate, a vote was taken on the resolution favoring Delta Chi becoming a straight-out general fraternity. The result was 35 votes against the resolution and 26 for it, thus the resolution was lost.

In order to get a test of strength on the other side of the matter, whether Delta Chi should retain its law membership and instruct the "XX" to enforce this in the chapters, a resolution to that effect was voted upon and likewise defeated.

With both sides of the matter going to defeat, Billie Bride urged the convention to accept a compromise position. Several compromise proposals ultimately met with defeat with the pro-law men feeling they changed the character of the fraternity and the general advocates claiming they offered no real relief for the conditions faced by a number of chapters.

The only amendment agreed upon in Minneapolis made brothers and sons of Delta Chis, regardless of course of study, eligible for membership. This was agreed on without opposition from either side. The Fraternity left Minneapolis without resolving the membership question.

As expected, the discussion of becoming a general fraternity continued. Chapters reported recruiting problems, Steffan's editorial comments appeared in each Quarterly issue, and John Kuhn told the chapters to believe in their product and sell it.

In an effort to enforce the constitutional requirements of the Fraternity, John Kuhn suspend the Ohio State Chapter for openly admitting to initiating men who never intended to study law. A majority of the "XX" voted against the suspension.

The "XX" was tireless in working to solve the membership question. Two separate attempts to change the constitution by mail balloting proved unsuccessful. By the summer of 1920 the general advocates were pushing for a special convention to once and for all solve the membership issue. The generalists pointed to the great expansion that was going on in the fraternity world and leaving Delta Chi without a single new chapter since the chartering of Kentucky in 1914. However, slow communication prevented a special convention from becoming a reality.

The "CC", Billie Bride, stood squarely between the pro-law advocates and the generalists. He was certain that a compromise could be reached. Bride wrote: "We have a serious issue before us and it will settle itself if we don't tear our hair and lose our tempers. We are all Delta Chi whatever may be our views on the question of our becoming a general fraternity. With a little give and take, the right side will win."

To assure everyone the generalists were firm on their commitment, Roger Steffan made his views on a compromise solution clear in this editorial comment:

In 1921, no closer to a solution, the fraternity representatives met once again hoping to solve the controversy. Only two proposals were submitted with the pro law advocates deciding to support a more liberal compromise instead of the straight law stand. The second proposal submitted for vote was the straight general amendment.

After lengthy debate of both positions, voting began. After six ballots the general amendment had obtained 47 of the 53 1/4 votes necessary for adoption. The phrase "General 47, Compromise 25" was heard until 2:00 a.m. Thursday morning, looking as if no end was in sight.

Balloting began again Friday morning with both sides trying feverishly to sway votes or to bring arguments to bear that would change the result. The generalists secured as many as 51 votes before the tide turned against their effort. Somewhere around midnight on the forty-second ballot, the compromise vote actually exceeded the general vote. For the second straight night, no solution seemed in sight. Finally, Billie Bride proposed "that a committee of five, consisting of two from the general side, two from the compromise side, and the Stanford delegate, be appointed to prepare a proposition solving the membership question to report at 9:30 a.m. Saturday." The motion carried and the committee met from 2 until 5:30: Saturday morning struggling to find common ground. Again, with neither side willing to accept compromise, the neutral, Harry Wadsworth, Stanford '20, wrote out the amendment which was to carry the Convention. Wadsworth presented the following amendment with the two general representatives on the committee voting in favor:

Voting was once again resumed. After 52 ballots, the representative of the Buffalo alumni changed his vote giving the Wadsworth amendment victory.

In the months following the convention, it became evident many chapters were finding it impossible to live up to the provisions of the constitution. It was also clear that administering the membership eligibility requirements would be extremely difficult. Finally, at their April 29 and 30, 1922, meeting in Chicago, the "XX" adopted and submitted to the chapters for ratification, a constitutional change that would allow any white male student registered at a college or university where there was a chapter of Delta Chi to be eligible for membership. Citing conditions in the chapters and in the expansion work, "AA" Henry V. McGurren said: "I am convinced that it not only is desirable at this time to adopt the general fraternity amendment without delay, but that it is absolutely necessary for the unity and welfare of Delta Chi." And so it stood, Delta Chi had become completely "general ."

There were other internal improvements during the period between the World Wars. The position of Executive Secretary was created in 1923 and provision made for a permanent central office which was finally established in 1929. The position of Director of Scholarship came into being in 1925 to lead the drive for general scholastic excellence. In 1927, one full-time Field Secretary was placed in direct contact with the chapters and, in 1935 a second one was added to the staff. By 1930, Delta Chi had grown to 36 chapters and, in 1934, the Headquarters began publishing the Quarterly.

During this era Delta Chi made two noteworthy contributions to the Greek letter fraternity world. The first of these was the Tutorial Advisor Plan--members of the faculty (preferably not members of the Fraternity) living in the house where they acted as tutors, advisors, and counselors.

In yet another way Delta Chi took the lead among Greek letter organizations. At the 1929, Estes Park Convention, Delta Chi unanimously voted to abolish "Hell Week." (The following day another national organization, meet-ing in convention, also abolished hazing.)

The position of "EE" was also abolished at the 1929 convention and, at the 1935 convention, the Executive Board was increased to nine. Without realizing the full significance of what it was starting, the Pennsylvania State Chapter in 1937 invited six chapters in neighboring states to meet with them. Dean C. M. Thompson, who was then the "AA", saw the great potential of such gatherings and promptly asked the Indiana Chapter to be host for the first Midwest Regional Conference. After that the Regional Conference plan blossomed. But with World War II and the temporary suspension of many chapter operations, much about the mechanics of the Regional Conferences was forgotten. But the need, desire, and concept were not forgotten. After the war, Delta Chi saw its conference program expand and become more purposeful.

Today the Regional Conferences play an important role in the affairs of the fraternity. The conferences are the vehicle for the election of each Regent for a two-year term. More important, each conference is designed to accomplish specific purposes, including the development of new approaches to the solution of Fraternity problems; fostering a better understanding of the operation of the various programs of the general Fraternity and the Headquarters; promoting good will in university-fraternity relations; and bringing together large numbers of Delta Chis for information, inspiration, and plain good fun.

After the Great Depression and on the verge of the United States entering World War II, the Fraternity celebrated its 50th Anniversary with 35 chapters. Once again our young men went off to war and many of the chapter houses were taken over by the military as was done during the first world war. It was the alumni dues program, started in 1935, that provided the main source of revenue to the Fraternity while the chapters were not in operation.

The war ended and the chapters resumed normal operations. By 1950, Delta Chi had 39 chapters. 1951 saw the retirement of O.K. Patton from the position of Executive Secretary which, while he was a professor of Law at Iowa, he had held part-time since 1929 on an official basis. Prior to that time he had effectively operated the central office since his election as "CC".

Prior to 1929, the membership records of the fraternity would follow the election of the "CC" and the financial records would follow the election of the "DD". When O. K. Patton was elected "CC" in 1923 he put the records in one room of a downtown Iowa City building and hired one part-time secretary. After the "general" membership question was resolved, Delta Chi grew from 21 to 36 chapters in 1929 and the records and related activities had expanded to four rooms and four secretaries. Effectively after the fact, Delta Chi established its Headquarters in Iowa City where it has stayed.

To help secure funds, the Foundation gained recognition as a charitable and educational
organization from the I.R.S. in 1958. In 1988, the Foundation took over the general fraternity's fundraising activities and now supports many of Delta Chi Fraternity's educational and leadership programming.

A further change was made in the Fraternity's Executive Board in 1958 when the size was increased to include the "AA", "CC", "DD", the immediate past "AA", and Regional Representatives. More important than the increased size was the method to be employed in selecting its members. As before, the "AA", "CC", and "DD" were chosen by the convention. Included in the change was the adoption of a plan whereby regions were established and a Board member selected from each region. Prior to the adoption of this plan, every member of the Board could possibly have come from the same community or geographical area. The new plan made this impossible; the entire Board benefits from the geographical diversity.

In 1960, the Fraternity employed its first, full-time executive, Harold "Buc" Buchanan, Wisconsin '35. Up to this time the Fraternity was run by volunteers or part-time employees. At the 1960 Convention, a "Building Loan Fund" was created. The original level of assessment proved too low and, in 1962, the Delta Chi Housing Fund was established to assume the function of the "Building Loan Fund." Today, the Housing Fund has loans outstanding to chapters and colonies across the country.

Also at the 1962 Convention, the Regional Representatives were redesignated as Regents and the Executive Board was renamed the Board of Regents.

In 1969, the Fraternity moved out of rented space into its first permanent facility. The property is wholly owned by Delta Chi and houses the archives of the Fraternity and a staff of three directors, five traveling consultants and three clerical employees.

At the 1975 Chicago Convention, the Order of the White Carnation was created to honor alumni who give outstanding service to the Fraternity in a meritorious but inconspicuous way. The first inductee into the Order was Victor T. Johnson, Purdue '32. In 1983, Senator Henry "Scoop" Jackson, Washington '34 was selected as the first Delta Chi of the Year in honor of his achievements in his chosen profession.

While there have been a variety of changes that have strengthened Delta Chi within the last decade, the 80s will most probably be remembered for the growth in chapters. Starting with 78 chapters and colonies in 1980, the Fraternity celebrated at its Centennial Convention with 120 chapters and colonies on the rolls.

The Delta Chi Headquarters office established in 1969 at:
314 Church Street
Iowa City, Iowa 52244.
Is the first permanent facility owned by the Fraternity.

A wealth of history about Delta Chi is available and on display at the Delta Chi International Headquarters Museum. Call ahead to coordinate a tour!