Kappa Sigma Kappa facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kappa Sigma Kappa
ΚΣΚ
Founded	September 28, 1867; 157 years ago (1867-09-28) Virginia Military Institute Lexington, VA
Type	Social
Member badge
Colors	Royal Purple and      Gold
Flower	Purple iris
Publication	The Iris of Kappa Sigma Kappa
Chapters	0 active
Merger 1	ΦΔΘ, scattered (1886)
Merger 2	ΘΞ, scattered (1962)
Restart 3	scattered (1970's)
Headquarters	US
Website	Kappa Sigma Kappa homepage

Kappa Sigma Kappa (ΚΣΚ) is the name of three different college fraternities. These groups share a common history and traditions. However, they were separated by many years and breaks in how they were organized.

The first Kappa Sigma Kappa group started at the Virginia Military Institute on September 28, 1867. Most of its active chapters later joined another fraternity called Phi Delta Theta in 1886. About 50 years later, a second Kappa Sigma Kappa group formed at the University of Virginia. This new group was inspired by the memory of the first one. It grew to have over 70 new chapters. Many of these chapters later merged with Theta Xi in 1962.

Some Kappa Sigma Kappa chapters could not join this merger due to special rules. This led to a third version of the fraternity. But by the late 1970s, the national organization of this third group faded away. One chapter, however, stayed active until 1992.

First Kappa Sigma Kappa: 1867–1886

How the First Group Started

Kappa Sigma Kappa began at the Virginia Military Institute on September 28, 1867. Four cadets, or military students, founded it:

• John M. Tutwiler
• James Gunnell Hurst
• Kenneth McDonald
• David Gamble Murrell

On that special night, Cadet Tutwiler invited the other three cadets to his room. There, they officially started the fraternity. The group was first called C.E.C., but they soon changed the name to Kappa Sigma Kappa. Even after the name change, the letters "C.E.C." remained important in their secret traditions. By 1885, their efforts led to the creation of ten chapters.

After some chapters closed, five of the remaining ones joined Phi Delta Theta in 1886. One other chapter joined Sigma Nu.

Symbols and Traditions of the First Group

The badge of the first Kappa Sigma Kappa was a gold Jerusalem cross. In the middle of this cross was a round, black disc. This disc showed the letters of the fraternity. The letters "C.E.C." were carved on the back of every badge.

Where the First Chapters Were Located

Here are some of the colleges where the first Kappa Sigma Kappa chapters were found. Many of these chapters later joined Phi Delta Theta in 1886.

Second Kappa Sigma Kappa: 1935–1962

How the Second Group Started

Almost 50 years after the first fraternity ended, a group of four students at the University of Virginia wanted to start a new social fraternity in 1935. They liked the old Kappa Sigma Kappa badge. So, they decided to bring the old fraternity back to life.

The students looked through the University of Virginia's old records. They found the names of three members from the old Delta chapter who were still alive. Two of them were even original members! They also found out that Kenneth McDonald, one of the founders of the very first fraternity, was still alive in San Francisco, California. The students contacted McDonald, and he helped them restart the fraternity. He also taught them many of the original traditions. The second Kappa Sigma Kappa officially began in September 1935. Seven new chapters were started before World War II.

Growth and Challenges After the War

After the war, the fraternity focused on growing. New chapters were quickly formed. Members felt they needed to be better organized across the country. The fraternity held its first national meeting in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1948. National meetings continued every year. However, the fraternity still lacked a strong national organization.

Even though Kappa Sigma Kappa grew a lot after the war, it faced problems by the early 1950s. It had allowed some chapters at schools that were not officially recognized. Because of this, Kappa Sigma Kappa could not join the National Interfraternity Conference (NIC). The NIC sets rules for fraternities. Without NIC membership, and with chapters operating differently, Kappa Sigma Kappa started losing members quickly in the 1950s. Many chapters began joining other NIC fraternities.

Merging with Theta Xi

Kappa Sigma Kappa saw a merger with Theta Xi as a way to fix its problems. After several meetings, the national organization of Kappa Sigma Kappa officially merged with Theta Xi on August 20, 1962. Because of this merger, 21 Kappa Sigma Kappa chapters at recognized schools became chapters of Theta Xi. One more chapter at Lawrence Technological University joined later when its school became recognized. Each of these chapters received a new Greek-letter name that started with the letter Kappa.

Symbols After the Merger

As part of the merger, Theta Xi's fraternity flower changed from a white carnation to a blue iris. The Theta Xi coat of arms was also changed. Its fleur-de-lis symbols were replaced with upright crescents. The fraternity's pledge manual, a book for new members, was renamed from The Theta Xi Pledge Manual to The Quest For Theta Xi.

Where the Second Chapters Were Located

Here are some of the chapters from the second Kappa Sigma Kappa group.

Third Kappa Sigma Kappa: 1962–1992

Seven active chapters of Kappa Sigma Kappa were not accepted by Theta Xi in the 1962 merger. This was because they were located at schools that were not officially recognized. Even though their national organization had merged, these seven chapters decided to form a new national group. They continued to use the Kappa Sigma Kappa name.

This new group then started approving new Kappa Sigma Kappa chapters at more colleges, often at community colleges. In the late 1970s, the national organization of this third group dissolved. However, the Pennsylvania Alpha chapter remained active until 1992.

Where the Third Chapters Were Located

Here are some of the chapters that continued into the third Kappa Sigma Kappa group, or were created after the merger.