Fraternities at Purdue

Purdue University was founded in 1869 with Government land grant and State support, supplemented by a gift of $150,000 from John Purdue. The University quickly reached high rank through its departments of engineering. Sigma Chi placed a Chapter at Purdue in 1875 and for ten years was the sole fraternity at Purdue. Kappa Sigma entered in 1885.

The Birth of Beta Zeta

Sigma Nu's Purdue legacy began during the summer of 1891 when Charles Jakes and Alvin Dorsett, Sigma Nu's at DePauw University, met with a group of men interested in becoming the third fraternity at Purdue. The men; Charles Cottingham, Samuel Fouts, John Wright, Andrew Belfeld and James W. Noel, quickly assembled a petition that was sent to Sigma Nu National who quickly granted a charter. DePauw members Jakes, Dorsett, and Steta Takashima traveled to Lafayette for an initiation ceremony on Monday, October 24, 1891. The ceremonies took place at the Lahr Hotel, one of the finest local hotels, followed by a festive celebration banquet. The Beta Zeta Chapter was installed with the five charter members who had signed the petition - Cottingham, Fouts, Wright, Belfield, and Noel. Others who had been pledged were initiated with them, but were not recorded as charter members.

The five other members who were included in the original organization of Beta Zeta chapter were George R. Ives, Edgar C. Deacon, Walter R. Sibley, Levin H. Warren and John F. Seiler. Dale Van Pelt was taken in soon after installation. A chapter house was rented at once, and in every way the beginning of Beta Zeta was most auspicious. Its early history was consistent with the caliber of its charter members.

Tradition of Leadership

In an account in Sigma Nu's national publication, The Delta, Beta Beta member Charles Jakes reported having overheard a remark made by one of the leading professors that "every one is a ninety-five percent man." He stated that the president told him that they were the finest in the University. At that time, or during their careers at Purdue, honors held by the five charter members of Beta Zeta included presidents of freshman and senior classes; vice president of the junior class; presidents of both literary societies; president of the Purdue Scientific Society and of the Y.M.C.A.; vice president athletic association; managers of both football and baseball teams; associate editor of the Exponent, the student periodical; and associate editor and editor-in-chief of the Debris, the annual. Noel served as secretary to the president of Purdue during his senior year. In later years he became a member of the Board of Trustees of the University.

The early members of the Chapter coordinated intimately with the work of the general Fraternity, two of the charter members, Noel and Belfield, serving as Vice Regents of Sigma Nu. Beginning with the first Grand Chapter after its founding, Beta Zeta men were prominent in convention activities, the fact having been observed so frequently that it became traditional. More Beta Zeta alumni have served as Grand Officers and Inspectors than the total of any other Chapter.