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Equilateral
Triangle |
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The primary symbol of the fraternity is the equilateral triangle. It appears proudly upon the fraternity's badge, upon it's Coat-of-Arms, and upon the fraternity flag. Equal-sided, representing the striving toward a full and equal development of mind, body, and heart, it means much within ranks of our fraternity. It serves as a reminder, too, of the early days of the fraternity and the traditions established by it's founders, since the first three chapters of Tau Kappa Epsilon, which supplied the foundations for its growth, formed an equilateral triangle in their geographical relationship.
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Official
Flower |
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| The official flower of the fraternity is the red carnation. From the red carnation is derived the color for our Coat-of-Arms, flag, banner, and many other symbols. The official flower is worn during initiations and at TKE banquets. It is also represented by the Red Carnation Ball, a banquet and dance celebrated by most TKE chapters each year.
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| History
Our Beginning, Growth, and Development
On the cold night of January 10, 1899, students of Illinois Wesleyan University, in the small Midwestern town of Bloomington, had just returned from the Christmas holidays when Joseph L. Settles went to the room occupied by James C. McNutt and Clarence A. Mayer at 504 East Locust Street to discuss the organization of a new society on campus. Joined immediately by Owen I. Truitt and C. Roy Atkinson, these five students created the first set of regulations for the Knights of Classic Lore, a society whose avowed purpose was "to aid college men in mental, moral, and social development."
A "Different" Organization
The Founders of the Knights of Classic Lore desired an organization different from those represented by the existing fraternities. Their desire was to establish a fraternity in which the primary requisites for membership would be the personal worth and character of the individual rather than the wealth he possessed, the honors or titles he could display, or the rank he maintained on the social ladder. The Founders of the KCL had little regard for many of the common characteristics of fraternities at that time, including their usual snobbery and disdain for persons outside of a fraternity.
Still A "Different" Organization
Over 100 years have passed since that cold evening in January. Along the way over
250,000 men have pledged their lifelong loyalty to Tau Kappa
Epsilon because they recognized how this Fraternity was unlike any other. TKE continues to lead the way for other
fraternities to follow. We still are the largest Fraternity in the world with nearly 300 active chapters.
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Copyright
©2004 Zeta Chi Colony of Tau
Kappa Epsilon Fraternity. All rights
reserved.
Murray
State University is not responsible for the contents of these
individual pages.
Comments
on these pages should be directed to the page author.
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