National History

Delta Tau Delta is founded at Bethany College. Eight undergraduates, angered by a fixed vote for a prize in oratory to be given at the Neotrophian Literary Society the only real forum for students to practice and demonstrate skills in poetry, public speaking, and writing essays respond by forming a secret society. The purpose of the new society, known only by the Greek letters Delta Tau Delta, is to see that the Neotrophian is returned to popular control, and delivered from the hands of the group of students who seized it. The Fraternity was founded to right an unjust situation; Delta Tau Delta was born of the knowledge that integrity is essential. Its eight founders’ outraged that one group of students would and could choose in advance the candidate they favored, then join together to swing enough votes for that man to win, regardless of his actual performance in the contest, presented the first opportunity for Delts to realize the importance of accountability.

Founders

Local History

The Social group of men known as Delta Tau Delta on Western's campus has evolved throughout the past century. On February 13, 1939 thirteen men feeling the need for closer bonds of fellowship met for the purpose of organizing themselves into a fraternity with a three-fold aim in mind. This aim was the promotion of friendship, scholarship, and sociability among its members.
This was the birth of the "13 Club". Suitable articles were drawn up to form the constitution and Walter Alexander was elected as the first president. The first formal appearance was made in the form of a picnic in April and a tradition was started when the first formal dinner was held in May.

Between the period of 1939 to 1943, sixty five members were added to the original thirteen. At the time of WWII, membership dwindled. The war cut deep into the ranks of the Thirteeners. It cut so deep that the fraternity had be disbanded.

After the war, returning members reorganized the fraternity, and in 1946 four new members were added. From that date until the Korean War, when once again the Thirteeners had to disband, it came time for the old traditions to carry forward here at Western.

Thirteeners never say die, and when two senior members came back they initiated twelve new members in the spring of 1955.

The Thirteeners became Phi Phi Kappa fraternity in 1963 and was recognized by the University as a local social fraternity. Efforts then began immediately to affiliate with Delta Tau Delta National Fraternity. On February 11, 1967 Delta Tau Delta Fraternity installed Western Kentucky University's local fraternity, Phi Phi Kappa, as Epsilon Xi Chapter of it's brotherhood. U.S. Supreme Court Justice Tom C. Clark was there to administer the installment. An eleven member team from the Delta Tau Delta chapter at the University of Kentucky initiated the chapter. Since 1967 the Epsilon Xi chapter has initiated 522 members.