![]() ![]() I wrote a dissertation on “Coeducation and the History of Women’s Fraternities 1867-1902.″ It chronicles the growth of the system and the birth of the National Panhellenic Conference. In this blog I will share the history of GLOs and other topics. ![]() I didn’t realize that I would end up feeling at home at one of the chapters. My roommate suggested I sign up for rush (as it was then called, today it’s known as recruitment) and go through the house tour round and then drop out of rush. When I made my way to Syracuse University, I saw the houses with the Greek letters that edged Walnut Park, and wished I could tour them. I am sure I would have agreed with them, too. I was the last person anyone would have suspected of joining a sorority in college. Welcome! Chances are good you found this blog by searching for something about fraternities or sororities. The decision to buy the property seems to have been made rather quickly, as the web-site notes that the foundation acquired “a new headquarters and educational center in only 48 hours.” Laurel Hall, and the six acres upon which it sits, was purchased by the Phi Kappa Psi Foundation in May 2005. For several years, the fraternity had been talking about moving to larger quarters and when the chance to move to Laurel Hall presented itself, the opportunity was quickly taken. In 1977, Phi Psi moved its headquarters from a Cleveland, Ohio, office building to Heritage Hall in downtown Indianapolis’ Lockerbie district. In 2004, the decision was made to move the Institute to Washington, D.C. For 20 years, Laurel Hall was home to the Hudson Institute. In 1984, the Hudson Institute, a policy research organization, purchased the property and changed the name of the building to the Herman Kahn Center. In 1982, Laurel Hall was again owned by a bank. Laurel Hall took on the role of the “Manor House,” the community’s office and entertainment center. He developed much of the property into condominiums. In 1974, Laurel Hall was sold to a local businessman. Unfortunately, enrollment never reached that number and by 1970 it became necessary for the school to merge with St. In 1963, the Sisters opened a new building, increasing the school’s capacity to 600 students. They used it to house Ladywood, an all-girls Catholic boarding school. A year later it was sold to the Sisters of Providence. The Fletcher American National Bank, sans Fletcher at the helm, became the owner of Laurel Hall. In 1924, Fletcher declared bankruptcy (he died in 1957 in California, where he had worked as an elevator operator). He lost the bank and then his wife took her own life. In the early 1920s, Fletcher’s fortune’s changed due to an ill-timed investment in armaments and a World War which ended sooner than Fletcher anticipated. By 1920, the Fletcher American National Bank was Indiana’s largest national bank. At the time, it cost $2,100,000 to build. It had been built almost 90 years before as a private residence for Indiana banker, Stoughton J. Phi Psi’s Laurel Hall and Ruth Lilly Conference Center was acquired by the Phi Kappa Psi Foundation in 2005. ![]() How many Greek-letter organizations can make that claim? There I made the most startling discovery, Phi Kappa Psi’s headquarters, a former mansion, also doubles as an award-winning wedding and special events venue. In debating about whether I could even pull off of an interesting Phi Psi Founders’ Day post, I went to Phi Psi’s website. Mike McCoy, the fraternity’s historian does an excellent job of tweeting about the fraternity’s history. In the time I have been on twitter I have come to learn much about Phi Kappa Psi. Phi Kappa Psi’s founders are William Henry Letterman and Charles Page Thomas Moore. It also has the second longest-running continuously active status at the collegiate level for the association.Phi Kappa Psi was founded on Februin Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, at Jefferson College (now Washington and Jefferson College in Washington, Pennsylvania). The fraternity is a member of the National Association of Latino Fraternal Organizations (NALFO) and is its third oldest fraternal member by founding date. While founded on Latino principles, Lambda Upsilon Lambda has been open to men of all races since its inception. La Unidad Latina, Lambda Upsilon Lambda Fraternity, Incorporated is the only Latino fraternity to be chartered at all eight Ivy League universities. ![]() La Unidad Latina, Lambda Upsilon Lambda Fraternity, Incorporated primarily seeks to take a leadership role in meeting the needs of the Latino community through academic achievement, cultural awareness, community service, and promotion of the Latino culture and people. ![]()
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