The beginning
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
It was not long after their recognition on campus that the Knights of Classic Lore were approached by alumni of the Illinois Epsilon chapter of Phi Delta Theta, whose charter had been surrendered in 1897. The Phi Delt alumni saw this new group as an opportunity to restore their chapter and through the persuasion and effort of Richard Henry Little, one of the most prominent Phi Delt alumni at the time, the Knights presented a petition to the Phi Delta Theta National Convention. This petition was rejected, so in hopes that their organization might be more attractive to Phi Delta Theta, the name "Knights of Classic Lore" was abandoned, and the Greek letters "Tau Kappa Epsilon" adopted.
The Great decision
Late in 1907, following two more failed attempts to join Phi Delta Theta, several undergraduate members of Tau Kappa Epsilon were preparing a fourth petition to be presented at the Phi Delt national convention in 1908. However, the wisdom of this petition was greatly questioned amongst TKE members. At a banquet held on October 19, 1907, one of the most notable and influential speeches in TKE history was given by Wallace G. McCauley, titled "Opportunity Out of Defeat," in which he advocated the abandonment of the petitioning process and the substitution of a campaign for TKE to become its own national fraternity.
"Fellow brothers, Tau Kappa Epsilon was conceived in the early struggles of our existence. The time is now to start in on a national career, and we, its godfathers here tonight, when it has grown to be a strong and lusty organization, touching student life everywhere withthe beneficence of its principles, will obtain a satisfaction inexpressible in the part we had in its inception."
- Wallace G. McCauly
TKE Today
Since 1907, Tau Kappa Epsilon has grown into one of the largest international fraternities, boasting over 200 active chapters and 300,000 lifetime initiates. In 1972, the fraternity made St. Jude's Children Research Hospital our official philanthropy, honoring the dream of St. Jude's Founder Danny Thomas that 'no child should die in the dawn of life.' Notable alumni of Tau Kappa Epsilon include frater Danny Thomas, former president Ronald Reagan, noted artists Elvis Presley and Willie Nelson, NFL legends Marv Levy, Terry Bradshaw, Aaron Rodgers and George Halas, and many more.
