Whitman College Tau Kappa Epsilon records, 1930-2017

Tau Kappa Epsilon is an international Greek Letter fraternity that was established at Illinois Wesleyan University in 1899. The Whitman College Chapter, known as Alpha Eta, was chartered from local fraternity, Alpha Omicron Kappa in 1930. Alpha Omicron Kappa had existed since 1925 and was intended to be made into a chapter of Sigma Alpha Epsilon (the fraternity Whitman president Stephen B. Penrose once belonged to), but was deemed too small. Tau Kappa Epsilon, which was rapidly expanding at the time, was happy to absorb the organization.