The Epsilon Chapter of Kappa Delta Rho was established at Franklin College on May 24, 1919.  Its history, however, began much earlier. In 1907, the independent literary societies were a flourishing organization on the Franklin College campus.  Several members of the societies, though, thought that the organization could be improved and that the college could benefit from the addition of a third Greek organization.  On October 30, 1909, sixteen members of the independent literary societies formed Phi Alpha Pi.  Among these sixteen were Leo T. Wolford (’12) and Robert H. Kent (’10).  Wolford would go on to become Nation President of Kappa Delta Rho; Kent served early on as a faculty advisor to the Epsilon Chapter and would late serve as Dean and President of Franklin College, and the stained glass window in the College chapel commemorates his service to he institution. Focusing heavily on “high ideals in morality and scholarship”, Phi Alpha Pi immediately established itself as a thriving campus organization.  The following was written in Franklin College’s 1910 yearbook, Blue and Gold. “The members are well forward in every legitimate phase of college life and have taken a prominent part in all forms of athletics, society, and religious work.  Their standing in the classroom is commendable and it is “consistent advancement” that is really the watchword of Phi Alpha Pi”. 

The Phi Alphas also represented Franklin College proudly in World War I, as forty-seven brothers fought in the Great War.  August Sundvall (’16) gave his life on the battlefield in France, making him the only man from Franklin College to do so.

Phi Alpha Pi had quickly developed into an exemplary fraternal organization, and the National Fraternity of Kappa Delta Rho took note. Grand Consul Dr. Frank C. Ewart’s (Delta Hon.) efforts to expand the Fraternity brought him to Franklin, where he was impressed with the men of Phi Alpha Pi.  Apparently, Dr. Ewart also made a strong impression on the Phi Alphas, as they would soon submit a petition to join the National Fraternity.

The Seventh National Convention was held at Colgate University in Hamilton, New York in 1919.  On May, 9, Brother Ewart read the petition of Phi Alpha Pi and it was unanimously approved by all chapters and alumni to install a chapter at Franklin College.  On May 24, 1919, Phi Alpha Pi became the Epsilon Chapter of Kappa Delta Rho.  After returning from the installation banquet, Brother Ralph H. Thurston (’20) unveiled a KDR plaque to replace the Phi Alpha Pi sign on the front of the chapter house so that passerby would know that the fraternity had “gone national”.  The addition of Epsilon was integral to Kappa Delta Rho’s expansion: with five chapters in three states, it could truly be considered a national organization.

The 1919-20 school years found Epsilon housed at 666 East Jefferson Street.  The chapter had grown to eighteen active members and ten pledges, and it placed first in scholarship among men’s organizations on campus.  Epsilon Chapter wasted no time in making its mark on the National Fraternity as well, hosting the National Convention in the fall of 1920.  At this convention, Brother Leo T. Wolford (’12) was elected to serve as Grand Consul from 1921-1924.  Brother Wolford would serve again as National President from 1936-1941.

The 1920’s, ‘30’s, and ‘40’s, save the war eras, found the men of Epsilon extremely involved on campus, especially on varsity and intramural sports teams.  Brothers brought home numerous letters and championship cups, and several were team captains.  The chapter also consistently ranked high scholastically, and many brothers were members of the debate team, induced into honorary fraternities, or served as class officers or student body presidents.  In 1922 Epsilon began publishing regular updates for alumni and parents in the form of monthly bulletin, the Kappa Delta Rho Pep Sheet.  In the first edition, the names of actives and pledges, a calendar of important college events, and the platform of the chapter were printed.  With the opening of the 1924-25 school year, Epsilon found itself in a new home.  Located on the south side of Monroe Street and just west of the railroad tracks, the chapter owned a house for the first time.

The early years of Epsilon Chapter would yield one of its most famous alumni, Brother Archie C. West (’36).  Best known for inventing Doritos snack chips, the future Executive Vice President of Frito Lay served as Consol of Epsilon Chapter and president of the Inter-Fraternity Council- during his senior year at Franklin. 

During the 1942-43 school year, the chapter was composed of more than thirty actives and pledges.  With America at war in Europe and the Pacific, however, only two would return to Franklin the following autumn.  Epsilon represented America proudly in World War II, as three brothers lost their lives in service to our country: Lt. Cecil M. Clore (’43?), Cadet Eugene W. Fisher (’44?) and William M. Porter (’41?).

During the war, a large Alumni Association met regulatory at Brother Alton Snyder’s (’28?) restaurant in Franklin, where many KDR trophies were on display.  In 1944, a group of alumni, including charter members J. Robert Handley (’22), Maurice Trout (’22), Robert B. Hougham (’22) Harold K. Harding (’23) and Hugo M. Gale (’22), met to observe the chapter’s twenty-fifth anniversary. At a later date, a group of about twenty-five alumni discussed post-war plans and fully expected to be “among the first of the Chapters of Kappa Delta Rho to reactivate and launch a new era of fraternity success.”

These efforts by the Epsilon alumni made it possible for the chapter to return to Franklin College when Roger Gale (’49) pledged to the Fraternity on November 20, 1945.  Gale’s father, Hugo, was a charter member of Epsilon, as was his uncle, Stanley M. Strohl (’23); his brothers Bill (Nu ’48) and Dick (Nu ’49) were members at Indiana University.  With eleven actives and twenty three pledges, Epsilon returned to campus in full strength the ensuing fall by electing officers on the first day of school, throwing a huge “mixed social event”, and hosting a post-war homecoming gala for local alumni.  In The Quill and The Scroll, March 1947, alumni were called to contact the chapter so they could be put on the mailing list for Epsilon Episodes, the brand new chapter publication which the chapter continues to produce. 

On an early December evening in 1948, the chapter averted tragedy thanks to Brother Bob Godshall (’49), who had been up late studying.  Around 2:00 A.M., he discovered that a fire had started in the basement of the chapter house at 801 East Jefferson Street.  Brother Godshall rushed to wake the seventeen sleeping Brothers, led the house mother to safety, and called Franklin’s three-man volunteer fire department.  Luckily, no one was injured, and the significant damage to the chapter house was covered by insurance, allowing for a quick renovation.

As the Fraternity moved into the 1950s, Epsilon Alumnus Orvis M. Nelson (’32) , President and founder of Transocean Air Lines, starred in a series of articles in the Saturday Evening Post.  In 1956, the first year that chapters were recognized on a national level with awards, Epsilon did quite well.  The chapter placed fifth in the Outstanding Chapter category, fourth in Alumni Relations, fifth in Pledge Training and won the Community Relations category. 

The chapter house had a new look at the start of the 1959-1960 school year.  The front porch was removed and replaced by a two-story colonial porch, new furniture was added, and large construction project had been proposed.  Before going through with the major renovation plans, however, the Alumni Advisory Board decided in 1961 to forgo renovation and build a new $120,000 fraternity house that would be ready by the fal of 1963.  The “L” shaped structure, located at 214 State Street, had 14 study rooms and sleeping space for 48 men.  It also featured a dining area capable of seating 64 , a large fraternity room, two basement areas, a library/study area, quarters for the house mother, and a large, walled patio accessible by 10 sliding, glass doors.

In February of 1964 Epsilon hosted several area chapter delegates at the Midwestern Regional Conclave in the new chapter house.  The conclave was attended by several notable KDRs, including Dr. Harold Osborn (Eta ’22) , E. Mayer Maloney (Nu ’36), chapter alumni advisors Alton Snyder and Worth Bennet (’50) and National Executive Secretary Lawire Barr (Xi ’66).  The banquet featured Alan Brown, Dean of Franklin College, as the keynote speaker.

In 1970, the chapter earned a national citation from the Boys Club of America for painting the Franklin club.  Also in 1970, The Little Sisters of Epsilon Rose (the chapter’s only women’s auxiliary group) were founded with thirty-one “lovely co-eds”. 

Despite this excitement, the early 1970s also marked a time for struggle of Epsilon.  A small pledge class in the fall of 1970, coupled with the loss of much of the chapter to graduation or marriage, sharply reduced the size of the active chapter.  That winter, broken heating pipes made the chapter house unlivable and prompted all but six brothers and two pledges to leave the chapter.  Epsilon began the fall of 1971 with nine men and added seven pledges.  Yet, only three men were living in a chapter house designed to hold nearly fifty.  Following recruitment, the chapter moved to new, smaller house at 253 South Forsythe Street.  Membership in the chapter fell to twelve men in the spring of 1972.  With six graduating and several others not planning to returners to Franklin for the fall term, the chapter’s prospects were bleak.  On May 8, 1972, National Executive Director E. Mayer Maloney made the decision to close Epsilon Chapter.

Again, though, Epsilon’s alumni worked to bring the chapter back.  Led by Brother William J. Kappner (’63), a committee of Epsilon Alumni was formed on December 16, 1976 to work with the College of the National Fraternity to reinstall the chapter.  Early in the spring semester, the committee interviewed about thirty men to serve as the first members of the reestablished colony; four were selected, and they were pledged on March 2, 1977.  Those four men recruited six more, which were formally pledged on May 9.  Among the ten were Roger Wolford (’78), grandson of Leo T. Wolford (’12) and the College’s Student Body President and a distinguished leader of the recolonized Chapter.

With no house, the colony struggled initially, but a focus on scholarship, athletics, and social service quickly grew Epsilon into a much larger and stronger organization.  The men of Epsilon Colony were duly rewarded for excellent work: In a ceremony at 2:00 P.M. on May 10 1980, Epsilon was re-installed as a Chapter of the National Fraternity of Kappa Delta Rho.  The following Epsilon Alumni served as officers in the ceremony: Consul- William J. Kappner; Senior Tribune- Roger J. Wolford, Junior Tribune- Donald A. Treibic (’65); Pontifex- Stephen R. Lang (’67); and Centurion- John B. Hackman (’67).  Also present were Harold K. Harding, a founding member of Epsilon Chapter, National President Robert D. Lynd (Iota ’67), and several other National Officers.

1980 saw another profound accomplishment by an Epsilon alumnus.  The U.S. Commission to Hear and Examine Proposals for a U.S. Academy for Peace and Conflict Resolution was established by Congress and signed into law by President Carter in the fall of 1978.  Brother William F. Lincoln (’64), then a professor at Harvard Law School, was appointed to the Commission by Tip O’Neill, Speaker of the House of Representatives.  In May, 1982 edition of The Quill and the Scroll, the men of epsilon had only one piece of news to report: “We are back on the map.”  The chapter had grown to twenty-six members and was well on its way to re-establishing a strong reputation for Kappa Delta Rho on the Franklin College campus. 

Kappa Delta Rho’s Ordo Honorium (now the Ordo Hororis) was established at the seventy-first National Convention on August 14, 1982.  Four Epsilon men were inducted with the Alpha Class of 1982.  Four Epsilon men were inducted with the Alpha Class of 1982.  Those men were Orvis M. Nelson, Founder and President of Transocean Airlines; Lawrence L. Wells (’52); Arch C. West, Executive Vice President of Frito Lay, Inc.; and Leo T. Wolford, former President of the National Fraternity.

In the 1985-1986 school year, Epsilon led not only all Franklin College fraternities, but all KDR chapters nationwide, with a 3.17 chapter grade point average. Following his graduation that year, Brian Leckrone (’86) began to serve the Fraternity’s National Office as a Chapter Leadership Consultant.

At the seventy-seventh National Convention in 1988, three of Epsilon’s outstanding alumni were inducted into the Ordo Honorium’s Eta Class; they include Brother Boyd Gill (’36), Brother Donald Treibic, and Brother Elmon M. Williams (’28)- the man for whom the annual Leadership Academy is named.  Six years later, Brother James Kowalski, (’57) received the same honor.  To date, ten epsilon men have been inducted into the Ordo Honoris, also including Reinhard Bockstette (’68) and Henry Steinkamp (’52).

The mid-1990s were an exciting time for Epsilon Chapter.  On the Franklin College campus, the men of had become highly active as leaders on their athletic teams, in their academic departments, and in various student organizations.  At the 1996 National Convention in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, Brother Lucas Logan (’03) would receive the same honor at the 2000 National Convention in Philadelphia.

Due to the initiative of Brother Jim Kowalski, on February 8, 1997, Brother Don Cunningham (’55) was initiated into the Fraternity forty years after completing pledging in the 1950s.  Brother Cunningham was forced to leave Franklin College due to an emergency operation and was forced to use his college tuition money to pay for the procedure.  Cunningham eventually completed his degree at Indiana University and was joined at his initiation by his Big Brother, Ed Roberts (’56).

In the Fall of 1997, Ms. Lori Neff, Franklin College’s new Assistant Dean of Students, became Epsilon’s Chapter Advisor, a position she would hold until leaving the College in 2004.  Ms. Neff made presentations at Regional Conclaves and National Conventions, was twice honored as Franklin College’s Fraternity Advisor of the Year, and was recognized by the National Fraternity as Outstanding Chapter Advisor at the 2002, 2003, and 2004 National Conventions.

On February 9, 1999, the chapter lost a fine alumnus, Brother Jason D. Kuhn, when he passed away after a two year battle with Hodgikin’s disease.  Today, Brothers Andy Wilson (’97), Marc Steczyk (’98) and Adam Decker (’97) have raised money for the endowed Jason Kuhn Memorial Scholarship, which is awarded yearly to an Epsilon Chapter junior majoring in advertising and public relations.

On February 3, 2001, Epsilon’s path turned south.  On the eve of the fall pledge class’s initiation, a party co-sponsored by Phi Delta Theta and marred by gross risk management violations resulted in twenty-two arrests and the removal from the office of the Consul and Senior Tribune.  Epsilon would be placed on probation by both the College and the National Fraternity.  Accepting its punishment, the chapter vowed to re-focus on the ideals of the Fraternity and re-establish itself as a leading chapter on the Franklin College campus and amongst KDR chapters nationwide.

Despite beginning the ensuing school year with only eleven active members, the chapter would soon rebound from the fateful evening; through excellent recruitment and an emphasis on social service, academics, and campus involvement, the chapter was quickly back on its feet.  At the 2002 National Convention, Epsilon’s efforts were recognized with the O.D. Roberts Award for Chapter Improvement. A year later, Epsilon received eight awards in all, Brother Matt Moore (’03) was named Outstanding Senior and Lori Neff was honored as Outstanding Advisor for the second consecutive year.  At the Franklin College Greek Awards ceremony in 2004 (and again in 2005), Epsilon was heavily decorated and hailed Fraternity of the Year.  Upon graduating in 2004, Brothers A. McClain Clotfelter (’04) and Brian M. Graham (’04) joined the Kappa Delta Rho National Office Staff as Leadership Consultants and would be instrumental in planning the 2005 Centennial Convention.

As Kappa Delta Rho looks to the future, Epsilon Chapter is continuing its tradition of excellence.  The chapter continues to achieve at the highest level in terms of academics and philanthropy, and a rejuvenated alumni corporation has been working steadily to improve the chapter’s house at 740 East Jefferson Street.  After the addition of a new furnace and air conditioner as well as substantial renovations to the shower room and downstairs bathroom in recent years, the 2004-2005 school year saw the replacement of the balcony and the renovation of the kitchen and upstairs bathroom.  Also, the chapter was again recognized as the KDR National Chapter of the Year in 2005.

In Dr. Frank C. Ewart’s Welcome Address to Epsilon Chapter, he stated, “…there are many of the long established fraternities which began their career with a statement of high ideals.  That is an easy thing to do.  The rub comes in trying to live them out.” In times of glory as well as those of hardship, the men of Epsilon Chapter have defended those high ideals, and they will continue to uphold them as Kappa Delta Rho embarks upon their next hundred years.