Taken from TEP.org...
For many years, there
existed in the Department of
Pharmacy at Columbia
University, two
fraternities. Neither of
which, however, would allow
the admission of members of
minority races, religions or
creeds.
During the year 1909-1910,
two small groups of men
became intrigued with the
idea that friendship
acquired during collegiate
days should be bound
together through some means
for the remainder of one's
life. The desirable
qualities that one gathered
from those around him should
be interchanged for more
than the mere two or three
years of collegiate
association.
Neither of these two groups
had any inkling of the
existence of the other until
the opening of the school
term the following year when
providence interceded to
bring together these men.
One of these groups based
their linking together on
the idea that a social club
was the solution to their
problem. The other felt that
a fraternity (about which
they knew little except for
the two groups on campus)
was the correct solution.
With the contact of these
two groups, it was
immediately evident that one
could not get along without
the other and the union was
made.
On October 10, 1910, during
a lunch period, a hurried
conference was held between
that two groups in a
deserted lecture hall. The
spirit of organization was
so instilled in the eight
original gatherers that
another meeting was arranged
for that very afternoon
after school hours.
At five o'clock that
afternoon, a determined
group of young men met in
Central Park to hold a
lengthier discussion and see
the plans that they had
dreamed of approach reality.
The problem of the moment
appeared to be finding a
meeting room but this was
settled quickly with an
appeal to the school for
permission to use an empty
lecture hall. That appeal
was granted.
The first regularly recorded
meeting was called to order
in the library of the
Department of Pharmacy,
Columbia University, on
Friday afternoon, October
19, 1910. Four additional
men, two of whom later
dropped out, were invited to
that meeting.
National History
