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→The Early Years (Excerpted from The History of Kappa Kappa Gamma Fraternity: 1870-1976)
At the time of installation Miami enrollment was a little over 3,000, with 240 faculty members and 44 buildings. By 1973, Miami was a three-campus institution, with 16,591 students on all three campuses (13,208 at Oxford alone), 782 faculty (many teaching on two or more campuses), and 110 buildings (96 on the Oxford campus.)
"Old Harrison Hall," where the Kappas held many early meetings, was torn down in 1957 and "new" Harrison Hall is on the site. The suite, decorated for the chapter's use in 1940, was soon outgrown and meetings took place in Wells Hall as well as Harrison. In February, 1952, a move was made to a larger suite in Richard Hall- and word was awaited for permission to move to a larger suite. It was almost impossible to have rush parties, even with all the furniture removed.
At one time men's fraternity houses were used for parties, allocation determined by a drawing. In the fall of 1965 the Delta Lambdas drew the Delta Kappa Epsilon house, one known for unconventional behavior. A pet iguana was let loose, and Dr. Susan Rockwood, Beta Rho Deuteron- Cincinnati, chapter council adviser, saved the evening by holding the creature at bay with a broom. Her report to Panhellenic read in part: "The specific episode in question concerns the deliberate unleashing of a living lizard (very closely resembling an iguana) of light green and yellow coloration, measuring approximately 18 to 20 inches in length with a girth of nearly six inches..."
For this and other reasons the campuses sororities voted to rush in their own suites...For Homecoming that year the Dekes entitled their huge lizard-like construction "The Night of the Iguana."
The Fraternity has recognized Delta Lambda often: 1950- honorable mention, Standards; 1956- Gracious Living; 1964- Efficiency for Unhoused Chapter; 1968- Outstanding Pledge Program...twice the Fraternity Scholarship Cup. More awards: 1960- second place, Standards; also 1960- honorable mention for Efficiency (Unhoused). A pewter pitcher for Gamma Province efficiency, the Toledo Alumnae Award, was retired by the chapter in 1971- it had won the award every year but one.
The pages of Delta Lambda's history are full of accounts of rushing, initiation, Dads' Day, Mothers' Tea, Pumpkin Walks, Sigma Chi Melon Mess, Greek Week, Homecoming, Founders Day, Miss Miami Pageant, May Day retreats at Camp Hook, Pi Phi cozy, Monmouth Duo, Christmas parties, New Year parties, spaghetti-bean dinners (For scholarship), and Powder Puff Bowls (football between sororities).
There are also pages filled with campus honors: Cwens, Spurs, Mortar Board, Phi Beta Kappa, Air Force Angels, dormitory counselors, queens, outstanding junior, senior, etc. With all the activities, scholarship is maintained and the campus trophy has been won 19 times during the chapter's first 23 years.
To celebrate the 20th year, funds for an annual scholarship award were deposited in 1960. In 1967, plans were begun for a circular bench to commemorate the Kappa Centennial, an idea initiated by Dr. Susan Rockwood. The arrangement is on Slant Walk, the middle oval bench surrounded by smaller curved benches. A large bronze plaque with the Kappa crest is embedded in the stone seat, and the whole area is complete with paving and landscaping, making a lovely addition to Miami's campus.
There was often discussion of scholarship and grades during early chapter meetings. A bylaw of February 25, 1942, states, "Girls in the semi-professional course will definitely not be considered for pledgeship. If pledges enter (this) course after being pledged their pledgeship will be automatically broken, and they will not be initiated on the basis of grades made in the semi-professional course. No exceptions..." Later on it is recorded that lowering of initiation requirements caused a great discussion. Reasons pro: the stress of war, the amount of time required for war work, and the fact that "scholarship is not necessarily indicative of character and ability" were balance with the reasons con: Kappa stands for high scholarship, the importance in wartime of getting as much as possible out of academic work, and the dangerous precedent which might weaken the chapter and lead to laxness...Initiation requirement remained at 2.3...Later it was lowered to 2.1 but now has returned to 2.3.
During the formative years there were special programs for strengthening scholarship: in 1941, no dates for pledges on week nights; 1942, actives below 2.3 to keep time charts and no dates on week nights; 1943, "all with a 2.0 and below must spend all free time Monday-Friday in the library..." Standards must have been an issue in 1945: "On May 14, 1945, at a regular meeting...Mrs. Wickenden spoke to us...of the moral tone of the campus...It was decided that a large scale show of public opinion against it would be helpful and it was suggested that AMI, the fraternities, and Panhellenic take action..."
By the end of 1972 Delta Lambda had initiated 800 members. An item of December 11, 1946, reads, "It was announced that a 50 cent fine will be imposed on those members who do not attend initiation or who do not help in setting up and taking down the frameworks. To avoid extra expense, it was decided to collect greenery for decorations from the surrounding countryside."
Following the Kent State Tragedy may 1970, the university closed for 10 days when students were sent home because of administration apprehension about riots. At province convention in April, 1971, an Undergraduate Council was formed by the Fraternity Council in an attempt to give undergraduate Kappas more voice in the Fraternity. Delta Lambda's Lynda Green (McDermott), who represented Gamma Province, was selected to be first president of the Undergraduate Council.
Ethel Wickenden's 1943 history at Delta Lambda ended on a high note of optimism about the three-year-old chapter's future. Her feelings have been substantiated throughout Delta Lambda's first 35 years. The chapter shares Ethel Wickenden's optimism as it anticipates its next 35 years.
==Highlights of 2011==