DKEs in History

• Rutherford B. Hayes, 19th President of the United States
• Theodore Roosevelt, 26th President of the United States
• Gerald Ford, 38th President of the United States
• George H.W. Bush, 41st President of the United States
• George W. Bush, 43rd President of the United States
• J. Pierpont Morgan, J.P. Morgan
• Irving H. Chase, Chase Manhattan Bank
• Alan Bean, Astronaut to walk on the moon

DKEs at Michigan

Delta Kappa Epsilon was the fourth fraternity to arrive at the University of Michigan. J. B. Ford, Sigma Amherst 1854, was studying in the Medical College. He determined to link Ann Arbor into the mystic circle of Delta Kappa Epsilon. Brother Ford prevailed upon his friend Marcus Albertus Osiris Packard to help in forming a chapter. Packard chose five of his classmates to apply with him and on January 10, 1855 six juniors, Frederick Rowe, John Quincy Sessions, Lemon Barnes, Henry C. Champion, James Parnell Jones, Marcus A. O. Packard and Lyman Addison Soule were designated as charter members of Omicron.

By 1870, having survived the losses of the Civil War, DKE's membership was growing. In 1871 the idea of building a hall or lodge was presented and in 1873 The Omicron Literary Association was formed to hold the property. A lot on East William was purchased in 1875. Architect William LeBaron Jenney was hired to design the building. Jenney taught the first course of architecture at the University of Michigan and was later recognized as the “father” of the skyscraper for his use of structural steel in the Chicago Home Insurance Building. In 1878 the cornerstone was laid and, at Commencement in 1879 Omicron dedicated the “Shant.”

The building, which has been described at Gothic-Victorian, eclectic Neo-Gothic and Neo-Renaissance has not changed much since construction. In 1901 the exterior 8 foot brick wall was added which adds to its mysterious appearance. The Shant was substantially renovated in 1971 thanks to the efforts of Wilfred Casgrain ‘18. In 1986 to ease the burden on the local chapter of maintaining both a fraternity house and the Shant, a campaign under the leadership of Ed Frey ‘31 and Ellis Slater ‘17 raised $160,000 for the Rampant Lion Foundation to purchase the building and maintain it as an historical asset of Delta Kappa Epsilon.

During the 1870s and 80s, “Mother” Whitehead's rooming house on State Street became the center of chapter life. The upperclassmen lived there and everyone assembled at meal time. When Mrs. Whitehead died she left the chapter part of the site for its stone house at 609 South State Street. The State Street House, known as Whitehead Hall, was constructed in 1888 and was occupied by DKE until 1922 when the property was taken over by the University of Michigan for construction of the new Law Quadrangle. From there Omicron moved to 1912 Geddes. This stately Tudor mansion with its spacious lot and fine appointments on the highest spot of land in Ann Arbor served the chapter well until it burned down in 1967.

This unfortunate fire occurring during the summer of 1967, could have marked the end of Omicron. Prior to the fire, the heating system had become inoperable and The Omicron Literary Association under the leadership of Paul Elvidge '57, Charlie Liken '56 and George Zinn '55 had negotiated a sale to move to an innovative apartment/club house project on Wilmot and Washtenaw. The fire destroyed these plans, the building was underinsured, litigation resulted and as a result Omicron was left the Shant as its only asset. After a semester attempt at rush from the then gas lit Shant, the chapter closed operations in 1968.

In stepped John W. Lambrecht '67 who with Bill Casgrain '18, set about to build a fund-raiser to renovate the Shant. They were successful and after some $70,000 worth of renovations to the Shant, in 1971 were successful in forming “Club Omicron” as a group of young men looking to restart the chapter as a nonresidential club. By 1973, this was not working and the resignation of the last member of Club Omicron was accepted by The Omicron Literary Association.

Just then, Nate Bryant '45 popped into a thoroughly depressed board meeting to announce that he had found a dozen young men to restart the chapter. Under the leadership of Nate's fellow Hollander Dick Beedon '76 Omicron picked up where it had left off. The Shant as a “club house” nearly perfectly fit the needs of the tumultuous 70s, and the chapter prospered. Brother James R. Grady '59 revitalized the alumni association and once again DKE was strong. Then as the 70s wound down, it became apparent that, in order to be competitive, we needed a live in facility. Brother Grady appointed Brothers Lambrecht, David K. Easlick, Jr. '69, James M. Hacker '69, and Mark L. Lippincott '67 to determine how to get a house for the chapter.

Thanks to Brother Lippincott we were successful in locating 1004 Olivia, which was built as the Alpha Chi Omega House in 1916. It had passed through a number of Greek owners. The most recent had been the Evans Scholars. In 1980 it was a “food co-op” rented by the live-in owners to primarily students. The committee formed a Limited Partnership with the committee serving as the General Partners -- DKE Partners and sold limited partnership units. It finally raised nearly $100,000 from “investors” and donors Brothers Ed Frey '31, Bill DesJardins '50, Bill Moll '50, George Zinn '55, Jim Grady '59, Zaven Margossian '50, Bob Dickerman '46, Nate Bryant, Sid Tremble '26, Fred Matthaei '48, Phil Van Zile '35, Charlie Van Duren '52, John Wirtz '50, Bob Sligh '50, Bill Larned '65 and Rick Rogers '62.

In addition Brother Easlick incorporated and qualified with the IRS, the Rampant Lion Foundation, which was able to invest in mortgage financing. Sparked by a major donation from Ellis D. Slater '17 we were able complete the financing package with a commercial loan from Michigan National Bank, a second mortgage from the Rampant Lion and the partners investment.

Our investment paid off. Membership in the chapter increased from the teens and low twenties to above 50. Next year will mark the 20th year that 1004 Olivia has been the home of DKE at Michigan.

• David K. Easlick, Jr. '69, President, Rampant Lion Foundation
• James M. Hacker '69 President, The Omicron Literary Association