Theta Kappa Psi Explained

Theta Kappa Psi
Letters:Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: ΘΚΨ
Crest:File:The_pin_of_Theta_Kappa_Psi_medical_fraternity.jpg
Caption:Badge of Theta Kappa Psi
Birthplace:Russell Military Academy
Affiliation:Independent
Former Affiliation:PFA
Former Affiliation2:PIC
Type:Professional
Status:Active
Scope:Local (formerly International)
Emphasis:Medical
Publication:The Messenger
Chapters:1
Flower:Red rose
Colors: Green and Gold
Address:515 Post Office St
City:Galveston
State:Texas
Zip Code:77550-5501
Country:United States

Theta Kappa Psi Medical Fraternity, Incorporated, (Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: ΘΚΨ) is a North American professional medical fraternity. As of 2023, it operates as an independent local fraternity with one active chapter.[1]

History

Kappa Psi

The Society of Kappa Psi was founded on May 30, 1879, at the Russell Military Academy, a prep school in New Haven, Connecticut. The founder was F. Harvey Smith. The second chapter was established at the Cheshire Military Academy in Cheshire, Connecticut on November 30, 1879. A third chapter was established at Hillhouse High School in New Haven, Connecticut on October 7, 1894. All three prep school chapters had dissolved by the mid-1890s.

The Society Kappa Psi was reorganized into Kappa Psi Fraternity on November 18, 1898, at the School of Medicine at the University of Maryland by former members of the Society of Kappa Psi. Leaders of this reorganization effort, now with a collegiate focus, were:[2]

  • William C. Bennett
  • Perry L. Boyer
  • William F. Clark
  • James E. Cathill
  • Edwin J. Frosher
  • Thompson D. Gilbert
  • J. Dawson Reeder
  • Press W. Ethridge
  • F. Harvey Smith

Kappa Psi started as a medical and pharmaceutical fraternity with chapters chartered in both medical and pharmacy schools and colleges.[3] The fraternity absorbed the Delta Omicron Alpha medical fraternity on November 17, 1917. On January 26, 1918, the fraternity absorbed the small national Phi Delta Medical Fraternity, adding eleven active chapters.

Theta Kappa Psi

At the 1924 Grand Council convention of Kappa Psi, the decision was made to separate the fraternity into two separate entities: one fraternity for medicine and one fraternity for pharmacy. The split was effective on January 15, 1925. The pharmacy fraternity retained the Greek name Kappa Psi, and the medical fraternity became Theta Kappa Psi.[4] The fraternities both used May 30, 1879, as their date of founding.

The new fraternity assumed the name of Theta Kappa Psi Medical Fraternity, believing that the addition of the Greek letter Theta greatly enhanced its ritualistic significance. It adopted a constitution, ritual, coat of arms, insignia, badge, and pledge button. Its new constitution gave the national president the title of Grand Prytan, the national vice-president the title of Grand Vice-Prytan, and the Grand Secretary and Treasurer the titles of Grand Recorder and Bursar. The fraternity's quarterly journal was The Messenger.

Theta Kappa Psi Medical Fraternity began with 32 chapters. Four of these 32 chapters included both medical and pharmacy students. Nine of its 32 chapters were inactive. Within a short time, the revised ritual and constitution, along with the necessary forms, records, and updated charters were issued to the chapters.

Initially, the fraternity found progress very difficult since there were at least five strong national medical fraternities as competition. Also, many of the strong leaders of Kappa Psi were associated with pharmacy schools and had remained with the original fraternity.

The first officers of Theta Kappa Psi Medical Fraternity were:

Incorporation papers were filed for Theta Kappa Psi by Dr. M.I. Samuels, Delta chapter, Wilmington, Delaware; Dr. C. J. Harbordt, Epsilon chapter, Dover, Delaware; and W.O. Klienstuber, Beta Eta chapter, Wilmington, Delaware, on May 6, 1926. The incorporation was completed on May 7, 1926.

Following the reorganization, the Delta chapter struggled. The chapter depended upon transfers from other schools instead of working for themselves. The chapter also lacked leadership. It was necessary to withdraw the charter in 1930. Delta had furnished more Grand Officers than any other chapter and had always been the leader among chapters.

The zenith of Theta Kappa Psi Medical Fraternity was in 1933. The national officers were Grand Prytan R.C. Williams; Grand Vice-Prytan J.H. Elliott; and Grand Recorder and Bursar A.G. Engelbach. With their leadership, the fraternity was weathering the Great Depression and had 35 collegiate and 25 graduate chapters. The year ended with an international convention in Atlantic City, New Jersey on December 27 through December 29, 1933.

Between 1935 and 1940, Theta Kappa Psi lost eleven chapters. By 1940, the fraternity had dropped to sixth place among national medical fraternities in the number of undergraduate chapters. The problems confronting Theta Kappa Psi were not unique, for two other national medical fraternities, Phi Alpha Sigma, and Alpha Mu Pi Omega also disappeared during the period. When World War II ended in 1945, Theta Kappa Psi comprised only twelve collegiate chapters.

In 1955, R.C. Williams chartered Mu Upsilon chapter in Miami, the first new collegiate chapter granted since 1944. Beta Epsilon chapter at Ohio State University was reactivated. The apparent rebirth of Theta Kappa Psi, however, was short-lived. By the fall of 1959, Theta Kappa Psi's chapter roll had dropped to six. Several frustrated national officers began negotiations with representatives of Phi Beta Pi Medical Fraternity for a merger.

Merger with Phi Beta Pi

The last national convention of Theta Kappa Psi convened on March 11, 1961, at the McAllister Hotel in Miami, Florida. During the meeting, a motion was made to merge with Phi Beta Pi Medical Fraternity and the motion passed. Theta Kappa Psi Fraternity, as a distinct national entity, passed into history.

Theta Kappa Psi was officially invited to merge with Phi Beta Pi upon the condition that Theta Kappa Psi would surrender its name, rolls, and treasury to the national Phi Beta Pi office in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Chapters would be allowed to add the prefix Theta to their chapter designation. These conditions were accepted. Both fraternities were allowed to maintain certain of their original identification features.

The two Texas chapters of Theta Kappa Psi—Beta Phi chapter in Galveston and Psi chapter in Dallas—did not accept the merger. The thought of sacrificing the fraternity's name, history, and tradition was considered untenable to them. In the wake of this disgruntlement, the two Texas chapters and the Gamma Tau chapter at the University of Manitoba wrote a new constitution and named the seceding organization Theta Kappa Psi International Medical Fraternity. Legal action threatened by Phi Beta Pi concerning the use of the name, caused no meetings [in support of the possible schism] to be held after 1962.

The surviving chapters of Theta Kappa Psi followed diverse courses. Beta Epsilon chapter at Ohio State University continued as an independent local fraternity until 1964 when poor finances caused it to fold. Psi chapter at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center pledged members until 1968 as a local independent fraternity. Gamma Tau chapter at the University of Manitoba continued as an independent local fraternity until it became inactive in 1968. Beta Eta chapter at Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia was an active chapter in Phi Beta Pi until 1966. At that time, the chapter lost all formal structure when it allowed non-members to live in its fraternity house.

In the 1960s, the Beta Phi chapter at the University of Texas Medical Branch emerged as the largest medical fraternity chapter in the nation with 130 members; it was operating as a local independent fraternity. The ritual, revised from the previous national initiation ceremony, was strictly followed. Gamma Kappa chapter at the Medical College of Georgia affiliated with Phi Beta Pi after the merger. In the 1960s, this chapter was extremely successful and built a new fraternity house in 1966. Although listed as a chapter of Phi Beta Pi, the group considered itself a member of Theta Kappa Psi.

In the spring of 1992, the merger of Phi Beta Pi and Theta Kappa Psi was dissolved. At the time of closing, there were nine active chapters in existence. Of the 59 chapters installed by Theta Kappa Psi, the Gamma Kappa chapter at the Medical College of Georgia was the last to remain active.

Symbols

Theta Kappa Psi adopted a new coat of arms, insignia, badge, and pledge button. The badge and coat of arms were designed by Richard Bliss. The badge is a black enamel shield with a raised gold caduceceus at its center. Above the caduceceus are the Greek leltters Greek, Ancient (to 1453);: ΘΚΨ. At each of the three corners of the shield, there is a small emerald; the border of the badge may be jeweled. The insignia and pledge button were designed by R.C. Williams.

The fraternity's colors are gold and green. Its flower is the red rose.

Chapters

The fraternity had both collegiate and graduate chapters. Following is a list of Theta Kappa Psi collegiate chapters. Active chapters are indicated in bold. Inactive chapters are in italic.

NumberChapterChartered/RangeInstitutionLocationStatusReferences
1.Alpha1879–xxxx ?Grand ChapterInactive
2.Mu Sigma Alpha1900–1940University of MichiganAnn Arbor, MichiganInactive
3.Delta1898–1931University of Maryland, College ParkCollege Park, MarylandInactive
4.Beta1900–1913Medical College of VirginiaRichmond, VirginiaInactive
5.Chi1901–1916University of IllinoisUrbana, IllinoisInactive
6.Epsilon1901–1914Maryland Medical CollegeBaltimore, MarylandInactive
7.Phi Delta1901–1950Long Island College of Medicine, now SUNYBrooklyn, New YorkInactive
8.Zeta1902–1942Georgetown UniversityWashington, D.C.Inactive
9.Beta Epsilon1903–1943, 1960–1964Ohio State UniversityColumbus, OhioInactive
10.Beta Pi1905–1904Sioux City MedicalSioux City, Iowainactive
11.Beta Xi1905–1910University Medical Cornell ?Ithaca, New YorkInactive
12.Beta Zeta1905–1912Washington University in St. LouisSt. Louis, MissouriInactive
13.Gamma1905–19xx ?Albany Medical CollegeAlbany, New YorkInactive
14.Gamma Eta1905–1907Michigan M & SDetroit, MichiganInactive
15.Iota1905–1920University of Alabama School of MedicineTuscaloosa, AlabamaInactive
16.Kappa1906–1913Birmingham Medical CollegeBirmingham, AlabamaInactive
17.Lambda1907–1919Vanderbilt UniversityNashville, TennesseeInactive
18.Nu1907–1914Medical University of South CarolinaCharleston, South CarolinaInactive
19.Kappa Phi1908–19xx ?University of MinnesotaMinneapolis, MinnesotaInactive
20.Omicron1908–1911University of NashvilleNashville, TennesseeInactive
21.Pi1908–19xx ?Tulane UniversityNew Orleans, LouisianaInactive
22.Xi1908–1914West Virginia UniversityMorgantown, West VirginiaInactive
23.Rho1909–1953Emory UniversityAtlanta, GeorgiaInactive
24.Sigma1909–1915Baltimore P & SBaltimore, MarylandInactive
25.Tau1909–1942University of Southern CaliforniaLos Angeles, CaliforniaInactive
26.Omega1910–1915Southern Methodist UniversityUniversity Park, TexasInactive
27.Psi1910–19xx ?Southwestern MedicalDallas, TexasInactive
28.Beta Eta1912–1966JeffersonPhiladelphia, PennsylvaniaInactive
29.Beta Lambda1913–19xx ?George Washington UniversityWashington, D.C.Inactive
30.Beta Mu1913–19xx ?University of LouisvilleLouisville, KentuckyInactive
31.Beta Theta1913–1943University of TennesseeKnoxville, TennesseeInactive
32.Upsilon1915–1939University of North Carolina at Chapel HillChapel Hill, North CarolinaInactive
33.Beta Rho1917–19xx ?Loyola University ChicagoChicago, IllinoisInactive
34.Beta Sigma1917–1918Ft. Worth MedicalFort Worth, TexasInactive
35.Beta Tau1917–1924Marquette UniversityMilwaukee, WisconsinInactive
36.Beta Phi1918University of Texas Medical BranchGalveston, TexasActive
37.Beta Chi1919–1928University of CincinnatiCincinnati, OhioInactive
38.Gamma Delta1919–1924University of Wisconsin–MadisonMadison, WisconsinInactive
39.Beta Omega1920–1926Johns Hopkins UniversityBaltimore, MarylandInactive
40.Gamma Gamma1920–19xx ?Columbia UniversityNew York City, New YorkInactive
41.Gamma Kappa1920–19xx ?University of GeorgiaChicago, IllinoisInactive
42.Gamma Theta1920–1928Tufts UniversityMedford, MassachusettsInactive
43.Gamma Zeta1920–1940University of TorontoToronto, Ontario, CanadaInactive
44.Gamma Lambda1921–1929University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, PennsylvaniaInactive
45.Gamma Mu1921–1949University of OregonEugene, OregonInactive
46.Gamma Nu1921–19xx ?Harvard UniversityCambridge, MassachusettsInactive
47.Gamma Xi1922–1929St. LouisSt. Louis, MissouriInactive
48.Gamma Pi1923–19xx ?Wake Forest UniversityWinston-Salem, North CarolinaInactive
49.Gamma Rho1923–1949University of ArkansasFayetteville, ArkansasInactive
50.Gamma Sigma1923–19xx ?NYU and Bellevue Hospital Medical CollegeNew York City, New YorkInactive
51.Gamma Tau1923–1968University of ManitobaWinnipeg, Manitoba, CanadaInactive
52.Gamma Upsilon1924–1944Indiana University BloomingtonBloomington, IndianaInactive
53.Beta Gamma1926–19xx ?University of MississippiOxford, MississippiInactive
54.Eta1928–1930Rush Medical CollegeChicago, IllinoisInactive
55.Beta Nu1929–1944McGill UniversityMontreal, Quebec, CanadaInactive
56.Beta Kappa1930–19xx ?Duke UniversityDurham, North CarolinaInactive
57.Beta Iota1931–1943Louisiana State UniversityBaton Rouge, LouisianaInactive
58.Phi1931–19xx ?Northwestern UniversityEvanston, IllinoisInactive
59.Gamma Phi1942–1950Baylor UniversityWaco, TexasInactive

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: TKY Theta Kappa Psi United States . 2023-03-10 . theta-kappa-psi . en.
  2. Book: Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities . George Banta Company, Inc. . 1963 . Robson . John . 17th . Menasha, Wisconsin . 477–479 . en.
  3. Bailey, Harold J., Ed. Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities. Fifteenth Edition (1949). pp 561-562
  4. Book: Baird's Manual of American Fraternities . Baird's Manual Foundation, Inc. . 1991 . 978-0963715906 . Anson . Jack L. . 20th . Indianapolis, IN . V-88–90 . en . Marchenasi . Robert F. .