History
Tau Kappa Epsilon has written a long and storied history in its 110 years. Today, we are proud of our fraternity’s growth from its humble beginnings in Illinois to its present status as the world’s largest fraternity, boasting more than 270 active chapters. As the first fraternity at UCSD, the men of our chapter have been leaders on campus and achieved great things since our chapter was founded in 1981. Read more below.
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Learn more about Tau Kappa Epsilon's national growth and history at the Fraternity Website...
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Check out the local and recently graduated alumni who contributed to this ever growing Pi-Xi Chapter of TKE.
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Want to be a part the largest fraternity in the world? Want to set a page in the TKE History books? Rush TKE!
National History
On the cold night of January 10, 1899, students of Illinois Wesleyan University, in the small Midwestern town of Bloomington, had just returned from the Christmas holidays when Joseph L. Settles went to the room occupied by James C. McNutt and Clarence A. Mayer at 504 East Locust Street to discuss the organization of a new society on campus. Joined immediately by Owen I. Truitt and C. Roy Atkinson, these five students created the first set of regulations for the Knights of Classic Lore, a society whose avowed purpose was "to aid college men in mental, moral, and social development."
Many years later, over 240,000 men make up the 280 chapters of Tau Kappa Epsilon all over the US and Canada making us the largest college social fraternity in the world. With the 6 core values of Scholarship, Character, Leadership, Teamwork, Service, and Brotherhood, our relationship as fraters and brothers is prevalent in the success of our own chapter here at Pi-Xi.