Seventy Years Of The Worcester Polytechnic Institute: Page 157

The first attempt to introduce fraternities came in 1886. It was one of the first of unsuccessful national Latin fraternities, named the Q.T.V. The Worcester chapter, though secret, was devoted chiefly to debating and literary programs. At one time it petitioned the trustees for permission to build a house on the grounds. In the spring of 1889, the Worcester chapter was honored by being host to the Grand Lodge, representing seven or eight chapters. Apparently the conclave was not constructive for the chapter went out of existence in the fall of the same year. The next nucleus of a fraternity was the Tech Cooperative Society, organized in 1889, and later housed in rooms of its own on John St. In the fall of 1891 the Pi Iota chapter of Phi Gamma Delta was chartered and inaugurated at Boston by the M. I. T. chapter. This, the first Greek letter fraternity, was organized by some of the men who had been members of the ill-fated Q.T.V. The chapter first established quarters in the Knowles Building. The T.C.S., after long consideration on affiliating with a national fraternity, finally petitioned Sigma Alpha Epsilon and obtained a charter. It was inaugurated in the spring of 1894. It was beyond the turn of the century before other fraternities took their places beside these two.

Other clubs began to find their way into student life. The orchestra, banjo and guitar, and glee clubs were revived. A historical society, bicycle club, and sanitary engineering club were organized. The Washburn Mechanical Engineering Society was started in 1892, under the guidance of Professor Alden, and soon became a popular technical society among faculty, students, and alumni. The papers read at its meetings possessed real merit.

The class of 1892 organized in its senior year a group named the "Socialists of '92". The name denoted social rather than political activity. This group sponsored L'Expose, the yearbook of that class, and the organization was kept alive by a group in '93, then disappeared. Other social activities also blossomed. The first dance on record was held in

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Last Modified: Fri Jul 30 11:15:25 EDT 1999