A Brief History of our Delta Alpha Chapter

The Delta Alpha chapter of Kappa Sigma originated not as a Fraternity chapter, but as a club consisting of ten members, called the Booster's Club. The members of this club were students of CIT, which had opened in 1905. Later the Booster's Club changed its name to the Ophelium Club, Just as the newly founded college changed its name from Carnegie Technical Schools to Carnegie Institute of Technology. The colors of the Ophelium Club are kept alive today in our "House Shirts". In 1914, the Ophelium Club members lived at 483 S. Atlantic Ave. By 1916, the club had moved to 5601 Howe Street. Shortly thereafter, this organization was prepared to become affiliated with Kappa Sigma, so in 1919, eleven years after CIT awarded its first diplomas in civil, mechanical, chemical and metallurgical engineering and architecture, the group sent an informal petition requesting admittance as a chapter to The Kappa Sigma Fraternity. A year later a formal petition was sent to Robert E. Blake, the Worthy Grand Master of Kappa Sigma at the time. The petition was accepted, and so the Delta Alpha Chapter of Kappa Sigma was created on March 14, 1921.

Since none of the first members of the Delta Alpha Colony were then Kappa Sigmas, it was necessary to bring an initiated brother from one of the existing chapters, This man was Oliver J. Decker from Bucknell University, who officiated at the first initiation of the brothers of the Delta Alpha Chapter of Kappa Sigma. At that initiation on April 12, 1921, 54 members of the Ophelium Club became Kappa Sigmas.

The original residence of Delta Alpha was 615 Clyde Street. A second House was at 624 Clyde Street. The mortgage was taken out in 1923 and was paid off in 1949, significant of a debt faithfully paid.

In 1952, Kappa Sigma gained two good things it would have for many years. Frank Kennedy started cooking for the brothers in September and was joined by Alberta McCall in November. Alberta, who is forever an honorary little sister, is known as the Power of Delta Alpha. Frank was initiated as a brother into Kappa Sigma on September 9, 1971. In 1984, Frank retired as a full time cook for Delta Alpha. On August 29, 1987, Alberta married "Fast Eddie" Gant. In May 1989, the retirement of Alberta McCall Gant closed an era in Delta Alpha history. A new era for Delta Alpha began when Mike Grieco began cooking for the brothers in January 1990.

In 1962, Delta Alpha was forced to move on campus by the school administration. Delta Alpha took up residence at 5075 Forbes Ave. the former campus activity center. On the morning of December 14, 1968, the Kappa Sigma house burned. The fire was probably due to an electrical problem. Luckily no one was seriously injured, but two brothers were hospitalized for smoke inhalation. The remainder of the school year, the entire chapter's social functions and meals were held at #1 Roselawn Terrace. The housemother, Mrs. Hart, lived at #1 Roselawn while the brothers lived in Mudge Graduate House and McGill Hall.

When school began in September 1969, Delta Alpha as given Fox House and numbers 15 and 16 Roselawn Terrace. The house in the Fraternity Quadrangle located at 1063 Morewood Ave. was completed in March 1970, thanks to gifts from the Delta Alpha Corporation and the efforts of a few brothers.

The present active chapter is aided by: the Alumnus Advisor: Robert T. Stevens; the Chapter Consultant (AKA Captain Caduceus) ; the District Grand Master, Darby L. Neidig; and our alumni association, the Delta Alpha Corp. headed by president Robert T. Stevens. Delta Alpha has such distinguished alumni as Edgar D. Mitchell, '52, Apollo 14 astronaut and Dahlen Richey, '32, the architect who designed Three Rivers Stadium and CMU's Wean Hall.