Fraternity, sorority life at Lawrence celebrated for its lifelong bonds

Lawrence University junior Allie Obringer Illera found something wonderfully unexpected when she looked into joining a sorority after arriving on campus from San Jose, California, three years ago.

She was initially wary, as she had heard the well-documented tales of fraternity and sorority recruitment blitzes at other campuses. What she found at Lawrence was something altogether different. By Winter Term of her first year, Obringer Illera, an English/literature and philosophy double major, had joined Kappa Alpha Theta, one of five active sororities at Lawrence.

"Sorority life at Lawrence is made up of Lawrentians-the obsessive nerds, passionate student-athletes, and kind, funny people," she said. "We aren't in sororities because it's the only way to have a social life or because it puts us in high esteem on campus-it really doesn't-or because we're 'legacies.' Most of my sorority sisters, including me, are the first in their families to be in a sorority. We chose it, wholeheartedly, after seeing the community as it exists at Lawrence."

That sentiment rings true across campus as Fraternity and Sorority Life (FSL) marks 165 years at Lawrence. The five sororities-Delta Gamma, Kappa Alpha Theta, Kappa Kappa Gamma, Beta Psi Nu, and Sigma Alpha Iota-and three fraternities-Beta Theta Pi, Delta Tau Delta, and Sigma Phi Epsilon-will celebrate that history during Greek Week, set for May 11-18. The week includes games, a lip sync contest, animal yoga, and community outreach.

Greek Week 2025 begins May 11. (Photo by Juan Marin '20)

For alumni who built strong bonds through their fraternity or sorority experiences, that history is filled with fond memories and enduring relationships.

Jeffrey Riester '70 said he was 17 and "very unworldly" when he arrived on campus in the mid-1960s. Lawrence provided a home that helped him grow academically and in a supportive environment, and he credits his brothers at Beta Theta Pi for being a big part of that.

"Part way through freshman year a bunch of us from Plantz Hall began to gravitate toward the Beta house," Riester said. "We recognized the upperclassmen there as guys we admired and could imagine as our 'big brothers.' They were active, fun-loving, and successful Lawrentians."

Riester remembers bonding over watching the Packers on TV on Sunday afternoons and washing pots and pans-his assigned chore-in the big kitchen at the E. John Street house.

"Over time, I became a 'big brother,' too," he said.

Riester went on to be a successful attorney and community leader in the Fox Cities and served on Lawrence's Board of Trustees. The relationships built in that fraternity house carry on today.

"Even as we have scattered afar, and almost 60 years later, the Betas are some of my closest allies in life," he said.

165 years and counting

Greek-lettered organizations at Lawrence began in 1859 with the founding of the Wisconsin Beta Chapter of Phi Delta Theta. Since that historic moment, 38 chapters, both national and local, have contributed to the vibrancy of the Lawrence community. There have been highs and lows along the way. Involvement in fraternities and sororities at Lawrence has grown and then waned at multiple times through the years. Chapters have come and gone. National controversies surrounding fraternities and sororities have impacted participation.

The five-year period between 1924 and 1929 saw the most chapters on campus, maxing out at 18, according to Dakota McKee, director of Student Engagement, Activities, and Leadership (SEAL), which works with Lawrence's fraternity and sorority chapters.

It was in 1925 that Henry Wriston arrived as Lawence's new president, bringing with him a commitment to fraternities. He set in motion efforts to build five fraternity houses on campus. It took more than a decade and a half to come to fruition, but in 1941-four years after Wriston left to assume the presidency of Brown University-chapters of five national fraternities moved into newly built fraternity houses that make up the part of campus now known as The Quad.

Still thriving

Five sororities and three fraternities are currently active at Lawrence. (Photo by Juan Marin '20)

Numbers at Lawrence are far lower now than they once were, but they have been trending upwards in recent years. Membership was at 143 entering Spring Term 2025, up from 113 a year ago and 94 two years ago, McKee said.

Through the years, McKee said, Fraternity and Sorority Life has been a cornerstone of student engagement at Lawrence. The chapters on campus have fostered personal growth and lifelong connections, often focused on philanthropic work.

"While the faces and structures of these organizations have evolved to reflect the times, the core values of leadership, scholarship, service, and brotherhood and sisterhood remain steadfast," McKee said.

The current Greek-letter organizations include three Interfraternity chapters (Beta Theta Pi, Delta Tau Delta, and Sigma Phi Epsilon), three Panhellenic chapters (Delta Gamma, Kappa Alpha Theta, and Kappa Kappa Gamma), one multicultural chapter (Beta Psi Nu), and one music chapter (Sigma Alpha Iota).

Throughout Greek Week, chapters will host a variety of events highlighting their philanthropic efforts and social initiatives. The efforts will speak to the value the organizations bring to campus and the wider community.

"Every club meets with a shared purpose, and usually it's a shared hobby," ObringerIllera said.

Connor Myatt, a junior from Royal Oak, Michigan, studying business analytics, joined Sigma Phi Epsilon because he was drawn to its approach to leadership, scholarship, and service.

"I wanted to be part of a group that emphasized values-based leadership and personal development," he said.

Fanta Jatta is a senior from Madison, Wisconsin, studying neuroscience with a pre-med track. She is a leader within Beta Psi Nu.

"Greek Life has given me a strong sense of belonging and helped me grow as a leader," she said.

Bailey Griffis, a junior from Frankfort, Illinois, is double majoring in government and business and entrepreneurship, plays on the women's basketball team, and is a leader of Delta Gamma.

"As a first-year student, I had difficulty navigating a new environment and finding an atmosphere that would allow me to grow separate from the athletic community," she said. "When I met the women of Delta Gamma, I knew that the environment that the chapter created would be one that supported me no matter what challenges I faced throughout my collegiate experience."

Minnie Keene, a junior from Brooklyn, New York, is a dual degree student studying flute performance and psychology. She hadn't expected to join a sorority but is now president of the Zeta Epsilon Chapter of Kappa Kappa Gamma.

"Joining Kappa was the best decision I have made at college," Keene said. "By joining Kappa, I have met so many beautiful personalities. We have student athletes, STEM majors, humanities disciplines, as well as other Conservatory students. Not only have I met my best friends and found an incredible community of supportive women, I also have gained so much leadership experience."

Alumni stay connected

Flashback to 1977: Phi Taus (from left) Joe McLean '78, John Jolly '77, John Kwasny '79, and Dean Kwasny '77 take part in an annual chapter retreat. (Photo courtesy of Bill Edminster '77)

Lawrence alumni who took part in fraternities and sororities during their time as students say the relationships they built have stayed with them, as have the lessons in philanthropy.

Sarah Schott '97 joined Kappa Alpha Theta her first year on campus, along with a couple of her soccer teammates. While it wasn't her primary focus as a student, it added to her Lawrence experience in positive ways, she said.

"Probably the best thing it did for me was give me the opportunity to really deepen those relationships with friends I already knew and then expand to a broader range of women who were having lots of different experiences across campus," said Schott, now a member of Lawrence's Board of Trustees.

Riester called his fraternity experience life changing.

"If I could choose one word to describe what being a Beta meant for me, it would be 'growth,'" he said. "Without it, I would not have left Lawrence carrying so many gifts."

Jeffrey Fox '72, who was awarded Lawrence's 2022 Gertrude Breithaupt Jupp M-D'18 Outstanding Service Alumni Award, recalls fraternities and sororities being the "social lifeblood" during his time on campus. He joined Delta Tau Delta part way through his first year.

"I remained a member all four years, living in the house for two of those years," he said. "Each house seemed to have its own personality and differing operating methods. I felt at home with the Delts."

The bonds, Fox said, have endured: "My circle of closest friends began with the fraternity, but in the true LU tradition, that circle has expanded well beyond that group over time."

R. William (Bill) Edminster '77, a member of Phi Kappa Tau, said he lost touch with the chapter until reconnecting at a 2010 reunion.

"I felt like I'd come home," he said.

He went on to become an alumni advisor and has developed relationships with Phi Tau alums from across the generations. He now actively connects those alumni at Lawrence's Reunion weekends.

Janet (Aronberg) Hersh '78 joined Delta Gamma her first year on campus. She points to the sorority experience as helping to harness her leadership skills and development of a lifelong commitment to philanthropy.

"The Delta Gamma Foundation's Service for Sight led us to learn about vision impairment and opportunities to help raise money for and do service projects to benefit the visually impaired," she said. "And my favorite annual DG event was the Apple Polisher's Dinner-we hosted our favorite faculty member and honored their importance to us as students."

Jerry Kerkman '79 joined Delta Tau Delta his freshman year. He said he quickly learned the Delts and the fraternity system at Lawrence were much more than a good time.

"I came from rural Wisconsin and was raised in a lower middle-income family and the first one on either side of the family to attend college," Kerkman said. "The fraternity experience developed my leadership and people skills."

He was eventually voted president of the chapter and went on to be a chapter consultant for the national fraternity. While in law school in Madison, Kerkman served as resident advisor for the local Delt chapter. He said he has continued to feel the Delt influence throughout his life, from success as an attorney to a commitment to give back to his community. He became a board member of the Delt National Educational Foundation and received the Distinguished Service Chapter citation.

"I still receive more than I give," he said.

Timeline: Fraternities and Sororities at Lawrence

• 1859: Phi Delta Theta chapter officially recognized as part of the Lawrence community.
• 1861: Phi Delta Theta's presence on campus comes to an end as the Civil War begins.
• 1897: Sophomore Robert Boyd, son of an original member of the Phi Delta Theta chapter, begins work to restore the old chapter. It would be active from 1899 to 2010, first as Theta Phi and then again as Phi Delta Theta.
• 1902: Beta Theta Pi fraternity (started as Beta Sigma Phi) welcomed to Lawrence. Still active today.
• 1903: Delta Tau Delta fraternity (started as Delta Iota) welcomed to Lawrence. Still active today.
• 1903: Lawrence welcomes its first three sororities. Delta Gamma (started as Theta Gamma Delta) and Kappa Alpha Theta (started as Kappa Upsilon) are both still active today. Alpha Chi Omega (formerly Alpha Gamma Phi) disbanded in 1980.
• 1904: Zeta Alpha Phi sorority (formerly Zeta Omega Phi and Alpha Delta Pi) welcomed. Chapter closes in 1973.
• 1909: Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity (started as Sigma Tau Nu) welcomed to Lawrence. Still active today.
• 1912: Mu Phi Epsilon sorority welcomed. Chapter closed in 1937.
• 1914: Phi Mu sorority welcomed. Chapter closed in 1935.
• 1916: Phi Kappa Alpha fraternity welcomed. Chapter closed in 1929.
• 1916: Kappa Delta sorority (started as Delta Delta Sigma) welcomed. Chapter closed in 1968.
• 1917: Sigma Alpha Iota sorority welcomed. Still active today.
• 1919: Phi Kappa Tau fraternity (started as Tau Alpha Sigma) welcomed. Chapter closed in 2019. Also, Beta Phi Alpha sorority (started as Epsilon Alpha Phi) is welcomed. Chapter closed in 1933.
• 1921: Delta Sigma Tau fraternity and Zeta Omega/Zeta Tau Alpha sorority welcomed. Both chapters closed in 1939.
• 1924: Psi Chi Omega fraternity welcomed. Chapter closed in 1935.
• 1938: Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia fraternity welcomed. Chapter closed in 2022.
• 1939: Pi Beta Phi sorority (started as Pi Phi Gamma) welcomed. Chapter closed in 1983.
• 1941: Five fraternities move into five newly built fraternity houses, marking the first time the fraternities are housed on campus.
• 1958: Phi Gamma Delta fraternity welcomed. Chapter closed in 2009.
• 1969: Gamma Psi sorority welcomed. Chapter closed in 1971.
• 1981: Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority welcomed. Still active today.
• 2009: Beta Psi Nu sorority welcomed. Still active today.
• 2025: Three fraternities and five sororities remain active on campus.

Timeline information courtesy of Office of Student Engagement, Activities, and Leadership (SEAL) and Lawrence Archives.