Storrs School Literary Society
Biographical notes:
In 1888, students and faculty of the Storrs Agricultural School formed a literary club. The purpose of the Storrs School Literary Society was to foster good fellowship and encourage the cultural interests of its members by discussing literary works of value. In November 1893 the group was officially recorgnized by the Storrs Agricultural College and changed its name to the Storrs Agricultural College Literary Club with S.H. Buell as its first president. It was the first student organization recognized by the college.
On May 18, 1894, the the thirteen members of the Literary Club affiliated with the College Shakespearean Club at the Massachusetts Agricultural School, which had been founded in 1879. The new organization established itself as the College Shakespearean Club. By 1910, the Club had grown to twenty-six members or 26% of the male enrollment of what was now known as Connecticut Agricultural College .
In 1921, the Club purchased land near the campus and built a house as a residence for its members while attending the college. Two years later in October 1923, the group elected to reorganize themselves into a Greek fraternity and from the first three letters of their former name, adopted the name Theta Sigma Chi (θΣΧ), even though members still considered themselves "Shakes" men. For years the yearbook carried the statement that Theta Sigma Chi preferred the independence and distinction of being a local fraternity.
In 1940, the fraternity sold the house they had built to the University and its members took up residence in the Fraternity Quadrangle. The group chose to affiliate with the national fraternity, Kappa Sigma (ΚΣ) in 1942 becoming the Epsilon Zeta chapter, the 136th chapter in the United States . Due to a discrimination clause in the national charter, the fraternity reverted back to local status and again took the name of Theta Sigma Chi in 1951. In 1964, the membership of Theta Sigma Chi fell below the required forty men to maintain University housing privileges. Theta Sigma Chi lost its charter and an independent house was set up in its place while the assets of the fraternity were sold at a considerable loss.
In 1965, an opportunity arose for the "Shakes" and three other former fraternities to regain their charters by the fall of 1966 as a result of President Babbidge's consideration of the Fraternity Study Report. In order to be recognized again, the fraternities would have to attain minimum memberships of 25 by September 1965 and 40 by September 1966. By 1967, the fraternity had re-established itself and moved to the West Campus dormitories. It celebrated it's 75th anniversary in May 1967.
From the guide to the Storrs School Literary Society Records., undated, 1894-1987., (Archives & Special Collections at the Thomas J. Dodd Research Center)
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Subjects:
- Students
- Greek letter societies
- Literature
Occupations:
Places:
- Connecticut--Storrs (as recorded)
- Storrs (Conn.) (as recorded)
