The letter-book contains a hand-written copy of the letters sent by the Delta Kappa Epsilon (DKE) fraternity Rho Chapter from October 23, 1855 through September 13, 1871. These are the earliest letters from the fraternity, dating back to the arrival of Delta Kappa Epsilon at Lafayette College as a secret society in the fall of 1855. Many of the letters include the names of newly elected officers in addition to those of new members. In letters to other chapters of DKE, the author sometimes refers to Delta Kappa Epsilon as a leading fraternity on campus, comparing its chapter to that of other fraternities present at Lafayette. By the 1860s, Lafayette College suspended its law against secret societies. Some letters in the book speak favorably about the college's decision to allow Greek letter societies on campus and its positive effect on the fraternity.
