The minutes of the founding chapter of Delta Kappa Epilson reveal that on December 16, 1854, “A Petition to establish at the University of Michigan was read and granted,” according to the “This day in DEKE history” facebook page.
The sixth edition of Baird’s Manual of American College Fraternities listed three GLOs which had been established at Michigan previous to the DEKE chapter – Beta Theta Pi (1845), Chi Psi (1845), and Alpha Delta Phi (1846). Baird’s has the organization date of Delta Kappa Epsilon as 1855. In those days, it wasn’t unusual for charters to be granted before chapters were installed.
Having lived in Ann Arbor, Michigan, for a few years, I recall walking by the DKE “Shant” at 611½ William Street. It was a narrow building of Gothic design sandwiched between two store fronts and protected by a eight-foot high brick wall. One could see the building by peering through the locked metal gate. Friends who attended Michigan decades ago tell me that they attended parties at the Shant.
An early photo of the DKE Shant
A few years ago, on a visit to Ann Arbor, I was able to arrange a tour of the Shant. At that time it was the headquarters of Delta Kappa Epsilon. I cannot tell you how thrilling it was to tour the building which had captured my attention all those years ago. I think it is currently for sale for 2.2 million.
The Shant’s cornerstone was laid in 1878. The building was designed by William LeBaron Jenney, a Chicago architect who commuted to Ann Arbor. He founded and taught in the University’s architecture program. In 1884, he designed the first skyscraper built, the ten-story Home Insurance Building in Chicago.
In the spring of 1879, the members of the Omicron chapter dedicated the building and it was used as a temple and a meeting place for the chapter. In the early 2000s, the building’s ownership changed from the Omicron chapter to DEKE’s Rampant Lion Foundation. In 2004, the building became the home of the fraternity’s national headquarters and remained so for about 15 years.
The DEKE Shant is located on William Street, between Maynard and State Streets. (Photo by D. Holdship.)
Delta Kappa Epsilon is the fraternity with the most U.S. Presidents. One of those, Gerald Ford, was a member of the Michigan chapter.
Gerald Ford, a member of Michigan’s Delta Kappa Epsilon chapter, was also a member of the Michigan football team. A
© Fran Becque, www.fraternityhistory.com, 2016. All Rights Reserved. If you enjoyed this post, please sign up for updates. Also follow me on twitter @GLOHistory and Pinterest www.pinterest.com/glohistory/
