History in the making.
Just after the turn of the century, there evolved at Purdue University a unique organization of men. These men had formed a society called the Coterie Club, which was dedicated to the then controversial practice of ballroom dancing. From this eristic organization Gamma Lambda was later founded.
Ballroom dancing was frowned upon by the local churches and the university faculty, but the Coterie Club persevered. By 1905 the society consisted of about twenty men, and they sponsored many dances at a dance hall they maintained in Lafayette. These dances were formal events with guests arriving in horse drawn coach and faculty members serving as chaperones. These events were the highlight of the social season, but the biggest problem faced by the men was securing dates with the ladies of the most respectable families in the city. There were few girls that attended Purdue at the time, and most of those that did could or would not dance.
Once a gentleman, always a gentleman.
The nine existing fraternities at Purdue had no trouble attracting the finest ladies. They held their formal dances in their chapter houses and employed a city orchestra for entertainment and dancing. The Coterie Club, dedicated to dancing, realized they need to secure a chapter house and achieve recognition from a national fraternity.
What to do?
In 1906, the engineers of the Coterie Club drew plans for a house ideal for the needs of their society. The first floor was designed specifically for dancing with wide arches connecting the rooms. From the dance floor, wide stairs led up to a large alcove designed to hold a concert piano and seat a full orchestra. Also upstairs were long halls which were bordered by the two-man study rooms. The sleeping quarters were located in the third floor cold-air dormitory. A secret and well-guarded chapter room in the basement was also designed. But, as yet, this ideal house was only a dream.
At first, there was an idea.
But the men of the Coterie Club were not just dreamers and ballroom dancers. They were an ambitious and innovative group of gentlemen who went to work to achieve their goals. The men convinced a local contractor to build their future chapter house and agreed to occupy and pay rent on the shelter for the next ten years. This goal of the Coterie Club was achieved without the support of a national fraternity and with the support of their very few employed past members. This indeed was a tremendous accomplishment. Our original chapter house is located at 359 Vine Street, and now houses the Fairway Co-op.
The Coterie Club moved into its new home in the fall of 1906 and began its search for recognition from a national fraternity. Several leads were followed, but the Coterie Club gained recognition from Delta Tau Delta Fraternity. A strong rush was held in the spring of 1907 to fill all vacancies in the new shelter. On April 20, 1907, the Gamma Lambda chapter of Delta Tau Delta Fraternity was founded. Stuart MacLean, author of the Delt Creed and many Delt songs, presided over the initiation and donated the Bible which has been used in initiations ever since.
From Coterie Club to Campus Icons
Thus the men of the Coterie Club became the first Gamma Lambda Delts. Their hard work and dedication led to the founding of this chapter which has been a force on the Purdue campus for over ninety-years.
Source:
“Half a Century of Gamma Lambda.”
By Woodson C. Immel
Printed in the Gamma Lambda. 1958
Pete Krieg, Editor.