Published in the Spring 2014 issue of East magazine
By Steve Tuttle ’09 ‘12
Mirroring a national trend, the number of East Carolina students choosing to join a fraternity or sorority has soared in recent years, rising from about 1,200 in 2008 to more than 2,300 today, according to Director of Greek Life Keith Tingley.
ECU sororities are leading the growth, with average membership doubling in five years to 130, Tingley said.
The growth likely will accelerate with the impending return to campus of Kappa Sigma Nu and Lambda Chi Alpha, two of ECU’s oldest Greek organizations that closed amid declining membership a few years ago, Tingley said.
Sigma Nu, which closed in 2005, and Lambda Chi, which closed in 2010, both opened chapters here in the late 1950s. Similarly, Alpha Kappa Alpha, an historically African-American sorority that opened here in 1973, is in the process of reactivating after closing in 2011.
In each case alumni groups are behind the reactivation efforts, Tingley said.
Two other fraternities, Sigma Pi and Pi Kappa Phi, soon will be back in the university’s good graces after serving suspensions for alcohol and conduct problems, Tingley said.
ECU now has 39 fraternities and sororities; 26 have houses. “Mainly what we’re seeing is more students come to East Carolina looking for a Greek experience in the first place,” Tingley said. “Plus, we have been able to keep a full staff in the Greek Life office to support the growth. Parents seem to know that joining a Greek organization is a good way to make sure their kids do well academically and socially,” Tingley added. “The GPA for the sororities is 3.0.”
A group of alumni brothers calling itself the Sigma Nu Snakes held reunions and raised funds to help restart the local chapter, according to Millard Maloney ’64 of Raleigh.
Tingley said Sigma Nu is scheduled to complete a multiyear review process and return to campus in 2016. The university allows only one new or returning chapter each year so it can focus resources on existing Greeks.
Sigma Nu and Lambda Chi were the first Greek chapters on campus. Lambda Chi, chartered as the Iota-Upsilon Zeta chapter, signed with national on May 2, 1959. Two weeks later, Kappa Sigma Nu was installed as the Eta Beta chapter.
But Sigma Nu was the first Greek organization to own its house, a two-story frame on West Fifth Street. Almost a dozen fraternities and sororities soon followed. There were 17 by 1964 and more than a dozen owned houses—including the ones still lining Fifth Street. Greek Week was a major event.
Sigma Nu brothers were leaders in student government, including Roddy Jones ’58 of Raleigh, a former chair of the ECU Board of Trustees.
Sigma Nu and Lambda Chi usually took the lead on fundraising projects. When students wanted to create a summer theatre program in 1963, Sigma Nu sold the ads for a day-long live radio broadcast from its house, featuring guest appearances by President Leo Jenkins, football coach Clarence Stasavich, baseball coach Earl Smith and Dean of Men James Mallory. The event raised $850.
Many successful business people came out of Sigma Nu, including Greenville insurance executive Charles White ’59, Phillip Morris executive Lyle Cooper ’59 of Richmond and longtime Greensboro mayor John Forbis ’63.
Several swimmers on ECC’s 1957 and 1959 NAIA national championship teams were Sigma Nus, including six-time All-Americans Glen Dyer, Ken Midyette ’60, Jake Smith, Tommy Tucker and Jack McCann ’60.
Seven of the 11 members of the ’59 squad were Sigma Nus. They won 11 of the 18 medals captured during the championship meet. Sigma Nus Butch Edwards and Steve Wilkerson also were All-American swimmers.
Honoring that tradition, the Sigma Nu Snakes are raising money to fund a scholarship on the ECU swim and dive team, according to Maloney. He said Danny Wood ’63 of Franklin, Tenn., is leading the fundraising effort
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