Kappa Pi Kappa (ΚΠΚ), also known as Pi Kap[1] and formerly known as Tri-Kap, Kappa Chi Kappa, and Kappa Kappa Kappa, is a local men's fraternity at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire. The fraternity was founded in 1842 and is the second-oldest fraternity at Dartmouth College.[2] Pi Kap is the oldest local fraternity in the United States.[citation needed] It is located at 1 Webster Avenue, Hanover, New Hampshire.
Kappa Pi Kappa | |
---|---|
ΚΠΚ | |
Founded | July 13, 1842 Dartmouth College |
Type | Social |
Scope | Local |
Motto | Tui Filii Dartmuthensi Tuoque Honori Fidelis |
Colors | Dartmouth Green |
Chapters | 1 |
Headquarters | 1 Webster Avenue Hanover, New Hampshire 03755 U.S. |
Website | kappapikappa |
Kappa Kappa Kappa, using from inception the Greek letter Κ repeated three times, was founded on July 13, 1842, by Harrison Carroll Hobart and two of his closest companions, Stephen Gordon Nash, and John Dudley Philbrick, all Class of 1842.[3][4] The society was based on the principles of democracy, loyalty to Dartmouth, and equality of opportunity. Originally a literary and debate society, Pi Kap officially became a social society in 1905 and has remained so ever since, making it the oldest extant local fraternity in the country.[4][5]
Pi Kap was the first student society at Dartmouth with its own meeting place, a building called The Hall, which was originally where the Hopkins Center for the Arts is today. Opened on July 28, 1860, the Hall served as Tri-Kap's home until the society moved into the Parker House in 1894.[6] Parker House was where the modern-day Silsby Hall is. In 1923, the society moved into 1 Webster Avenue, where it resides to this day.[4][7]
Over the years, Tri-Kap's name remained problematic, due to name-only similarity to the Ku Klux Klan, an unaffiliated racist organization that uses similar, but English letters. Thus, in April 1992, Kappa Kappa Kappa changed its name to Kappa Chi Kappa (ΚΧΚ). On October 23, 1995, the group changed their name back to Kappa Kappa Kappa.[8][9]
The issue persisted, and after a period of consensus-building, on May 18, 2022, Kappa Kappa Kappa again changed its name to Kappa Pi Kappa (ΚΠΚ).[10]