This urban institution, hard by the sprawling campus of the University of Pennsylvania in west Philadelphia, was originally known as the Drexel Institute of Technology, because the preponderance of its curricula was of a technical nature. As the Institute grew in stature, adding degrees in non-technical subjects such as accounting and pre-law, its name was changed to Drexel University.

In its early days, Drexel was a "street car" school, and nearly all of its students commuted to campus from homes in the Philadelphia area. This changed after the introduction of an unusual approach to higher education, which required students to spend a portion of each school year working in their chosen fields, in addition to at least two quarters of classes. Thereafter, the University increasingly attracted out-of-the-area students.

It is interesting to note that because of this work-study program, Drexel operates 12 months of the year at full capacity, with no summer recess. Consequently, its fraternities are fully active throughout the year. A portion of their members are absent from campus at least a half of each year, and they return to the campus on a rotating basis. Because of this program, all courses of study are five years in length, instead of the traditional four years.

In the early Fall of 1954, seven students (all from the same Philadelphia neighborhood) and led by Jim Hershon-decided to form a social organization on campus. They thought of making it a fraternity; but only in a vague way. They named the fledgling organization Alpha Beta Delta, for want of a designation. All the members. of this group were friendly through high school affiliations with members of ΤΕΦ at Temple University. The latter chapter soon took the fledgling group under its collective wing and helped them get organized along the lines of the successful Temple Chapter.

Before long, the existence of this new group became known to the Zeta Lambda Phi Alumni Club, which requested Regional Officer Sidney Shulman, Zeta Lambda Phi (Temple) '38, and alumnus Phillip Darrow, '34, of the same chapter, to work closely with the boys. In early January of 1955, with the group now numbering more than 20 solid members under the tight direction of Zeta Lambda Phi undergraduates and alumni, ΤΕΦ was formally selected for national affiliation. The reader may wonder why it was Zeta Lambda Phi that became so close to the new colony, and not Rho at Penn, only two blocks away. The simple reason was that. the members of the colony and most of the Zeta Lambda's all were Philadelphians. They had much more in common with each other than with the members of the Rho chapter, very few of whom resided in the City of Brotherly Love.

This association between Zeta Lambda and the Drexel Colony became so close that even before the latter was installed as a chapter, Rho chapter "wags" referred to the Drexel group as a "clone" of Zeta Lambda Phi. The Drexel group was also sometimes called "Zeta Lambda Phi West."

By early Spring 1955, under the careful tutelage of Brothers Shulman and Darrow, the colony had increased its membership to almost 30 men. Its leadership, supported by Brothers Schulman and Darrow, began to plead for an installation in June. At the same time, the search for a rental house for the colony was hopeless. None were available in the vicinity of the campus, because of the crowding between the University of Pennsylvania and Drexel campuses. On top of that, both universities were buying up every property that was for sale in the area. There was only one possibility available-half of a large duplex at 208 North 35th St. but its owners would only consider a sale, not a rental.

The price appeared to be right, with little cash needed, but the age-old problem of where to get the money for the down payment and furnishings still had to be addressed. Application was made to the Endowment Fund for a loan, but the Trustees at first turned it down. They considered it presumptuous for a group that was not even a chapter yet to ask for their carefully hoarded money to be expended on such a gamble. The Philadelphia alumni then entered the fray, applying pressure on Consul Shaman and other Grand Council members to influence the Endowment Fund Trustees to provide the needed $7,000 for the down payment. After much breast-beating, the Trustees relented and made the loan, but only after warning of dire consequences. Simultaneously, Consul Shaman agreed to hold the installation of-the colony on June 4, 1955, in conjunction with the Spring Grand Council meeting that weekend in Philadelphia. Long before the scheduled installation, the colony was firmly ensconced in the new house at 208 North 35th St. In retrospect, this loan, which was later fully repaid in record time, proved to be one of the best investments that the conservative Endowment Fund Trustees ever made.

Only rarely before did a new chapter been accorded the pomp and circumstance of the installation that the 33 members of the Epsilon Eta Colony enjoyed. The full Grand Council was present for the ritual arid the sumptuous banquet that followed in the Drake Hotel, and more than 100 alumni, including several "old timers" from New York,. attended to do homage to ΤΕΦs 56th chartered group. Rho and Zeta Lambda Phi chapters conducted the ritual, but it was apparent that it was the latter group that was closest in affection to the Epsilon neophytes. "After all," remarked one Rho brother "isn't Epsilon Eta a clone of Zeta Lambda Phi?"

The ceremonies were concluded with the acceptance of the charter by Epsilon Eta's Vice Chancellor, Bob Danoff, from Consul Sol Shaman. The 33 charter brothers were Jim Hershon, Marvin Savage, Gerald Geiger, Stanley Rosenzweig, Mort Liss, Louis Sloan, Jay Finkelstein, Sid Mosko, Jerry Potaschnik, Seymour Mager, Mert Sheppard, Cy Cohen, Henry Reichenberg, Barry Markman, Louis Goodman, Lowell Sugarman, Marvin Jakubovitz, Louis Fleischmann, Saul Goldberg, Manuel Karp, Leonard Getzenberg, Kal Sigman, Howard Engle, Robert Danoff, Larry Miller, Arnold Scharnban, Richard Karton, Howard Agris, Marvin Asroff, Bernard Clyman, Milton Clyman, Harmon Kirson and Ron Brownstein.

Given the work-classroom-routine of Drexel's curriculum, June 4 did not mark the end of the school year for the new chapter. At least half of the brothers, who were in a classroom cycle, began the Summer quarter shortly afterward. Those available that Summer began the long and arduous task of renovating their, new house on North 35th Street. By September they had made it livable, albeit not completely so. The space on the ground floor was cut up into small rooms, hardly suitable for social gatherings. High on the priority list for the chapter was the removal of the walls between these rooms to make one large lounge and a sizable dining room. This alteration was accomplished in the following year, with the brothers supplying the labor and expertise to accomplish the needed change.

In later years, the brothers' ingenuity resulted in constructing comfortable living quarters for 30 brothers on the upper floors and a magnificent combination game room-social hall in the basement. All of this was accomplished by the brothers with minimal cost. (Further loans were provided by the Endowment Fund for materials.) By the end of the 1950s, the chapter had a home it could well be proud of, although it was small and was in a disadvantaged location as compared to most of Drexel's fraternity houses.

While all of this construction and house improvement was going on, rushing was not being neglected. Epsilon Eta pledged and initiated at least 25 men a year, and in the process became one of the largest fraternities on the Drexel campus. Nor was size the only objective of the chapter, for its members garnered a stream of honors for scholarship, extracurricular activities and intramural sports. The International Fraternity did not ignore the all-around excellence of Epsilon Eta either. It was a rare year indeed when the chapter did not win one or more of the Fraternity's prized trophies. Epsilon Eta won the Chapter Merit award, signifying the best all-around chapter in the Fraternity, two occasions.

Not content with its incredible success on the campus and in the Fraternity, Epsilon Eta sought new fields to conquer. In 1967, under the co-chairmanship of Brothers Stanley Rubin, '68, and Stanley Abramson, '69, the chapter initiated a program called the "Distinguished American Series. The chapter selected an outstanding American each year to receive a special testimonial award and honorary membership in the Fraternity. For its first laureate, none other than the fabled, Dwight D. Eisenhower was selected. No one in his wildest imagination could have believed that this world-famous figure, who had won almost every honor in his lifetime, including the Presidency of this country, would bother to collect an award from a group of undergraduate students. After all, weren't college students supposed to be frivolous and without a constructive thought in their heads?

Even the brothers who initiated the program were surprised when the ex-president accepted the honor. But because of failing health, he begged off making the trip to Philadelphia from Valley Forge for the presentation and the banquet. Instead, he invited a delegation from the chapter to visit him in his home for the ceremonies connected with the award. As soon as the necessary arrangements could be made, the delegation made the trip to Valley Forge, where they were royally entertained by Ike and his charming wife. After accepting the award and taking the oath of brotherhood in Tau Epsilon Phi, he presented each member of the delegation with an autographed copy of his autobiography, which had just been published.

This experience was heady stuff for a bunch of college "kids" and the following year the chapter had no hesitation in designating a man of equal caliber, General of the Army Omar Bradley, the "G.I.s general," who accepted without hesitation. He was present for the banquet in Philadelphia, with Consul Cooper and this writer in attendance, as well as the president of Drexel and other University dignitaries. The only condition that the General placed on taking the oath of brotherhood was that he be given a ΤΕΦ badge with which to pin his youthful wife. Almost before the request had left his mouth, the familiar emeralds and pearls pin was sparkling in his hand, and he promptly placed it in the appropriate manner over the charming Mrs. Bradley's heart.

The third of these now-prestigious awards was made in the Spring of 1969 to Dr. Jonas Salk, the discoverer of the Salk vaccine, which all but eliminated the once dreaded polio. Remarkably, this famous scientist made the long trip from his home in California to be present at the investiture. It followed a sumptuous banquet in Philadelphia attended by Fraternity and University dignitaries.

The fourth-and regrettably the last-of these unique awards was made to Supreme Court justice William 0. Douglas, the long-serving liberal member of the nation's highest court. The ceremonies were similar to those, honoring the previous laureates, and justice Douglas and his young wife were overwhelmed by the attention they received in the Epsilon Eta house and , later at the banquet. Most appropriately, Mrs. Douglas also became the proud wearer of the ΤΕΦ emerald and pearls badge.

Given the extreme success and renown that the chapter had enjoyed with its first four acceptances, the reader might well wonder why the award was discontinued so abruptly. It is the considered opinion of this writer, looking back on that era of turmoil in the academic world, that Epsilon Eta was not completely immune. On the surface Epsilon Eta continued to be the outstanding chapter that it had always been, yet the close observer could detect that something was amiss as early as the Fall of 1970. Aside from the fact that the "Distinguished American Series" was surprisingly abandoned without reason, casual visitors to the chapter reported unusual restlessness among the brothers. It resulted in bitter complaints over a wide variety of causes, mainly the ongoing Vietnam War.

For want of a more vulnerable subject to heap their venom on, ΤΕΦ "National" became the scapegoat for all of their troubles. Soon it was reported that a vast majority of members openly questioned the need for an affiliation that "cost so much of the chapter's treasury." At first, this writer, having by now become inured to worse happenings all over the country, did not take this aberration too seriously. But when it grew in intensity, action had to be taken. With the help of Vice Consul Jack King and Grand Council Member-at-Large Charles Laveson, Rho (Penn) '54, a special meeting for all Epsilon Eta undergraduates and alumni was called in October 1970 to clear the air. Accompanied by Brothers King and Laveson, this writer was greeted by more than 100 Epsilon Etans, past and present, in the Fraternity house. The reception was, for want of a better description, surly but not overly antagonistic. Most of the undergraduates had already made up their minds that National was at the root of their unhappiness, and their attitude was, "Show me."

A love-feast was not expected. But with strong leadership in the chair and the basic desire for fairness by almost all in attendance, the three-hour meeting was relatively mild, given the volatility of the issue. By the end of the meeting, when almost all of the complaints had been dealt with in detail, only a handful of undergraduates remained adamant in their conviction that National affiliation was a waste of money.

"Clearing the air" was exactly what Epsilon Eta needed to be saved from the fate that so many fraternity groups met during the turmoil of the late 1960s, and early 1970s. With most brothers fully satisfied with their ΤΕΦ affiliation following the meeting, the chapter resumed attracting sizable, talented pledge classes throughout the 1970s, while other fraternities on the Drexel campus considered themselves fortunate just to stay alive. Although the Distinguished American program was never revived, in all other respects Epsilon Eta emerged from that era stronger than ever in all phases of Fraternity activity. And so it has been to the present, with Epsilon Eta continuing to be one of ΤΕΦ's finest chapters and always among the leaders of the Drexel campus Greek community. The only problem facing the chapter as this chronicle nears completion is its aging house, which is nearing the point of no return, needing massive repair and renovation.

Not surprisingly, Epsilon Eta's sons have made their mark not only in the Fraternity, but in Drexel University as well. One of them, Brother Arthur Toblin, now holds the office of vice president of student affairs of Drexel University.