ΔKE
Delta Phi Chapter
About Delta Kappa Epsilon
"where the candidate most favored
was he who combined in the most equal proportions the gentleman, the scholar, and the jolly good fellow"
What Kind of Men Do You Accept at DKE?
We are very pluralistic at DKE .  We don't believe in cookie cutters. We certainly aren't snobs.
 
We don't care how much money your family has, or if you were a cool kid in high school.  
 
We don't care what you look like, what car you drive, or how many friends you have on Facebook.
 
What we do care about is that you are a courageous and self-possessed man who:
 
  1. keeps your word, like a true gentleman,
  2. is of keen mind, like a modern day scholar,
  3. builds bridges to others, as a jolly good fellow should,
  4. contributes volunteer effort to improve the group,
  5. and is worthy of trust and respect..
 
If that's you, please give us a shout and introduce yourself!
 
p.s. snobs, bigots, haters, liars, narcissists, opportunists, super-jocks and namby-pambys need not apply.
 
 
p.p.s. read more about our esteemed alumni here 
"Become friends with people who aren't your age.
Hang out with people whose first language isn't the same as yours.
Get to know someone who doesn't come from your social class.
 
This is how you see the world. This is how you grow."
About the Dekes
Delta Kappa Epsilon is a pluralistic community of educated men. We seek to positively influence each other and the people around us.
 
Our goal is to find men of good character  and provide them with enriching group experiences. Our purpose is to promote lifelong friendships, civic engagement, academic and career success, and an emotionally-rewarding network of adopted brothers.  
 
Yes, we throw good parties.  We also do a whole lot more! We organize thousands of hours of volunteering in the community, recreational team sports, and academic support.  Dekes raise food for the Campus Food Bank. Dekes build Habitat for Humanity housing. We supply volunteer staff for inner city food programs. We provide campus leadership for dozens of clubs and societies. We fund scholarships for undergraduates. We offer hundreds of chances for our members to develop leadership and project management skills.  Most of all: we cultivate emotional intelligence by requiring that our members learn to cooperate with others.
 
Hailing from 172 years of Canadian and American history, our society brings men together in the spirit of camaraderie, shared interests, and brotherly affection. We enjoy scholarly pursuits, but never pretend to be high-brow. We enjoy athletics and sports, but never want to be 'jocks'. We definitely love socializing, but don't seek to be socialites.
 
In the end, we're an eclectic mashup of very different individuals of different generations , bonded by a framework of volunteerism, seeking to improve each other's lives.
 
When you meet a Deke member, you'll be surprised with what you'll discover. Very few of our members are alike, as we trace from all kinds of cultures, backgrounds, and personal beliefs. Our lads come from big cites, small towns, and countries across the world. Some of our lads are very career-focused, others are very happy-go-lucky, and yet others are still searching for a focus in life.
 
As a pluralistic society, any young man who meets our criteria is welcome. What we ask in return is that you contribute to the people around you, and that you support the core values and the philanthropic spirit of our fraternity.
“What I am really thankful for is the wealth of relationships that have come from my time as a Deke.  My life is very much richer because of the influence of others.”
Brian Menges, Financier
 
“DKE has really helped me break out of my bubble. The fraternity has been so good for me”
Mitchell Baggett, Engineer
 
What Are Dekes Like?
While Alberta Dekes are all unique indivduals with their own personal cultures, there are some common elements that you'll certainly notice:
 
  • Dekes are bold.
  • Dekes are self-determining.
  • Dekes are social.
  • Dekes are sentimental, with a very deep adoration
         for their friends and their traditions.
 
But don't take our word for it! Come and meet us and decide for yourself what we're like!
 
DKE history
Delta Kappa Epsilon is not the largest men's fraternity, but it is one of the oldest.  DKE has initiated 85,000 members across the USA and Canada, and is now growing into Scotland.
 
DKE was founded in 1844 by 15 men at Yale College in Connecticut. These men were dissatisfied with the other campus societies of the time, and decided to form what is now Delta Kappa Epsilon.
 
Deke history is rich with great achievements , like sending members to the moon, discovering the North Pole, founding large companies, and installing five members into the White House.  
The objects of Delta Kappa Epsilon are:
 
The cultivation of general literature and social culture,
The advancement and encouragement of intellectual excellence,
The promotion of honorable friendship and useful citizenship,
The development of a spirit of tolerance and respect for the rights and views of others,
The maintenance of gentlemanly dignity, self-respect, and morality in all circumstances, and
The union of stout hearts and kindred interests, to secure to merit its due reward.
 
Read more about DKE at our DKE International website
 
Dekes fought on both sides of the US Civil War.
While America was torn asunder by terrible conflict in the 1800's, men of Delta Kappa Epsilon fought for both the North and the South.
 
One particularly famous battle was at Cold Harbor in June of 1864. Here, a northern Deke, Lt. Edwin S. Rogers, was fatally wounded.  He was found and cared for by a Southern Deke, who knelt by his side in those last hours of Lt. Rogers' life.
 
The story has tremendous significance to our Deke brotherhood, as it exemplifies the high ideals and brotherly affection that our society aspires to.
 
You can read the story of the Cold Harbor battle in our DKE poem here.
"Then close beside the Yankee dropped the rebel to his knee, And their hands were clasped together in the grip of D K E. "I'm from Theta," said the Yankee, and he tried to raise his head; "I'm from Psi, in Alabama," were the words the rebel said. "Brothers from the heart forever" - nothing more was left to say, Though one was clad in Northern blue and one in Southern gray."
Dekes are influential men

Our members have arguably achieved more social and financial influence 
than any other mens fraternity.
 
Here are some of our Canadian, American, and international alumni:

Coach Mike Babcock

Winning hockey coach of the Detroit Red Wings,
the Canadian Olympic Mens Team 2010 & 2014, and
IIHF youth mens gold medal champions

Bro. Mike Babcock is a Deke from Ontario. He finished his phys ed degree in McGill in 1986.  
He has since gone on to influence the world of Canadian and American hockey as one of the winningest coaches in history.  
Mike Babcock is also the only hockey coach to join the Triple Gold Club .
There have been 5 Deke US Presidents.
 
Deke Bro. Teddy Roosevelt was the 26th US president. 
 
President Roosevelt was renowned for his energetic character and indomitable spirit, his fight for fairness and 'square deals', and his military leadership during the Spanish-American war. 

During a Mississippi hunting trip in 1902, his mercy killing of an injured black bear gave rise to the media-spawned name 'teddy bear' for stuffed animals. 
A Deke discovered the north pole.
 
American explorer Robert Peary was an amazing individual and a true Deke brother.
 
Everywhere he explored the planet, Robert carried a Deke flag. In fact, when he discovered the north pole, the Deke flag was one of the five markers he planted at the top of the world on that momentous day in 1909.
President
Teddy
Roosevelt
Explorer
Robert Peary
Famous chef, Ming Tsai

Brother Ming Tsai is a Yale Deke who has earned an Emmy award for this culinary influence on television. 
 
Ming's TV series, 'Simply Ming', is known for his fusion of eastern and western flavours.  Each episode revolves around a specific staple food called the 'Master Recipe'  (e.g. chicken broth), and from there Ming explores the different culinary experiences that can flow from the right combination of ingredients and preparation.
Frederick W. Smith,
founder and CEO of FedEX
DKE class of 1963, Yale University:

Frederick W. Smith wrote a paper for his economics professor.  He suggested that using a hub-and-spoke logistics model could provide package delivery service to metro centers faster than any direct-flight logistics model could.  

His professor gave him a 'C' on the paper, saying it was 'not feasible'.

Fred took the C grade, and went on to create FedEx and Federal Express using that same hub-and-spoke business model. 
Tom Landry: legendary 29-season coach of the Dallas Cowboys
Thomas Wade Landry, DKE class of 1948 University of Texas, was an industrial engineer.
Tom was also an army aviator who flew combat missions in WWII. 

Tom's love for football translated into a celebrated career in the NFL.  He coached defense beside
Vince Lombardi with the NY Giants.  
In 1960, he became the first head coach of the Dallas Cowboys,
a job he truly loved because he stayed with the Cowboys for 29 seasons.

Tom Landry finished his career with a 250-162-6 record,
the 3rd greatest coaching record in American football history.  
Briton Hadden,
founder of Time Magazine
DKE class of 1918, Yale University:

Brother Briton Hadden was a staff writer and chairman for the Yale Daily News.

Briton moved to New York City, and then to Baltimore, to write for varioius newspapers.  He fouded Time Magazine in 1923 in an abandoned beer brewery.

Briton not only founded Time Magazine, but he supported the editing and
early years of The New Yorker magazine.
Astronaut Alan Bean

Apollo 12 Mission: the fourth man to walk on the moon

Texas Bro. Alan Bean isn't a typical astronaut, at least not for that original era.  
Alan is an artist and a quiet man, and he was surprised when chose him to pilot the landing module for Apollo 12. 
 
The original liftoff of the Saturn V rocket could have gone bad, as it was struck by lightning.  But Alan knew how to restore the system telemetry, and he corrected the flight before disaster struck.
 
Brother Alan brought two Deke flags to the moon, leaving one there, and bringing the second flag home to give to Deke headquarters.  The flag is depicted in the photograph below.

Yes, this flag went to the moon and back,
and it now lives at DKE headquarters.

Don Fisher,
founder of the Gap Clothing
DKE class of 1950, U of C at Berkley:

Brother Donald Fisher initiated into our Berkley chapter of DKE.

After completing his business administration degree, Bro. Fisher championed many public education causes and philanthropies, including KIPP charter schools. 

Bro. Fisher later founded the Gap clothing company in 1969 in San Francisco.  He achieved many lifetime awards for his contributions to the community, and the economy, including the Jewish Community Federation and the California Alumni Association.
Pres. Marcio Menocal
Pres. Gerald Ford
Hirai Seijiro
Long before Cuba became communist, Marcio Menocal served as the country's president during World War I. President Menocal was a big supporter of private sector and business, and did much to build the Cuban economy during wartime. 

President Menocal also hosted the first international DKE conference in Cuba. He commissioned a private train to bring Dekes to south Florida, from where they yachted across to Havana, each Deke receiving a gold-trimmed boxed of cigars.

President Menocal joined DKE at the Cornell chapter in 1886.
The 38th president of the United States, Gerald Ford took office after Nixon resigned. President Ford made great strides towards a Cold War detente with the Helsinki Accord signing.
 
He was also the longest-living US president, dying at the age of 93 in 2006.
 
Bro. Ford served as a navy navigator and antiaircraft battery officer during World War II.  He fought in the pacific theater, including during the Philippines and Wake Island engagements.
Japanese engineer Hirai Seijiro joined DKE in 1874 while he studied at Rensselaer Polytechnic in New York.
 
After graduating with his civil engineer masters, Harai worked for the US government, and then returned to Japan to become the president of the country's imperial railways.
 
Hirai was the key engineer in designing the modern railway system in Japan, one of the most complex rail systems in the world.
W.O. Mitchell:
renowned Canadian author
William Ormond Mitchell was a famous Canadian writer who has been described as the 'Canadian Mark Twain'. William passed away in 1998. His works included Jake and the Kid and Who Has Seen the Wind. 

Several DKE brothers from the U of Alberta were lucky enough to study under W.O. Mitchell in the late 80's and 90's. 
George A. Drew was an influential Canadian politician and Ontario premier.
George is considered the father of the Progressive Conservative Party, where he built a political dynasty in Ontario that lasted 42 years.
 
George joined DKE during his years at the University of Toronto, after which he served as a colonel in the Canadian Forces. 
Howard Johnson founded the famous chain of hotels and restaurants of the same name in 1935. His business savvy and commitment to maximum value to his customers earned him an industry hall of fame membership. He served in WWI, and made it through the Great Depression before starting the famous 'HoJo' chain.
Premier
George
Drew
Howard
Johnson,
Hotel
Magnate
Dutch Prince Johan Friso of Orange-Nassau
Author Nathaniel Hawthorne
Member of the Dutch Royal Family, Bro. Johan Friso joined our Berkley DKE chapter in 1986.
 
Johan helped to found the dutch MRI Centre in Amsterdam, the Wizzair airline in Eastern Europe, and he manaaged portfolios at Goldman Sachs International in London.
 
 
Bro. Nathaniel influenced the world through his famous novels and short stories revolving around romanticism themes, including 'The Scarlet Letter', and 'The House of the Seven Gables'.
 
 
Actor Billy Crudup
Actor Harry Hamlin
You may know him from the films 'Watchmen', 'Public Enemies', 'Almost Famous', 'Big Fish'.  You may also recognize his voice from the 'Priceless' Mastercard commercials that have aired since 2005.
 
Bro. Billy Crudup is a very private and humble man.  He actively avoids the public eye and the limelight that goes with being a celebrity.
Harry Hamlin is a brother from the Theta Zeta chapter in Berkley, California. He is renowned for his television roles in Clash of the Titans and L.A. Law. Harry was married to Ursula Andress, Nicolette Sheridan, Laura Johnson, and Lisa Rinna
Cole Porter, Composer
Dick Clark, Music and TV Host
Famous broadway musician, songwriter, and composer, Cole Porter grew to fame in the 1920's, and his career continued through WWII and into the 1950's.
 
Cole wrote and composed over 60 broadway and musical hits in his time, including Sinatra's iconic "I've Got You Under My Skin"
 
He counted America down on each New Year's Eve for 40 years.  He hosted American Bandstand from 1957 to 1987.  He greatly influenced Motown's development, and the lives of hundreds of music artists.
 
Brother Clark is a much-loved icon of America.  He also possessed the eerie ability to identiy any radio hit song within the first two notes!