By: John Limbaugh

Lambda Chi Alpha was founded in 1909 by Warren A. Cole, a business law student at Boston University. He charted the fraternity alongside two other students. In addition to holding the Fraternity’s highest office, he also served as the administrative and traveling secretary and editor of the Purple, Green and Gold Magazine during World War 1.

During Warren’s time in office, The fraternity grew to fifty three functioning chapters across the nation. four years after his death, Ronald D Boyd, a student at the University of Montevallo charted the Sigma Epsilon Zeta chapter along with 43 other students. Since the chapter’s founding in 1972 there have been 29 classes ranging in size from up to fifty to as few as six members.

Jack Branch, who was president between 2019 and 2021 believes that Lambda Chi Alpha is a fraternity that stands out from the rest due to its principles and fundamental ideals.

“Lambda Chi is not merely a fraternity, it’s an ideal that all its member strive towards,” Branch says, “We don’t recruit numbers, and we don’t haze our members.”

Lambda Chi Alpha was the first fraternity to abolish pledging and it happened at Montevallo. Upon induction, associate members are given full and equal rights within the fraternity. this includes the right to vote, hold office, attend all meetings and functions and wear the letters of the fraternity.

In addition to associate membership, the Sigma Epsilon Zeta chapter replaced pledge education with fraternity education. New members are integrated into the chapter immediately and assigned a big brother to teach them the chapter’s functions.

Zach Banks, and alumni who served on the alumni advisor committee has said that Lambda Chi Alpha is the fraternity for people who are “looking for something different out of Greek life.”

This month the fraternity’s chapter is celebrating it’s 50th anniversary in Birmingham.

“A large number of Alumni will be present at the event to celebrate 50 years of memories both good and bad,” says Jack Branch, “We’ve been through a lot of hardship together and we’ve made mistakes, but the fact that we’re still here is a testament to the strength of our brotherly bond.”

On the third floor of Napier Hall, composites of every class line the walls of The chapter’s hall. Dr. Robert Barone says walking through the hall is like taking a short trip through time.

“We have little joke that if you walk far enough down the hall, you can see my hair grow back,” Dr. Barone says.

Brice Harlan, the current Vice President say his biggest hope for Lambda Chi is that it will continue to be a fraternity that any student looking for self growth will be able to approach.

“Lambda Chi was here long before us and hopefully it will be here long after we’ve graduated,” Harlan says, “And hopefully we can continue to provide a different experience for our brothers.”