Daily Illini, April 26, 1914

In honor of Founder's Day 2012, here is the oldest published notice of our fraternity. 

In 1964's Jubilee issue of The Archi, Leo Bauer recounts that when leaving the Hotel Sherman on Easter Sunday April 12, 1914, he and Chandler Cohagen pledged not to divulge the results of their negotiations until the next regular meeting of their respective chapters. That meeting would not be held immediately. At Illinois, classes would not resume until Tuesday afternoon (4/14). Arcus probably met next later that week (perhaps old minutes could be uncovered). Imagine trying not to spill that exciting news to the brothers you see in the house and studio for better part of a week!

It would not be until two weeks later until the Daily Illini bore the first published announcement of the new fraternity on April 26, 1914.

The unfamiliar chapter name was misprinted as "Anthemia," much to the amusement of the primary author of this blog, who has used the term as an email and Twitter handle for years.

Near the top of the list of faculty names is, Professor Loring H. Provine, who was acting head of the Architecture Department at the time. Provine would serve as department head until 1948.

The complete issue of the Daily Illini is available in the university libary's online archives. It's an interesting artifact of college life in 1914. Just looking at the top of page 1, we see one institution starting while another takes a final bow, worries about possible war with Mexico, and a discobolus named "Butt."