Taken from the Kappa Mu Epsilon National Homepage
Compiled and Edited by Mary S. Elick, 1991
The rapid growth of universities and colleges in the United
States in the latter part of the 19th
century led to the development of professional societies
in every field. The fields of law, medicine,
science, engineering, teaching, and others developed
societies with memberships numbering into
the thousands. Local clubs were formed at larger educational
institutions to promote interest in
special departmental objectives. Desire for affiliation
with other groups of similar ideals led to the
organization of these local clubs into national and state
societies. In mathematics, Pi Mu Epsilon
became the national fraternity for instructors and advanced
students who were in educational
institutions offering graduate work in mathematics. The
first fraternities open to mathematics
students on the undergraduate level seem to have been
primarily science fraternities. These
organizations did not appeal very strongly to those whose
interest was in symbolic thinking.
The need for a national mathematics fraternity which would
appeal essentially to the
undergraduate was recognized by both the instructors
and students of mathematics. Dr. Emily
Kathryn Wyant is considered the founder of Kappa Mu Epsilon,
which was organized to fill this
need. Dr. Wyant was a graduate of the University of Missouri
and was a member of Pi Mu Epsilon.
In the fall of 1930, she went to Northeastern Oklahoma
State Teachers College at Tahlequah, as a
professor of mathematics. She went to work with vigor
and enthusiasm to transform the
mathematics club there, which had been in existence since
1927, into the first chapter of a national
fraternity. Professor L.P. Woods, who was head of the
Department of Mathematics and Dean of
Men, was a valuable co-worker in working out the many
details pertaining to the project. He was
largely responsible for the completed rituals used for
the initiation of members and installation of
officers.
Since the first serious group of students of mathematics
to be organized into a fraternity was the
Society of Pythagoras, it was decided that the emblems
of Kappa Mu Epsilon would be those of
the Pythagoreans as nearly as possible. The emblems chosen
for the new fraternity were the
five-pointed star and the pentagon. Since the five- leaved
rose, rho = a *sin 5 theta, fits into the
pentagon, the wild rose which usually has five petals
was chosen as the fraternity flower. The pink
of the wild rose and the silver of the star were chosen
for the colors. In making the crest, it seemed
advisable that the sciences using mathematics should
be recognized, so five emblems were selected
for these and placed around the star on the shield. The
motto, translated into English, is "Develop
an appreciation for the beauty in mathematics." The objective
of the organization since its inception
has been the fulfillment of this motto.
Dr. Wyant and Prof. L.P. Woods along with 22 other faculty
and students became charter
members of Oklahoma Alpha, Northeastern Oklahoma State
Teachers College, Tahlequah, April
18, 1931, thereby making the dream for the fraternity
a reality. On the same day, the national
organization elected the following officers: President
Pythagoras, Dr. Kathryn Wyant;
Vice-President Euclid, Professor Ira S. Condit, Secretary
Diophantus, Miss Lorene Davis;
Treasurer Newton, Professor L.P. Woods; Historian Hypatia,
Miss Bethel DeLay. At a later date,
the names of specific mathematicians were omitted from
the names of national officers.
The following newspaper account was given on the transformation
of the Mathematics Club at
Tahlequah into Kappa Mu Epsilon:
"The king is dead, long live the king."
This may be applied to the "Mathematics
Club" of Northeastern. As "The Pentagon" the
club is dead; as Kappa Mu Epsilon,
it lives.
Kappa Mu Epsilon had its Founders
Day Banquet last Saturday evening, April 18 at the
Hotel Thompson. At that time,
24 people took the pledge and signed the constitution, thus
becoming charter members of
the Oklahoma Alpha Chapter. The banquet room was
decorated in pink and white.
Wild flowers and red buds were in the corners of the room. Tall
white candles and floor lamps
gave a soft light. Rose nut cups and hand painted place cards
added to the color of the room.
The menu as written inside the place cards told of
paraboloids, ruled surfaces,
and even parallel lines that were to be eaten at the mathematical
table.
Paul Lewis was the Radical Axis
(toastmaster) of the evening. The program consisted of the
fraternity song and the following
talks: Parabolas (parables) by "Bus" Layton; Comic (conic)
sections by Dr. Kathryn Wyant;
Lipstick (elliptic) conditions by Clara Green and
Transformations by Dean L.P.
Woods.
The formal transformation from
the Pentagon into Kappa Mu Epsilon was directed by Mr.
Woods.
Dr. Wyant had carried on an extensive correspondence with
faculty members at other colleges in
regard to the founding of a national fraternity such
as this. Among those with whom she
corresponded were Dr. Ira S. Condit of lowa State Teachers
College, Cedar Falls, and Dr. J.A.G.
Shirk of Kansas State Teachers College, Pittsburg. Dr.
Condit participated in the preliminary
negotiations for the founding of the fraternity and indicated
such interest that he was elected the
first Vice- President. The enthusiasm for this organization
spread on his own campus with the
result that the second chapter of Kappa Mu Epsilon, lowa
Alpha, was installed at lowa State
Teachers College, Cedar Falls, May 27, 1931. Kansas Alpha,
the third chapter, was installed
January 30, 1932, at Kansas State Teachers College, Pittsburg.
Next was Missouri Alpha,
Southwest Missouri State College, Springfield, May 20,
1932.
During the development of Kappa Mu Epsilon at Tahlequah,
the Mississippi State College for
Women and the Mississippi State College were progressing
with their plans for inaugurating a
mathematical fraternity. Officers of Kappa Mu Epsilon
urged the groups to give up their
contemplated organization and become affiliated with
Kappa Mu Epsilon whose organization was
already completed. They agreed to unite; Mississippi
Alpha, Mississippi State College for Women,
Columbus, was installed May 30, 1932, and Mississippi
Beta, Mississippi State College, was
installed December 14, 1932. This brought the membership
to six chapters by the end of 1932.
Much of the early success of Kappa Mu Epsilon is attributed
to the dynamic and inspiring
leadership of Dr. J.A.G. Shirk. He succeeded Dr. Wyant
as National President in 1935 and served
in that capacity until 1939. "The Early Years of Kappa
Mu Epsilon," an article which appeared in
the Spring 1942 issue of THE PENTAGON, was written by
Dr. Shirk. Dr. Ira S. Condit, University
of Northern Iowa, and Miss E. Marie Hove, Nebraska State
Teachers College, also helped guide
the organization through its formative years. Dr. Condit
assisted with formulating the policies of
the society and setting up the first conventions; Miss
Hove served as National Historian from 1933
to 1937 and National Secretary from 1937 to 1955.
All national officers of Kappa Mu Epsilon are listed later
in this booklet. Each in their own way
has played an important role in helping the society to
grow. Since the first chapter was installed in
1931 with twenty-four members, the organization has grown
to a membership of 53,808 as of
November, 1990. As Dr. J.A.G. Shirk has aptly said in
the article cited above, "History renders the
ultimate verdict as to the value of any movement, and
the growth and the influence of Kappa Mu
Epsilon...give a portent of its greater contributions
in the decades yet to come." There are
currently 107 active chapters and 29 inactive chapters
of Kappa Mu Epsilon. Two additional
chapters, Missouri Lambda, Missouri Western State College,
St. Joseph, and Texas Kappa,
University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, Belton, are scheduled
to be installed in February.
Official business of Kappa Mu Epsilon is transacted at
the national conventions by delegates
elected by each chapter and by members of the National
Council. Until 1979 the National Council
consisted of the National President, National Vice-President,
National Secretary, National
Treasurer, National Historian, and the immediate Past
President. Following the election at the 23rd
Biennial Convention, the Council has been composed of
the National President, National
President-Elect, National Secretary, National Treasurer,
and National Historian.
The convention is held in the spring every two years during
odd numbered years for the purpose of
electing officers, voting on motions to amend the constitution
or by-laws, voting on motions
relating to establishment of new chapters, and deciding
matters concerning the society. Another
significant feature of the convention is the presentation
of student papers. Student interest and
involvement in this manner furnishes evidence that Kappa
Mu Epsilon is fulfilling its five-fold
objectives which are:
1. to further the interests of
mathematics in those schools which place their primary emphasis
on the undergraduate programs;
2. to help the undergraduate
realize the important role that mathematics has played in the
development of the western civilization;
3. to develop an appreciation
of the power and beauty possessed by mathematics, due,
mainly, to its demand for logical
and rigorous modes of thought;
4. to provide a society for the
recognition of outstanding achievement in the study of
mathematics at the undergraduate
level;
5. to disseminate the knowledge
of mathematics and to familiarize the members with the
advances being made in mathematics.
The first national convention was held at Northeastern
State Teachers College, Tahlequah,
Oklahoma, April 21 and 22, 1933. By this time, there
were eight chapters on the roll. In the
interval from 1941 to 1947, no conventions were held
due to conditions caused by World War II.
However, during this time, the National Council met to
handle the ongoing business of the
fraternity. It should also be noted that the 21st Biennial
Convention was postponed from the
spring of 1977 to the fall of 1977 due to financial considerations.
At a meeting in 1947, the National Council voted to have
the initiation ritual revised, since the old
ritual did not express the depth of purpose that many
members felt it should. Dr. C.V. Newsom,
who was then at Oberlin College, Oberlin, Ohio, was asked
to prepare a draft of a revised ritual for
the consideration of the Council. Using the draft prepared
by Dr. Newsom, the ritual was revised in
1948. The initiation and installation ceremonies were
further revised in February 1970.
The constitution of Kappa Mu Epsilon has likewise undergone
a number of revisions to have it
conform to the needs of the Society. The most recent
revision became effective November 17, 1979.
THE PENTAGON is the official journal of the Society. The
first issue appeared in the fall of 1941
after the concept of an official journal for Kappa Mu
Epsilon was approved at the Fifth Biennial
Convention April 18 and 19, 1941. The task of planning
the journal and formulating its editorial
policy was entrusted to Dr. C.V. Newsom who was at the
University of New Mexico, Albuquerque.
Dr. Newsom served as editor until his resignation in
1943. Dr. O.J. Peterson, who was then
National President, said, "The publication of such a
journal is probably the most significant project
ever undertaken by the fraternity." This magazine was
to cater to the needs of the college students
of mathematics and serve as a medium through which outstanding
student papers could be
published. The journal is now published semiannually
in the spring and fall of each year. Articles
of interest to undergraduate mathematics students are
included, assisting the Society in achieving
its objectives. News items about various chapters and
their activities, as an aid to establishing ties
between the chapters, are also included, as is a problems
section.
In the early 1970's, the National Council approved the
publishing of a brochure which tells the
Kappa Mu Epsilon story to prospective members and prospective
chapters. The responsibility of
designing, writing, editing, and publishing such a brochure
was given to Dr. James E. Lightner,
Western Maryland College, Westminster. With a great deal
of assistance from Sister John Frances
Gilman, Niagara University, Niagara University, New York,
the completed brochure was
distributed at the 20th Biennial Convention.
Since national conventions of Kappa Mu Epsilon are held
biennially, in odd-numbered years,
some chapters met on a more localized basis at regional
conventions in the even-numbered years.
In order to encourage regional conventions, the National
Council approved a formal regional
organization for Kappa Mu Epsilon in 1970. This regional
structure was first announced at the
18th Biennial Convention. The active chapters were divided
into six regions. A regional director
was appointed for each of these regions. Their duties
included the encouragement, facilitation, and
coordination of regional conventions in the even-numbered
years. In addition, they promote the
general interests of Kappa Mu Epsilon in the region and
assist the National Council when possible.
Kappa Mu Epsilon was granted membership into the Association
of College Honor Societies in
1968. The objective of the Association of College Honor
Societies is to encourage all general and
departmental honor societies to join forces for the establishment
and maintenance of desirable
standards and useful functions in higher education, and
for the achievement of appropriate
recognition of member societies. The purposes of the
Association are:
a. To act as the coordinating agency for college and university honor societies;
b. To provide facilities for
the consideration of matters of mutual interest such as
administrative problems, establishment
and maintenance of scholastic and other standards,
membership costs, functions
of honor societies, and prevention of undesirable duplication
and competition among honor
societies;
c. To define honor societies
of the several types and to classify existing societies into their
proper categories under these
definitions;
d. To cooperate with college
and university faculties and administrative officers in developing
and maintaining high standards
and useful functions within honor societies which are
organized or seek to be organized;
e. to collect, publish and distribute
information and data of value to honor societies, colleges
and universities and publishers
of directories and journals.
Kappa Mu Epsilon observed its Golden Anniversary in conjunction
with its 23rd Biennial
Convention in 1981. At that time, in recognition of their
major contributions to the organization
during its first fifty years, fifty individuals were
honored with "Distinguished Member Awards."
The names of these individuals, along with their respective
contributions, are listed in the Golden
Anniversary Banquet Booklet.
In 1987, at the 26th Biennial Convention, Dr. James Smith,
National President, cited Dr. George
Mach for his many contributions to Kappa Mu Epsilon and
announced the establishment of a
special award named in his honor. Dr. Mach served as
National Vice-President from 1966 to 1969,
National President from 1969 to 1973, National Past President
from 1973 to 1977, and National
Secretary from 1977 to 1987. In his honor the George
R. Mach Distinguished Service Award was
established by the National Council to be given each
biennium to an individual who has made
major contributions to the Society. Nominations for the
award are solicited from each chapter in
the spring of those years in which no biennial convention
is held. From these nominations the
National Council determines the recipient for that biennium.
The presentation is made at the next
biennial convention and the local chapter with which
the recipient was affiliated during the time of
his or her outstanding service to Kappa Mu Epsilon receives
a monetary award of $100.
Immediately after announcing the establishment of the
award, Dr. Smith named the inaugural
recipients, Miss Laura Z. Greene, Kansas Delta, and Dr.
Wilbur Waggoner, Michigan Beta, both
former national officers who devoted many years of service
to Kappa Mu Epsilon. Miss Greene
served as National Historian from 1951 to 1955 and National
Secretary from 1955 to 1973. Dr.
Waggoner served as Business Manager of THE PENTAGON from
1957 to 1977 and National
Treasurer from 1977 to 1983. Since that time Dr. Fred
Lott, Iowa Alpha, has also received the
award. Dr. Lott, who served as Editor of THE PENTAGON
from 1959 to 1965, National
Vice-President from 1965 to 1966, National President
from 1966 to 1969, and National Past
President from 1969 to 1973, was presented the award
at the 27th Biennial Convention in 1989.
Sister Helen Sullivan, O.S.B., who founded the Kansas
Gamma Chapter in 1940, has been chosen
the 1991 recipient. In addition to serving as National
Historian from 1943 to 1947, Sister Sullivan
was an active participant at many national conventions,
serving on numerous convention
committees. She will receive the award at the 28th Biennial
Convention.