Warren Albert Cole founded Lambda Chi Alpha on November 2, 1909 at Boston University of Massachusetts. His aspiration and burning desire to found a great international fraternity drove him to battle limited experience and personal sacrifice. In spite of numerous disappointments, he persevered. Coles dream had manifested into a new fraternity which would be founded on principles and traditions that are still held today.
The early leaders of Lambda Chi Alpha were blessed with high ideals, youthful enthusiasm, and spirited ambition, but were lacking in age, experience, and financial resources. They acted on their ideals and goals and set high standards for all members to follow. And remember, they were no older than today’s college students when they created the ideals, principles, and traditions that have molded and shaped hundreds of thousands of brothers internationally.
Since then Lambda Chi Alpha has become the fastest growing international fraternity with over 300 chapters nationwide, and is now the third-largest fraternity in the United States. Lambda Chi Alpha has built a legacy of transforming average college students into the leaders of America through the adoption of programs such as the True Brother Initiative, which molds men from Associate Member, to Brother, and then to an active Alumni by living and practicing the ideals of our fraternity. In addition Lambda Chi Alpha was the first fraternity to abolish pledging and remains a leader in the fight against hazing, alcohol abuse, and other challenges facing today's college students.
The Brothers of Lambda Tau Zeta at Western Michigan University have built a strong legacy of adopting and developing these principles and ideals much like the early leaders of the fraternity. With limited resources, lacking age, and minimal financial resources, Lambda Tau Zeta has flourished on Western Michigan University's campus for over forty years. First colonizing in 1966 Lambda Tau Zeta has produced many members that have expressed and developed the ideals that the fraternity strives to obtain. Like any organization, Lambda Tau Zeta has gone through changes both good and bad. With re-colonizing in the Fall of 2001 Lambda Tau Zeta has come back stronger than ever by building a new tradition taken from the old, that adopts the principles, traditions, and ideals and develops them through lasting friendships, true brotherhood, and the living of our ritual in our everyday lives.
In the Fall of 2005, we ushered in a new era by building a new Fraternity House equipped with a banquet room, common area, and 24 single rooms to accommodate brothers living in house. This change has helped Lambda Tau Zeta to achieve a solid position in the Greek community for years to come. Lambda Tau Zeta has made a conscious effort to give back to the Kalamazoo community by participating in a vast number of philanthropies. By adopting a highway we have helped to clean up Michigan’s roadways. In addition we contribute to the North American Food Drive by donating a yearly average of 20,000 lbs. of food to our local food pantry, Loaves and Fishes. Lambda Tau Zeta has built a tradition of excellence in intramural sports and as a member of the Greek community at our university. By achieving championships in Flag Football from 2005-2007, Volleyball, and Soccer the brothers of this fraternity have met with great athletic success. In the Greek Community the brothers have also shown they know a thing or two about working together, by achieving an unheard of back to back Greek Week Airband Championships.
Lambda Tau Zeta has had, and will continue to have numerous members giving back time and effort to Western Michigan University by volunteering for programs such as Fall Welcome, Campus Activities Board, Engineers without Boarders, and many more. The lasting legacy that Lambda Tau Zeta offers men is a continuous effort to develop lifelong friendships and give back to the community of Kalamazoo by admitting members with common goals, but vastly different backgrounds, religious beliefs, and countries of origin. Lambda Tau Zeta is proud to have initiated several brothers from Australia, Spain, and Canada in its brief but illustrious history. We are a fraternity that does not discriminate, alienate, or cast out any member for being different, but instead embrace differences and use them for our benefit. The Brothers of Lambda Tau Zeta have built a history through these philosophies, principles, and ideals and have paved the way for future brothers with these same aspirations to continue the torch of brotherhood for many years to come at Western Michigan University.
