Inventory of the Alpha Phi Omega, Lambda Nu Chapter
Records,
1980 - 2003
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Descriptive Summary
Title
Alpha Phi Omega, Lambda Nu Chapter Records,
1980 - 2003.
Creator
Alpha Phi Omega. Lambda Nu Chapter (Duke
University)
Extent
17.5 Linear Feet,
3500 Items
Repository
University Archives, Duke University
Abstract
The Alpha Phi Omega, Lambda Nu Chapter was
founded in 1955 at Duke University. The student service fraternity performs variety of volunteer
activities in Durham as well as greater North Carolina and South Carolina. The Alpha Phi Omega,
Lambda Nu Chapter Records contain minutes, reports, correspondence, administrative information,
slides, composite photographs, audio tapes, scrapbooks, and other materials.
Language
English.
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Administrative Information
Access Restrictions
Patrons must sign the Acknowledgement of Legal Responsibility and Privacy Rights form before using this collection.
In off-site storage; 24 hours advance notice is required for use.
Use Restrictions
Copyright for Official University records is held by Duke University; all other
copyright is retained by the authors of items in these papers, or their descendants, as stipulated
by United States copyright law.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Alpha Phi Omega, Lambda Nu Chapter Records, University
Archives, Duke University.
Provenance
The Alpha Phi Omega, Lambda Nu Chapter Records was received by the University Archives
as several transfers in 2004.
Processing Information
Processed by Valerie Gillispie
Completed October 7, 2004
Encoded by Valerie Gillispie, October 12, 2004
This finding aid is NCEAD compliant.
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Historical Note
The following brief history appears on the Lambda Nu website: http://www.duke.edu/apo/
Lambda Nu Chapter of Alpha Phi Omega was founded at Duke University in 1955 by Thomas R.
Neese. Encouraged by area Boy Scout representative Bill Roth, Neese recruited Robert M. Graper and
Joseph Griffin, fellow brothers of the Phi Kappa Sigma fraternity. Together, they organized the
first pledge class with assistance from Rho Chapter of UNC-Chapel Hill. Sixteen men comprised this
initial group, which first met in February of 1955. Potential service projects were discussed at
this meeting, and the future Brothers choose a project blazing a nature trail at the Durham
Children's Museum (now the Museum of Life and Science). This first project, which preceded the
chartering of Lambda Nu, has been a regular project of the Chapter ever since.
The Chapter grew in prestige during the 1960s, despite a membership which hovered around
twenty men during most of this period, and a need to establish itself among larger service
organizations at Duke. APO appeared successful, expanding its service program to include a diverse
range of projects.
In 1974, Lambda Nu began accepting women, a full two years before the National fraternity
went co-ed. The Chapter was able to do this by submitting membership lists to the National office
that included only first initials and last names. Soon afterwards, however, the Chapter began to
drift apart, with its last active member deactivating around 1978.
In the Spring of 1979, Duke sophomore Bob McMahan learned about APO from friends who were
Brothers at the Iota Lambda Chapter at North Carolina State. McMahan spent the fall 1979 semester
researching the history of Lambda Nu and recruiting interested people. By April of 1980, Lambda Nu
was reborn, initiating nineteen pledges.
As Duke grew during the 1980s, so did Lambda Nu. Alpha Phi Omega celebrated the opening
of the Bryan Center in 1982 helping the Duke University Union raise money to buy the baby grand
piano that now sits in the Center's Schaefer Mall. By the end of the 1980s, the Chapter was
annually performing thousands of hours of service for the Durham community, working for groups like
the Eno River State Park, Lenox Baker Children's Hospital, Genesis Home, Duke Rescue Mission, and
many local hospitals, schools and shelters. In addition, the chapter's fundraising efforts grew to
a donation approaching ten thousand dollars each year to a local charity.
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Collection Overview
The Alpha Phi Omega, Lambda Nu Chapter Records include minutes, reports, correspondence,
administrative information, slides, photographs, audio tapes, scrapbooks, and other materials
documenting the history of this service fraternity. The first series,
Administrative, contains information about the membership, volunteer
work, social activities, and alumni of Lambda Nu. The second series,
Slides, contains slides of Lambda Nu activities from 1980 to 1997.
The next series,
Audio Recordings, has one audio cassette of the 1998 Senior Banquet.
The fourth series,
Composite Photographs, contains photographs of all Lambda Nu Members
during most school years between 1986 and 2002. The
Scrapbooks series contains photographs, documents, handwritten
notes, and other materials assembled by Lambda Nu members. The final series,
Oversize Materials, houses oversize scrapbooks.
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Subject Headings
These and related materials may be accessed under the following subject headings in the
Duke University Libraries online catalog.
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Alpha Phi Omega.
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Alpha Phi Omega. Lambda Nu Chapter (Duke
University)
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Audio cassettes.
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Color slides.
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Composite photographs.
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Duke University--Societies, etc.
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Duke University--Students--Societies,
etc.
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Scrapbooks.
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Student service--North Carolina.
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Voluntarism.
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Volunteers--North Carolina.
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Related Material
Fraternities and Sororities Collection
Duke University Archives
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Detailed Description of the Collection
Administrative,
1985-2001
The Administrative series contains materials used by chapter leaders in their
administration of Lambda Nu, including minutes, reports, correspondence, slides, and information on
volunteer projects, membership, social activities, alumni, and the history of the chapter. Much of
the material was originally housed in binders, and the original arrangement of papers has been
retained. Folders are arranged chronologically.
Box 1
Folder 1-2
Administrative Materials,
1985-1992
Folder 3-4
Administrative Materials,
1987-1991
Folder 5
Alumni Survey and Letters,
1988-1989
Folder 6
Alumni Address and Phone Lists,
1988-1989
Folder 7
Administrative Materials,
1989-1993
Folder 8-9
Alumni Correspondence,
Fall 1990-Spring 1991
Folder 10-11
Administrative Materials,
1991-1992
Folder 12
Conferences,
1991-1992
Folder 13
"The Chapter Record,"
May 1992
Folder 14
Alpha Phi Omega national History,
1993
Folder 15
"Growing Pains: Making the Transition to a Larger Chapter,"
Fall 1993
Folder 16-17
Administrative Materials,
Fall 1993-Fall 1995
Folder 18
Roll Call,
Fall 1994
Folder 19
Conferences,
1995
Josiah Frank Historians Award Application,
1995
Folder 20
Chapter Articles and By-Laws, Alumni Directory, Rosters, Resume, Service
Project List
Folder 21
Chapter Family Tree, Sample Pedge Manual, Sample Pledge Quizzes, and
Finals
Folder 22
Lambda Nu Chapter Record
Folder 23
Officers' Reports - President and Service
Folder 24
Officers' Reports - Fundraising, Membership, Social
Folder 25
Officers' Reports - Miscellaneous
Folder 26
Publicity
Folder 27-28
Sample Service Record
Box 2
Folder 29
Sample Service Record
Folder 30-31
Slides
Folder 32-33
Corresponding Committee/Administrative Materials,
Fall 1995-Spring 1997
Folder 33a
Administrative Materials,
Spring 1995-Spring 1996
Folder 34
APO Service,
1995-1996
Fall 1996 Chapter History
Corresponding Materials
Folder 35
APO Alumni Mailing List
Folder 36
Fourtieth Anniversary Survey Results
Folder 37
Newsletters, Publications, Duke Alumni
Membership History
Folder 38
General and Lists
Folder 39
Slides
Folder 40
The Tome, Officer Statements, News Clips
Minutes
Folder 41
Minutes,
Fall 1995
Folder 42
Spring 1996
Folder 43
Fall 1996
Folder 44
Pledge Materials
Folder 45
Service Goals
Service Sign-ups
Folder 46-47
Spring 1995
Folder 48
Fall 1995
Folder 49
Fall 1996
Folder 49a
Administrative Materials,
Fall 1996
Folder 49b
National Convention Materials,
1996
Folder 49c
Committee Notes,
circa December 1996
Folder 50
Administrative Materials,
Spring 1997
Folder 51
APO Service,
Spring 1997
Box 3
Folder 52
Administrative Materials,
Fall 1997
Folder 52a-52b
Membership Materials,
Fall 1997
Folder 52c
National Convention Materials,
1998
Folder 52d-52e
Administrative Materials,
1998-2000
Folder 52f-52g
National Convention Materials,
1998-2002
Folder 53
Leadership Index,
2000-2001
Folder 54
Senior Banquet,
2001
Slides,
1980-1997
The slides document Lambda Nu volunteer and social activities. See folders 30, 31, and
38 for more slides.
1980-1989
1989-1990
1994-1995
1995-1996
1996-1997
Audio Recordings,
1998
The Audio Recordings series contains one standard audio cassette tape.
Senior Banquet cassette tape,
1998
Composite Photographs,
1985-2002
The Composite Photographs series contains oversize photographs of Lambda Nu members
during a school year. The photographs include the names of the members as well as their positions
in the group. They are arranged in chronological order.
Box 4
1985-1986
1987-1988
1990-1991
1992-1993
1993-1994
1994-1995
1995-1996
1996-1997
1997-1998
1998-1999
2000-2001
2001-2002
Scrapbooks,
1980-2003
The Scrapbooks series contains scrapbooks made by Lambda Nu members to document their
volunteer and social activities. They contain photographs, drawings, handwritten notes, typed
documents, and other materials. Some scrapbooks have been interleaved with acid-free paper to
protect their pages. The books are arranged in chronological order.
Box 5
Fall 1986
Fall 1987
Fall 1988
Fall 1989
Box 6
Spring 1992
Spring 1993,
removed from original binding, pages placed in two folders,
located in
Oversize Materials, Box 14:
Fall 1993
Spring 1994,
removed from original binding, pages placed in a folder,
located in
Oversize Materials, Box 14:
Fall 1997
Fall 1998
1999
Box 7
2002-2003
Undated (2 scrapbooks)
Oversize Materials
The Oversize Materials series contains oversize scrapbooks. The complete list of
scrapbooks can be found in the previous series.
Scrapbooks
Box 8
Fall 1987-Spring 1988
1988-1989
Box 9
Fall 1989
Spring 1991
Box 10
Fall 1994 (2 scrapbooks)
Box 11
1996
Spring 1998
Fall 1998
Box 12
Spring 1999
Fall 1999
Spring 2001
Undated
Box 13
Fall 1980-Spring 1983
Fall 1983-Spring 1984
Fall 1984-Spring 1985
Fall 1990
Fall 1991
(2 scrapbooks)
Box 14
Spring 1993,
removed from original binding, pages placed in two
folders
Spring 1994,
removed from original binding, pages placed in a
folder
Fall 1995
Spring 1997
