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[Identification of item], Omicron Delta Kappa, Rho Circle Chapter (Duke University) records, University Archives, Duke University.
The Omicron Delta Kappa, Rho Circle chapter records were received by the University Archives as a transfer in 1974, 1991, 1997.
Processed by Sarah A. Nerney , 1999
Updated by Emily Glenn, January 2003
Encoded by Sherrie Bowser, January 2008
Accessions A74-79, A91-69, A97-73 were merged into one collection, described in this finding aid.
Descriptive sources and standards used to create this inventory:
This finding aid is NCEAD compliant.
Omicron Delta Kappa was founded at Washington and Lee University in 1914 as a campus leadership honor society. It soon expanded to other colleges and the Rho Circle chapter was established at Duke University in 1926. Omicron Delta Kappa admitted juniors and seniors as well as faculty members and honorary members both alumni and non-alumni on the basis of character, scholarship, distinguished achievement, and consecration to a great purpose. The five categories of campus life that were emphasized were scholarship, athletics, social and religious activities, publications, and the arts. Election to membership was considered one of the top honors that could be conferred at Duke University. The focus of the Rho Circle chapter was service to the university and community through the cooperation of all campus leaders. The first president of the Rho Circle chapter was Marshall I. Pickens, later head of the Duke Endowment.
The Rho Circle chapter maintained a good relationship with other national officers through correspondence of well-connected faculty and administrators, such as Frank C. Brown. Omicron Delta Kappa became inactive in the late 1960s or early 1970s as a result of general student opposition to the "elitism" of special leadership distinctions. There were also disputes within the national organization about scholarship standards and the fraternity's refusal to admit women. Although correspondence continued between William J. Griffith, the longtime secretary of the Duke University chapter, and the national officers, the society has never been reactivated at Duke.
These records were produced by Omicron Delta Kappa in the course of their activities as a campus leadership honor society from 1926 to 1971. The bulk of the material consists of correspondence, information on membership elections, minutes, and information on national and provincial conventions. Physical types of materials include by-laws, certificates of membership, correspondence, financial records, history, initiation ritual, manuals, membership lists and cards, membership selection point system, minutes, newsletters, reports both from the Rho Circle and from national and provincial conventions, programs, and photographs.
These are searchable subject entries for this collection. Performing a search on these subjects in the Duke University Libraries online catalog will bring up other related research materials.
The History and Membership folder contains pages that originally were bound together as a book, dating from 1926-1933. Financial records show the income and expenditures, although some of this information is also contained in the minutes. The folder titled "Point System," which details the system by which students earned recognition by the society, although there is some indication in the minutes that the student body in general was not aware of this system of points. Unclaimed certificates are membership certificates never collected by members for various reasons, and show what the certificates looked like over the years.
Correspondence is divided into three sections: general chapter correspondence, the banquet of 1950, and that of faculty and Rho Circle chapter member Frank C. Brown. The correspondence addresses general chapter business, chapter development, and the initiation banquet of 1950.
Contains letters of invitation to membership, responses, and general member lists.
The minutes detail the interests and activities of members from about 1931 to 1963. The minutes from 1930-1931 are contained in the "History and Membership" folder in Series 1. Some topics covered in the minutes are fraternity rushing, social standards, school spirit, membership elections, national and provincial business, student government activities, honor system and cheating, politics on campus, the Beta Omega Sigma sophomore honor society, Duke-Navy relations during World War II, and campus activities and events. The material related to Duke-Navy student relations is located throughout the 1942-1945 minutes. The January 10, 1942 minutes contain an itemized fraternity plan of wartime economy. The 1942 minutes contain a proposed constitution for an inter-honorary fraternity council.
Contains information on conventions such as announcements, programs, and reports are contained in the "National and Provincial Conventions" folders.
Contains printed materials produced by the Rho Circle chapter and Omicron Delta Kappa headquarters.