OUR HISTORY

ALPHA GROUP

The Delta Chi Fraternity at Illinois State was founded as an interest group in 1970 in the Walker Hall Residence Hall. They began petitioning National/International Fraternities for membership in the same year, and were accepted by Delta Chi. The Colony grew quickly.

Moving into a house at 603 Broadway the next year, the Colony began the steps to becoming a Chapter. On May 5, 1973 a Charter was granted to the Illinois State Chapter. The following year again, the house picked up and moved to another home at 103 N. Fell Ave.

Unfortunately, this residency was short lived as the University decided the land would make a great site for a parking lot and new computer building (Julian Hall). The Science Laboratory parking now occupies this location. The Chapter was displaced into the dorms for a year while seeking new housing.

In 1975, they moved into apartments located on Cherry street in addition to a set of apartments on Linden, and spent one year there while construction on a new house was begun and completed.

In 1976, the Chapter moved into their brand new house at 608 Broadway and success quickly followed. By the late 70's Delta Chi was the most successful house on campus peaking at over 85+ men. Then the standards began to slip, for unknown reasons.

Having parties to finance dues and housing costs started to take over as the primary reason for the Chapter, and the end was quick to come. By as early as 1983 the quality of the men being admitted was slipping, members who did not pull their own weight, frequently did not pay dues, and a number of other issues. In 1985, the house at 608 Broadway was lost to foreclosure.

The Chapter settled in a house at 701 S. Fell, and made a last stand with only 15 members. The mishandling of a considerable amount of money, along with the Chapter creating a legacy of "End of the World" parties, the Chapter hit a final low and the Charter was relinquished in 1986.

BETA GROUP

In 1988, two leadership consultants came back to Illinois State to begin a re-colonization. Forty-plus men responded to a call for members, and on April 23, 1988, 37 were initiated as Founders. The Colony began the climb, with most members living in the dorms, also the location of most meetings.

In 1989, a house at 114 W. Willow was rented, and it was in this house that the Colony became a Chapter on March 31, 1990.

Shortly after Chartering, the Chapter began looking for a new home. With the folding of a Sorority (Alpha Phi) that had taken up residency in the original house at 608 S. Broadway, the Chapter moved back in the Fall of 1993 and remained there through 1997. In 1998 the Chapter moved to an apartment building on Cherry Street and stayed for only one school year before moving into a fraternity-style apartment building at 602 S. Fell.

The Fraternity lost several men in 1999, after relocating to 602. S. Fell. This property was originally built to house the Delta Zeta sorority. A combination of inactive members living in the chapter house, failure to follow any FIPG/Risk Management guidelines, lack of an ABT, and no Housing Corporation led to a dangerous situation. The Chapter was attempting to stage a comeback with only fourteen members. Although recruitment resulted in several new members, a series of parties to raise money ended up resulting in their demise that Spring 2000.

GAMMA GROUP

In early Spring of 2003, several individuals who were living on the 6th Floor, of Manchester Hall, began discussions on starting their fraternity. The group was led by a legacy (Jared Broderick, ’05) who wanted to be a member of Delta Chi Fraternity on the Illinois State campus. This initial group of eight proceeded to contact Delta Chi Headquarters with the hopes of re-colonization at Illinois State.

In April 2003, a leadership consultant arrived on the Illinois State campus to meet with this interest group and the Illinois State Greek Advisor, Gina Lee. After discussions with these individuals over the course of the week, the decision was made to perform a pinning and to officially form the Illinois State Colony. The group had now grown to eighteen men.

Now that they had an identity, this newly formed Colony began to organize and recruit other individuals. By November 2003, there were 29 Founding Fathers initiated.

Holding meetings in the Bone Student Center, and alternating among several different off-campus apartments, the group continued to grow. They leased two separate properties on campus for the 2004-2005 school year: 603 S. Broadway and 304 N. Fell. The 603 S. Broadway address was the sole location for the 2005-2006 school year. Illinois State once again received its Charter on April 23, 2005.

Membership in the Chapter had grown to over 50 men. The consistent growth provided the impetus for the formation of a “local” Housing Corporation to secure a multi-year lease for the Chapter to be located at 602 S. Fell, Normal, IL. Delta Chi has a long history of re-occupying its old houses and has traditionally been located in the Southeast campus area: 602 S. Fell, 608 S. Broadway, and 603 S. Broadway. The 602 S. Fell address was occupied by 15 men for the 2007-2008 academic year and 18 men for the 2008-2009, 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 academic years. Capacity was 21. This includes four “apartment style” units, each with their own bathroom and kitchen area. One unit has two bedrooms while all others have three bedrooms. A common area for TV viewing was on the main level along with a Chapter room, laundry room and social room in the basement space.

The Chapter lost its Registered Student Organization status and University recognition in the Fall of 2009 due to some parties that were held the weekend prior to the start of Fall semester. These “recruitment parties” were coordinated through an alumnus acting outside of and without the permission of the ABT. This also resulted in Headquarters appointing a Conservator and performing a membership review. The Chapter was prohibited from recruitment for the Fall 2009 semester and total active membership dropped to about 27. With significant alumni support and involvement, the Chapter did receive permission to recruit for Spring 2010 and began its rebuilding. Membership had grown to 59 by the end of Spring 2011.

In the Spring of 2011, the Housing Corporation was able to secure a lease with purchase option on the former Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity house located at 400 W Willow. The Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity had imploded because of complacency, excess partying, and lack of leadership. Sigma Phi Epsilon had fallen from a chapter of nearly 130 members to only 25 members after a membership review.

The Illinois State Delta Chi Chapter moved into the property for the Fall 2011 semester. This property has the capacity to hold up to 58 men. The building has a house-mom / house-dad apartment, 22 bedrooms, formal living room, dining room, commercial kitchen, chapter room, game room, TV room and large social space. This was the first true “fraternity style” housing the chapter had experienced since re-starting in Spring 2003, which included large communal spaces, chapter meeting room, common dining room facility with a meal plan and house chef, a house director and a location that could host all of the membership at the same time.

Membership grew from approximately 45 men to nearly 90 men by the Fall of 2012, once again placing Delta Chi as one of the largest fraternities on the Illinois State campus.

In May 2013, the building at 400 W Willow, Normal Il was purchased by the Illinois State Delta Chi Housing Corporation, marking only the 2nd time in the Illinois State Chapter’s existence that it actually would have its house owned by its housing corporation.

By Fall of 2013, the Chapter had grown to nearly 120 men, making the Illinois State Chapter the 3rd largest Delta Chi Chapter in the nation. Delta Chi has continued to be the largest fraternity on the Illinois State campus since Fall 2012.

Chapter attitudes and inappropriate behaviors had set in. Inactive members were allowed to engage in chapter activities—even inactive men who had never lived in or contributed to the chapter house. As of result of the actions of one of these inactive men (an alleged sexual assault inside the chapter house) and after a series of risk management incidents in Spring 2017, the university demanded closure for a period of not less than five (5) years.

To retain the property at 400 W Willow, the ownership of the property was transferred to the newly established national housing corporation for The Delta Chi Fraternity – Barrister Capital Corporation (BCC). To generate revenue and retain the property, BCC master leased the property, managed and maintained the facility specifically for the future return of Delta Chi at Illinois State.

DELTA GROUP

With Barrister Capital Corporation overseeing a piece of prime real estate on the Illinois State University campus, The Delta Chi Fraternity prioritized a return to campus, with expansion started in Fall 2022.

Three leadership consultants arrived on campus. These men were Nathan Bothwell, Nolan Speicher, and Joseph Burtzlaff. With the help of an undergraduate, Tim Szyman (Illinois State '25), the colony quickly grew to over 30 initiated men in their first semester, making them the largest expansion to the IFC (Competing with TKE and ΒΘΠ) that semester.

Instability grew in the young colony during the Spring of 2023. Infighting was rampant, grades slipped, and executives made poor choices and decisions. By the Summer, the colony had lost a quarter of the founding class, and two executives to poor grades.

Troubles followed the Delta Group into the Fall. Lackluster efforts at recruitment left the colony with only six new members by the time IFC Bid Day rolled around. Executive officers and chairmen became complacent, with the “A” and “B” picking up nearly every aspect of planning and initiatives in the colony. Active members feared a collapse of the group, and the founding class fell to 15 actives. With leases being sent out for 400 W Willow, the colony’s leadership prepared for the worst - losing the house for two more years to another group.

This did not sit right with four men.

General member Kobi Stevens (Illinois State ‘26), “B” Brady Davidson (Illinois State ‘26), general member Braden Powell (Illinois State ‘26), and “A” Tyler Hochstatter (Illinois State ‘25) refused to watch the colony slip away after putting so much effort into growing it. These four men recruited 23 new, quality members in a week. By the end of Fall, the colony secured 15 leases on 400 W Willow, 21 short of the minimum BCC set on the house. Kobi, Brady, Braden, and Tyler spearheaded an effort to fill the house and strengthen the group by the end of Spring to secure a future for the chapter.

This effort was not in vain.

By the end of Spring 2024, the colony stabilized. Problematic members and infighting became a bad, but distant, memory. Grades rose, and executive officers were no longer just good talkers who had no plans. The house was filled, and the colony sat at 50 members.

YOUR LEGACY

Delta Chi remains the youngest and most successful expansion to Illinois State's Interfraternity Council. We continuously recruit all calendar year. If you are an undergraduate, or parent of an undergraduate interested in creating your legacy at Illinois State, fill out our Recruitment Form to be contacted by our Directors of Recruitment.

Born Proud, Raised Proud.

Timeline and Locations