Keeping in mind the history of the National Kappa Sigma Fraternity and its government which is headed by the Supreme Executive Committee (SEC), it is possible to look at the history of the Beta-Nu Chapter.  At the ninth Biennial Grand Conclave held in Baltimore, MD from December 31, 1890 through January 2, 1891, Herbert M. Martin was elected Worthy Grand Scribe, a position which he would hold for 28 years.  Durring the two decades that followed, 58 chapters were added to Kappa Sigma, 51 of which remain today.  Brother Martin's efforts would prove to be crucial to the eventual chartering of Beta-Nu on April 5, 1901.  But to fully understand the fragile nature of Beta-Nu throughout its history, we must follow the chartering and subsequent revocation of the charter of the Alpha Omicron Chapter at what now is Transylvania University in Lexington, Kentucky.

     The church-sponsored Transylvania Seminary was founded as the first university west of the Allegheny Mountains in 1783, which subsequently graduated Mr. Jefferson Davis, the only honorary Kappa Sigma.  Transylvania merged with Kentucky University immediately following the Civil War in order to avoid being closed for lack of funds to repair war damages.  The new institution took the name of Kentucky University.  In 1878, the scientific and technical branch of the University separated from Kentucky State Agricultural and Mechanical College (KSC, now the University of Kentucky).  From this point on, Kentucky University was viewed as the more prestigious of the two institutions, requiring two years of Greek and Latin, along with one year of French, German, English, Mathematics, History, and Philosophy of each of its freshmen prior to acceptance.  If a Kappa Sigma charter was to come to Lexington in the 1890s, it would be at Kentucky University, since the men were thought to be of higher quality.

     In the early 1890s there was still a faculty rule at KU which prohibited greek-letter fraternities.  The Kappa Alpha fraternity, however, had been functioning "sub-rosa" (undercover) for years at KU, and along with Sigma Chi was firmly established at Kentucky State (UK) where fraternities were permitted.  Since the atmosphere seemed to be getting more favorable towards fraternities at KU and with the intense alumni support of John T. Green (Chi chapter, Purdue University) who was living in Frankfort, the SEC granted a charter to the Alpha Omicron Chapter of Kappa Sigma at KU at September 7, 1894.  The official recognition was not celebrated, however, until two years later at a banquet held for members of Kappa Alpha, Kappa Sigma, and Sigma Chi, after the Board of Curators voted to accept greek-lettered fraternities.  Green viewed AO Chapter as the flagship of Kappa Sigma through which chapters could later be installed at KSC (UK), Central University (EKU), and Centre College.

     By the turn of the century the character of the students at KSC began to look more favorable to Kappa Sigma.  Wood Ballard, one of the charter members of AO, took on the task in March of 1900 of getting a chapter established at KSC.  It was not approved by the SEC because certain members still viewed it as an inferior institution.  The men who were seeking to start the chapter kept their interest in Kappa Sigma, despite being denied a charter, and joined the AO chapter at KU (Transylvania).  But this arrangement would only be temporary.

     Throughout the period from 1896 to 1900 the AO chapter was at a disadvantage compared to the KA's, who had a strong Lexington alumni and a fellow chapter at Kentucky State College to strengthen the fraternal ties.  As early as 1897, AO had money problems which fostered a sense of apathy among its membership by the spring of 1901 AO had accumulated such a debt both in Lexington and to the National Fraternity, that there was neither the will nor the power to repay it.  Appeals to Alpha Omicron alumni went unanswered, and the Charter was surrendered in February of 1901.

     Given the inevitable surrender of AO's charter, along with the intense pressure of WGS Herbert M Martin, Wood Ballard, the Kentucky State College President Patterson, the SEC voted to grant Beta-Nu a charter at Kentucky State College on April 5, 1901.  As John E. Brown (then GS of AO though attending KSC, and later the first GM of Beta-Nu) expressed his sentiments to the WGT Stanley Martin who had been holding out in granting a charter, "We are not petitioners for the relief of AO, but for a charter.  "After a year of sitting in limbo, the Kappa Sigs at Kentucky State College had a chapter.

     By November of 1901, Beta-Nu was still shaky, with only five members returning, while most of the other six fraternities had between ten and fifteen members each.  But Brown argued to Martin that "we can get plenty of men, but we want quality not quantity".  But in the spring of 1903 Brown could report to Martin that "In my last year in college and as an active member of Beta-Nu, I am gratified indeed when I see what progress the chapter, for which you and I fought so hard, in making.  "And later:  "Beta-Nu is certainly at the top of Kentucky State College now and I can see no reason why Beta-Nu should stay there".

     By 1909, Beta-Nu had fallen into a routine whereby it was an average Kappa Sigma chapter that had the potential to be much better.  In 1912 an architect was commissioned to design a chapter house.  Alumni interest was weak, that the project was later abandoned.  The chapter resolved itself to living in whatever sort of housing that could be rented.

     By 1927, the Chapter had accumulated a debt to a local grocery chain which amounted to over $600.00.  Though not a great sum, the Chapter's inability to repay it paralyzed its activity, while setting a dangerous pattern which Alpha Omicron had fallen into 27 years earlier.  Serious financial problems plagued the Chapter until J.R. "Babe" Kimbrough (Beta-Nu, 1923) took on the finances of the chapter as his responsibility.  In 1931, Beta-Nu had accumulated a $3,200.00 debt and was generally not well respected on campus.  By 1935, however, the Chapter was debt-free with a standing balance of $500.00 in the bank and in 1936 UK President McVey was able to report that out of 18 national fraternities represented on campus, Kappa Sigma was the best both academically and socially.  Though small, Beta-Nu was a model chapter.

     In October of 1936 Kimbrough, Professor Funkhauser (Alpha-Pi chapter, Wabash College), and others worked to secure a loan of $10,000 whereby Beta-Nu was able to buy its first house on Broadway.  The house was considered by the District Grand Master to be a steal at $8,500.00, and with $1,500.00 in improvements it was a far cry from the housing which had been rented in the past.  But by the late 1940s when the loan was paid off, deterioration and overcrowding demanded that the Chapter look for a new house.  Finally, in 1953 a University sponsored project whereby six fraternities houses would eventually be constructed, provided Beta-Nu with "the Lodge" at 460 Hilltop Avenue.  Like the house on Broadway had been in 1936 compared to its predecessor, 460 Hilltop Avenue was a big step up for the chapter.

     With the close of WWII, the mission of the nation's colleges changed, as did the nature of college fraternities.  The initiation of aid programs such as the GI bill after WWII, along with other forms of federal aid during the 1960s and 1970s, have combined to increase the number of people in college, and thus in fraternities.  Between 1901 and 1944, Beta-Nu initiated an average of 7.7 members per year.  Since 1945, however, the average has jumped to around 20 members per year.  Though the scale on which fraternity business is conducted has grown to meet changing demands, intiated members of Kappa Sigma have a common historic concern for the ability of members to remain in school because of grades, money, chapter finances, rushing, housing, social life, and the ritual.  It should always be remembered that because of a large standing debt that resulted from individual members failiing to pay their share, Alpha-Omicron chapter lost its charter in 1901 and Beta-Nu quite nearly repeated teh same disaster 30 years later.  In the early days of Beta-Nu, competition with such fraternities as Sigma Chi and Kappa Alpha for prospective members was intense and lasted all year.

     Beta-Nu ran into another turning point in the Fall of 1995 with severe allegations of hazing.  Eventhough the Chapter presented its case the school initally decided to kick the chapter out of the house and off the registered social groups with the University for 3 years.  After a couple of appeals the time was reduced to 1 1/2 years.  During the 1 1/2 year ban off campus membership dropped from 80-100 members befor the incident to roughly 30-45 members for those years off campus.  The chapter survived with bringing new members by recruiting very close friends of the current brothers to join the fraternity.  During the Fall 1996 through the Spring 1998 semesters another fraternity did rent the lodge while we were not allowed to live there.  Then in the Fall of 1998 we retook over the Lodge at 460 Hilltop and quickly restored our strength in numbers by having a very large pledge class. 

    The chapter, ever since this last turning point, has been growing rapidly and continues to be one of the top 20 chapters in all of Kappa Sigma in new recruitment of Brothers.