Fraternities Founded Here After Civil War
The national boards of directors and senior leadership of three of America’s foundational college fraternities — Alpha Tau Omega, Kappa Alpha Order, and Sigma Nu — gathered earlier this month for a joint summit held in Roanoke and Lexington.
This rare meeting, which took place May 1–3, celebrated the enduring legacy and collective impact of these three men’s fraternities, known as the Lexington Fraternity Triad.
The Triad shares a common origin in Lexington’s academic institutions during the turbulent years following the Civil War. Alpha Tau Omega and Sigma Nu were both founded at the Virginia Military Institute, while Kappa Alpha Order traces its roots to Washington College, now Washington and Lee University.
This year’s summit marked the fourth formal joint meeting of the fraternities’ governing boards, with previous gatherings held in Lexington (1983, 2009) and Washington, D.C. (2017). The program included joint and individual board meetings, featured speakers, campus tours, and receptions — all designed to honor their shared values and deepen interfraternal collaboration, said a spokesman. -The summit opened at the Hotel Roanoke with a joint dinner, and following breakfast the next day, the assembled leadership heard remarks from featured presenters including: Dr. Dawn Wiese, COO of FRMT and expert in fraternity research, student conduct and risk management; Mike Howell, executive director of The Oversight Project at The Heritage Foundation and member of Kappa Alpha Order, and; Kevin O’Neill, top federal lobbyist and fraternal advocate from Arnold & Porter.
Following these sessions, the delegation traveled to Lexington for a day steeped in heritage. A luncheon was held at the Sigma Nu Headquarters’ Spears Family Epsilon Epsilon Center for Excellence. A highlight was a keynote address by Keith Gibson, executive director of the VMI Museum System and renowned university historian. Gibson offered a presentation on Lexington’s significance in the founding of all three Triad organizations, connecting their historical narratives to broader themes of honor and post-war reconciliation.
Attendees toured VMI’s Post and Museum, the George C. Marshall Foundation Library, and key sites at Washington and Lee University, including the Colonnade and University Chapel. A ceremonial group photo was taken at the Triad Marker, located on the institutional border of W&L and VMI — first dedicated by the boards’ predecessors in 1983.
Kappa Alpha Order hosted the evening dinner at its own National Administrative Office at Mulberry Hill. Both Sigma Nu and Kappa Alpha Order are headquartered in Lexington. Alpha Tau Omega is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. At the dinner, Mayor Frank Friedman presented a proclamation and declared May 3 the “Lexington Triad Day.” -The Triad fraternities together represent over 500,000 living alumni and more than 20,000 active undergraduate members across North America.
“Our shared roots in Lexington are more than historic,” said Larry Wiese, executive director of Kappa Alpha Order. “They are the foundation of a vision for American fraternities rooted in honor, virtue, and lifelong brotherhood. This meeting renewed our commitment to that vision — for today’s students and future generations.”
