All six were pre-medical or medical students.[1] Their intention was to create a local-only fraternity for Jewish students.[2]
In 1917, five loosely connected groups (U of Rochester and others created by men who had left Rochester) held a convention in Rochester and set up Kappa Nu as a National Fraternity. By the 1918 convention, Kappa Nu had ten chapters. It continued to add chapters through 1931.[3] Its executive offices were in Rochester, New York.[2]
On October 14, 1961, Kappa Nu's thirteen active chapters voted to merge with Phi Epsilon Pi fraternity.[2] Of these, three chapters declined to participate in the merger at campuses where Phi Epsilon Pi already existed.[2] In 1970, Zeta Beta Tau absorbed Phi Epsilon Pi.[4][2]
Symbols
The badge is a diamond shield displaying a monogram of the Greek letters ΚΝ arranged horizontally along one plane below which is a six-pointed star and above which are קנ (KufNun, the equivalent letters in Hebrew), standing for קשר נעורים or Kesher Neurim ("Ties of Youth").[1]: 54 The jeweled base of the pin is surrounded by twenty pearls with an amethyst set at each of the corners. Its colors were purple and white.[5][4]
As of 1920, the fraternity had a semi-annual publication called Kappa Nu.[5] It also published a magazine, The Reporter, three times a year.[2]
^ abcAnson, Jack L.; Marchenasi, Robert F., eds. (1991) [1879]. Baird's Manual of American Fraternities (20th ed.). Indianapolis, IN: Baird's Manual Foundation, Inc. p. VIII-9–10. ISBN978-0963715906.