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Among the various fraternities and sororities at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, some can be classified as social and others as professional. However, there are a few that are professional and social. One of these is Kappa Eta Kappa (electrical engineering and computer sciences), which has a house on Orchard Street. In either 1952 or 1953, KHK began to accept members with the major qualification for membership being a student in one of the above fields (computer science studies did not exist in the early 50s), regardless of gender, race, religious affiliation or ethnic background. Shortly after I graduated, the only African-American member became the chapter vice president and president, and later the national president. Other than the straight professional version (i.e. HKN), is KHK the only fraternity on campus that has a house and is coed? Was this the first fraternity with a house to become co-ed at UW?

I’m afraid your neighbors on Monroe Street beat you to the punch. Theta Tau, the oldest and largest professional engineering fraternity in the United States, welcomed its first female member in 1977. Kappa Eta Kappa’s first female member was initiated in 1983. Today, both coed fraternities have grown into diverse organizations welcoming a variety of engineering and other science majors from around the globe for professional and social purposes.

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