Beta Delta History
Provided from The History of Beta Delta Chapter, Third Edition. (Craig M. Collins - Alpha Class 1986, Jon S. Messier - Gamma Class 1987, Rudy J. Garcia - Tau Class 1994)

The Beta Delta Chapter of Pi Kappa Alpha is not only the first fraternity on the University of New Mexico campus; it is also the first in the entire state. What began as a social club called the Yum Yum Boys before the turn of the century evolved into the Alpha Alpha Alpha Fraternity. It was the Tri-Alpha Fraternity, in conjunction with then-university president William G. Tight that designed and built the historic landmark known around campus and the world as the Estufa. On May 22, 1915, Tri-Alpha was Absorbed into the Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity, and into the history books. The Beta Delta Chapter of Pi Kappa Alpha is the only chapter of any fraternity in the world that has its chapter building separated from the rest of the house.

The Beginning of the Yum-Yum Society
"Around 1898. A group of men sat under a grove of trees to eat their lunch. These men were known for being the university's rowdiest students. The group banded together to form the Yum-Yum Society. The Yum-Yum's were notorious for trying to get other students lunches during the lunch break. Yum-Yum is the euphonious name of a recent organization among the boys. Judging from the initiation exercises it will require well seasoned material to ensure the ceremonial features of the new society." (Albuquerque Democrat November 25, 1900)

The Yum-Yum Society (also known as the Yum-Yum boys) had become a complete club by the turn of the century. They held meetings with officers and still continued their tradition of eating lunch under the grove trees (the grove, by then, was called the "Yum-Yum Trees"). The Yum-Yum's "rough housing" tended to occur during the beginning of the semester and tapered off as the semester progressed. Rough housing is the term that was used to describe pranks and games that the Yum-Yum Society played on other students and faculty.

The Yum-Yum's counterpart organization, the Minnehaha's, a group of individuals (mostly females) were constantly at arms with the Yum-Yum Society. The first official meeting of the Yum-Yum Society took place in April 1903. Their objective was to regulate student life on campus. In September of 1903 the Yum-Yum Society would become the Tri-Alpha Fraternity.

The Formation of Alpha Alpha Alpha
Under the direction of Dr. Tight (Who later became an honorary member) on Thursday night September 3, 1903, the Yum-Yum Society reorganized and hence forward would be known as the Tri-Alpha Fraternity. "This fraternity is the first one to be organized in this institution and promises to be very successful in its first year's work." The Tri-Alpha Fraternity would hold the university's first "Fraternity Rush Party and first Fraternity Formal Dance"

The Decision to Become a National Fraternity
"It is nice to have a local fraternity, but we wanted to go big time and become a national fraternity." (Charles Lembke). The idea of a national fraternity had been on the minds of Tri-Alpha for several years but the right national fraternity had not come along.

During the 1914 Christmas break, John Emmons went home to Alabama. While there, he attended a national convention of Pi Kappa Alpha. Emmons was so impressed with the convention, that he returned to Tri-Alpha with the belief that he had found a national fraternity with which to affiliate.

The Alpha Alpha Alpha Fraternity of the University of New Mexico, the oldest fraternity in the institution, was signally honored on May 22, 1915, just after the close of the college year, by being granted a charter in Pi Kappa Alpha, one of the largest national fraternities in the country, taking the name of the Beta Delta Chapter.

The founder's of the Beta Delta Chapter are (in order of initiation)

John Jefforson Emmons
Paul Dieckman
Nelson F. Newman
Joseph Edward McCanna
Raymond McCanna
Howard R. Fullerton
Floyd Willard Lee
Glenn l. Emmons
George Leroy Pinney

The Estufa, as it is commonly known, has stood for Pike on the University of New Mexico campus for over 90 years, and currently serves as our chapter metting place. The Estufa was completed after two years' work in 1908 by then-UNM president, William G. Tight, and members of the imfamous local fraternity, AAA. Upon completion, the AAA fraternity was to be initiated into the bonds of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity of which Tight was a member. Instead, however, the AAA's took the key and went merrily on their way to becomming the Beta Delta chapter of Pi Kappa Alpha on May 22, 1915.

Since then, the Estufa has survived an internal gas explosion that injured three pikes, three attempts by other fraternities to drive their cars through it, and countless attempts by other Greeks and non-Greeks to find out what is inside.

Here it stands, however, through blazing sun in the summer and freezing temperatures in the winter. The Estufa remains a local icon even after March 2, 1995, when a Chevy Impala driven by a less than competent 70 year old man careened off of University boulevard and inexplicably impaled itself in the triangular section of the building. The blow was the worst that the Estufa had ever taken becuase the impact of the car shifted the walls on their foundations.

As a result of the March 2 incident, the Estufa, with the invaluable help of the Webber brothers, John (theta class) and Will (Mu class), was repaired to its original state of splendor.

The Estufa and its New Mexican-Indian design was largely responsible for the trend in architecture that we now know as, "southwestern." The original design comes from the Indian building known as a Kiva, a meeting room. The name Estufa was adopted in the sixties when American Indians protested not only the prostitution of their design, but the Indian name for the building as well. The name Estufa is Spanish for 'stove.' If you want to know why we call it that, you had better just come and have a look for yourself.

Exerpt written by Larry Krantz