Gamma Rho - Lambda Chi Alpha

I am a member of Lambda Chi Alpha in Norman, OK.  I joined in the Fall of 2011, ever since joining the Fraternity, one of my favorite things is the house.  Fraternities create an opportunity for members to become brothers and to create life long friendships, many of these first opportunities are formed at the house.  I have many fond memories of 904 College, but my involvement with this building goes beyond the memories.

Even before I was initiated I became an officer within the Fraternities leadership and have served as such until this, my senior year.  This responsibility instilled in me, great pride for the members, but also the physical house itself.  I grew up working around my own home with my dad, and I am very familiar with general upkeep and maintenance.  I was able to live in the house for one semester before they temporarily closed the residence for a $3M remodel.  I was involved with the housing corporation, architecture firm, and construction company during the remodel.  I am happy that I was, it allowed me to become even more familiar with the house and how it would work once complete.

The housing corporation considered bulldozing the house and starting new, but Lambda Chi has a strong history within the house.  The house was originally built in 1929 and served as a small veterans hospital, where pre-nursing students often studied.  Soon after, the veterans hospital was decommissioned and Lambda Chi purchased the property.  Lambda Chi at OU has lived nowhere but 904 College, every one of our members have been initiated in that house.  In the 1960's an additional wing was added and renovations were done.  With this kind of history, the housing corp could not justify destroying the landmark every Gamma Rho member remembers.