In the fall of 1985, the University of Southern Indiana was going to receive its independence from Indiana State University-Evansville and the campus was predicting a student population explosion.  The Office of Student Life wanted to expand the Greek system and formed a committee consisting of students, staff, professors, and alumni to find the best Fraternity and Sorority to join the university.  After many presentations and debates from Greek Societies, the committee decided on Alpha Gamma Delta Women’s Fraternity and Phi Delta Theta Fraternity. The decision was based on strength of the fraternity’s organization, the number of alumni residing in the region, and the values and principles of the fraternity.

Brothers Roy C. Cobb (CPA) and Kevin Weirthwine were contacted to take on the roles of the alumni and colony advisors for Indiana Lambda colony. On October 2, 1985 Phi Delta Theta Chapter Consultant Jim Harvey stepped on the campus of the newly formed University of Southern Indiana, and recruited and interviewed eligible young men to become the first members of the Phi Delta Theta Colony. With 22 new recruits, the pledging of the members and the installation of the Indiana Lambda Colony took place on Sunday, October 12, 1985 in the USI University Center.

After taking the campus by a storm, the Founding Fathers immediately made an impact by participating in the Lambda Chi Pumpkin Bust, hosting the USI Halloween Madness Casino Night, placing high in the Student Life Window Painting contest, and volunteering with the Christmas at the Zoo at Mesker Park Zoo. By spring time in 1986, Phi Delta Theta Colony, was growing and determined to go beyond the expectations of the other established fraternities and sororities.

In less than a year on Saturday, October 11, 1986, Indiana Lambda Colony was installed as a Chapter becoming the 11 chapter in Indiana.  The ceremonies were held at Salem United Methodist Church with 34 active members and Phikeia.  Indiana Lambda became one of the quickest to become a chapter in the history of Phi Delta Theta.

What is Bond #001 doing now?

A 1987 graduate of the University of Southern Indiana with a BS in Communications is the Founding President of Indiana Lambda.  For 10 years, he was an Instructor in Communications at USI while serving as a Faculty Advisor for Phi Delta Theta.  Recently, Marc developed and facilitated the 2007 Indiana Lambda Spring workshop and was a Faculty member for the Emerging Leaders Institute at Oxford, Ohio over the summer.  Marc received his Masters of Arts in Organizational Communications from Murray State University and is currently on sabbatical from studying for his Doctorate in Organizational Development at Louisiana State University.