The purpose of Triangle is to develop balanced men in the fields of Engineering, Architecture and Science by providing an environment which fosters personal growth and professional success.
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What is Triangle?
In a word, Triangle is a home, a family-like atmosphere. The word "fraternity" implies Brotherhood, a close group of friends sharing common interests that often live together. Triangle provides an excellent place for students in technical fields to satisfy the many needs of college life.
Since the first social fraternity was founded in 1776, college fraternities and sororities have grown, built upon the foundation of serving the student and his or her Alma Mater. In the chapter home of the fraternity, there is an opportunity to supplement the teachings of the classroom. In Triangle, the student learns lessons of group living, personality and character development, in an atmosphere designed for fullest benefit to the individual. Triangle, thus, provides a bridge between academic life and a career, as well as a foundation for success in the years after college.
Triangle limits its membership to students majoring in engineering, architecture, and the sciences. Thus, Triangle is unique in the North-American Interfraternity Conference, being the only member fraternity that selects its membership from these majors. This is done to draw together outstanding men with similar course work and career goals.
There are many reasons for joining a fraternity. The chief reason for joining Triangle is the friendship of the members you meet and come to know. Underlying it all will be the knowledge that you can follow the trail blazed by Triangle's outstanding members to leadership in the field of your choice.
You may ask, "What are Triangle's Greek letters?" Unlike most other social fraternities, Triangle does not have a Greek letter name. This is one point that makes Triangle stand out in contrast with other fraternities on its campuses. While some students may have problems sorting one name from another, Triangle is easy to recognize as the only national fraternity for students in Engineering, Architecture and Science. The universal symbol for Triangle Fraternity is the Delta-T.
Triangle has a lot to offer academically, socially, and athletically. Preparing yourself for your future career and achieving Academic success are your primary goal at the university. Even so, Social Participation provides an enhancement from the busy and challenging college curriculum. Athletics are important because they encourage physical ability as well as competition and cooperation.
Triangle understands the balance between these and strives to attain a level of excellence in each of the three areas while maintaining a friendly, comfortable atmosphere where lifelong friendships can be made.
For more information about Triangle Fraternity as a national organization, you can visit the Triangle Fraternity National Website.
Triangle's beginnings at UWM stretch all the way back to 1939, when a local engineering group named Sigma Delta Omega (ΣΔΩ) formed at Milwaukee's University of Wisconsin downtown extension. It operated there until 1965 when science programs were moved to the new buildings on the Kenwood campus. Up until that time the sciences had only a two year program and most members transferred to Madison to finish their degrees.
It was decided in 1961 to expand ΣΔΩ to Madison, so Brothers who went on could retain their membership. Upon learning of this, the Triangle chapter in Madison offered a program to incorporate ΣΔΩ into Triangle. The Milwaukee group would operate as a branch of the Triangle chapter in Madison. It didn't take long for ΣΔΩ to warm to the idea of being part of a national organization.
Sigma Delta Omega became part of Triangle in 1961. Even with this new status, it was difficult to stabilize membership with only a two year program. A truly solid organization did not materialize until 1968. A major turnaround in the 1968-'69 school year came after a very strong showing at the annual Campus Carnival. After not participating in the events for six years, Triangle took second place in fraternities overall and received the awards for highest grade point average and most improved fraternity. Membership increased, as did an interest in becoming independent from Madison. Triangle at UW-Milwaukee received its own charter on April 11, 1970, making it the thrity-first Chapter of Triangle Fraternity.
Miscellaneous Highlights
- March 17, 1972 saw the establishment of one of our Chapter's oldest traditions, the St. Patrick's Day celebration.
- UWM has hosted two of Triangle's National Conventions: the 59th (1979) and the 63rd (1987).
- In a bit of noteriety, the Alpha Pi pledge class "aquired" the long established Tau Kappa Epsilon rock from its resting place outside of Bolton Hall in the spring of 1987. Accomplished during the TKE's yearly Founder's Day festivities, the Pledges broke a winch and an axle of the flatbed used in the process.
- In January of 1992, the Chapter closed on a mortgage of their most recent fraternity house at 3431 N. Oakland Ave.
- Ellison Onizuka colo69
- Was a Space Shuttle crew member. He flew on Discovery as a mission specialist in January 1985 and lost his life in the Challenger accident in January 1986. The United States Air Force's Onizuka Air Station was located in Sunnyvale, CA. (The station is now closed). An episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation mentions a fictional shuttlecraft named after Brother Onizuka.
- Frank R. McCabe marq50
- Won a medal in the Olympic Games. He was a member of the U.S. Olympic basketball squad which won the gold medal in 1952.
- Fred R. Kappel minn23
- Was the first person to communicate by telphone via satellite, in phone conversation with President Johnson.
- Jim Geringer ks64
- Served two terms as governor of Wyoming from 1995 to 2003.
- Jay Hammond ps41
- Served two terms as Governor of Alaska from 1975 to 1983.
- Steven L. Miller ill64
- Was chairman, president, and CEO of Shell Oil Company from 1999 to 2002. He began his career with Shell in 1967.
- Edward McCracken is64
- Was president and CEO of Silicon Graphics, whose graphics computers are used for everything from animation in Star Wars to car modeling at GM.
- Fred R. Kappel minn23
- Served as Chairman of the Board of AT&T from 1962 to 1969.
- Michael Morhaime ucla85
- Is the co-founder and President of Blizzard Entertainment, maker of the popular Warcraft and Diablo computer games.
- Robert S. Mayo ar24
- Wrote much of the entry for tunneling in the Encyclopedia Britannica.
- Forrest L. Dowling wis60
- Was one of 11 Americans who reached the South Pole overland in January 1961.
- Reinaldo Chohfi ucla85asc
- Has been credited with the discovery of Maranpampa, a large Inca city in Peru.
- Robert B. Martin pur24
- Was given the first Distinguished Service Medal awarded in Korea in 1951.
- Richard Conklin ill44
- Watched the test of the first Atomic Bomb. He and several other Triangles worked on the Manhattan Project and witnessed the test of the first atom bomb.
- Tom Graham lou45
- Served as president of two steel companies: USX and Armco Steel in Ohio. He has also served as chairman of the board of AK Steel.
Adopt-A-Highway
Our chapter's main ongoing service project is the Adopt-A-Highway program. We clean up a mile-long stretch of highway on Brown Deer Road, a few miles north of Milwaukee. The stretch is around where 76th Street crosses Brown Deer Road. As per the Wisconsin Department of Transportation's regulations, we are to clean up the highway at least three times per year. We try to make this a community event, and anyone who wants to help out is definitely invited to do so.
» Highway Pickup Handbook (Microsoft Word Document)
To learn more about Wisconsin's "Adopt-A-Highway" program, please click the sign below:
RAK-A-Thon
Each semester, the UWM chapter participates in the RAK-a-thon service event through the UWM Center for Volunteerism & Student Leadership. RAK stands for "Random Acts of Kindness" and involves helping elderly homeowners in the Milwaukee area winterize their homes. This includes raking leaves, putting up storm windows, painting porches, trimming shrubbery, etc. This is a really great way to give back directly to the community and the people we meet are very interesting. Click here to read a press release about the RAK-a-thon.
As a treat to students on their first day of classes, Triangle decided to give away coffee to students as they passed by the house on their way to class. It was a fun time, even though many students walking by had already had their morning coffee, or didn't drink it to begin with. We are considering doing this more often either at the Triangle house or our office in the EMS.
