The Wisconsin Chapter of Delta Upsilon

The Wisconsin Chapter of Delta Upsilon was established on May 6, 1885, when a charter was issued to Ambrose Paré Winston, Frederick Whitton and six other young men dedicated to carrying on Delta Upsilon’s founding tradition of non-secrecy.

For the first five years, the chapter met at the Keyes Block, an office building located at the corner of Carroll and Hamilton streets on the capitol square. By 1890, the fledgling chapter had moved into a house on the southeast corner of Lake and State streets, when State Street was residential homes from Gilman to Park Street at the foot of Bascom Hill.

In 1904, a parcel of land was purchased at the end of Frances Street on the shore of Lake Mendota and construction of a chapter house began in 1905. One year later, in 1906, the Wisconsin Chapter of Delta Upsilon moved into its new, permanent home at 644 North Frances Street. The house was designed by Ferdinand Kronenberg and JTW Jennings, who also designed UW’s Agriculture Hall. It was constructed at a cost of $7,000 on a parcel of land valued at $2,600 (a total cost of $276,000 in 2020 dollars), with a great deal of help from Paul Binzel ’02. The red brick Tudor building with its distinctive Flemish gables was designated as a Historical Landmark in 1988 by the Madison Landmarks Commission. 

Renovations

DU alumni have funded several renovations of the chapter house. The first known renovation occurred in 1936-37. Between 1958 and 1962, the interior of the house was entirely remodeled. Another renovation occurred in 1993. Most recently, in 2013, $2.2 million was invested to completely modernize and refurbish the house and bring it into compliance with the building code for fire suppression – an endeavor made possible by the selfless generosity of John Morgridge (’55), and contributions from hundreds of other Wisconsin DU alumni.

More than a thousand Wisconsin DUs have lived in the chapter house over its 115-year history, each of them with his own memories and stories from his time living in “The House.” Many of these men have gone on to have successful careers in business, finance, education and the military. They include John Morgridge (’55), retired chairman of Cisco Systems; Col. Brewster H. Shaw (’67), astronaut and commander of two Space Shuttle flights; Capt. Malcolm P. Branch (’69), commanding officer of the U.S.S. George Washington; and Harvey Kuenn (’54), major league baseball player, AL Rookie of the Year in 1953 and manager of the Milwaukee Brewers. Others were successful as well, and devoted their lives to supporting, advising and serving the Wisconsin Chapter. Among these men were George Knutsen (‘31), Gordon F. Day (’41) and Edward M. Hipke (’56).

Delta Upsilon has persevered through many changes in its nearly 140 years at the University of Wisconsin. Membership has ebbed and flowed with the changing times, but the chapter has endured with the guidance and support of its alumni and their commitment to working with the ever-changing group of talented and inspiring young men who carry on the traditions and the spirit of Delta Upsilon at the University of Wisconsin.

Dikaia Upotheke and On, Wisconsin!