The DKE "Shant" is a DKE fraternity building on William Street, designed by architect William LeBaron Jenney and dedicated in 1879. It was the first fraternity building on the U of Michigan campus. The building renovation in 1971 was managed by Wilfred Casgrain, a member of the class of 1918.
Gerald Ford was a member of this fraternity, and the building contains Ford memorabilia.
History: http://www.umdke.com/history/
Photos w/commentary
- http://www.flickr.com/photos/i_am_jacques_strappe/126622569/
- http://www.flickr.com/photos/urbanoasis/457143464/
Timeline
- October 2014: The Shant building was listed for lease in 2014, but no information on any transaction has yet been made public. Article on MLive: http://www.mlive.com/business/ann-arbor/index.ssf/2014/10/historic_dke_shant_building_on.html
- Michigan Daily story (2006): http://www.michigandaily.com/content/hidden-history-611-12-withstands-time-president-and-fraternity
As for the derivation of the term "the Shant", DKE Executive Director David K. Easlick Jr., said: "Nobody has any idea what that means. The idea was to make it very mysterious. But the (official) name of the building is the Hall of Omicron."
- 1971: Building renovated
- 1879: DKE Shant built
A former Shant manager (Omicron 1985) asserts the name is (via Middle English Sh-Sch-Sk-Ch) related to "Chantry" as related to a guild chapel. Chantries were known as providers of education to the poor in their communities, each endowed to support learned men who provided ongoing recognition of their benefactors through ritual song and prayers for their everlasting souls. Thus the Hall of Omicron is the guild chapel, or Shant, for the members. Each chapter of Delta Kappa Epsilon could have a chapel hall separate from its dormitory, as has Omicron chapter.
