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Who We Are
Ideally located near campus on historic Waldron Street, Acacia is among the most highly regarded and sought after fraternities at Purdue University. Acacia is unique among mens college fraternities.
With a Greek word for our name instead of the typical two to three Greek letters found in other organizations, Acacia offers a membership experience that is similarly unique. Acacia's members are campus and community leaders deeply engaged in extracurricular activities, service, student government, the arts, sports and of course, academics.
A highly active and diverse alumni Board of Directors oversee both a culture that nurtures aspiring scholars and leaders and stands behind an historically significant chapter house that is among the most competitive in Purdue's Greek System.
Our History
Founded on October 11, 1907. Acacia was the 14th Greek fraternity at Purdue and the 15th chapter of the (now international) Acacia Fraternity organization. The chapter will celebrate its 120th anniversary in the fall of 2027. 2,205 men have been initiated into Purdue Acacia since its founding.
Acacia is unique among college social fraternities because of a shared heritage and close ties with the world’s oldest and largest fraternity, Freemasonry. From its founding in 1904 at the University of Michigan until 1933, only Masons were eligible for membership in Acacia. The fraternity’s ritual and percepts today remain heavily anchored in Masonic principles and tenets, including those of brotherhood, service to others, and the pursuit of wisdom and truth.
The charter members of Purdue Acacia consisted of twenty-five men, eighteen undergraduates and seven faculty members. Some of the latter were instrumental in shaping the Purdue’s formative years. Among them:
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Stanley Coulter – Secretary of the Faculty from 1892 to 1926, Dean of the School of Science from 1907 to 1926, and Purdue’s first dean of men.
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John Skinner – Dean of the School of Agriculture from 1907 to 1939, and widely considered a pioneer in American agricultural education.
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Thomas Alford – Professor of Mathematics from 1892 to 1917, and, along with David Ross, regarded as the father of the Purdue Memorial Union which served as a model for unions across the nation.
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Ervin Ferry – Professor and chairman of the physics department from 1899 to 1930.
Purdue Acacia has owned and operated two chapter houses in West Lafayette since 1911. The first was located at 427 State Street, directly across the street from the
Purdue Union. The new Mitchell E. Daniels School of Business building,
now under construction, will sit precisely on the footprint of the former Acacia chapter. house at 427 State Street.
During that 'era' two Acacians would later serve as governors of Indiana: Harry Guyer Leslie (1929-1933) and Paul Vories McNutt (1933-1937).
To make way for the new Krannert School of Management building, Acacia gave up the house in 1959 and two other nearby properties to Purdue, and in return gained ownership of the former A. P. Terry House, located at 608 Waldron Street.
Our Vision
Create, nurture, and sustain a dynamic and distinctive fraternity brotherhood committed to lifelong personal and professional growth, excellence in campus leadership, academic achievement, and human service within and beyond Purdue University’s campus boundaries.
Our Mission
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Create a values-driven and achievement-focused community that nurtures each member’s overall leadership and academic, professional, and personal growth - empowering brothers to become the best possible versions of themselves.
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Embrace our core values of integrity, respect, diversity, responsibility, and service,
enabling Acacia brothers to become trailblazers at Purdue and leaders in life. -
Strive to create meaningful and beneficial changes in the world through leadership, service, and mentoring.
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Foster lifetime skills and close-knit friendships that stand the test of time.
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Demonstrate and be regarded as "excellently different." Stand widely recognized as one of the most highly respected, sought-after, and preeminent fraternities at Purdue University.
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And, above all, seek the truth, and knowing it, to give light to those with whom we may be associated as we travel life's pathway.
