Rho Prime Chapter History
The following information was provided by Brother Willaim R. Wickham, Historian, at the reinstallation of Rho Prime Chapter on February 26, 1994.
One hundred ten years ago, a young man of twenty years was serving as the principal assistant to his father, the owner of a local newspaper called the Signal, in Dahlonega, Georgia, famous for its gold mines in an earlier time. Edward Lee Sutton's education had been the sort a boy gets from a cultured father in the surroundings of a country newspaper office. We are told he never went to school a day in his life. However, as a young man in the community he associated with the students at North Georgia Agricultural College. Sigma Alpha Epsilon and Sigma Nu were already on the campus, yet Ed Sutton and his friends at the college believed that the introduction of a third fraternity chapter might be a good thing.
How Sutton and the students learned about Kappa Sigma is not known, but they decided this was the fraternity they wanted to petition. After some correspondence, Sutton went to Lynchburg, Virginia, where, on February 11, 1885, Worthy Grand Master William H. Inglesby, Worthy Grand Procurator Stephen Alonzo Jackson and John Humes of Omicron Chapter initiated and instructed him.
At this meeting, Sutton himself wrote in later years, he asked why the Fraternity did not publish a paper that would give full and complete information concerning the Fraterntiy and its organization.
Sutton carried back to Dahlonega a Constitution and a Charter for Rho Chapter, and on February 20, 1885, he initiated seven men to formally place Kappa Sigma on the North Georgia campus. But Sutton kept in close touch with Inglesby and Jackson and probably attended the 1885 Grand Conclave in Lynchburg, where his earlier suggestion for a publication became a reality with the establishment of the Kappa Sigma Quarterly, a magazine which later was renamed The Caduceus of Kappa Sigma. Before the year was over, Sutton moved to Atlanta, assisted Jackson in the preparation of the 1885 Catalogue and in 1886 was appointed to fill the vacancy in the office of Worthy Grand Scribe of Kappa Sigma.
In 1887, Sutton sponsored the establishment of Alpha Chapter at Emory College in Oxford, Georgia, and when his term as W.G.S. ended at the Nashville Grand Conclave in 1887, was named Editor of the magazine he inspired, Kappa Sigma Quarterly, where he served for three years.
Meanwhile, at Rho Chapter, and without Sutton's immediate presence, the little brotherhood added between one and six new members each year, a total of 32 men, until 1891 when the chapter became inactive.
Sutton remained involved in Kappa Sigma affairs and was the principal founder of the Atlanta Alumni Chapter in 1902, which continues to be one of the most active alumni chapters. From 1906 to 1910 he served as District Grand Master for Georgia, Florida, and Alabama. Ed Sutton was then recalled to serve another term, which lasted until 1915, as Editor of The Caduceus.
Rho Chapter's founder died in 1951 in Clarkston, Georgia, where he had taught high school for many years. In 1963, his chapter's name was given to a new chapter at Arizona State University, which had requested a single-letter name. At that time, no one imagined that Kappa Sigma would ever return to North Georgia.
In 1992 that assumption was proven most erroneous. The interest group which became a Kappa Sigma colony that year has struggled, prospered and grown and today has been restored as one of Kappa Sigma's most historic chapters. In keeping with tradition, this chapter resumes its place as the 21st chapter on the Roll of Chapters and takes as its new name, "Rho Prime,"signifying, "the first Rho Chapter." Thus, our youngest chapter is also one of our oldest - 109 years old - with all its 31 original brothers in the Chapter Celestial.
Principal of all of these is Ed Sutton, the chapter's founder. It is therefore my great honor and priviledge to present to the Grand Master of Rho Prime Chapter, a portrait of your great founder, to hang in a place of honor and prominence, demonstrating your chapter's contribution to Kappa Sigma leadership since 1885. Beneath the picture the caption reads: Ëdward Lee Sutton, Founder of Rho Prime Chapter, 1885 and 1910-1915; Worthy Grand Scribe, 1886-1887." I hope you will display it with pride, for it also represents the pride Kappa Sigma takes in you, our newest brothers.
But Ed Sutton was an important early leader for all Kappa Sigma. Therefore, it is my honor to present a duplicate of this portrait to our Worthy Grand Master for placement at International Memorial Headquarters in Charlottesville. Brother Baumann, Ed Sutton contributed to the growth and development of Kappa Sigma; returning his chapter to the active role is a joy for us all!"
The Brothers of Rho Prime Chapter would like to send a special thanks to Bill Wickham for providing us with such a detailed insight into our Chapter's history.
A.E.K.D.B.!