Pledge and Promise
Celebrating the Bond and Heritage of Fraternity,
Sorority, and Cooperative Life at Purdue University
Pledge and Promise written by Angie Klink documents the important historical significance of fraternity, sorority, and cooperative life at Purdue University. Featuring more than 250 photos, this pictorial volume tells the fascinating stories of how Greek and cooperative organizations have evolved, while honoring their core values since 1875.
Pledge and Promise also highlights a sampling of the people who have contributed and benefited from their associations with these student groups. Featuring heartfelt, inspiring, humorous, and even disheartening accounts, this narrative reveals successes and setbacks.
Greek and cooperative organizations have always offered valuable, life-affirming opportunities and powerful traditions that foster personal growth and lasting career skills.
With this attractive, richly illustrated book, Boilermakers who once called a fraternity, sorority, or cooperative “home” will be reminded of the spirit of fun and the enduring bonds nurtured throughout their formative years at Purdue University.
![Presentation of Charter to Delta Gamma MSP25b007i095 Beta Iota chapter of Delta Gamma receives its charter at Purdue University.](https://angieklink.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Presentation-of-Charter-to-Delta-Gamma-MSP25b007i095-scaled.jpg)
- Foreword by Purdue University Dean of Students Emerita Betty M. Nelson.
- Stories about Neil Armstrong, Janet Armstrong, Ray Ewry, Lyla Vivian Marshall Harcoff, Edward J. Wotawa, John Wooden, Orville C. Redenbacher, Betty Wason, Earl L. Butz, Joanne Alford, Leroy Keyes, and many more.
- Published by Purdue University Dean of Students/Fraternity, Sorority and Cooperative Life Department. Purdue University Press Scholarly Publishing Services.
![Dean of Students Emerita Betty M. Nelson with Greg Poorman 1st wheelchair user to grad from PU Dean of Students Betty M. Nelson with Greg Poorman and his wife,
Marty. Poorman was one of the first student wheelchair users to
graduate from Purdue. In 1978, Phi Kappa Tau devised the idea to help defray costs of making Purdue's campus accessible to all by selling curb cuts. The project was initiated by Poorman and David Huxhold.
Photo courtesy of
Betty M. Nelson](https://angieklink.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/38.-Betty-with-Greg-Poorman-1st-wheelchair-user-to-grad-from-PU-scaled.jpg)
"In Pledge and Promise, Angie Klink has once again created another fascinating record of Purdue history through her ability to weave careful research with the magic of storytelling.
Write on, Angie!"
Betty M. Nelson, Dean of Students Emerita, Purdue University
![Pledge and Promise Table of Contents Pledge and Promise Table of Contents](https://angieklink.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Screen-Shot-2022-04-20-at-8.36.07-AM.png)
"The literary gods smiled when Associate Vice Provost and Dean of Students Katie Sermersheim and Associate Dean of Students Brandon Cutler asked Angie Klink to write the history of Purdue’s Greek organizations and the cooperative houses, stories not told before.
Angie was uniquely positioned to fulfill this challenge. She is a graduate of Purdue’s Brian Lamb School of Communication, and is surrounded by Boilermakers — a husband, two sons, two brothers, a sister, and nieces and nephews. Her father was literally a boilermaker for the railroad before becoming a Purdue graduate and a Boilermaker."
Betty M. Nelson, Dean of Students Emerita, Purdue University
![Sigma Chi stage coach All aboard the Sigma Chi stagecoach!](https://angieklink.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Sigma-Chi-stage-coach-scaled.jpg)
![Twin Pines members porch 2012 Twin Pines members porch 2012](https://angieklink.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Twin-Pines-members-porch-2012.jpeg)
![Shoemaker women Shoe behinds Women from Shoemaker show they are behind their cooperative.](https://angieklink.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Shoemaker-women-Shoe-behinds.jpg)
![Shoemaker close up shot of women and housemother with sign 1940s? MSP25b010i126 Members of Shoemaker Cooperative, originally called Twin Pines, pose with their housemother.](https://angieklink.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Shoemaker-close-up-shot-of-women-and-housemother-with-sign-1940s-MSP25b010i126-scaled.jpg)
![05Ade & Creed 05Ade & Creed](https://angieklink.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/05Ade-Creed.jpg)
![Women co-op students washing dishes 1980s Women co-op students washing dishes 1980s](https://angieklink.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Women-co-op-students-washing-dishes-1980s.jpeg)
![men in co-op preparing mealeating 1930s or 1940s? MSP25b010i070 Chores are shared in cooperative living.](https://angieklink.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/men-in-co-op-preparing-mealeating-1930s-or-1940s-MSP25b010i070-scaled.jpg)
![Delta Sigma Theta Delta Sigma Theta was chartered at Purdue in 1968. --Purdue Debris](https://angieklink.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Delta-Sigma-Theta.jpg)
![Delta Sigma Theta sitting in jackets Delta Sigma Theta sitting in jackets](https://angieklink.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Delta-Sigma-Theta-sitting-in-jackets.jpeg)
![Kappa Sigma house with the homecoming yard art 1961 from HQ Kappa Sigma homecoming display in 1961.](https://angieklink.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Kappa-Sigma-house-with-the-homecoming-yard-art-1961-from-HQ-scaled.jpg)
![Men in room of Sigma Chi RN #6MSA266f001i001 Sigma Chi Brothers.
—Bernie Sergesketter & Ralph Bline](https://angieklink.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Men-in-room-of-Sigma-Chi-RN-6MSA266f001i001-scaled.jpg)
![Phi Kappa Theta van 1970s The Phi Kappa Theta van in the 1970s.](https://angieklink.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Phi-Kappa-Theta-van-1970s.jpg)
![Omega Phi Chi Multicultural Sorority members Members of Omega Phi Chi Multicultural Sorority.](https://angieklink.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Omega-Phi-Chi-Multicultural-Sorority-members.webp)
![Students senior cords Senior cords and canes 1957.](https://angieklink.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Students-senior-cords.jpg)
![Theta Cheerleaders 1966 Theta Cheerleaders 1966](https://angieklink.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Theta-Cheerleaders-1966.jpeg)
![PLedge Class Line Up 1947 Circa 1947. An old tradition was for the pledges to "line Up" in front of the actives after a chapter meeting. They would be questioned on thier knowledge of brtohers bios, chapter history, traditions and other pledge "knowledge." Note the pledge notebooks on the floor.](https://angieklink.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/PLedge-Class-Line-Up-1947.jpg)
![Dennis Lipp, Glee Club Members, Al Stewart 1960s. Members of the Purdue Varsity Glee Club and Delta Upsilon with director Albert P. Stewart
in the 1960s. Author Author Angie Klink’s brother Dennis D. Lipp is on bended
knee in front of Stewart.](https://angieklink.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Dennis-Lipp-Glee-Club-Members-Al-Stewart-1960s.-.jpg)
![Screen Shot 2022-04-20 at 9.42.31 AM Screen Shot 2022-04-20 at 9.42.31 AM](https://angieklink.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Screen-Shot-2022-04-20-at-9.42.31-AM.png)
![PDT Scroll Magazing cover of Armstrong from PDT HQ PDT Scroll Magazing cover of Armstrong from PDT HQ](https://angieklink.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/PDT-Scroll-Magazing-cover-of-Armstrong-from-PDT-HQ.png)
![smartmockups_l26rxgpp smartmockups_l26rxgpp](https://angieklink.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/smartmockups_l26rxgpp-1.png)