[1][3] In 1924, he found three like-minded men, Otho Robert McAtee of Springfield, Missouri, Jerry Homer Krenmyre, vice president of Iowa Wesleyan College, and Donald Fisher Lybarger, an attorney and founder of Phi Sigma.

[6] Theta Kappa Nu had, over its first decade, become the fastest-growing fraternity until that time, chartering forty chapters with almost 2,500 initiates by the close of 1926.

[2] The fraternity placed great emphasis on academics, offering graduate scholarships throughout its history, even during dire financial crises.

[8] The Great Depression significantly impacted the small colleges where most Theta Kappa Nu chapters were located.

In 1939, Lambda Chi Alpha merged with the Theta Kappa Nu in what was regarded as the largest fraternity merger to date.

[citation needed] Theta Kappa Nu's heritage entered that of the united fraternity with additions to the coat of arms, the white tudor rose, the pledge pin design (now the associate member pin) , a pledge ceremony which is a condensed version of Theta Kappa Nu's ritual, and the Latin open motto Vir Quisque Vir, or "Every man a man".

[citation needed] It also brought an infusion of leadership to Lambda Chi Alpha that helped steer the united fraternity through the end of the Depression Era and World War II.

[10] The fraternity also had a recognition pin for alumni and active members; it was a small coat of arms in either silver or gold.