Lambda Iota Tau, 1955-1963

Lambda Iota Tau (LIT) was founded in 1954 as an international honorary society, “designed to honor high achievement in the study of literature…in English or in another language.” Loyola’s Rho chapter was initiated on March 2, 1955, stating that its purpose was “recognition and promotion of excellence in the study of literature.” At the outset there were only two members, J. Raymond Gaeng and Daniel Mackey; they both delivered papers at the initiation meeting. On March 26, 1955, The Greyhound reported that only English majors with a B or better average would be considered for admittance, but that future membership might be extended to students “who have taken a prescribed number of hours in any literature course.” On October 26, 1955, The Greyhound noted that LIT had held its first meeting of the school year on October 12, and stated, “Associate members, in order to be achieve active standing, are required to write a paper on some phase of literature or on a literary figure. The paper will then be presented…at one of the bi-weekly meetings to be held throughout the year.”

For a few years, LIT membership grew. On April 18, 1956, The Greyhound announced that Charles Burke had become the sixth student admitted to the Society. On December 18, 1957, The Greyhound reported that there were 14 members and that a student had presented a paper on “The Catholicism of Alexander Pope” at a recent meeting. The presentation of papers was apparently the focus of most LIT meetings.

By the early 1960s, membership declined and dissatisfaction with the international society set in. In a 1963 letter to the LIT International Executive Secretary, Assistant Professor Francis O. Voci stated, “After deliberation, we have decided to drop our affiliation with LIT. We are now in the process of establishing our own campus organization, the statutes of which will give us a broader base of admission, somewhat change the activity of the organization, and still maintain academic requirements.” He went on to write, “Continuity of membership has been one of our problems. For our needs, a two or three-member organization is impractical, and this small membership has been, we believe, the result of the requirements of membership of the National Organization.” The LIT International Executive Secretary did not take this very well, even suggesting that the problem might be with Loyola’s students, but he did revoke the Rho chapter in a letter dated October 14, 1963.

In The Greyhound article, dated October 25, 1963, the demise of LIT was reported: “Unfortunately, until this year, there was no literary society on campus that could be offered to the majority of the students. The stiff requirements…of LIT held the membership… to a minimum. Now the club has broken its relations with the National Society so that it may offer more advantages to a greater number of students.” This marked the beginning of the Literary Society of Loyola.