New Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity house to be dedicated

The new Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity house will be dedicated at 237 Langdon St. this week, nearly three years after a fire destroyed the original historic building on the same lot.

Barry Norem, president of the UW Sigma Phi Epsilon chapter’s Alumni Volunteer Corporation, says the new house will be an important gathering place for fraternity members.

“The house is a place for everyone to come and socialize, to hang out and learn from each other. For 36 out of 95 members, it’s a place to live,” Norem says.

A fire destroyed the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity house late at night during final exam week in 2008. None of the 28 UW students living in the house at the time were hurt, although the nearly $1 million in damages made it necessary for the structure to be razed.

The new $2.2 million, 12,500-square-foot house will have three floors and a finished basement. There will also be an apartment for a house director and space for a resident scholar to help students with academic work. A UW–Madison faculty fellow will hold regular hours at the house for residents and other fraternity members.

The dedication ceremony is planned for Friday, Sept. 30, from 6 to 8 p.m. for university and city officials, as well as fraternity members and alumni. A tailgate-style party is also planned for alumni Saturday, Oct. 1, from 1 to 6 p.m.

The building has been designated a “residential learning community” by the National Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity because spaces within the building are reserved for educational use, including a basement room that can hold 100 people and be used for electronic presentations, as well as a library on the first floor that can hold 20 people and can also be used for electronic presentations.

The building’s construction was funded through various donations, specifically through leading contributions from Jere Fluno and Wally Doud, a 1948 Sigma Phi Epsilon alumnus.