Indianapolis: The Greek Mecca

by Hank Nuwer

Fraternities and sororities have taken over Indianapolis. Wait, don't frantically dial Dean Wormer, the university enforcer in the movie "Animal House.". The heads of the 23 national men's fraternity and eight sorority headquarters in Indy are more likely to pass a church collection plate than pass out like Bluto Blutarsky in a pub. Greek life is a major industry, attracting beaucoup convention dollars.

Sequestered inside the confines of the 465-Loop are roughly a third of all national fraternities and sororities. Also here are the headquarters of the National Interfraternity Conference and National Panhellenic Conference, sharing third-floor floor space on West 86th with the Association of Fraternity Advisors, Inc. (AFA). "Some of us call Indianapolis a Greek mecca," said Nancy N. Leonard, executive director of Alpha Chi Omega, with offices on Castle Creek Parkway. Heads of Greek organizations meet frequently to hold monthly meetings and "curbstone" conversations. "It is a tremendous advantage to be able to pick up the phone for a local call or walk across the street and ask another executive for an opinion." said Theta Chi chief executive Dave Westol. 

Favored nation status has been bestowed on the Greeks here. Triangle, a national men's fraternity, moved its South Bend and Toledo operations here in 1991. A main consideration was the absence of a property tax on national fraternal headquarters in Indy. Indy's central location is another part of its appeal for Greeks. "Having so many other headquarters in the neighborhood and the city was icing on the cake," said Lissa Bradford of Kappa Alpha Theta. "We moved from Evanston [Ill.] and have never been sorry."