TKE Duluth

About Us

The Upsilon-Gamma Chapter.

Tau Kappa Epsilon was founded January 10, 1899, at Illinois Wesleyan University, on the belief that fraternity could build better men for life, not just for four years on campus. Today TKE is one of the largest men's fraternities in North America, with more than 250 active chapters and colonies across the U.S. and Canada.

The Upsilon-Gamma Chapter was chartered at the University of Minnesota Duluth on March 24, 2001. Since then, we've grown into one of TKE's most decorated chapters nationally — a five-time consecutive Top TKE Chapter, and UMD's 2023 Fraternity of the Year.

We're a brotherhood of 43 active members and 429 lifetime initiates, built around the same standard: show up for your grades, show up for your community, and show up for each other, through winters that mean business on Lake Superior.

Our Motto

“Better Men for a Better World.”

— Tau Kappa Epsilon International Fraternity, est. 1899

Every chapter, including ours, stands on three founding principles: Love, Charity, and Esteem. TKE has never had an exclusionary clause for membership — men are judged on personal worth and character, not wealth or rank.

Our History

Two decades on the Point.

From chartering to record-breaking philanthropy — the milestones that built this chapter.

2001

Chapter chartered

The Upsilon-Gamma Chapter is installed at the University of Minnesota Duluth on March 24, 2001.

1972–78

TKE adopts St. Jude nationally

TKE International joined the fight against childhood cancer when Frater Danny Thomas (Gamma-Nu, Toledo) — St. Jude's founder — asked his fraternity to adopt the hospital as its national philanthropy. By 1978, Thomas was personally praising TKE's fundraising in THE TEKE magazine.

2017

First St. Jude Dinner

Upsilon-Gamma hosts its first annual St. Jude Fundraising Dinner, raising $4,500 — the start of a nine-year streak.

2018

TKE's $10M commitment

TKE International commits to raising $10 million over 10 years to name the Bone Marrow Transplantation & Cellular Therapy Research Floor at St. Jude.

2022–2026

Five-year Top TKE Chapter streak

Upsilon-Gamma is named a Top TKE Chapter nationally for five consecutive years — and UMD's Fraternity of the Year in 2023.

2025

Highest total ever by a Division II school

The 8th Annual St. Jude Dinner raises $226,000, the largest amount ever raised for St. Jude by a Division II school, hosting 300+ guests.

2026

9th Annual St. Jude Gala

Held November 14, 2026 at Clyde Iron Works, Duluth — and the chapter's second national St. Jude Excellence in Achievement Award.

Recognition

Award-winning, nationally and on campus.

Confirmed by Tau Kappa Epsilon International's own Chapter Excellence Award archive — more than 60 national awards, including Top TKE Chapter five years in a row.

Year	National TKE Awards
2025–26	Top TKE Chapter 100% KRA Plaque Excellence in Achievement – St. Jude Excellence in Achievement – Academic Success Excellence in Involvement – Alumni Relations Excellence in Recruitment – Chapter Size Excellence in Involvement – Community Service Excellence in Achievement – Education
2024–25	Top TKE Chapter 100% KRA Plaque Excellence in Achievement – St. Jude Excellence in Achievement – Academic Success Excellence in Recruitment – Chapter Size Excellence in Involvement – Community Service Excellence in Achievement – Education Excellence in Recruitment – Results Excellence in Achievement – Risk, Health and Safety
2023–24	Top TKE Chapter 100% KRA Plaque Excellence in Involvement – Community Service Excellence in Achievement – Education Excellence in Recruitment – Results Excellence in Achievement – Risk, Health and Safety Excellence in Recruitment – Chapter Size
2022–23	Top TKE Chapter 100% KRA Plaque Excellence in Achievement – St. Jude Excellence in Achievement – Academic Success Excellence in Recruitment – Chapter Size Excellence in Involvement – Community Service Excellence in Achievement – Education
2021–22	Top TKE Chapter 100% KRA Plaque Sustained Growth Award Recruitment Dedication Award
2020–21	Excellence in Achievement – St. Jude (Honorable Mention) Excellence in Achievement – Academic Success Excellence in Recruitment – Chapter Size Excellence in Involvement – Community Service Excellence in Achievement – Education
2019–20	Excellence in Achievement – St. Jude Excellence in Involvement – Alumni Relations Excellence in Recruitment – Chapter Size Excellence in Involvement – Community Service Excellence in Achievement – Academic Success (Honorable Mention)
2018–19	100% KRA Plaque Excellence in Achievement – St. Jude Excellence in Recruitment – Chapter Size Excellence in Involvement – Community Service
2017–18	Excellence in Achievement – St. Jude Excellence in Recruitment – Chapter Size Excellence in Involvement – Community Service Excellence in Achievement – Academic Success (Honorable Mention) Excellence in Achievement – Education (Honorable Mention)
2013	Top TKE Chapter
2010–11	Excellence in Recruitment – Chapter Size Excellence in Involvement – Community Service Excellence in Involvement – Alumni Relations Excellence in Achievement – Academic Success Excellence in Achievement – Extracurricular Activities Excellence in Recruitment – Results (Honorable Mention)
2000–01	GC Membership Recruitment

Year	St. Jude & Individual Awards
2023–24	Individual Member Top TEKE Award
2024–25	St. Jude Next Gen 50K Club Award
2024–25	“Be Like Danny” St. Jude Next Gen Award
2025–26	St. Jude Next Gen 50K Club Award
2025–26	TKE St. Jude Next Gen National Member Award – Outstanding Member of the Year for TKE nationally

🏆 UMD Fraternity of the Year, 2023 🔻 Top TKE Chapter, 5 years running

Eight TKE Duluth brothers holding their Top TKE Chapter and 100% KRA award plaques with TKE and St. Jude balloons at the St. Jude Gala

Our Philanthropy

Nine years, $713,500, and counting.

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital was founded by TKE Frater Danny Thomas — TKE has stood beside it ever since, so families never receive a bill for treatment, travel, housing, or food.

Every November, Upsilon-Gamma hosts the St. Jude Fundraising Dinner — now the 9th Annual St. Jude Gala, November 14, 2026 at Clyde Iron Works in Duluth. What started as a $4,500 dinner in 2017 has grown every single year since, including 2025's $226,000 night — the highest total ever raised for St. Jude by a Division II school.

All proceeds go directly to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Checks are written payable to St. Jude, never to the chapter, and forwarded straight through.

Donate to Our Team

$713,500+

Raised by TKE Duluth for St. Jude, 2017–2025 (nine years)

2017 · 1st Dinner$4,500
2018 · 2nd$10,000
2019 · 3rd$25,000
2021 · 4th$42,000
2022 · 5th$68,000
2023 · 6th$113,000
2024 · 7th$225,000
2025 · 8th$226,000
2026 · 9th (upcoming)Nov 14

What St. Jude does for children

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital treats children with cancer and other life-threatening diseases — and no family ever receives a bill for treatment, travel, lodging, or food, so they can focus on helping their child live instead of how to pay for it. St. Jude also freely shares the research and treatment protocols it develops with doctors and hospitals worldwide, so a breakthrough made in Memphis can save a child's life anywhere.

82¢

of every donated dollar goes directly to research, treatment, and operations

80%+

overall childhood cancer survival rate today, up from just 20% when St. Jude opened in 1962

94%

survival rate for acute lymphoblastic leukemia, up from 4% in 1962 — largely because of St. Jude research

9,000+

children treated for cancer and other catastrophic diseases at St. Jude every year

Source: St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, stjude.org

St. Jude awards & recognition

Honors earned by our chapter and its members through the TKE–St. Jude Next Gen program and national TKE.

2025–26St. Jude Next Gen 50K Club Award

2025–26TKE St. Jude Next Gen National Member Award — Outstanding Member of the Year for TKE nationally

2025–26Excellence in Achievement – St. Jude — TKE International

2024–25St. Jude Next Gen 50K Club Award

2024–25“Be Like Danny” St. Jude Next Gen Award

2024–25Excellence in Achievement – St. Jude — TKE International

2023–24Individual Member Top TEKE Award

2022–23Excellence in Achievement – St. Jude — TKE International

2020–21Excellence in Achievement – St. Jude (Honorable Mention) — TKE International

2019–20Excellence in Achievement – St. Jude — TKE International

2018–19Excellence in Achievement – St. Jude — TKE International

2017–18Excellence in Achievement – St. Jude — TKE International

Recurring Events

Two nights a year, all in.

These are our chapter's two signature annual events — open to the UMD and Duluth community.

November 14, 2026 · 5:00 PM

9th Annual St. Jude Gala

Our chapter's signature night — a formal dinner and program at Clyde Iron Works benefiting St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, growing every year since 2017.

📍 Clyde Iron Works, Duluth 🎗️ Benefits St. Jude

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February · Lake Superior

Duluth Polar Plunge

Every February, TKE Duluth brothers take the plunge into Lake Superior for Special Olympics Minnesota — one of the region's largest Polar Plunge turnouts, raising six figures region-wide each year.

📍 Duluth, Lake Superior ❄️ Benefits Special Olympics MN

Partner With Us

Duluth businesses make this night possible.

Every year, Upsilon-Gamma reaches out to more than 300 businesses across the Duluth–Superior area to help make the St. Jude Gala a success. Here's how your business can be part of it.

Business Sponsorship

Become a Gala Sponsor

Sponsor the 9th Annual St. Jude Gala and get your business in front of hundreds of UMD students, alumni, families, and community members.

Website recognition — your business listed on our sponsors page at tkeduluth.com, seen by our community year-round
Gala recognition — sponsors giving $2,500 and up are thanked in front of hundreds of guests the night of the event and may provide logo signage
Brochure placement — your business featured in our printed gala programs and brochures

It's a win for everyone involved: your business gets visibility and goodwill in the Duluth community, our chapter gets a partner that helps us raise more, and St. Jude gets the resources to treat more kids without ever sending a family a bill.

🤝 All levels welcome 🎗️ 100% of proceeds go to St. Jude

Inquire About Sponsorship Email Us Instead

In-Kind Donations

Donate a Basket or Gift

Every fall, our brothers go door to door to over 300 local businesses asking for a gift, gift card, or basket item to include in our gala raffle and silent auction — a huge part of what we raise for St. Jude each year. If you'd like to donate an item, we'd love to hear from you — every business that donates is named on our website and in the gala brochure.

🎁 Any item or gift card helps 📦 Pickup can be arranged

Offer a Gift or Basket Email Us Instead

Sponsorship Levels

Choose how you'd like to shine.

Every level appears in our printed gala brochure and on this website. Each tier includes everything in the tiers below it.

Platinum

$5,000+

Placed in our Top Donor List
Logo signage at the gala and on tkeduluth.com
Printed thank-you plaque — Platinum only
Thanked at the gala

Includes plaque

Gold

$2,500+

Placed in our Top Donor List
Logo signage at the gala and on tkeduluth.com
Thanked at the gala

Includes logo signage

Silver

$500+

Placed in our Top Donor List
Name on tkeduluth.com and in the gala brochure

Top Donor List

Special Thanks

$250+

Name on tkeduluth.com's sponsors list
Name in the gala brochure

Open to all

Gifts of $2,500 or more are thanked at the gala and may provide their logo for signage at the gala and on our website. Donating a gift, gift card, or basket? Every business that donates an item is named on tkeduluth.com and in the gala brochure — no minimum, and every gift helps.

Chapter Life