Our Original Fraternity House
TKE West was originally built as a private home in the early part of the 20th Century. At that time 28th Street was a fashionable address in Los Angeles with large mansions. As time passed many were converted into rooming houses and apartments.
The purchase of the property was financed by the Chancellor of the University, Dr. Von Kleinsmid who personally put up $25,000 of his own money. He was a true believer in the fraternity system and felt it would be a real asset to have TKE on campus.
TKE West has been renovated four times, first in 1947 in preparation for TKE to take occupancy, expanded in 1955 to include the dining room, and remodeled in 1969 to enlarge the library, and finally in 2014 when all the major systems were upgraded.
TKE West Circa Early 1960s
By the early 1960’s TKE had established itself as a leading fraternity at Southern California. In this photo you see the house transitioning. The new dining room, added in 1955, looks pretty much the same as it does today. The front porch still has its curved design and decorative doors. The library has not yet been added and of course there is no front deck.
TKE West 1948
TKE West Fraternity House
631 W. 28th Street
Los Angeles, CA 90007
TKE Houses Ranked #2
20 Best Fraternity Houses on the West Coast
SCHOOL: Southern California
“What makes it so great: TKE’s houses are incredible. They have two properties (TKE West and TKE East) side-by-side which means that more brothers can live in the house which everyone will agree is best for the chapter. TKE West is the older house (although it was renovated in 2014), which means that it’s the scene for most of the events. They have the beach volleyball court (which uses the same sand at the University volleyball team) and the big lot in the back for parties. TKE East was recently built and features some incredible housing for the brothers.”
Read the COED Magazine Article
TKE West Photos
TKE West First Floor
The first floor includes the front-porch, foyer, library, dining room/chapter room and kitchen. It includes an original and beautiful hardwood staircase and wood wall paneling.
TKE West Second Floor
The second floor has 10 bedrooms and two bathrooms. There is one 4-man room, three 3-man rooms, five 2-man rooms, and one single for a total occupancy of 24 members.
