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FoundersFraternal Fathers Dr. Cayetano Socarrás (may he rest in peace) and José Quiles are the Fraternal Fathers of Lambda Theta Phi. In response to the title, José Quiles has stated, "I always felt I was a father of the Fraternity in the sense of being a technical resource, because a lot of the internal development was carried out by the Founding Fathers themselves." Founding Father Agustín García concurs: "These two men fathered the brothers. A father teaches and these two men had taught." The creation of Lambda Theta Phi was a learning process, and the two Fraternal Fathers were instrumental. With numerous decisions to be made and strategies outlined, the brothers received guidance from two members of the Kean College faculty/administration. Specifically, Dr. Cayetano J. Socarrás, who passed away on January 24, 1994 and José Quiles, recognized within the brotherhood as the Fraternal Fathers of Lambda Theta Phi. Each of these men provided support, mentorship, and guidance to the Founding Fathers and have continued to do so as the Fraternity has developed. Their devotion to the ideals and brothers of Lambda extends far beyond what can be captured in a website.
Fraternal Father Dr. Cayetano J. Socarrás provided most of the assistance in developing a truly “Latino” identity for the Fraternity. Knowledgeable in the art of heraldry (crest design), Fraternal Father Socarrás guided the brothers in designing the original shield in 1976. As Fraternal Father Socarrás focused on the symbolic aspects of the brotherhood, Fraternal Father José Quiles assisted with the organizational components, including the structure and administration of the Fraternity.
Fraternal Father José Quiles Experienced with and knowledgeable of fraternities and the Greek system in general, Fraternal Father José Quiles assisted the Founding Fathers to ensure the newly founded fraternity would fit into the Greek system on campus. Fraternal Father Quiles has often described his role in the Fraternity as a “technical resource” and continues to be a valuable asset to the brotherhood. Founding Fathers From September to November of 1975, a group of students, from which would eventually emerge the Founding Fathers of Lambda Theta Phi, met to find the solution to uniting the different Latino groups on campus. These meetings were initiated by Founding Father García, who had already spearheaded an important breakthrough for Latino students by becoming the first Latino elected to the Kean College student government. The major topics of discussion at these meetings were the need to become politically conscious and active as Latino students and the unification of all Latinos, since at the time "Latin Unity" was not common among students of different Latino national origins. At a meeting on November 11, 1975, Founding Father García proposed the idea of founding a fraternity. Having become familiar with the workings of the college administration and student government he recognized that a fraternity could promote Latin unity through brotherhood. He also understood that fraternities were an organizational structure that college administrators acknowledged and one with which they were accustomed. Lambda Theta Phi was founded as a Latin Fraternity, which was specifically stated in its original constitution,
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