67-535: Beta Theta Pi ( ΒΘΠ ), commonly known as Beta , is a North American social fraternity that was founded in 1839 at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio . One of North America's oldest fraternities, as of August 2023 it consists of 150 active chapters and colonies in the United States and Canada. More than 223,000 members have been initiated worldwide and there are currently around 9,500 undergraduate members. Beta Theta Pi
134-501: A "rape factory" due to the predatory practices present and constant sexual assaults of young women visiting the house. Both the fraternity and the university reached an out-of-court settlement with the victim in 2014. In March 2013, the Carnegie Mellon University chapter was suspended following a police investigation of sexually explicit videos and photographs of female students circulating among members. In December 2014,
201-532: A chapter room located inside the fraternity's house. Entry into chapter rooms is often prohibited to all but the initiated. In one extreme case, the response of firefighters to a blaze signaled by an automated alarm at the Sigma Phi chapter house at the University of Wisconsin in 2003 was hampered in part because fraternity members refused to disclose to emergency responders the location of the hidden chapter room, where
268-439: A chasm, vast, and deep, and wide, Through which was flowing a sullen tide. The old man crossed in the twilight dim; The sullen stream had no fears for him; But he turned, when safe on the other side, And built a bridge to span the tide. "Old man", said a fellow pilgrim, near, "You are wasting strength with building here; Your journey will end with the ending day; You never again will pass this way; You've crossed
335-551: A council of multicultural Greek organizations. The National Multicultural Greek Council , officially formed in 1998, is a coordinating body of 19 Greek organizations, including nine fraternities, and ten sororities with cultural affiliations. The first multicultural sorority, Mu Sigma Upsilon , was established in November 1981 at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey . The formation of this Greek organization allowed for
402-664: A minority of Greek-letter organizations and no such fraternity is currently a member of the North American Interfraternity Conference, the largest international association of fraternities. The first coed fraternity was Pi Alpha Tau (1963–1991) at the University of Illinois at Chicago . Much more commonly, coed fraternities exist in the form of service fraternities, such as Alpha Phi Omega , Epsilon Sigma Alpha , Alpha Tau Mu and others . These organizations are similar to social fraternities and sororities, except they are coed and non-residential. Similarly, in
469-507: A national or international organization that sets standards, regulates insignia and ritual, publishes a journal or magazine for all of the chapters of the organization, and has the power to grant and revoke charters to chapters. These federal structures are largely governed by alumni members of the fraternity, though with some input from the active (student) members. Before 1900, the expansion of fraternal housing and competition among fraternities led to increasingly aggressive recruitment among
536-451: A new fraternity. In a letter that he wrote four years after the founding of the Alpha chapter , Knox said that other fraternities being formed possessed "many objectionable features which rendered them liable to be used as engines of evil as well as instruments of good." The fraternity was formally founded on August 8, 1839, by eight male students of Miami University. In 1879, Beta Theta Pi became
603-593: A religious context or in writings stressing a moral lesson. The text has been attested since at least 1898 in Rare Old Chums by Dromgoole. In said book, the poem is titled Building the Bridge , and is composed and sung by a girl living near Elk River in Eastern Tennessee . The 1898 version of the text appears below in its entirety. An old man, going a lone highway, Came, at the evening, cold and gray, To
670-587: A scholastic honor society and abandoned secrecy. In 1825, Kappa Alpha Society , the first fraternity to retain its social characteristic, was established at Union College in Schenectady, New York . In 1827, Sigma Phi and Delta Phi were also founded at the same institution, creating the Union Triad . The further birthing of Psi Upsilon (1833), Omicron Kappa Epsilon (1834), Chi Psi (1841), and Theta Delta Chi (1847) collectively established Union College as
737-493: A sequence of two or three Greek letters, for instance, Delta Delta Delta , Sigma Chi , Chi Omega , or Psi Upsilon . There are a few exceptions to this general rule, as in the case of the fraternities Triangle , Acacia , and Seal and Serpent . There are approximately nine million student and alumni members of fraternities and sororities in North America , or about three percent of the total population. Roughly 750,000 of
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#1732844517726804-433: A specific section of university-owned housing provided to them. Some fraternities and sororities are un-housed, with members providing their accommodations. In many of these cases, the fraternity or sorority owns or rents a non-residential clubhouse on or off campus to use for meetings and other activities. With a few exceptions, most fraternities and sororities are secret societies . While the identity of members or officers
871-432: Is being contested vigorously in U.S. federal court by several affected fraternities and sororities. Individual chapters of fraternities and sororities are largely self-governed by their active (student) members; however, alumni members may retain legal ownership of the fraternity or sorority's property through an alumni chapter or alumni corporation. All of a single fraternity or sorority's chapters are generally grouped in
938-454: Is effectively blindfolded during the proceedings, and at last, still sightless, I was led down flights of steps into a silent crypt and helped into a coffin, where I was to stay until the Resurrection...Thus it was that just as my father passed from this earth, I was lying in a coffin during my initiation into Delta Kappa Epsilon. Meetings and rituals are sometimes conducted in what is known as
1005-453: Is facilitate and accomplish acts of community service ; this is in contrast to certain social fraternities and sororities or religious fraternities and sororities that participate in philanthropy and community service as a non-primary (secondary or tertiary) mission. Fraternities and sororities traditionally have been single-sex organizations, with fraternities consisting exclusively of men and sororities consisting exclusively of women. In
1072-549: Is one of the oldest and largest women's membership organizations, representing more than four million women at 655 college and university campuses and 4,500 local alumni chapters in the U.S. and Canada. In 1867, the Chi Phi fraternity established its Theta chapter at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland , marking the first foray of the American social fraternity outside the borders of
1139-594: Is rarely concealed, fraternities and sororities initiate members following the pledge period through sometimes elaborate private rituals, frequently drawn or adopted from Masonic ritual practice or that of the Greek mysteries. After an initiation ritual, the organization's secret motto, secret purpose, and secret identification signs, such as handshakes and passwords, are usually revealed to its new members. Some fraternities also teach initiates an identity search device used to confirm fellow fraternity members. Julian Hawthorne ,
1206-446: Is set within this equilateral triangle. Beta has designated as its official flower the Beta rose. The fraternity explains that "this light pink rose was officially made the flower of Beta Theta Pi in 1889 at the fraternity's semi-centennial convention. The Beta rose was chosen to be the flower by a Beta sweetheart named Leila McKee who had many relations to Beta throughout her life. Her father
1273-514: Is the oldest of the three fraternities that formed the Miami Triad , along with Phi Delta Theta and Sigma Chi . Students at Miami University at the time of Beta's founding had previously formed two rival literary societies : The Erodelphian and Union Literary Society. A student of the school, John Reily Knox, began to gather members of both the Erodelphian and Union Literary Societies to create
1340-548: The Mother of Fraternities . The social fraternity Chi Phi , officially formed in 1854, traces its roots to a short-lived organization founded at Princeton University in Princeton, New Jersey , in 1824 bearing the same name. Fraternities represented the intersection between dining clubs , literary societies , and secret initiatory orders such as Freemasonry . Their early growth was widely opposed by university administrators, though
1407-525: The U.S. House of Representatives and 40 percent of members of the U.S. Senate were members of fraternities or sororities. The Bridge Builder The Bridge Builder is a poem written by Will Allen Dromgoole . "The Bridge Builder" has been frequently reprinted, including on a plaque on the Bellows Falls, Vermont Vilas Bridge in New Hampshire . It continues to be quoted frequently, usually in
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#17328445177261474-769: The United States cabinet have been members of fraternities and sororities, and the current chief executive officers of five of the ten largest Fortune 500 companies are members of fraternities and sororities. In addition, 85 percent of all justices of the U.S. Supreme Court since 1910 have been members of fraternities. U.S. presidents since World War II who have been initiated into fraternities are George W. Bush , George H. W. Bush , Bill Clinton , Ronald Reagan , Harry S. Truman , Gerald Ford , and Franklin Roosevelt . Three Prime Ministers of Canada have been members of fraternities. In 2013, about 25 percent of members of
1541-481: The University of California - Santa Barbara chapter was shut down after years of violations and suspensions. Two pledges were sent to the hospital due to hazing which prompted the fraternity's national office to finally close the chapter. In 2017, the Pennsylvania State University chapter was permanently disbanded due to the death of a pledge, Tim Piazza , related to hazing and alcohol abuse. Piazza
1608-676: The Upsilon Sigma Phi , was founded in 1918. The first Greek-letter sorority, UP Sigma Beta Sorority, was recognized in 1932. Many early fraternities referred to Christian principles or to a Supreme Being in general, as is characteristic of fraternal orders . Some, such as Alpha Chi Rho (1895) and Alpha Kappa Lambda (1907), only admitted Christians , while others, such as Beta Sigma Psi (1925) and Phi Kappa Theta (1959), catered to students belonging with certain denominations of Christianity, such as Lutheranism and Catholicism . Due to their exclusion from Christian fraternities in
1675-503: The Beta Theta Pi chapter at Wesleyan University had been refusing access to campus security personnel. In March 2010, Wesleyan issued a warning to students to avoid the chapter house . In October of that year, a freshman was raped by a non-member, non-student at a Beta Theta Pi Halloween party. In 2012, a lawsuit by a female student at Wesleyan University accused the university's chapter of sexual assault and called its fraternity house
1742-604: The Men of Principle initiative was started during the 1998–99 academic year. Three chapters, Nebraska, Georgia, and Pennsylvania, were used as pilot chapters for the new program. After this first year of piloting, the Men of Principle initiative was officially introduced at the 160th General Convention in Oxford, in 1999. Since the beginning of the initiative in 1998, its international headquarters closed 64 chapters by 2008 and 85 chapters by 2013 for hazing or failing to comply with standards set by
1809-447: The Men of Principle initiative. As of 2019, approximately 25,000 members graduated from one of the fraternity's leadership programs. The program was later renamed the "John and Nellie Wooden Institute for Men of Principle", named for member and basketball coach John Wooden , in Oxford, Ohio. The five core values espoused by Beta Theta Pi are cultivation of intellect, responsible conduct, mutual assistance, integrity, and trust. These are
1876-617: The South acquired one. Chapters of many fraternities followed suit, purchasing and, less often, building them with support of alumni. Phi Sigma Kappa's chapter home at Cornell, completed in 1902, is the oldest such house still occupied by its fraternal builders. Sororities, originally called women's fraternities, began to develop in 1851 with the formation of the Adelphean Society Alpha Delta Pi , though fraternity-like organizations for women didn't take their current form until
1943-460: The United States, Jewish students began to establish their own fraternities in 1895 and 1920, with the first one being Zeta Beta Tau , founded in 1898. Although many of the religion-specific requirements for many fraternities and sororities have been relaxed or removed, there are some today that continue to rally around their faith as a focal point, such as Beta Upsilon Chi (1985) and Sigma Alpha Omega (1998). Numerous Greek organizations in
2010-553: The United States, fraternities and sororities have a statutory exemption from Title IX legislation prohibiting this type of gender exclusion within student groups, and organizations such as the Fraternity and Sorority Political Action Committee lobby to maintain it. Since the mid-20th century, a small number of fraternities, such as Alpha Theta , Lambda Lambda Lambda , and Alpha Phi Omega have opted to become co-educational and admit female members; however, these generally represent
2077-537: The United States, professional fraternities, such as Alpha Kappa Psi , Delta Sigma Pi , and Phi Gamma Nu are required to be co-ed under the Title IX amendments, as are any fraternities that are not social fraternities. In 2014, Sigma Phi Epsilon became the first fraternity in the North American Interfraternity Conference to accept transgender members, or those identifying as male, to join
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2144-492: The United States. Fraternities and sororities have been criticized for practicing elitism and favoritism , discriminating against non White students and other marginalized groups, conducting dangerous hazing rituals , and facilitating alcohol abuse . Many colleges and universities have sought to reform or eliminate them due to these concerns, but these efforts have typically been met with intense controversy. The first fraternity in North America to incorporate most of
2211-658: The United States. At the time, many students from the American South were moving to Europe to study because of the disrepair southern universities fell into during the American Civil War . One such group of Americans organized Chi Phi at Edinburgh; however, during the Theta chapter's existence, it initiated no non-American members. With declining American enrollment at European universities, Chi Phi at Edinburgh closed in 1870. Nine years following Chi Phi's abortive colonization of
2278-648: The United States], Kappa Alpha Theta , was established in Toronto in 1887. By 1927 there were 42 fraternity and sorority chapters at the University of Toronto and 23 at McGill University. A few chapters were also reported at the University of British Columbia , Carleton University , Dalhousie University , University of Manitoba , Queen's University , University of Western Ontario , Wilfrid Laurier University , University of Waterloo and Brock University . The arrival of
2345-507: The University of Edinburgh, a second attempt was made to transplant the fraternity system outside the United States. In 1879, Zeta Psi established a chapter at the University of Toronto . Zeta Psi's success in Toronto prompted it to open a second Canadian chapter at McGill University , which it chartered in 1883. Other early foundations were Kappa Alpha Society at Toronto in 1892 and at McGill in 1899, and Alpha Delta Phi at Toronto in 1893 and at McGill in 1897. The first sorority [outside
2412-420: The badge that is currently used today was made by Major George M. Chandler, Michigan 1898. The badge is an 8-sided shield of black and gold and it contains the three stars of the fraternity on the top of the shield and under that is a diamond which is surrounded by a golden laurel. Under the diamond is the capital Greek letters for Beta Theta Pi and below those letters are the Greek characters that represent 1839,
2479-437: The chapters of fraternities and sororities in which they have particular interests. Usually, after a potential new member has attended several such events, officers or current members meet privately to vote on whether or not to extend an invitation, known as a "bid", to the prospective applicant. Those applicants who receive a bid, and choose to accept it, are considered to have "pledged" the fraternity or sorority, thus beginning
2546-509: The coat of arms, the Beta dragon is placed on top of a shield; the shield is emblazoned with the three stars of Beta Theta Pi and other stylizations from heraldry. Under that shield is a golden banner upon which is one of Beta's mottos "__kai__". The flag of Beta Theta Pi similarly displays several symbols of the fraternity. The flag includes three horizontal stripes, blue, then white, and then blue. The flag shows three five-pointed stars that are made to form an equilateral triangle. The Beta dragon
2613-420: The conflagration had erupted. The fraternity or sorority badge is an enduring symbol of membership in a Greek letter organization. Most fraternities also have assumed heraldic achievements. Members of fraternities and sororities address members of the same organization as "brother" (in the case of fraternities) or "sister" (in the case of sororities). The names of almost all fraternities and sororities consist of
2680-474: The current fraternity and sorority members are students who belong to an undergraduate chapter. A 2007 survey conducted by Princeton University found that White and higher-income Princeton students are much more likely than other Princeton students to be in fraternities and sororities. Senior surveys from the classes of 2009 and 2010 showed that 77 percent of sorority members and 73 percent of fraternity members were White. Since 1900, 63 percent of members of
2747-455: The elements of modern fraternities was Phi Beta Kappa , founded at the College of William and Mary in 1775. The founding of Phi Beta Kappa followed the earlier establishment of two other secret student societies that had existed on that campus as early as 1750. In 1779 Phi Beta Kappa expanded to include chapters at Harvard and Yale. By the early 19th century, the organization transformed itself into
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2814-464: The emergence of a multicultural fraternity and sorority movement, giving birth to a multicultural movement. The main purpose of professional fraternities and sororities is to promote the interests of a particular profession and whose membership is generally restricted to students and alumni in particular academic disciplines or industries . The term service fraternities and sororities, is used to describe Greek life organizations who’s primary purpose
2881-412: The establishment of Pi Beta Phi in 1867 and Kappa Alpha Theta and Kappa Kappa Gamma in 1870. The term sorority was used by a professor of Latin at Syracuse University , Frank Smalley, who felt the word "fraternity" was inappropriate for a group of ladies. The word comes from Latin soror , meaning "sister," "cousin, daughter of a father's brother," or "female friend." The first organization to use
2948-433: The first college fraternity to publish its constitution. In August 1996, St. Lawrence University Chairman and Beta Theta Pi alumnus E.B. Wilson wrote a letter to the editor of The Beta Theta Pi magazine challenging the general fraternity to undertake a project to reverse the emerging Greek and Beta culture, which he felt was not in line with their core values. In response to Wilson and several institutional difficulties,
3015-685: The fraternity system in Asia accompanied the introduction of the American educational system in the Philippines . The first fraternities were established in the University of the Philippines . The now-defunct Patriotic and Progressive Rizal Center Academic Brotherhood (Rizal Center Fraternity), a brotherhood of Jose Rizal followers, was founded in 1913. This was followed by the Rizal Center Sorority. The first Greek-letter organization and fraternity in Asia,
3082-420: The fraternity upon accepting a bid. Unique among most campus organizations, members of social Greek letter organizations usually congregate and sometimes live together in large houses generally privately owned by the organization itself, or by the organization's alumni association. Often fraternities and sorority houses, called lodges or chapter houses, are located on the same street or in close quarters within
3149-527: The increasing influence of fraternity alumni, as well as several high-profile court cases, succeeded in largely muting opposition by the 1880s. The first fraternity meeting hall, or lodge, seems to have been that of the Alpha Epsilon chapter of Chi Psi at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan , in 1845, leading to a tradition in that fraternity to name its buildings "lodges". As fraternity membership
3216-424: The late 1800s when many fraternities were deciding what colors they wanted to represent them. Delicate shades of pink and blue symbolize gentlemen and chivalry, and were chosen for Beta because of their difficulty to produce and sensitivity to stains. Many times people have tried to change the official Beta colors to darker shades of blue and red but these ideas have always been turned down quickly. Beta Theta Pi uses
3283-446: The law and the underlying presumption that they were less able than men," but at the same time had to deal with the same challenges as fraternities with college administrations. Today, both social and multicultural sororities are present on more than 650 college campuses across the United States and Canada. The National Panhellenic Conference (NPC) serves as the umbrella organization for 26 international sororities. Founded in 1902, NPC
3350-507: The life of the fraternity or sorority, but most likely not be permitted to hold office in the organization. After the new member period, a second vote of members may sometimes be taken, often, but not always, using a blackball system. New members who pass this second vote are invited to a formal and secret ritual of initiation into the organization, advancing them to full membership. Many Greek-letter organizations give preferential consideration for pledging to candidates whose parent or sibling
3417-440: The new fellow to mark him as a new member of the fraternity which he opted to join. Baird's further indicates that the tradition was adopted from English boarding schools, similarly jostling to recruit incoming prospects, which the aggressive fraternities found to be "handy to imitate". Variations of Rush Week continued to evolve, some offering immediate recruitment and some deferred until the second half of freshman year, or even into
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#17328445177263484-817: The ones mentioned in this article. Generally, membership in a fraternity or sorority is obtained as an undergraduate student but continues thereafter for life by gaining alumni status. Some accept graduate students as well, some also provide honorary membership in certain circumstances. Individual fraternities and sororities vary in organization and purpose, but most - especially the dominant form known as social fraternities and sororities - share five common elements: Fraternities and sororities engage in philanthropic activities , host parties, provide "finishing" training for new members such as instruction on etiquette, dress, and manners, and create networking opportunities for their newly graduated members. Fraternities and sororities can be tax-exempt 501(c)(7) organizations in
3551-480: The past have enacted formal and informal prohibitions on pledging individuals of different races and cultural backgrounds. This began with historically White fraternities and sororities excluding African Americans due to racism. Historically Black fraternities and sororities were spearheaded thereafter in response. Racist policies have since been abolished by the North American Interfraternity Conference , and students of various ethnicities have come together to form
3618-404: The pledge period (new member period). Students participating in rush are known as "rushees", Potential New Members "PNMs", while students who have accepted a bid to a specific fraternity or sorority are known as "new members" or in some cases "pledges". A new member period may last anywhere from one weekend to several months. During this time, new members might participate in almost all aspects of
3685-440: The poem The Bridge Builder as a symbol of its will and estate giving program. Beta Theta Pi has notable members across industries, including more U.S. Supreme Court justices (8), Rhodes Scholars (85), and members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives than any other fraternity. The following is a select group of notable Beta Theta Pi members. As part of a multi-year dispute over co-ed student housing issues,
3752-502: The same neighborhood, which may be colloquially known as "Greek row", "frat row", or "sorority row". Often, chapter houses are uniquely designed, highly elaborate, and very expensive to operate and maintain. Usually, the more expensive the house the higher the annual organization dues. The features and size of Greek houses play a major role in chapters remaining competitive in recruiting and retaining members on many campuses. At some, often small colleges, fraternities and sororities occupy
3819-540: The second year. Formal recruitment on all, or virtually all campuses continues as a defined Rush week, while many campuses and most chapters offer ongoing "informal rush" to welcome potential members, amounting to hundreds of thousands of new members every year. Today, most Greek letter organizations select potential members through a two-part process of vetting and probation, called rushing and pledging, respectively. During rush (recruitment), students attend designated social events, and sometimes formal interviews, hosted by
3886-515: The social fraternities, which had hitherto followed the methodical process of tapping and individualized invitations that are still present among honorary and professional fraternities. In an introductory article about the nature and history of Fraternal life, Baird's Manual indicates that the term " Rushing " and later, " Rush week " hearken to the effort to rush to meet incoming trains filled with new classmates and delegations of freshmen students, where bids were offered and lapel pins then "spiked"
3953-497: The social fraternity. Several sororities have adjusted their policies to confirm that transgender prospective members are allowable. Importantly, all these variants have stemmed from a process of self-determination, without challenge by other Greeks. In a bellwether case in 2016, Harvard University changed its student conduct code to bar members of single-sex groups from leading campus groups, serving as captains of sports teams, or participating in valuable academic fellowships. This
4020-449: The son of Nathaniel Hawthorne , wrote in his posthumously published Memoirs of his initiation into Delta Kappa Epsilon : I was initiated into a college secret society—a couple of hours of grotesque and good-humored rodomontade and horseplay, in which I cooperated as in a kind of pleasant nightmare, confident, even when branded with a red-hot iron or doused head-over-heels in boiling oil, that it would come out all right. The neophyte
4087-467: The term "sorority" was Gamma Phi Beta , established in 1874. The development of fraternities for women during this time was a major accomplishment in the way of women's rights and equality. By mere existence, these organizations were defying the odds; the founding women were able to advance their organizations despite many factors working against them. The first "Women's Fraternities" not only had to overcome "restrictive social customs, unequal status under
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#17328445177264154-497: The underpinnings for their mission statement to "develop men of principle for a principled life." The coat of arms of Beta Theta Pi includes the Beta dragon, which, according to the symbolism guide, differs from other artistic or historical concepts of dragons as it is not intended to represent evil or a threat. The fraternity explains it represents courage and respect, depicted as "...calm and caring, rather than [as] many other dragons that are made to seem threatening or aggressive." In
4221-496: The year of the fraternity's founding. Members of Beta wear this badge over their hearts to be "in a manner befitting the honor and dignity to which it is entitled". The pledge pin is a pin that is worn by pledges of the fraternity. The pledge pin looks similar to the Beta badge, it is an 8-sided shield of white and gold that has 3 golden 5-pointed stars running diagonally across it. The colors that represent Beta Theta Pi are delicate shades of pink and blue. These colors were chosen in
4288-400: Was a Beta, her brother was a Beta, and she eventually became a Beta sweetheart herself. This rose was accepted by the fraternity because of the purity and beauty that it held." The badge of Beta Theta Pi was designed to be worn by members of the association under their original constitution that was produced and published in 1839. Over time, the badge's look has been changed multiple times, but
4355-465: Was a member of the same fraternity or sorority. Such prospective candidates are known as "legacies". Membership in more than one fraternity or sorority is acceptable, but only in accordance within specific Greek councils. Recently, some Greek-letter organizations have replaced the term "pledge" with that of "associate member" or "new member". Sigma Alpha Epsilon , in 2014, abolished pledging altogether. Potential members are now immediately initiated into
4422-1151: Was forced to drink excessive amounts of alcohol and fell down the stairs into the basement, where he eventually fell into a coma and died. The members of the fraternity had purposefully destroyed video footage of what happened in the basement. Eighteen members of the fraternity were arrested and charged for his wrongful death . The former chapter faces more than 147 charges, including involuntary manslaughter and tampering with evidence. Fraternities and sororities in North America In North America , fraternities and sororities ( Latin : fraternitas and sororitas , 'brotherhood' and 'sisterhood') are social clubs at colleges and universities . They are sometimes collectively referred to as Greek life or Greek-letter organizations , as well as collegiate fraternities or collegiate sororities to differentiate them from traditional not (exclusively) university-based fraternal organizations and fraternal orders that have historically acted as friendly societies or benefit societies to certain groups unlike
4489-410: Was punishable by expulsion at many colleges at this time, the house was located deep in the woods. The first residential chapter home, built by a fraternity, is believed to have been Alpha Delta Phi 's chapter at Cornell University , with groundbreaking dated to 1878. Alpha Tau Omega became the first fraternity to own a residential house in the South when, in 1880, its chapter at the University of
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