History of Delta Tau Delta

In 1858 Delta Tau Delta was founded at Bethany College. Eight undergraduates, angered by a fixed vote for a prize in oratory to be given at the Neotrophian Literary Society (the only real forum for students to practice and demonstrate skills in poetry, public speaking, and writing essays) responded by forming a secret society. The purpose of the new society, known only by the Greek letters Delta Tau Delta, was to see that the Neotrophian was returned to popular control, and delivered from the hands of the group of students who seized it.

The Fraternity was founded to right an unjust situation; Delta Tau Delta was born of the knowledge that integrity is essential. Its eight founders' outraged that one group of students would and could choose in advance the candidate they favored, then join together to swing enough votes for that man to win, regardless of his actual performance in the contest, presented the first opportunity for Delts to realize the importance of accountability.

1859 Bethany Chapter grants charters to three chapters; West Liberty, West Virginia University, and Jefferson. To establish membership, the new chapters are given a Constitution and Ritual, membership badges, and are taught the Fraternity's mottoes and purposes all of which had been devised by the eight founders shortly after the group's initial formation.

Whether the founders realized it at the time or not, brotherhood truly did sustain the Fraternity. Had they not had the foresight to extend welcoming arms to other young men interested in becoming Delts, the organization would have dissolved.

History of Delta Gamma Chapter

Delta Gamma chapter of Delta Tau Delta was started in May of 1924 with the advice and help of Dean Frank Stockton and three students: T.P. Solem, Melvin Berdahl, and Orville Frieberg. Before it became Delta Gamma, it was the Alpha Tau chapter. The organizers used this name when they petitioned for a charter of Delta Tau Delta. The three students started out in a converted dorm of the old Episcopal Church on North Dakota Street, on the west side of campus. From there, the house grew to a total of 18 members. Dean Stockton drafted the Alpha Tau bylaws and Ritual for the group.

In 1921, the chapter moved from the dorm to the Jugenson House at 32 West Dartmouth. It stayed there one year, and then moved across the street to 324 North Elm. The following year saw yet another move, this time to 114 South Court Street. This is the location where the chapter was granted a charter from Delta Tau Delta. In 1927, the chapter moved to the Stansbury House at 25 North Prospect. Finally, in 1939, the chapter moved into the house at 114 North Pine, which has been the home of Delta Gamma chapter ever since.

From this new house, the Fraternity grew. The depression was starting to end and then the war came. The growth of the house had this new obstacle to contend with, but it endured. The call to war took many college men with it, and the men of Delta Tau Delta were a part of it. In the mid 40's, the Delt house was leased to the State Board. The State then rented it to the Thetas (Kappa Alpha Theta). During this time, the Delts stayed together and floated around. At the end of the war, the house was taken back and it grew stronger than ever before.

The fifties were a time of growth and building. The new addition was added in 1955 to provide more room for the new members. The chapter was very diverse at this time. Members included cowboys, greasers, the Gold Dust twins (Dick Erickson and John Turner), and the ROTC boys; all different in their ways, but united for the good of the chapter.

The sixties were very successful for Delta Gamma. In 1965, fifty-four men pledged Delt! The chapter grew in size, strength, pride, and fraternalism. The strength displayed itself in many group honors for the house. The Hugh Shields Top Ten Chapter Award was won for Delta Gamma's chapter excellence.

The late sixties saw USD and Delta Gamma face problems of campus unrest, student demands, and drugs. Delta Gamma, even with the crisis present, emerged from these tough years more intact and with more solidarity than many fraternities elsewhere. This was a sure sign of a bright future for Delta Gamma.

At the beginning of 1970, there were 110 members in the house. This large house really showed its strength in all campus activities and contests. Some of its accomplishments were three consecutive first-place Stoller performances, several first-place trophies for Dakota Days floats and house decorations, and the highest fraternity GPA on campus. In 1970, Delta Gamma acquired a new addition - "Mom Livingston." With the housemother's help, the house grew more.

The late seventies saw another problem in the house. Drugs started taking over and finally the National Office came in and rid the house of this problem. This matter set the house back, but it soon was back on its feet.

During the eighties, Delta Gamma began to rebuild. Pledge classes ranged from about twenty to thirty men. In 1989, Delta Gamma's Brian Belmont was elected to sit on the Undergraduate Council.

In the nineties, despite a decline in men rushing, Delta Gamma continued to grow. After a half-million dollar renovation to the house in the summer of 1995, Delta Gamma had a successful rush of 26 men the following fall, one of the highest fall rushes in years. With the declining number of students attending state schools at the time, rushees noticed Delta Tau Delta's strive toward excellence and decided to be a part of it.

We are now in the new millennium and Delta Gamma continues to strive toward excellence. Though the chapter no longer employs a housemother, Delta Gamma now houses a live-in Graduate Advisor, which provides the same function. Delta Gamma boasts high academic honors in the USD Greek system, in the entire USD campus community, and among all chapters of Delta Tau Delta for several years in a row! Chapter involvement on campus and in the community is strong and Delta Gamma membership continues to increase. Delta Gamma also continues to provide to members an ever strengthening positive atmosphere for academic and social success.