Theta Chi Fraternity
University of Florida, 10 Fraternity Row

Theta Chi Founding. Theta Chi was founded on April 10, 1856 at Norwich University. Of the 64 North American Interfraternity Conference men's fraternities, Theta Chi is the 21st in chronological order of founding.

University of Florida Founding. The Tau Chapter of Theta Chi recieved its charter in July of 1916 becoming the fifth fraternity on campus.

http://www.thetachi.org

http://www.ufl.edu

"Alma Mater First, Theta Chi for Alma Mater."

Theta Chi Society, as it was then known, was founded at Norwich University, Norwich, Vermont, at nine o'clock on Thursday evening, April 10, 1856.

At that time Frederick Norton Freeman '57, and Arthur Chase '56, met in Freeman's room in the Old South Barracks of the University and, to quote from the minutes of the first meeting, "being called to order by Mr. Chase, Messrs. Chase and Freeman mutually took the oaths prescribed and declared each other true and accepted members of the Theta Chi Society." From this humble beginning Theta Chi Fraternity has grown to its present status. 

To quote again from the minutes of the first meeting we learn that, "The Theta Chi Society was the idea and plan of Frederick Norton Freeman, and with the assistance of Arthur Chase, his plans were perfected and the society was organized.” Chase was elected president and Freeman was elected secretary. The next evening, April 11, the first initiation was conducted. One of the initiates was Edward Bancroft Williston of San Diego, California, and the other was Lorenzo Potter of Elkhorn, Wisconsin.

Theta Chi was the first Greek Letter society to make its appearance at Norwich. It was preceded in 1853 by a secret society known as the "Regulators." Whether there was any connection between the Regulators and Theta Chi is open to conjecture. It is known that Freeman was a Regulator and that when the Regulators passed out of existence in 1856 practically all of the paraphernalia of this organization passed into the possession of Theta Chi Society. The fundamentals of the organization, as expressed in the original constitution, to this day remain unchanged. Our present ritual includes the original ritual used in 1856. The oaths taken by Freeman and Chase on that April evening long ago have since been shared by every man initiated into Theta Chi.

At the Seventy-Fifth Anniversary Convention held at Northfield, Vermont, in 1931, the Fraternity placed suitably marked granite memorials at the grave of Freeman near Plainfield, New Hampshire, and the grave of Chase in Claremont, New Hampshire.

The early history of Theta Chi Fraternity is closely connected with the history of Norwich University. The University was founded at Norwich, Vermont, in 1819 being then known as The American Literary, Scientific, and Military Academy. It was a pioneer engineering college of the country and has always maintained its military training and traditions. In 1834 the name was changed to Norwich University. In the Spring of 1866 the Norwich University buildings burned. Old South Barracks, where Theta Chi was founded, was completely destroyed. It is reasonable to believe that some of the early records and relics of the Fraternity were lost at this time. The University moved after the fire to Northfield, Vermont, its present location. At the Seventy-Fifth Anniversary Convention the Fraternity erected a granite monument with a bronze plaque at Norwich, Vermont, to commemorate the founding of the Fraternity.

In the first decade of the Fraternity's existence a number of serious handicaps were experienced. The Civil War greatly depleted the student body of the University, for Norwich was a military school. After the fire in 1866 there was doubt for a while as to whether or not the University would continue. The war, the fire, and the uncertainty regarding the continuation of the University seriously lowered the attendance, and the school opened in the Fall of 1866 with only nineteen students. In spite of the low enrollment, which continued for some years, Dodge and Ellis say that “The Theta Chi and Alpha Sigma Pi fraternities flourished in this period, 1866 to 1880”, tell us in “The History of Norwich University”. Just what the word "flourished" meant is not known, but it is supposed that even with a small university enrollment, Theta Chi was able to get its share of new members.

In 1881 the student body of Norwich was reduced to a dozen men, and Theta Chi found itself with one active member. This critical situation was relieved when local alumni worked with the undergraduate member, James M. Holland, '83, in pledging and initiating Phil S. Randall, '86, and Henry B. Hersey, '85, thus preserving the existence of the Fraternity.

After 1888 the affairs of the University took a decided turn for the better, and from then on there was never a question of Theta Chi leadership on the Norwich campus. From its very inception Theta Chi was planned as a national fraternity. Why it existed as a single chapter for nearly fifty years will probably never be definitely known. Expansion was no doubt delayed by two conditions, the unstable conditions of the University at first, and anti-expansion sentiment, which developed later within the chapter.

In 1888 Theta Chi Fraternity was incorporated under the laws of Vermont. From 1888 until the establishment of the Beta Chapter, fourteen years later, the history of the Fraternity is a history of steady growth of a chapter both in general strength and in members. Norwich University disbanded its fraternities in 1960, so Alpha Chapter no longer exists.

With the establishment of Beta Chapter at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology at Boston Massachusetts, on December 13, 1902, a new era opened for Theta Chi, an era of country-wide expansion and national organization and administration. Although hindered by a serious depression and two world wars, Theta Chi has grown, and prospered beyond the dreams of the Founders to the position it now holds in the national fraternity scene.

Tau Chapter originally was the local "Lambda Upsilon" which was organized on October 9, 1915:

David Wilson, senior, education
Samuel Aaron Bur Wilkenson, senior, law
Fritz Hatcher, senior, education
Clifton I. Hollingsworth, senior, education
Kirvin Wilson, junior, law
Harry Evins Wood, junior, education
Ira McAplin, junior, education
Paul Eugene Weimer, junior, agriculture
William Jerome Knauer, sophomore
Leo Plemon Kilchen, sophomore
Ned Fitzhugh Skipper, sophomore
Loen H. Gray, sophomore
William Harold Shad

and two pledges:
R. Campbell Lang Wallace Booyce

Each man had a distinguished record on campus as a top athlete or musician or both. The charter brothers were recommended by Dr. Murphree, the president of the University. The name "Lambda Upsilon" was suggested by Dr. Murphree in memory of an old local fraternity to which he had belonged. The fraternity colors were purple and gold, the motto was "Graderum," and the flowers were the pansy and the carnation. The faculty advisor was Dr. Robert Benton for whom Benton Hall and the Benton Engineering Society are named. In these early days, men were initiated soon after pledging and grades were not necessary. Lambda Upsilon was organized not as a fraternity of the rich, but of leaders and outstanding students. At the time there were four other social fraternities on campus:

ATΩ, ΣAE. ΠKA, KA, and one local "Cooley" club

Mr. Grady F. Burton, a Theta Chi from Richmond College and a law student here at the University of Florida was interested in forming a Theta Chi Chapter. Together with Mr. Earl Orchid from Arcadia, they met with Lambda Upsilon to persuade them to file a petition with the Grand Chapter of Theta Chi Fraternity. Mr. David Wilson drew up the petition and with the permission of Dr. Murphree, Mr. Orchid presented it to the national chapter. Tau Chapter received its charter on July 15, 1916, and was installed with the Grand Chapter on September 29, 1916. Theta Chi then became the fifth fraternity on campus.

Meetings were held at brothers' homes and at the White House Hotel until the use of the Hampton House south of the hotel was obtained. In 1919, Theta Chi became the first fraternity on campus to own its own house, with the purchase of the old Congressman dark house, which is now the Elk's Club. This was to be the home of Tau Chapter for over 15 years. On July 25, 1921, the Theta Chi Realty Corporation, made up of prominent alumni, was founded for the purpose of promoting social and fraternal benefits for its brothers. Mrs. Florrie "Mammy" Morris, whose son was a Theta Chi, began chaperoning Theta Chi functions in 1927 and officially became house mother when she received the sister pin on Christmas Day, 1930.

During this period, Theta Chi brothers were very poor financially as about one-half were working to help pay their way through college. In 1934, as the nation worked its way out of the Depression, conditions began to improve and the fraternity became financially stable.

In the school year of 1942-1943, the army recruited 75% of the active brotherhood. As a result, the rooms downstairs were rented to non-fraternity members to try to keep some financial stability. Eventually, in 1943, the Congressman dark home, worth $150,000, was sold for $19,000. At that time, the only active brother G. Ballard Simmons, wrote the Grand Chapter for permission to form an alumni chapter. Between 1943 and 1945, ten undergraduates were initiated and brother Tom Strickland acted as president. Later in 1945, three more undergraduates were initiated. This gave Tau a total of 13 active brothers, which allowed the alumni chapter to be dissolved.

All of the fraternity equipment was then moved to Mr. Simmons' garage and the meetings were held in the homes of alumni. Later, a house at 15 NW 15th Street, which is now the University Press, was bought for $25,000.  In 1949, Mammy Morris received the Appreciation Award for the Grand Chapter for her outstanding work in holding the chapter together during the war years. The award was presented by Warren Harrel.

Tau Chapter ensured that Theta Chi would be the first fraternity with a house on the new Fraternity Row when ground was broken May 24, 1954. The house was built by the Chavis Construction Company and designed by Morton J. Ironmonger with suggestions by undergraduate brothers Robin John and Dick Ostrander. The $125,000 for the new house was raised by donations from alumni and loans from the University and the Grand Chapter.

In the summer of 1956, Mammy Morris died, leaving the men of Theta Chi without a housemother. Mammy was buried in the Evergreen Cemetery here in Gainesville. Nearly a year after the search began, Mildred "Mom" Dollar moved in the house as Tau's new housemother.

The next addition to the house was Duke, a Saint Bernard, who was donated on January 27, 1965, by then Grand Chapter President and Tau alumni Dr. Marvin Fleming from Perry.

On January 3, 1989, Alfred C. Torcia, with the pledge class of Fall 1988, built the flagpole monument in the front yard of the chapter house. In Fall 1994, John "Skip" Higly moved in as the first house dad at Tau Chapter.

In 1995 and 1997, Tau won the Howard R. Alter Award given to the best Theta Chi chapters in the nation.  In 1980, 1990, 1994, and 1998, Tau won the President's Cup as the campus intramural champion. In 1981 and 1983, Tau won the award for most improved chapter on campus. Additionally, in 1995 and 2002, Tau won the Buddy McKay Award for the best fraternity at the University of Florida.