Alpha Tau Omega
From OSU Wiki
The Creed of Alpha Tau Omega
"To bind men together in a brotherhood based upon eternal and immutable principles, with a bond as strong as right itself and as lasting as humanity; to know no North, no South, no East, no West, but to know man as man; to teach that true men the world over should stand together and contend for supremacy of good over evil; to teach, not politics, but morals; to foster, not partisanship, but the recognition of true merit wherever found; to have no narrower limits within which to work together for the elevation of man than the outlines of the world: these were the thoughts and hopes uppermost in the minds of the founders of the Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity."
– Otis Allan Glazebrook, 1880
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National Fraternity
Alpha Tau Omega was founded as a fraternity at Virginia Military Institute on September 11, 1865. It was founded by three men named Otis Allen Glazebrook, Alfred Marshall and Erskine Mayo Ross. These men felt strongly about their religon and decided to start a fraternity based on principals of Christian love. Alpha Tau Omega welcomes men from all faiths and backgrounds. Alpha Tau Omega was also formed to heal the wounds caused by the Civil War by building a fraternity to welcome men from the north and south.
Alpha Tau Omega is known as a leadership development fraternity. ATO runs a national leadership conference named Leadershape. Leadershape was the first greek leadership conference to include both men and women.
Alpha Sigma
Greek chapters throughout the United States are named by convention of Greek Letter based on founding date. The first chapter gets the designation Alpha, the second Beta and so on. ATO at Oregon State is the Alpha Sigma chapter of the Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity.
The Alpha Sigma chapter of ATO has several distinctions. Founded in 1882, it was the first ATO chapter in the Northwest, as well as the first fraternity at Oregon State. Unfortunately, due to lack of membership and mistrust of secret societies at the University, the chapter disbanded the following year. In 1916, the Ahneek, or Beaver, club, petitioned the National ATO fraternity, and the Alpha Sigma chapter of ATO was recharted at Oregon Agricultural College.
After residing in several buildings for short periods of time, the brick building ATO resides in today was built in 1924. Our chapter is dedicated to Harry Hamilton, a member of the founding class of ATOs at Oregon State. After his death, his mother, Nora Hamilton, donated $5,000 for the construction of the current house. In 1938, Nora Hamilton passed away, leaving an additional $5,000 donation to help ATO Juniors and Seniors pay for educational loans.
An expansion was added on to the East side of the house in the 1958. There are a total of twenty-two rooms for members to live in, with bathrooms and showers on each floor. The wood floors on the first floor entryway and living room were added a few years ago.
College Life and Rush
The Greek system is a great way to build lasting releationships in some of the most important years of ones life. Alpha Tau Omega has a vibrant social life while at the same time adhering to our standard we have set for ourselves as men.
- Alpha Tau Omega has an active scholarship program designed to help its members with the rigors of college academics.
- Alpha Tau Omega has various rush events which include everything from movie night, playing card games to whitewater rafting trips in the summer.
If you are interested in more information about Alpha Tau Omega or Greek Life in general do not hesitate to contact us at rush.ato@gmail.com or 541-753-5030.
