Phi Delta Theta
From OSU Wiki
Welcome to the Phi Delta Theta Wiki. Here you will find information about the Phi Delta Theta fraternity and about OSU greek life.
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Fraternity Overview
Phi Delta Theta is a group of men that are devoted to becoming great men. We strive in being a close group and working together to improve the fraternity and our lives. We have three cardinal principles: Friendship, Sound Learning and Moral Rectitude. We live our lives as closely by those principles as we can. Currently we are 67 active members strong and continue to push forward into the future.
Recruitment Information
Recruitment is the backbone of any Greek letter organization. There will be recruitment events posted here as the become available. For now utilize the contact information below if you want to get in tought with the recruitment chair or other officers of the fraternity.
Contact Phi Delta Theta
President: Chon Madrigal (503-999-1155) Vice President: Alexander Potwn (971-645-2946) Social Chairman: Ben Beatty (503-789-5502) & Charlie Wente (503-781-3238) Recruitment Chairmen: Richie Phillips (541-207-7946) , Garrett Courtney (541-554-0107)
History of Phi Delta Theta
Oregon Beta’s history dates back to the era when Oregon State University was still known as Oregon Agriculture College. The chapter itself was preceded by a local fraternity, the second ever on campus, named Kappa Sigma Nu. Throughout the years, the Phi Delta Theta chapter on Oregon State’s campus has had its own share of ups and downs, but has always strived to be the best fraternity on campus. The chapter house has many great men pass through it's ranks, from a Heisman Trophy winner to a governor of Oregon. Most notably though, despite its ups and downs, the chapter has always had strong support from its alumni base, further supporting the most important line in the manual of Phi Delta Theta;“To transmit the fraternity to those who may follow after, not only not less, but greater than it was transmitted to me.”
Kappa Sigma Nu was founded in the fall of 1906 by seven students of the Oregon Agricultural College. The chapter was founded on two main values, faith and right principles. Both of these values are quite similar to two of the three Cardinal Principals of Phi Delta Theta. The men Kappa Sigma Nu moved into a house in early January that was rented from a Corvallis resident and located at 226 8th Street. The membership moved out of that house at the end of that school year and did not move back into a house until 1920 because of poor membership. That was the year the men of Kappa Sigma Nu were influenced in becoming Phi Delts. Two men that were deans at the school, Dean Peavy and Dean Cordley, had been Phi Delts elsewhere and had been advisors of the fraternity. The school years between 1912 and 1916 saw much growth of Kappa Sigma Nu: a chapter house was built at 6th and Jefferson, an alumni association was formed, and an early petition was sent to the National Assembly of Phi Delta Theta for the local fraternity to turn into an official chapter of Phi Delta Theta. The final petition was sent in 1917 and included 47 pages that incorporated letters of recommendation from many prominent Phi Delts around the nation. Phi Delta Theta accepted the petition at the convention in Oxford, Ohio on January 2, 1918, but due to travel and the end of World War One the men of Kappa Sigma Nu were not initiated until March 8 and 9, 1918. Forty-nine of Kappa Sigma Nu’s current and past members were initiated at this time, but when the time ran out for Kappa Sigma Nu members to get initiated, all but thirty-one were initiated.
The first 10 years of Oregon Beta’s history were quite eventful. The chapter bought three lots in 1919 and one more in 1920 on the corner of 13th and Monroe. This is where the current chapter house began construction. The house was finished in the years between 1920 and 1930, but the exact date can never be agreed on. The house was also looked upon by the university to be a leader in all aspects of college life. The men of the chapter were asked to be captains of athletic teams, presidents of social clubs, and leaders in school politics. This kind of attitude towards the men of the Phi Delta Theta chapter would continue for several years. The chapter was financially successful from this era until the United State’s entry into World War Two, when fraternities were banned on campuses across the U. S., including Oregon State.
In January of 1946 the first meeting of Phi Delta Theta since the beginning of the war was held. The chapter discussed how to recruit new pledges, who would be the officers when everyone returned, and buying a plaque for those members of the chapter that had died in the war. The chapter returned to prominence that year by becoming involved on campus and helping a local fraternity at Willamette University become a chapter of Phi Delta Theta. The chapter grew in population so much that in 1953-54 the Northwest wing of the house was added. From then until the late 1960’s many things happened in the chapter. The men became predominately involved in athletics, one of the most famous house mothers, Madeline Dyer, was hired, the big brother-little brother program within the house was started, a Heisman Trophy, the most prestigious award in collegiate football, was awarded to member Terry Baker in 1962, and the house was remodeled.
The 1970’s saw the good and the bad. The bad began with a national anti-greek or anti-establishment movement. Yet the chapter amazingly saw the same numbers in rush that had years before. Not to mention the fact that more and more men began to become involved with the football team, as more and more members became players. Men within in the chapter remained football players throughout the decade until the 1980’s as they began to slowly shift away from being primarily a football house. The chapter received a Gold Star from International Headquarters during the decade of the eighties as the house began to rise as leaders on campus. Numbers in the chapter also remained despite all the negative publicity towards the Greek system on the campus and on a national scale. However, as the chapter slipped into the 1990’s the numbers started to diminish and support from the alumni slowly slipped away. This was due to a social stigma that all chapters were facing nationally. Luckily, through hard work and dedication, the chapter safely pulled itself away from this stigma and began build itself again as a leader on campus. By the late 90's the chapter had built its membership back up to respectible numbers.
