About Us
Theta Chi Fraternity is one of the oldest and largest men's fraternities in North America today. For 46 years, Theta Chi was but one chapter, Alpha at Norwich University. Our growth from 1902 and over the next century is a tribute to the standards, ideals, and objectives of those cadets and over 161,000 men who have followed them and taken the vows of Theta Chi Fraternity. Theta Chi Fraternity exists to serve a need for young men of character, principles and ideals to associate with each other. Our chapters and colonies are laboratories for leadership. Our undergraduates grow, mature and develop through interaction with other outstanding young men. From our ranks have come leaders in industry, the sciences, law, medicine, education, military, and government at all levels. Many thousands of our alumni have carried the tradition of the Helping Hand into their neighborhoods, places of worship, communities and local organizations, to share their leadership skills with others. Most importantly, our chapters and colonies provide the support for excellence that is sorely needed today on campuses. Young people today are in need of that support, perhaps more than ever before. The brotherhood of Theta Chi Fraternity has spanned over 150 years and over 215 chapters, yet it remains as bright and as unique as it was in 1856.
History
Theta Chi Society, as it was originally known, was founded at Norwich University, Norwich, Vermont on Thursday, April 10, 1856 by Frederick Norton Freeman and Arthur Chase. 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." In a letter from Arthur Chase sent to the chapter in the 1880's Chase states that he and Freeman were members of a "secret society" prior to founding Theta Chi. However, whether there was any connection between the Regulators and Theta Chi is open to conjecture. The fundamentals of Theta Chi, as expressed in the original constitution, to this day remain unchanged; strengthening the bonds of true friendship, loyalty to Alma Mater and the mutual benefit and improvement of its members. 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. 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, "The History of Norwich University" by Dodge and Ellis says that enrolment in "The Theta Chi fraternity" flourished in this period, 1866 to 1880. 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 initiating Phil S. Randall, '86, and Henry B. Hersey, '85, thus preserving the existence of the Fraternity. 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. The installation of Beta chapter on December 13, 1902, began a new era 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.
Local History
Theta Eta Chapter of Theta Chi Fraternity received its Colony on April 22, 1987. On May 13, 1989, we received our charter. The installation ceremony took place at the First Baptist Church in Huntsville. From our humble beginnings our chapter to become the strongest chapter in our region, and one of the strongest in the nation. Back in 1986, there were a group of guys who came together to form a group known as Sigma Nu. They were led by a Sigma Nu from the University of Houston. They walked around campus saying that they were Brothers. However, they had never been recognized by the Sigma Nu National Fraternity. In the Fall of 1986, Sigma Nu National Fraternity sent a representative of their fraternity down to Huntsville to talk to this group who claimed to be Sigma Nu's. He told these guys, which consisted of 24 members, that if they wanted to become a colony that they needed to increase and sustain their numbers at 40 men. After this meeting, there was a division among the group. Half wanted to continue as Sigma Nu's and the other half wanted something different. The half that wanted something different were the founders of our chapter. Shortly after the meeting with the representative, Brian Hall, Tim English, and Steve Shore all went to the library and found a book called Greek Life. In this book it gave a listing of all the different fraternities and a brief history. In this book, they found Theta Chi. The next day, they wrote to International Headquarters to inquire about the requirements to become a Colony. IHQ sent them back a personalized letter giving them the requirements and also inviting them to Arkansas Tech University for a Mid-Year Leadership Conference. Theta Chi never set a number on the amount of people required to become a chapter. Their standard said, "You need to have a strong organization." Our guys liked this fact a lot. In March of 1987, several guys went up to Arkansas Tech University to attend the convention. They were so impressed with Theta Chi from that one weekend that there was no doubt in their minds, THEY WERE GOING TO BE THETA CHI'S. On April 22, 1987 their dream became a reality and we were granted a Colony. When school let out for the summer, the guys were required to go to Theta Eta's big brother chapter at Texas A&M to recieve their New Member Education. After exsisting as a colony for just 2 years, the newly educated members here at Sam Houston State University recieved a Charter and became the Theta Eta chapter of Theta Chi. Ever since that day, Theta Eta has continued to instill the ideals of Theta Chi in over 425 young men that have attended Sam Houston State University.
