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Alpha Lambda Tau

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Alpha Lambda Tau
ΑΛΤ
The Coat of Arms of Alpha Lambda Tau
FoundedMarch 27, 1921; 104 years ago (1921-03-27)
Oglethorpe College
TypeSocial
Former affiliationNIC
StatusDefunct
Defunct dateFall 1946
ScopeNational
Colors  Old gold and   Black
FlowerAmerican Beauty Rose
PublicationThe Rose Leaf
Chapters23
Headquarters
United States

Alpha Lambda Tau (ΑΛΤ) was an American men's college fraternity founded in 1916 at Oglethorpe College in Brookhaven, Georgia. For its first decade, Alpha Lambda Tau permitted expansion only within the Southern states. In 1946, the national organization of Alpha Lambda Tau dissolved; the majority of its chapters affiliated with Tau Kappa Epsilon.

History

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Alpha Lambda Tau originated as the Alpha Lambda Club at Oglethorpe College in Brookhaven, Georgia on October 8, 1916.[1][2] In 1920, the group held its first biennial convention.[2] In preparation of becoming a national fraternity, the club incorporated in the State of Georgia as Alpha Lambda Tau on March 27, 1921.[1][2] Being of Southern origin, it was originally decided that the fraternity would not expand north of the Mason–Dixon line.[2]

Alpha Lambda Tau grew by absorbing numerous local fraternities at Southern universities.[2] Beta was established in 1922 at the Alabama Polytechnic Institute, followed by Gamma at Mercer University in 1923.[2] The fraternity dropped its anti-northern expansion policy at the 1927 national convention and issued a charter to Lambda at the University of Illinois.[2][3]

Alpha Lambda Tau became a junior member of the National Interfraternity Conference (NIC) in 1928. By 1930, it had initiated 1,250 members in had fifteen chapters.[2] It also had alumni chapters in Chicago, Birmingham, and Atlanta.[4][2]

In the fall of 1946, the national organization of Alpha Lambda Tau dissolved.[5] Five of the eight chapters that were active in 1946 merged with Tau Kappa Epsilon. Several chapters went to other national fraternities.[5] However, there was no official merger between Alpha Lambda Tau and another organization.

Symbols

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Alpha Lambda Tau's badge was round with four gold arms with the letter ALOT.[2] Its center featured a black shield with a serpent, a cross, and two torches.[2] There were three stars above the shield and one below it.[2] Its pledge pin was a gold shield with a black enamel serpent and cross in the middle, with black panels on either side.[2]

The fraternity's colors were old gold and black.[2] Its flower was the American Beauty rose.[2] Its publication was The Rose Leaf.[2]

Chapters

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Following are the chapters of Alpha Lambda Tau.[6][7]

Chapter Charter date and range Institution Location Status Reference
Alpha March 27, 1921 – 1943 Oglethorpe College Brookhaven, Georgia Inactive [a]
Beta 1922–July 1947 Alabama Polytechnic Institute Auburn, Alabama Merged (ΤΚΕ) [b]
Gamma October 13, 1923 – 1947 Mercer University Macon, Georgia Merged (ΣΝ) [8][c]
Delta May 31, 1925 – April 1947 Louisiana Tech University Ruston, Louisiana Merged (ΤΚΕ) [9][d]
Epsilon 1925–1930 University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, North Carolina Inactive [e]
Zeta January 22, 1925 – January 1947 North Carolina State College of Agriculture and Engineering Raleigh, North Carolina Merged (ΤΚΕ) [10][f][g]
Eta April 15, 1926 – 1940 Howard College Homewood, Alabama Inactive [11][h]
Theta 1928–1942 University of Georgia Athens, Georgia Inactive [i]
Iota 1927–1947 Presbyterian College Clinton, South Carolina Merged (ΣΝ) [j]
Kappa January 14, 1928 – 1947 Wofford College Spartanburg, South Carolina Inactive [12][k]
Lambda 1928–1932 University of Illinois Champaign, Illinois Inactive [l]
Mu 1928–1936 University of Arkansas Fayetteville, Arkansas Inactive [m]
Nu 1929–1930 Lyon College Batesville, Arkansas Inactive [13][n]
Xi May 5, 1929 – 1947 University of Chattanooga Chattanooga, Tennessee Merged (ΠΚΑ) [14][15][o]
Omicron 1929–1941 Transylvania University Lexington, Kentucky Merged (ΔΣΦ) [16][p]
Pi 1931–1938 University of Alabama Tuscaloosa, Alabama Inactive
Rho 1931–1932 Culver–Stockton College Canton, Missouri Inactive [q]
Sigma January 30, 1932 – 1935 University of Kentucky Lexington, Kentucky Inactive [17][r]
Tau December 15, 1934 – February 1947 University of Maryland, College Park College Park, Maryland Merged (ΤΚΕ) [18][s]
Upsilon 1934–193x ? Michigan State University East Lansing, Michigan Inactive
Phi September 1935–1940 Missouri School of Mines and Metallurgy Rolla, Missouri Inactive [19][t]
Chi ? 1936–1937 Western State College of Colorado Gunnison, Colorado Inactive [u]
Psi June 7, 1936 – March 1947 Tri-State College Angola, Indiana Merged (ΤΚΕ) [4][v][w]
  1. ^ Chapter formed as the Alpha Lambda Club (local) in 1916, becoming Alpha Lambda Tau's Alpha chapter on March 27, 1921.
  2. ^ Chapter formed from Omicron Tau Phi (local), established in 1920 at Polytechnic Institute, now Auburn University. It became the Beta-Lambda chapter of Tau Kappa Epsilon.
  3. ^ Chapter formed from Alpha Lambda (local), established in 1921. It withdrew and it revived the Eta chapter of Sigma Nu.
  4. ^ Chapter formed from Alpha Omega (local), established in 1898. It became the Beta-Zeta chapter of Tau Kappa Epsilon with the national merger of the two fraternities.
  5. ^ Chapter formed from Gamma Psi (local), established in 1824 (date most likely a typo for 1924 in the Almanac).
  6. ^ Became the Beta-Beta chapter of Tau Kappa Epsilon with the national merger of the two fraternities.
  7. ^ North Carolina State College of Agriculture and Engineering is now North Carolina State University.
  8. ^ Chapter originated as Phi Beta Tau (local) in January 1925 at Howard College, now Samford University.
  9. ^ Chapter formed from Kappa Phi Alpha (local), established in 1928.
  10. ^ Chapter formed from the Rapier Club (local), established in 1926. After the national fraternity ceased operations, it operated as a local fraternity before becoming the Zeta-Theta chapter of Sigma Nu in January 1951.
  11. ^ Chapter formed from Beta Phi (local), established in 1924.
  12. ^ Chapter formed from Phi Nu Beta (local), established in 1923.
  13. ^ Chapter formed from the College Men Club (local), established before 1928.
  14. ^ Chapter formed from Eta Beta Kappa, established in 1925.
  15. ^ Chapter formed from Phi Beta Gamma (local), established in 1921. At the time of the merger with Tau Kappa Epsilon, it withdrew and became the Delta Epsilon chapter of Pi Kappa Alpha.
  16. ^ Chapter formed from Alpha Gamma Chi (local), established in 1925. It withdrew and became the Beta Mu chapter of Delta Sigma Phi.
  17. ^ Chapter formed from Phi Beta Epsilon (local), established in 1926.
  18. ^ Formed as Phi Psi Phi (local) on October 26, 1930 as a planned expansion into Alpha Lambda Tau.
  19. ^ Chapter formed from Iota Nu Delta (local), established in 1914. It became the Beta-Delta chapter of Tau Kappa Epsilon.
  20. ^ Chapter formed from the Bonanza Club (local), established in 1914.
  21. ^ Chapter formed from Theta Tau Omega (local), established in 1925.
  22. ^ Chapter formed from the Alpha chapter of Sigma Mu Sigma, established in 1921 at Tri-State University, now called Trine University.
  23. ^ After being granted the name Beta-Epsilon chapter of Tau Kappa Epsilon, ΤΚΕ was forced by NIC rules to revoke the chapter's charter because Tri-State was not (yet) accredited. The chapter affiliated with Kappa Sigma Kappa in 1952. In 1962 ΚΣΚ nationally merged with ΘΞ, but due to the accreditation issue, the chapter reverted to local status again, calling itself Tau Kappa Lambda (local). In 1966, once school accreditation was in place, it would become the Theta-Xi chapter of Kappa Sigma fraternity, with that new name a coincidence having no relation to the national fraternity into which its former national merged. To complete the historical record, ΤΚΕ's Beta-Epsilon chapter was recolonized in a separate effort on the Trine campus in 1989.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Yamacraw (yearbook). Brookhaven, Georgia: Oglethorpe University, 1923. p.103. via Internet Archive.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Shepardson, Francis Wayland, ed. Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities, 12th edition. Menasha, Wisconsin: The Collegiate Press/George Banta Publishing Company, 1930. pp. 46-47. via Hathi Trust.
  3. ^ "Fraternity News". The Tri-Angle of Tri-State College, November 11, 1946, p. 4.
  4. ^ a b Modulus (yearbook). Angola: Tri-State College, 1941. p. 78. via Internet Archive.
  5. ^ a b "The History of Tau Kappa Epsilon Fraternity". Tau Kappa Epsilon. Retrieved 2025-06-01.
  6. ^ William Raimond Baird; Carroll Lurding (eds.). "Almanac of Fraternities and Sororities (Baird's Manual Online Archive), page with Alpha Lambda Tau records". Student Life and Culture Archives. University of Illinois: University of Illinois Archives. The main archive URL is The Baird's Manual Online Archive homepage.
  7. ^ Anson, Jack L.; Marchenasi, Robert F., eds. (1991) [1879]. Baird's Manual of American College Fraternities (20th ed.). Indianapolis, IN: Baird's Manual Foundation, Inc. p. VIII–2–3. ISBN 978-0963715906.
  8. ^ Cauldron (yearbook), Macon: Mercer College, 1924. p.173. via Mercer University Libraries.
  9. ^ Lagniappe (yearbook). Ruston, Louisiana Tech University, 1933, p. 161. via Internet Archive.
  10. ^ Agromeck (yearbook). Raleigh: North Carolina State College of Agriculture and Engineering, 1944. p.142. via Internet Archive.
  11. ^ Entrenous (yearbook. Homewood: Howard College, 1930. p. 158. via Internet Archive.
  12. ^ The Bohemian (yearbook). Spartanburg: Wofford College, 1936. p.182. via Internet Archive.
  13. ^ Blevins, Brooks (2003). Lyon College 1872-2002: the Perseverence and Promise of an Arkansas College (c). University of Arkansas Press. p. 97. ISBN 978-1-61075-255-8 – via Google Books.
  14. ^ James W. Livingood (1947). The University Of Chattanooga Sixty Years. Chattanooga: University of Chattanooga. p. 225 – via Internet Archive.
  15. ^ The Shield and Diamond. vol. 57, no. 4 (June 1948): p. 34.
  16. ^ Wright Jr., John D. (13 January 2015). Transylvania: Tutor to the West. University Press of Kentucky. p. 350. ISBN 978-0-8131-4920-2 – via Google Books.
  17. ^ The Kentucky Kernel. January 19, 1932, p. 1. via Internet Archive.
  18. ^ "Iota Nu Delta Goes National". Maryland Alumni News. December 1934. p. 3. via Internet Archive.
  19. ^ Rollamo (yearbook) . Rollo: Missouri School of Mines and Metallurgy, 1936. p. 81. via Internet Archive.
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