Alpha Tau Delta
Alpha Tau Delta
Main page

Alpha Tau Delta

logo
Community Hub0 subscribers
What are your thoughts?
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Alpha Tau Delta

Alpha Tau Delta (ΑΤΔ) is a professional fraternity for students and industry professionals in the nursing fields. It was founded in 1921 at University of California, Berkeley as Alpha Tau.

Nursing students at the University of California, Berkeley after holding conferences with the dean, the university faculty, and the director of the School of Nursing founded a nurses’ sorority on February 15, 1921. It was named Alpha Tau, and its first chapter was named Alpha–the Lady of the Lamp, after Florence Nightingale.

Soon after, the organizing committee decided that the sorority should be designated as a fraternity since it was professional. The name was changed to Alpha Tau Delta in 1924. The Greek letter Delta was added when it was learned that a male fraternity had a prior claim to the name Alpha Tau. Alpha Tau Delta and its insignia were registered with the United States Patent Office. Alpha Tau Delta became the first nursing fraternity in the United States.

Invitations were sent to eligible collegiate Schools of Nursing throughout the states to join Alpha Tau Delta. The second chapter to be chartered was Beta, at the University of Minnesota in 1927, followed by Gamma chapter at the University of California, Los Angeles in 1928. Since new chapters were being founded on different campuses in different cities, a central office was established at Berkeley.

Its first national publication, the T.P.R. of ATD, was first published in 1931. Later, the name was changed to Cap’tions of ALPHA TAU DELTA and then to The Pulse in 2000.

ATD’s first national convention was held in 1932, in conjunction with the American Nurses Association Biennial Convention with six chapters participating. The fraternity has held a national convention each biennium from 1931 to the present time, except during World War II in 1944 or under exceptional circumstances.

In the early 1970s, Alpha Tau Delta opened its membership to male nursing students, and the Articles of Incorporation of Alpha Tau Delta were changed to reflect this decision. The fraternity became a charter member of the Professional Fraternity Association in 1978. This association was the consolidation of the Professional Panhellenic Association founded in 1925 and the Professional Interfraternity Conference founded in 1928, with the fraternity being a member of the former..

In 1992, Alpha Tau Delta replaced pledging with a membership orientation period.

See all
User Avatar
No comments yet.