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Theta Xi
Theta Xi (ΘΞ) is a North American Greek-letter social college fraternity. It was founded at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1864. Of all the social fraternities today, Theta Xi was the only one founded during the Civil War. Its Grand Lodge is headquartered in downtown Atlanta. Since its inception, Theta Xi has grown to include more than 60,000 initiated members. Currently, there are approximately 45 active chapters and one colony. The Theta Xi Fraternity Chapter House at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Theta Xi was founded on April 29, 1864 at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York as an engineering fraternity. Its founders were George Bradford Brainerd, Samuel Buel Jr., Henry Harrison Farnum, Peter Henry Fox, Ralph Gooding Packard, Thomas Cole Raymond, Nathaniel Henry Starbuck, and Christopher Champlin Waite.
All of the original founders were members of a local fraternity called Sigma Delta, established in 1859 to rival Theta Delta Chi, which was then a secret society at RPI. Debates were common and encouraged at Sigma Delta meetings; however, on the evening of October 30, 1863, George Brainerd tendered his resignation to the society. This resignation was unanimously declined, but ultimately created a rift. Soon after, talks began circulating of affiliating with a larger organization such as Sigma Phi. However, when Sigma Phi declined to issue a charter, this only increased tensions.
On March 12, 1864, voting took place for members of a new organization, and on April 1, a committee consisting of Waite, Buel, Brainerd, and Packard began preparing a new constitution. By April 6, Buel presented monograms for two new names, Theta Xi and Theta Psi. Theta Xi was chosen to avoid confusion regarding a local fraternity called Theta Psi at Yale.
Within its first forty years, six chapters were established at Yale, Stevens Institute of Technology, MIT, Columbia University, Cornell University, and Lehigh University. It was not until 1905 that a westward expansion occurred with chapters at Purdue and, a month later, Washington University in St. Louis. The first west coast chapter came in 1910 at UC Berkeley, and in April 1921, the first southern chapter was founded at LSU.
In 1962, talks began of folding Kappa Sigma Kappa, a smaller, struggling fraternity into Theta Xi. The merger was completed on August 20, 1962. As a direct result, several of Theta Xi's traditions were altered. The coat-of-arms' fleur-de-lis was changed to have crescent moons in tradition with Kappa Sigma Kappa and the “pledge” pins were also changed to incorporate Kappa Sigma Kappa's traditions diagonal white band. The fraternity flower was changed from the white carnation to the blue iris. Finally, the membership manual was changed from The Theta Xi Pledge Manual to The Quest for Theta Xi. In 1964, as a commemoration for the fraternity's centennial, a new Memorial Headquarters was formally dedicated in St. Louis. This served as the official home of the Grand Lodge until 2001.
In 1974, the Beta Alpha chapter at Georgia Tech became a Christian chapter while remaining a full member of Theta Xi and the Georgia Tech IFC. The chapter remains Christian today and is the only Christian chapter of a secular national fraternity in the United States. Their model expanded to the Gamma Phi chapter at Georgia Southern University in 2008, however that chapter has since reverted to the traditional non-religious status.[circular reference]
Beginning in 1999, Theta Xi began offering Leadership academies to its active brothers. That year, the first President's Academy was held to train new chapter presidents, funded by the Theta Xi Foundation. In 2006, this was expanded to include Rising Stars Academy, which aims to make first-year initiates more active in the fraternity.
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Theta Xi
Theta Xi (ΘΞ) is a North American Greek-letter social college fraternity. It was founded at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in 1864. Of all the social fraternities today, Theta Xi was the only one founded during the Civil War. Its Grand Lodge is headquartered in downtown Atlanta. Since its inception, Theta Xi has grown to include more than 60,000 initiated members. Currently, there are approximately 45 active chapters and one colony. The Theta Xi Fraternity Chapter House at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Theta Xi was founded on April 29, 1864 at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York as an engineering fraternity. Its founders were George Bradford Brainerd, Samuel Buel Jr., Henry Harrison Farnum, Peter Henry Fox, Ralph Gooding Packard, Thomas Cole Raymond, Nathaniel Henry Starbuck, and Christopher Champlin Waite.
All of the original founders were members of a local fraternity called Sigma Delta, established in 1859 to rival Theta Delta Chi, which was then a secret society at RPI. Debates were common and encouraged at Sigma Delta meetings; however, on the evening of October 30, 1863, George Brainerd tendered his resignation to the society. This resignation was unanimously declined, but ultimately created a rift. Soon after, talks began circulating of affiliating with a larger organization such as Sigma Phi. However, when Sigma Phi declined to issue a charter, this only increased tensions.
On March 12, 1864, voting took place for members of a new organization, and on April 1, a committee consisting of Waite, Buel, Brainerd, and Packard began preparing a new constitution. By April 6, Buel presented monograms for two new names, Theta Xi and Theta Psi. Theta Xi was chosen to avoid confusion regarding a local fraternity called Theta Psi at Yale.
Within its first forty years, six chapters were established at Yale, Stevens Institute of Technology, MIT, Columbia University, Cornell University, and Lehigh University. It was not until 1905 that a westward expansion occurred with chapters at Purdue and, a month later, Washington University in St. Louis. The first west coast chapter came in 1910 at UC Berkeley, and in April 1921, the first southern chapter was founded at LSU.
In 1962, talks began of folding Kappa Sigma Kappa, a smaller, struggling fraternity into Theta Xi. The merger was completed on August 20, 1962. As a direct result, several of Theta Xi's traditions were altered. The coat-of-arms' fleur-de-lis was changed to have crescent moons in tradition with Kappa Sigma Kappa and the “pledge” pins were also changed to incorporate Kappa Sigma Kappa's traditions diagonal white band. The fraternity flower was changed from the white carnation to the blue iris. Finally, the membership manual was changed from The Theta Xi Pledge Manual to The Quest for Theta Xi. In 1964, as a commemoration for the fraternity's centennial, a new Memorial Headquarters was formally dedicated in St. Louis. This served as the official home of the Grand Lodge until 2001.
In 1974, the Beta Alpha chapter at Georgia Tech became a Christian chapter while remaining a full member of Theta Xi and the Georgia Tech IFC. The chapter remains Christian today and is the only Christian chapter of a secular national fraternity in the United States. Their model expanded to the Gamma Phi chapter at Georgia Southern University in 2008, however that chapter has since reverted to the traditional non-religious status.[circular reference]
Beginning in 1999, Theta Xi began offering Leadership academies to its active brothers. That year, the first President's Academy was held to train new chapter presidents, funded by the Theta Xi Foundation. In 2006, this was expanded to include Rising Stars Academy, which aims to make first-year initiates more active in the fraternity.