Theta Chi

National History

On April 10, 1856, two students at Norwich University founded the Theta Chi Society. Frederick Norton Freeman and Arthur Chase were students at the military academy and wanted to create an organization they hoped would live up to the ideals of true gentlemen. This society would be inclusive to all men they felt shared their same ideals for the future of the school and the creation of better men. Theta Chi Society existed at Norwich for nearly 50 years until the Beta Chapter was created at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Since then it has grown to be one of the largest fraternities in the world.

When Freeman and Chase came to Norwich University, located in Norwich, Vermont, a society known as the Regulators already existed. The Regulators were created to enforce what its members felt were the standards the cadets at the university should hold themselves too. Their methods often included physical confrontation and intimidation. Freeman was a member of this organization as he agreed with the standards and expectations, but disagreed with the methods. It was at this point that he and Chase began to discuss the possibility of forming a new organization.

In Freeman’s room of the Old South Barracks of the University, the two men took the oaths they had created on April 10, 1856. The next day they initiated Edward Bancroft Williston and Lorenzo Potter. They did this with the assistance of Egbert Phelps, who was an officer in the regulators. Phelps was later made an honorary member for his influence and support in these early times.

The Alpha Chapter continued to thrive at the University. In 1866, however, the Old South Barracks burned to the ground, thus many early fraternity documents were lost. Later that same year, the school moved to Northfield, Vermont. It continued to thrive until 1881, when the student body of the University dropped to a dozen men. The only undergraduate member was James Holland. With the assistance of alumni, he was able to recruit Henry Hersey and Phil Randall, thus saving Theta Chi from extinction.

Theta Chi remained solely at Norwich for nearly 50 years. It was originally planned to be a national Fraternity, and it is unknown why it only had one chapter for so long. In 1902, however, Brother Park Valentine Perkins transferred to M.I.T. With the assistance of some alumni, he was able to found the Beta Chapter of Theta Chi. This was followed by the Gamma Chapter at the University of Maine in 1907. From 1908 to 1930, the organization grew rapidly with 46 chapters founded. The first chapter west of the Mississippi was the Mu Chapter at the University of California, Berkeley. Growth then slowed until 1942 when Theta Chi merged with Beta Kappa, adding 16 more chapters. The Alpha Chapter lived on at Norwich until 1960, when the campus trustees abolished all fraternities on campus.

Today, Theta Chi is one of the largest fraternities in the world, with over 135 active chapters including on in Alberta, Canada. It continues to maintain the same ideals laid out by Freeman and Chase more than 150 years ago. It still breeds better men through increasingly high standards without the use of hazing. Theta Chi Fraternity provides and will continue to provide an environment for men to thrive and grow for years to come.