History of Beta Theta Pi

The Founding of Beta Theta Pi

At nine o’clock on the evening of the eighth day of the eighth month of the year 1839, eight earnest young men, all students at Miami University, held the first meeting of Beta Theta Pi in the Hall of the Union Literary Society, an upper room in the old college building (known as “Old Main”). The eight founders in the order in which their names appear in the minutes were:

John Reily Knox, 1839
Samuel Taylor Marshall, 1840
David Linton, 1839
James George Smith, 1840
Charles Henry Hardin, 1841
John Holt Duncan, 1840
Michael Clarkson Ryan, 1839
Thomas Boston Gordon, 1840

“Of ever honored memory.”

(In mentioning the Founders, full names are always used, and they are referred to as, “Of ever honored memory.”)

Beta Theta Pi’s history is the story of a magnificent movement which, originating in the West, invaded the South, captured the East and in 1879, grasped undisputed leadership of the Greek fraternities.

Beta Theta Pi History

1850-1900: The Civil War caused the greatest crisis in the history of Beta Theta Pi. The war threatened the life of more than half of the 24 chapters in existence in 1860, with the functioning chapters being reduced by 1864 to those at Miami, Western Reserve, Jefferson, Washington, Indiana Asbury (DePauw), Ohio Wesleyan, Wabash, Hanover, Ohio, Knox, and Indiana. The war threatened the fundamental principle of brotherhood.

1850-1900: By the turn of the century, two important features of Beta Theta Pi had become apparent. The first “Beta character” had already manifested itself in stories such as that of John Holt Duncan and the men of the Michigan chapter who refused to forsake their membership and their badge.

1950-present: With the establishment of the Administrative Office and appointment of an administrative secretary in 1949, the stage was set for spectacular growth and a solid future for Beta Theta Pi and her fraternal colleagues in the years ahead. Almost immediately, however, the Korean War took a tragic toll on the chapters, followed by the emergence of more independent collegians, quick to express themselves over the Vietnam War, often joined by their own faculties. Nonetheless, the Beta spirit endured, grew stronger and, by the end of the 20th century, a renewed commitment to the Beta principles “the Men of Principle initiative” was embraced by Beta Theta Pi, born of necessity and nurtured by yet another evolution of young men who yearn for excellence and thrive on brotherhood.