Omega Chapter History

By Ralph D. Stauffer '21 (Supplemented)
as Printed in the Theta Chi Handbook (pages 213-217) 

In the Spring of 1915, a group of young men who were members of the Philadelphia Northeast High School Club of The Pennsylvania State College met with the purpose of forming an organization that would perpetuate certain ideals and standards in which these students believed. Arrangements were made to secure a house, which was then in the course of construction at the corner of Foster Avenue and Allen Street, the present home of Omega Chapter. 

At the opening of the college year in 1915, the Northeast Club was established on a local fraternity basis. New members were selected with the greatest care and were of the highest type. By the Fall of 1917 the Club was well established and strong bonds of friendship existed among its members. Fully realizing that greater advantages could be gained by closer association with the fraternities of State College, action was taken to change the character of the organization to that of a local fraternity. 

On February 23, 1918, permission was granted by the fraternity committee of the General Faculty, and the Northeast Club became the Phi Tau Alpha Fraternity, On April. 6, 1918, the change was formally announced to the other fraternities by a smoker and reception at the chapter house. Shortly afterwards Phi Tau Alpha was admitted to the Intra-Mural Council, this marking the final step in the official recognition by the fraternities of the Pennsylvania State College. 

The ambition of Phi Tau Alpha was to perfect a fraternity in which all of the members would "practice kindness and toleration toward one another, and attain, as nearly as possible, that brotherly feeling which exists between brothers of the same parentage. In doing this each should ever aspire to be considerate of the rights and opinions of others and never let any act go undone which would bring happiness and joy to another." 

The charter members of Phi Tau Alpha were : Clifford Ernest Beavan, Ellwood Bruce Cassel, George Womrath Ford Chapman, Francis Janney Doan, Charles Frederick.. son, Jr., Frederick Jacob Fuchs, Sidney Dood Morgan, Emil Arthur Petzold, Anthony Viehmann Pickard, Raymond Betz Poeppel, Arthur Sell Rosenberger, William Alonzo Rossiter, Jr., William Otto Schell, Walter Eberhard Segl, William Wayne Seltzer, William Jefferson Shaw, Jr., John Robsin Skeen, Theodore Gilman Smith, Winfield Foulds Smith, William Cutler Thompson, Ellwood Joseph Rittenhouse, Florian John Olbrich, Frederick Tomlinson Vansant, Robert Pariset Stevens. 

The pin of the Phi Tau Alpha was badge style, with eight concave sides. In the center of the pin there was a white scroll, with upturned ends, on which the Greek letters Phi Tau Alpha were inscribed in gold. The background of the pin was black enamel. Above the scroll were seven gold stars and below were a dagger and a key, crossed and entwined by a rope, all in gold. The pin was set with sixteen stones, four opals and twelve pearls. The opals were set at the four quarters of the pin, at the top, bottom, right and left sides, equally spaced. The pearls were equally spaced between the opals. 

Phi Tau Alpha became the Omega Chapter of Theta Chi, March 15, 1919, and the two men most instrumental in bringing about the affiliation with Theta Chi were George W. F. Chapman, '20, and Raymond B. Peoppel, '20. These men were assisted by the other petitioning members of Phi Tau Alpha. 

The petitioning members were: Fred Follmer Bastian, Clifford E. Beavan, Ellwood B. Cassel, George W. F. Chapman, Charles A. Frederickson, Jr., Frederick J. Fuchs, Donald E. Magill, Murrell D. McKinstry, Robert E. Ockford, Anthony V. Pickard, Raymond B. Poeppel, Walter E. Segl, Walter B. Shaw, John R. Skeen, William L. Sowden, Ralph D. Stauffer, Hugo E. Zetterlof. 

December 2, 1918, was the date of the petition, February 19, 1919, the date the charter was granted, and March 15, 1919, the date of installation.

The installation committee consisted of Fred W. Ladue, Iota, Chairman, assisted by the following: Earle Scrafford, Delta; Herbert D. Leary, Gamma; W. Howard Gottlieb, Kappa; Clarence R. Anderson, Pi. 

The installation was begun at 7 :30 P. M. Friday, March 14, 1919. After the opening exercises the ritual for installation was followed and in due course the ceremony performed. New officers were then elected and installed and a short meeting held. The meeting closed in the regular form shortly after midnight. 

The next morning the committee instructed the officers of the chapter in the minute details of their various duties, and after lunch, exemplified the degree work. The installation was completed by five thirty o 'clock, at which time the committee and others adjourned to the dining room for the installation banquet. 

The banquet table was set for 5:30 and by that time several more visiting members had arrived, among them being Captain James Beazley, Kappa, and Marion W. Harris, Pi. The banquet hour passed pleasantly, during which college and fraternity songs were sung. The post-prandial exercises immediately followed and Albert F. Schoeppe of Omega acting as toastmaster. The members of the installation committee each gave short talks and these were followed by talks by visiting members, alumni and active members. 

Following a custom of the Institution, a smoker was held at the chapter house, immediately after the banquet to which all of the fraternities on the campus were invited to send representatives to get acquainted with the new chapter, its alumni and visiting members. The charter members of Omega Chapter were: Fred Follmer Bastian, Clifford Ernest Beavan, Ellwood Bruce Cassel, George W. F. Chapman, Charles A. Frederickson, Jr., Frederick Jacob Fuchs, Maurice Elias Kressly, Donald Ezra Magill, Murrell D. McKinstry, Russell Bentley Nesbitt, Robert Earl Ockford, Emil Arthur Petzold, Anthony V. Pickard, Raymond B. Poeppel, Ellwood J. Rittenhouse, Joseph Eugene Rowe, Albert F. Schoeppe, Walter Eberhard Segl, William Wayne Seltzer, Walter Bispham Shaw, William J. Shaw, 3rd, John Robsin Skeen, Winfield F. Smith, William L. Sowden, Jr., Ralph D. Stauffer; William C. Thompson, Frederick T. Vansant, Hugo E. Zetterlof. 

The Omega Alumni Association was founded February 1st, 1920. 

Statistics
Number of initiated members to September, 1927: 119. 
Average size of chapter: 30. 
Name and frequency of chapter publication : Omegaphone, semesterly. 
Both members and pledges are allowed to room in the chapter house. 
The chapter operates a dining room. 
Omega does not own its home, but owns a building lot, value $3,000. 

Pennsylvania State College
Pennsylvania State College, located at State College, began in 1855 as The Farmers’ High School. In 1862 it be-came the Agricultural College of Pennsylvania and finally in 1874 the "Pennsylvania State College. The college was established in accord With the Morrill Act making military training mandatory for practically all male students. It is a co-educational institution and had, during the school year of 1926-271 an enrollment of 3800 students of which 3500 were men and 300 were women. Thirty-nine national social fraternities have chapters at Pennsylvania State College of which number Theta Chi was the thirty-second to be established. 

State College, a town of 2500 people, is located almost in the geographical center of the State of Pennsylvania. The town is served by a branch line of the Pennsylvania Railroad, but can be most conveniently reached by motor bus from Tyronne, a town thirty miles south and on the main line of the Pennsylvania Railroad.