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{{Short description|North American collegiate fraternity}}
{| border="0" align="right" style="margin: 0 0 1em 1em; font-size: 95%;" width="250px"
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2020}}
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{| border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" align="right" width="250px"
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| align=center colspan=2 bgcolor="blue" | <font size=+1 color="Pink">'''Beta Theta Pi'''</font>
|-
| align="center" colspan=2 style="border-bottom:3px solid gray;" | <font size="-1">''[[Motto]]: '''Cooperation Makes Strength''' ''</font>
|-
| align="center" colspan=2 | [[Image:btpshield.png]]
The Beta Theta Pi coat of arms.
|-
| '''Founded:''' || [[1839]] at [[Miami University]] ([[Oxford, Ohio]])
|-
| '''Founders:''' ||
*[[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''
|-
| '''Colors:''' || Delicate shades of [[Pink]] and [[Blue]]
|-
| '''Flower:''' || The deep pink "Queen of the Prairie" or "June" Rose
|}
|}
 
{{Independent sources|date=April 2025}}{{Infobox Fraternity
'''Beta Theta Pi''' ('''&Beta;&Theta;&Pi;''') is an international college social [[fraternities and sororities|fraternity]] founded at [[Miami University]] in [[Oxford, Ohio]], [[USA]], where it is part of the [[Miami Triad]]. Beta, as it is nicknamed, was the first college fraternity to be founded west of the Allegheny Mountains and has over 120 chapters and colonies in the [[United States]] and [[Canada]]. More than 175,000 members have been initiated world-wide. Beta Theta Pi has more than 6,500 undergraduate members and 118,000 living initiates. Beta's international headquarters is located at 5134 Bonham Drive, Oxford, Ohio.
| name = Beta Theta Pi
| letters = {{lang|grc|ΒΘΠ}}
| crest = Beta_Theta_Pi_Coat_of_Arms.png
| image_size = 230px
| founded = {{Start date and age|1839|8|8}}
| birthplace = [[Miami University]]
| affiliation = NIC
| type = Social fraternity
| status = Active
| scope = International
| mission =
| colors = Delicate shades of {{color box|#FDC5DE}}{{color box|#FB7CB1}}{{color box|#F95792}} [[pink]] and {{color box|#B2D5F1}}{{color box|#0083CB}}{{color box|#0042A2}} [[blue]]
| flower = [[Rose|Roses of the "June" or "Queen of the Prairie" variety]]
| flag = [[File:Beta_Theta_Pi_flag.png|120px]]
| symbol = [[Dragon]], [[Star (polygon)|Star]], [[Rhombus|Diamond]]
| publication = ''The Beta Theta Pi''
| chapters = 150 active
| members = 10,000+
| lifetime = 223,000+
| address = 5134 Bonham Road
| city = [[Oxford, Ohio|Oxford]]
| state = [[Ohio]]
| ZIP code = 45056
| country = United States
| homepage = {{URL|http://beta.org}}
| pillars = Intellect, Responsible Conduct, Mutual Assistance, Integrity, and Trust
| member badge = [[File:Beta_Theta_Pi_badge.png|left|90px]]
}}
 
'''Beta Theta Pi''' ('''{{lang|grc|ΒΘΠ}}'''), commonly known as '''Beta''', is a North American social [[Fraternities and sororities in North America|fraternity]] that was founded in 1839 at [[Miami University]] in [[Oxford, Ohio]]. One of North America's oldest fraternities, {{as of|August 2023|lc=y}}, it consists of 150 active chapters and colonies in the United States and Canada.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Beta Theta Pi - Overall Listing |url=https://my.beta.org/ors/chapterslisting.aspx |access-date=2022-06-20 |website=my.beta.org}}</ref> More than 223,000 members have been initiated worldwide and there are currently around 10,000 undergraduate members.<ref name="beta">{{cite web |last=Beta Theta Pi |title=Chapter Dashboard |url=https://my.beta.org/ors/chapterslisting.aspx |access-date=April 20, 2022}}</ref> Beta Theta Pi is the oldest of the three fraternities that formed the [[Miami Triad]], along with [[Phi Delta Theta]] and [[Sigma Chi]].
 
==Founders History ==
[[File:harrison hall 2.png|thumb|alt=Old Main|[[Harrison Hall]] (then known as Old Main) at Miami University, founding site of Beta Theta Pi, pictured about 1896]]
 
Students at [[Miami University]] at the time of Beta's founding had previously formed two rival [[College literary societies#Literary societies and fraternities|literary societies]]: The Erodelphian and Union Literary Society. A student of the school, John Reily Knox, began to gather members of both the Erodelphian and Union Literary Societies to create a new fraternity. In a letter that he wrote four years after the founding of the ''Alpha chapter'', Knox said that other fraternities being formed possessed "many objectionable features which rendered them liable to be used as engines of evil as well as instruments of good."<ref>{{Cite journal |date=1889 |title=The Development of the Fraternity System |url=https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/view/36233533/1889-volume-14-no-1-5-phi-delta-theta-scroll-archive |journal=The Scroll |volume=14 |issue=1–5 |pages=5}}</ref>
At 9:00pm on [[August 8]] in [[1839]], eight young men from the 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, designated "of ever honored memory" in Beta Theta Pi tradition, were:
 
The fraternity was formally founded on August 8, 1839, by eight male students of Miami University. Its founders included:
*[[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''
 
* [[Thomas Boston Gordon]]
In the year Beta Theta Pi was founded, the college [[fraternities and sororities|fraternity]] world consisted of only 19 chapters of five secret Greek-letter fraternities, located on 10 college campuses in five states. In addition, the [[Mystic Seven Society]] had been organized in 1837 at [[Wesleyan University]], Middletown, Conn., and [[Delta Upsilon]] had been founded at Williams College, Williamstown, Mass., as a protest against secret societies.
* [[Charles Henry Hardin]]
* John Reily Knox
* [[David Linton (politician)|David Linton]]
* [[Samuel Taylor Marshall]]
 
In 1879, Beta Theta Pi became the first college fraternity to publish its constitution.
There were only 135 students at Miami University in 1839 (all male), and six professors. Tuition cost only $24 per year and the academic year lasted from early October until early August with breaks for [[Christmas]] and [[Easter]]. There were only three main buildings, Elliott and Stoddard halls serving as dormitories and one main academic building known as Old Main.
 
=== Men of Principle initiative ===
Students at Miami often had made a large commitment going off to college, perhaps leaving a farm short handed back home. Academics were a pursuit not to be taken lightly. This is demonstrated by the most important extracurricular activities being membership in the [[Erodelphian]] and [[Union Literary Societies]]. Each had accrued substantial libraries since their formation in 1825. Students gathered on Friday afternoons in the society halls on the third floor of Old Main where they read and criticized essays, debated, and developed skills in extemporaneous speaking. Each sought to provide its members mutual improvement, the cultivation of fellowship, and the promotion of standards of conduct. Most students were members of these societies. Knox was elected President of the Union Lit in June 1839 while Linton served as Treasurer of the [[Erodelphians]] for a year.
In August 1996, [[St. Lawrence University]] Chairman and Beta Theta Pi alumnus E.B. Wilson wrote a letter to the editor of ''The Beta Theta Pi'' magazine challenging the general fraternity to undertake a project to reverse the emerging Greek and Beta culture, which he felt was not in line with their core values.<ref name=10years/>
 
In response to Wilson and several institutional difficulties, the Men of Principle initiative was started during the 1998–99 academic year. Three chapters, Nebraska, Georgia, and Pennsylvania, were used as pilot chapters for the new program.<ref>{{cite news|last=Daves|first=Vanessa|title=Beta Theta Pi fraternity practices 'men of principle' philosophy|url=http://www.dailynebraskan.com/arts_and_entertainment/beta-theta-pi-fraternity-practices-men-of-principle-philosophy/article_8487c520-824c-11e3-b4b7-0019bb30f31a.html|access-date=March 14, 2014|newspaper=The Daily Nebraskan|date=January 2, 2014}}</ref> After this first year of piloting, the Men of Principle initiative was officially introduced at the 160th General Convention in Oxford, in 1999.<ref name="Romano">{{cite news|last=Romano|first=Sabrina|title=After suspension at CMU, 'Men of Principle' found Pitt chapter|url=http://www.pittnews.com/news/article_ff1a6366-5e0b-11e3-8ebc-001a4bcf6878.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20140314194915/http://www.pittnews.com/news/article_ff1a6366-5e0b-11e3-8ebc-001a4bcf6878.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=March 14, 2014|access-date=March 14, 2014|newspaper=The Pitt News|date=December 5, 2013}}</ref><ref name="10years">{{cite journal|year=2020|title=The State of the Fraternity|url=https://issuu.com/betathetapiao/docs/beta_magazine_-_fall_2020_final/36|journal=The Beta Theta Pi Magazine}}</ref>
For some of the students something was missing. During the winter and spring of 1839 the Founders began planning something different. It was in this time that Knox and Marshall, rooming in the west wing of Old Main with Harding and Smith, jointly conceived and worked together to create Beta Theta Pi. On August 8th eight young men crept up to the third floor of Old Main and entered the Hall of the Union Literary Society of which Knox was the president. Five of them were only 19 and four of them just barely so. Knox, Linton, and Ryan were about to graduate so Duncan was elected the first president and Smith as Secretary.
 
Since the beginning of the initiative in 1998, its international headquarters closed 64 chapters by 2008 and 85 chapters by 2013 for hazing or failing to comply with standards set by the Men of Principle initiative.<ref name="Romano"/><ref>{{Cite web |date=2008-12-20 |title=The Beta Theta Pi Magazine (Fall 2008) by Beta Theta Pi - Issuu |url=https://issuu.com/betathetapiao/docs/fall_2008_the_beta_theta_pi_magazine/24 |access-date=2024-11-07 |website=issuu.com |language=en}}</ref> {{As of|2019}}, approximately 25,000 members graduated from one of the fraternity's leadership programs.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://issuu.com/betathetapiao/docs/beta_theta_pi_magazine_-_summer_201/37|title=The Beta Theta Pi – Summer 2019|website=Issuu |date=June 13, 2019 |language=en|access-date=August 7, 2019}}</ref>
When the five remaining Founders returned to Miami in October they began to recruit new brothers. At their first meeting they elected Smith's cousin, Henry Hunter Johnson, and in February added John Whitney, Alexander Paddack, and A. W. Hamilton, two of whom would soon play important roles in founding the Cincinnati Chapter. And so the Founding of Beta Theta Pi was complete.
 
The program was later renamed the "John and Nellie Wooden Institute for Men of Principle", named for member and basketball coach [[John Wooden]], in Oxford, Ohio.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=2024-07-09 |title=The Beta Theta Pi - Spring 2024 by Beta Theta Pi - Issuu |url=https://issuu.com/betathetapiao/docs/btp-2024-spring/28 |access-date=2024-11-07 |website=issuu.com |language=en}}</ref>
==Heraldry==
The seals and emblems of the Fraternity, provided for in The Laws of Beta Theta Pi, include a standard badge, pledge button, colors, flag, coat of arms, great seal, chapter seal and membership shingle.
 
===Pledge Button=Symbols ==
The five core values espoused by Beta Theta Pi are cultivation of intellect, responsible conduct, mutual assistance, integrity, and trust.<ref name="Romano" /> These are the underpinnings for their mission statement to "develop men of principle for a principled life."
Before the development of the pledge button, pledges wore ribbons of pink and blue. Beginning in 1894, experimental pink and blue versions of the pledge button were used, followed by the adoption in [[1899]] of the present design. All versions of the pledge button were designed by George Moseley Chandler, Michigan [[1898]].
 
===Badges Coat of arms ===
The coat of arms of Beta Theta Pi includes the Beta dragon, which, according to the symbolism guide, differs from other artistic or historical concepts of dragons as it is not intended to represent evil or a threat. The fraternity explains it represents courage and respect, depicted as "...calm and caring, rather than [as] many other dragons that are made to seem threatening or aggressive." In the coat of arms, the Beta dragon is placed on top of a shield; the shield is emblazoned with the three stars of Beta Theta Pi and other stylizations from heraldry. Under that shield is a golden banner upon which is one of Beta's mottos "__kai__".<ref name=Heraldry>{{Cite web |title=Beta Theta Pi Fraternity {{!}} Archives & Heraldry |url=https://www.beta.org/archives-heraldry/ |access-date=2023-08-01 |website=Beta Theta Pi Fraternity |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Cobb |first=Martin |title=Beta Brotherhood |publisher=The Beta Theta Pi |year=2014 |edition=1st |___location=Oxford, Ohio |pages=64–65 |language=English}}</ref>
The standard badge of the Fraternity is to be worn over the heart and in a manner befitting the honor and diginity to which the badge is entitled. the use of the badge as a ring, as a decoration or in any other element on printed matter or T-shirts or in any other printer manner (other than as the official badge of the Fraternity) is specifically prohibited.
 
===Coat ofFlag Arms===
The flag of Beta Theta Pi similarly displays several symbols of the fraternity. The flag includes three horizontal stripes, blue, then white, and then blue. The flag shows three five-pointed stars that are made to form an equilateral triangle. The Beta dragon is set within this equilateral triangle.<ref name=Heraldry/>
A coat of arms is a stylized emblem, governed by certain rules. It consists of a shield, crest and banner bearing a motto. In [[1897]], the current coat of arms containing the dragon and ____kai____, designed by George M. Chandler, then an undergraduate, replaced the original Arms, which was designed by John I. Covington in [[1869]].
 
===The FlagFlower ===
Beta has designated as its official flower the Beta rose. The fraternity explains that "this light pink rose was officially made the flower of Beta Theta Pi in 1889 at the fraternity's semi-centennial convention. The Beta rose was chosen to be the flower by a Beta sweetheart named Leila McKee who had many relations to Beta throughout her life. Her father was a Beta, her brother was a Beta, and she eventually became a Beta sweetheart herself. This rose was accepted by the fraternity because of the purity and beauty that it held."<ref name=Heraldry/>
The first flag was designed in [[1890]] by John I. Covington, Miami [[1870]]. Its white rectangular border was in honor of the [[1889]] alliance with the Mystic Seven. It was redesigned in [[1902]] by George M. Chandler.
 
===The RoseBadge ===
The badge of Beta Theta Pi was designed to be worn by members of the association under their original constitution that was produced and published in 1839. Over time, the badge's look has been changed multiple times, but the badge that is currently used today was made by Major George M. Chandler, ''Michigan'' 1898. The badge is an 8-sided shield of black and gold and it contains the three stars of the fraternity on the top of the shield and under that is a diamond which is surrounded by a golden laurel. Under the diamond is the capital Greek letters for Beta Theta Pi and below those letters are the Greek characters that represent 1839, the year of the fraternity's founding. Members of Beta wear this badge over their hearts to be "in a manner befitting the honor and dignity to which it is entitled".
Betas who gathered to celebrate the Fraternity's Semi-Centennial in [[1889]] were guests of the Western Female Seminary at a reception. Here, roses of the "June" or "Queen of the Prairie" variety, growing on the bush adjacent to the veranda of Peabody Hall, were presented to several Betas including Founders Knox and Marshall, at the suggestion of Leila McKee, Western's principal. Later that summer, the ''1889]] Convention selected the rose as our official flower. The Convention found its beauty symbolic of our principles and its hardiness suggestive of the universality of our moral aims.
 
The pledge pin is a pin that is worn by pledges of the fraternity. The pledge pin looks similar to the Beta badge, it is an 8-sided shield of white and gold that has 3 golden 5-pointed stars running diagonally across it.<ref name="Heraldry" />
===Arms===
At the urging of the Michigan Chapter, the ''1909]] Convention authorized each chapter to adopt its own arms. According to the laws of heraldry, the arms of the first nine chapters after Miami are "differenced" by symbols centered in the upper half of the shield. One of these symbols is the cross moline which is used on the arms of DePauw, our ninth chapter. The arms of other chapters have a device, peculiar to that chapter, in the upper left quadrant. Michigan uses the lamp of knowledge on two books from the university arms; Toronto, the maple leaf from the Canadian flag; and Middle Tennessee, the Tennessee walking horse. Each chapter has its own motto, written in Greek on the scroll in words beginning with the same letters as the chapter name. (Pictured is Central Michigan.)
 
===Great SealColors ===
The colors that represent Beta Theta Pi are delicate shades of pink and blue. These colors were chosen in the late 1800s when many fraternities were deciding what colors they wanted to represent them. Delicate shades of pink and blue symbolize gentlemen and chivalry, and were chosen for Beta because of their difficulty to produce and sensitivity to stains. Many times people have tried to change the official Beta colors to darker shades of blue and red but these ideas have always been turned down quickly.<ref name="Heraldry" /><ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-07-09 |title=The Beta Theta Pi - Spring 2024 by Beta Theta Pi - Issuu |url=https://issuu.com/betathetapiao/docs/btp-2024-spring/22 |access-date=2024-11-07 |website=issuu.com |language=en}}</ref>
The first Great Seal was designed by John I. Covington and adopted in [[1879]]. The Greek phrase at the bottom means great seal. The first Great Seal can be found on documents such as the [[1879]] Constitution and charters of that period. The current Great Seal, adopted in [[1899]], is in the custody of the general secretary. It is most frequently seen on charters and Sisson Awards. The first Great Seal was designed by John I. Covington and adopted in [[1879]]. The Greek phrase at the bottom means great seal. The first Great Seal can be found on documents such as the [[1879]] Constitution and charters of that period. The current Great Seal, adopted in [[1899]], is in the custody of the general secretary. It is most frequently seen on charters and Sisson Awards.
 
[[File:John_Reily_Knox_1886.png|thumb|Founder John Reily Knox in 1886]]
===The Shingle===
The shingle is the membership certificate. The initial design, devised by Morris R. Ebersole, Cincinnati [[1898]], then at Cornell, is represented by his shingle. Instead of the chapter seal this version uses a wax impression of the badge. A later variation added the member's class year. The official version, designed by George M. Chandler and adopted in [[1913]], was in adaptation of Ebersole's design and is represented by the shingle of Seth R. Brooks, St. Lawrence [[1922]]. When a member becomes a Fraternal Fifty, he receives a Great Seal of the Fraternity to add to his shingle.
 
===Chapter SealPoem ===
The [[1842]] Convention authorized chapter seals consisting of clasped hands and the chapter letter to be used on the wax seals of letters. By the Civil War many chapters were using these seals and the use of an embossed seal consisting of the badge and chapter letter either above or below the badge became prevalent. The [[1881]] Convention re-adopted the original chapter seal concept specifying the addition of the three stars in a triangle surrounded by a circle containing the legend "FRATERNITY BETA THETA PI, [[1839]]." Subsequently, the legend was modified to reflect the member's chapter. Today, the chief use of the chapter seal is on the shingle.
 
Beta Theta Pi uses the poem [[The Bridge Builder]] as a symbol of its will and estate giving program.<ref>[https://www.archive.beta.org/foundation/guide-to-giving/bridge-builder-society/ Bridge Builder Society], accessed 16 May 2024.</ref>
===Chapter Allegory Drawings===
Each chapter was asked to select a frontispiece for its listing in the [[1882]] Catalogue. These became known as the chapter allegory drawings. Other chapters have also created them. A few chapters have written allegories to accompany their drawing. Some, such as the Centre Dragon, Kenyon's Boy in the Window Seat and Boston's Diogenes, have become famous Beta artwork. The Centre Dragon, perhaps the most famous, was the subject of a stained glass window at the clubhouse of Wooglin-on-Chautauqua.
 
===Beta's Colors=Chapters ==
{{Main|List of Beta Theta Pi chapters}}
The colors were adopted in [[1879]] following impassioned speeches by Walter D. Dennison, Ohio Wesleyan [[1877]], and Paul Wilcox, DePauw [[1879]], for selection of their own chapter colors of pink and blue. Their purity signifies our purposes and their harmony symbolizes the perfect blending of souls in unsullied friendship. They are also the colors of the sunrise and sunset, a daily reminder to every Beta to his cherished membership. Thus, delicate shades of pink and blue
Use of the following colors are also acceptable:
red - PMS 185,
blue - Reflex Blue,
gold - PMS 873,
silver - PMS 877.
Pink is PMS 1895 and
blue is PMS 291 colors.
Also, the new Beta Blue is PMS 646.
 
== Notable members ==
==Growth and Expansion==
{{main|List of Beta Theta Pi members}}Beta Theta Pi has notable members across industries, including more [[Supreme Court of the United States|U.S. Supreme Court]] justices (8), [[Rhodes Scholarship|Rhodes Scholars]] (85), and members of the [[United States Senate|U.S. Senate]] and [[United States House of Representatives|House of Representatives]] than any other fraternity.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-09-30 |title=New Member Welcome Brochure by Beta Theta Pi - Issuu |url=https://issuu.com/betathetapiao/docs/pledge_kit_-_welcome_2022-2023_final/4 |access-date=2024-11-07 |website=issuu.com |language=en}}</ref>
The Constitution provided that "other branches of the association may be established at such places as may be thought suitable and prudent." On April 4th, 1840, Paddack, Gordon, and Hamilton initiated four men at [[Cincinnati]] establishing the second chapter of our Fraternity. Cincinnati promptly took up the expansion work of the fraternity adding chapters at [[Western Reserve College]] in Hudson, Ohio, and [[Ohio University]] in Athens, Ohio.
 
The following is a select group of notable Beta Theta Pi members.
1850-1900: The [[American 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 College|Wabash]], [[Hanover]], [[Ohio]], [[Knox]] and [[Indiana]]. The war threatened the fundamental principle of brotherhood.
* [[Richard Lugar]] ([[Denison University]], 1954), US Senator for Indiana
* [[Bill Nelson]] ([[University of Florida]], 1965), congressman and administrator for [[NASA]] in 2021<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Beta Theta Pi Fraternity {{!}} Men of Principle |url=https://www.beta.org/ |access-date=2023-08-01 |website=Beta Theta Pi Fraternity |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2023-07-11 |title=Bill Nelson {{!}} Biography, NASA, & Facts {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Bill-Nelson |access-date=2023-08-02 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en}}</ref>
* [[Bill Bowerman]] ([[University of Oregon]], 1933), Founder of [[Nike Inc.|Nike]]
* [[Dan Carney]] ([[Wichita State University]], 1953), Founder of [[Pizza Hut]]
* [[Chris DeWolfe]] ([[University of Washington]], 1988), Founder of [[Myspace.com]], CEO of [[SGN Games]]
* [[Charles G. Koch]] ([[Massachusetts Institute of Technology]], 1957), Founder and CEO of [[Koch Industries]]
* [[Bruce Nordstrom]] ([[University of Washington]], 1955), CEO of [[Nordstrom]]<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Bruce Nordstrom |url=https://www.forbes.com/profile/bruce-nordstrom/ |access-date=2023-08-02 |website=Forbes |language=en}}</ref>
* [[Donald Petersen]] ([[University of Washington]], 1946), CEO of the [[Ford Motor Company]]
* [[Sam Walton]] ([[University of Missouri]], 1940), Founder of [[Walmart Inc.|Walmart]]
* [[Mike Brown (American football executive)|Mike Brown]] ([[Dartmouth College]], 1957), Owner of the [[Cincinnati Bengals]]
* [[Don Coryell]] ([[University of Washington]], 1947), Coach of the [[San Diego Chargers]]
* [[Shahid Khan]] ([[University of Illinois]], 1971), Owner of the [[Jacksonville Jaguars]], [[Fulham FC]], [[AEW]]
* [[Mike Schmidt]] ([[Ohio University]], 1971), baseball player for the [[Philadelphia Phillies]] and [[Baseball Hall Of Fame|Baseball Hall of Fame]] inductee<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Mike Schmidt |url=https://www.nndb.com/people/013/000024938/ |access-date=2023-08-01 |website=www.nndb.com}}</ref>
* [[John Wooden]] ([[Purdue University]], 1932), Men's basketball coach at [[UCLA basketball|UCLA]]
* [[Robert F. Engle|Robert Engle]] ([[Williams College]], 1964), Economist and [[Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences]] winner
* [[Dale T. Mortensen|Dale Mortensen]] ([[Willamette University]], 1961), Economist and [[Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences]] winner
* [[George Whipple]] ([[Yale University]], 1903), Physician and [[Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine]] winner
* [[Adam West|William "Adam West" Anderson]] ([[Whitman College]], 1951), actor who played the first [[Batman]]<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Barnes |first=Mike |date=2017-06-10 |title=Adam West, Straight-Faced Star of TV's 'Batman,' Dies at 88 |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/adam-west-dead-batman-star-832264/ |access-date=2023-08-01 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |language=en-US}}</ref>
 
== Local chapter or member misconduct ==
The fraternity continued to expand steadily until in 1879 a union with [[Alpha Sigma Chi]] was approved adding five new chapters at Rutgers, Cornell, Stevens, St. Lawrence and Maine. This provided the fraternity with an important presence in the East that it had previously lacked. By 1889 another union was consumated with The [[Mystic Seven Society]] adding chapters at Davidson, North Carolina, and Virginia.
As part of a multi-year dispute over [[Mixed-sex education|co-ed]] student housing issues, the Beta Theta Pi chapter at [[Wesleyan University]] had been refusing access to campus security personnel. In March 2010, Wesleyan issued a warning to students to avoid the [[chapter house]]. In October of that year, a freshman was raped by a non-member, non-student at a Beta Theta Pi Halloween party. In 2012, a lawsuit by a female student at [[Wesleyan University]] accused the university's chapter of sexual assault and called its [[fraternity house]] a "rape factory" due to the predatory practices present and constant sexual assaults of young women visiting the house. Both the fraternity and the university reached an out-of-court settlement with the victim in 2014.<ref>{{cite news |last=Kingkade |first=Tyler |date=June 1, 2013 |title=Wesleyan 'Rape Factory' Fraternity's Lawyers Demand Assault Victim Be Named Publicly |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/14/wesleyan-rape-factory_n_3442328.html |access-date=March 14, 2014 |newspaper=HuffPost}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Griffin |first=Alaine |date=October 5, 2012 |title=Federal Lawsuit Says Wesleyan Failed To Protect Woman From Assault At Fraternity House Called A 'Rape Factory' |url=https://www.courant.com/2012/10/05/federal-lawsuit-says-wesleyan-failed-to-protect-woman-from-assault-at-fraternity-house-called-a-rape-factory/ |access-date=March 14, 2014 |newspaper=The Hartford Courant}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Reinsberg |first=Hillary |date=October 9, 2012 |title=The Strange History Of Wesleyan University's "Rape Factory" Fraternity |url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/hillaryreinsberg/the-strange-history-of-wesleyan-universitys-rape |website=BuzzFeed}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Kingkade |first=Tyler |date=September 11, 2013 |title='Rape Factory' Lawsuit Reaches Settlement |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/wesleyan-rape-lawsuit-settlement_n_3908416 |website=HuffPost}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=GRIFFIN |first=ALAINE |date=October 5, 2012 |title=Federal Lawsuit Says Wesleyan Failed To Protect Woman From Assault At Fraternity House Called A 'Rape Factory' |url=https://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-xpm-2012-10-05-hc-wesleyan-rape-lawsuit-1006-20121005-story.html |website=courant.com}}</ref>
 
In March 2013, the [[Carnegie Mellon University]] chapter was suspended following a police investigation of sexually explicit videos and photographs of female students circulating among members.<ref name="Romano" /><ref>{{cite news |last=Lane |first=Jackson |date=June 1, 2013 |title=Beta Theta Pi suspended over sexually explicit recordings |url=http://thetartan.org/2013/4/1/news/fourtharticle |access-date=March 14, 2014 |newspaper=The Tartan}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Sostek |first1=Anya |date=March 30, 2013 |title=CMU fraternity suspended over sexual pictures, videos |url=http://www.post-gazette.com/neighborhoods-city/2013/03/30/CMU-fraternity-suspended-over-sexual-pictures-videos/stories/201303300194 |access-date=January 29, 2017 |work=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |last1=McEvoy |first1=Blaine |date=August 28, 2013 |title=The Most Out-of-Control Fraternities in America |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/news/the-most-out-of-control-fraternities-in-america-20130828 |access-date=January 29, 2017 |magazine=Rolling Stone}}</ref>
1900-1950: 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.
 
In December 2014, the [[University of California - Santa Barbara]] chapter was shut down after years of violations and suspensions. Two pledges were sent to the hospital due to hazing which prompted the fraternity's national office to finally close the chapter.<ref>{{Cite web |date=December 6, 2014 |title=UCSB Frat Shut Down Amid Drinking and Hazing Complaints |url=https://www.independent.com/2014/12/05/ucsb-frat-shut-down-amid-drinking-and-hazing-complaints/}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Chapter Status Report |url=http://osl.sa.ucsb.edu/fraternities-sororities/conduct-board/chapter-status-report |website=osl.sa.ucsb.edu}}</ref>
In 1906 a significant milestone in Beta history occurred with the chartering of its first chapter in Canada. The Theta Zeta chapter at the [[University of Toronto]] was established making Beta Theta Pi an international fraternity.
 
In 2017, the [[Pennsylvania State University]] chapter was permanently disbanded due to the death of a pledge, [[Death of Tim Piazza|Tim Piazza]], related to hazing and alcohol abuse.<ref>{{cite web |date=February 17, 2017 |title=Penn State Revokes Beta Theta Pi's Recognition, Imposes Strict Greek Social Regulations |url=http://onwardstate.com/2017/02/17/penn-state-revokes-beta-theta-pis-recognition-imposes-strict-greek-social-regulations/ |access-date=September 18, 2018}}</ref> Piazza was forced to drink excessive amounts of alcohol and fell down the stairs into the basement, where he eventually fell into a coma and died. The members of the fraternity had purposefully destroyed video footage of what happened in the basement.<ref>{{Citation |title=Penn State Hazing Case: Surveillance Video Was Erased, Detective Suggests {{!}} TODAY | date=August 11, 2017 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ftqwvt3q7JE |access-date=2023-08-02 |language=en}}</ref> Eighteen members of the fraternity were arrested and charged for his [[wrongful death]].<ref>{{cite web |date=May 5, 2017 |title=18 Students Charged in Penn State Fraternity Death |url=http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/Penn-State-Frat-Pledge-Party-Death-Grand-Jury-421425594.html?cid=sm_npd_nn_fb_ma |access-date=September 18, 2018}}</ref> The former chapter faces more than 147 charges, including involuntary manslaughter and tampering with evidence.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Penn State Frat Hit With More Than 850 Charges After Student Dies in 'Gauntlet' Hazing Incident |url=http://ca.complex.com/life/2017/05/penn-state-frat-charges-student-dies-in-gauntlet-hazing-incident |access-date=May 8, 2017 |website=Complex CA |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=May 5, 2017 |title=[Document] Full Grand Jury Presentment In Beta Theta Pi Case |url=http://onwardstate.com/2017/05/05/document-full-grand-jury-presentment-in-beta-theta-pi-case/ |access-date=May 10, 2017 |website=Onward State}}</ref>
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.
 
== See also ==
It should be noted that not all Betas support the Men of Principle initiative and that healthy dissent to the general fraternity's advocacy of the program does exist.
* [[List of social fraternities and sororities]]
 
==References==
==The Men of Principle Initiative==
{{Reflist}}
 
==Sources==
The Men of Principle initiative was established to further align Beta Theta Pi with its principles and obligations. In Febraury 1997, the Board of Trustees appointed the Strategic Vision Steering Committee, 25 men and women, including collegians, to study the issues in the Greek community and chart a course for the future.
* Brown, James T., ed., ''Catalogue of Beta Theta Pi'', New York: 1917.
 
After 10 months of intense work by the dedicated committee members, the Men of Principle initiative was born. Guided by the Fraternity's principles and obligations, the committee developed a mission and vision, focusing collegians and alumni on Beta's original purpose. The committee also identified nine goals which serve as guideposts for chapter programming. These collectively emerged as the Men of Principle initiative.
 
 
'''The Nine Goals'''
 
These nine goals describe the distinctive character of the Beta culture. They flow directly from the Mission and anticipate the Vision. While these goals are listed in numerical order, they are in fact interrelated and of equal value. There is no hierarchy. No single goal is more or less important than the others. They work together systematically.
 
Reading them in sequence gives a sense of systemic wholeness, of how they relate, fit together and mutually support one another. The programs relate specifically to the goals. When successfully implemented, the cumulative effect will be the achievement of the Mission and Vision.
 
I. ''Cultivation of the Intellect''
The achievement of intellectual excellence is an enduring object of Beta life. Commitment to the cultivation of the intellect requires the culture of the chapter to encourage and support academic achievement.
 
II. ''Leadership Development & Self Governance''
It is incumbent upon each chapter to identify future leaders, provide for their education and training, give them progressive leadership experiences and help them assume positions of leadership within the chapter, the host academic institution and community.
 
III. ''Commitment to Community''
Beta Theta Pi calls for a commitment by the chapter and by each member of the chapter to make a meaningful contribution to his university, fraternal and local community.
 
IV. ''Member Education''
Beta Theta Pi rejects hazing as a part of fraternity life, and emphasizes an educational experience which is morally uplifting and intellectually stimulating. The ongoing member education program teaches Beta ritual as the critical element of lifelong brotherhood.
 
V. ''Responsible Personal Conduct''
Betas live by the highest standards of social conduct. The elimination of substance abuse through education, intervention, mutual support and progressive sanctions calls for and imposes the highest level of chapter self-governance, monitoring and discipline.
 
VI. ''Chapter Advisors''
A network of advisors is a chapter resource of inestimable value. Advisors can enrich the intellectual culture of the chapter, assist with the administration of chapter affairs and help instill as sense of lifelong brotherhood.
 
VII. ''Member Recruitment''
The process of consistently identifying good men year after year is a critical responsibility of chapter leadership, calling for the implementation of a Member Recruitment Management system, with Recruitment Through Scholarship as a natural element of this goal.
 
VIII. ''Communication''
Each chapter and the General Fraternity must address the specific communication needs of their constituents. These include alumni, college faculty and administrators, prospective members and parents.
 
IX. ''Lifelong Fraternal Brotherhood''
Fraternal brotherhood is created and strengthened by the intensity and integrity of effort required for success and enriched by the shared responsibility for achievement that endures.
 
==Famous Betas==
 
===Academia===
*[[Franklin David Murphy]] ''Kansas, 1936'' (Chancellor, University of Kansas; Chancellor, UCLA)
*[[Frank Hugh Sparks]] ''DePauw 1936'' (President, Wabash College)
*[[Byron K. Trippett]] ''Wabash 1932'' (President, Wabash College)
*[[Dean Mallot]] ''Kansas, 1921'' (Chancellor, University of Kansas; President, Cornell University)
*[[Stanley Coulter]] ''Hanover 1870'' (Dean, Purdue University)
*[[Thomas Bartlett]] ''Willamette 1951'' (Rhodes Scholar/Chancellor, Univ. of Alabama System)
*[[Russell E. Palmer]] ''Michigan State 1956'' (Dean, Wharton School of Business)
 
===Community Organizations===
*[[Ernest Coulter]] ''Ohio State 1892'' (Founder, [[Big Brothers]]/Big Sisters of America)
 
===Government and politics===
 
*[[William O. Douglas]] ''Whitman College'' (United States Supreme Court Justice)
*[[Horace Lurton]] (United States Supreme Court Justice)
*[[Willis Van Devanter]] (United States Supreme Court Justice)
*[[Dick Lugar]] ''Denison 1954'' (United States Senator)
*[[John Warner]] ''Washington & Lee 1950'' (United States Senator)
*[[Wendell Willkie]] ''Indiana 1916'' (Presidential Candidate)
*[[Richard Gephardt]] ''Northwestern 1962'' (Former United States House Minority Leader)
*[[Joe Allbaugh]] ''Oklahoma State 1974'' (Former Director of F.E.M.A.)
*[[Mark Hatfield]] ''Willamette 1943'' (Former United States Congressman)
*[[Ray Mabus]] ''Mississippi 1969'' (Former Governor of Mississippi)
*[[James G. Martin]] ''Davidson 1957'' (House of Representatives)
*[[Arch A. Moore, Jr.]] ''West Virginia 1951'' (Former Governor of West Virginia)
*[[Oliver P. Morton]] ''Miami 1847'' (Civil War Governor of Indiana, and instigator of the DePauw, Indiana and Wabash Chapters)
*[[Bill Nelson (politician)|Bill Nelson]] ''Yale 1965'' (United States Senator)
*[[Don Nickles]] ''Oklahoma State 1971'' (Former United States Senator)
*[[William Perry]] ''Stanford 1949'' (Former Secretary of Defense)
*[[Kenneth S. Wherry]] ''Nebraska 1914'' (Former United States Senator and Minority Leader)
*[[David Karnes]] ''Nebraska 1971'' (Former United States Senator)
*[[W. Mark Felt]] ''Idaho 1935'' (Exposed the Nixon administrations' corruption as "Deep Throat")
*[[H. R. Haldeman]] ''UCLA 1948'' (President Nixon’s Chief of Staff)
*[[David Peterson]] ''UWO 1966'' (Premier of Ontario)
*[[John Turner]] ''UBC 1952'' (Prime Minister of Canada)
*[[Michael Harcourt]] ''UBC 1963'' (Premier of British Columbia)
 
===Arts, entertainment, and media===
*[[George Peppard]] ''Purdue 1952'' (actor, ''[[Breakfast at Tiffany's]]'', ''[[The Carpetbaggers]]'', ''[[The A-Team]]'')
*[[William Anderson]] ''Whitman 1951'' (aka. [[Adam West]]) (actor, ''[[Batman]]'')
*[[Charlie Rose]] ''Davidson 1961'' (television anchor)
*[[George Bellows]] (artist)
*[[Robert Reed]] (actor, ''[[The Brady Bunch]]'')
*[[Richard Karn]] (actor, ''[[Home Improvement]]'')
*[[Stephen Sondheim]] ''Williams 1950'' (composer, ''[[West Side Story]]'')
*[[Ken Kesey]] ''Oregon 1957'' (author, ''[[One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest]]'')
*[[Howard Fineman]] (journalist)
*[[Jay Chandrasekhar]] (actor/director, ''[[Super Troopers]]'', ''[[Arrested Development]]'')
*[[Jeffrey Jones]] ''Lawrence 1968''(actor, ''[[Ferris Bueller's Day Off]]'', ''[[Amadeus]]'')
*[[James Arness]] ''Beloit 1946'' (aka. [[Marshall Matt Dillon]]) (actor, ''[[Gunsmoke]]'')
*[[James Batton]] ''Davidson 1957'' (Former President, Knight Ridder Newspapers)
*[[Thom Brennaman]] ''Ohio 1986'' (Sports Broadcaster)
*[[Chet Forte]] ''Columbia 1957'' (Former TV Director ''[[ABC Monday Night Football]]'')
 
===Sports===
*[[Mike Schmidt]] ''Ohio 1971'' (Baseball Hall of Famer)
*[[Bobby Douglass]] ''Kansas 1969'' (Quarterback, Chicago Bears)
*[[Jerry Lucas]] ''Ohio State 1962'' (Basketball)
*[[Max Falkenstien]] ''Kansas 1947'' (Legendary Kansas Jayhawks Radio Personality)
*[[Frankie Baumholtz]] ''Ohio 1941'' (Professional basketball and Major League baseball player)
*[[Bill Veeck]] ''Kenyon 1936'' (Major League Baseball franchise owner)
*[[John Wooden]] ''Purdue 1932'' (Legendary UCLA Basketball Coach)
*[[Eddie Collins]] ''Columbia 1907'' (Baseball Hall of Famer)
*[[Stan Smith]] ''Southern California 1969'' (Professional Tennis)
*[[Scott McCarron]] ''UCLA 1969'' (Professional Golfer)
*[[Dow Finsterwald]] ''Ohio 1952''(Professional Golfer)
*[[Ken Forsch]] (Baseball)
*[[Jay Fiedler]] ''Dartmouth 1994'' (Football)
*[[Gail Goodrich]] ''UCLA 1965'' (Basketball)
*[[Gene L. (Red) Estes]] ''Oregon 1959'' (Head Track & Field Coach, Fresno State)
*[[Leland (Larry) MacPhail]] ''Beloit 1910'' (Brooklyn Dodgers Owner/GM; Hall of Fame/Introduced night games)
*[[William Koch]] ''MIT 1962'' (Skipper and Champion America’s Cup)
*[[Jamey Rootes]] ''Clemson 1988'' (Former GM Columbus Crew Major League Soccer and current Senior Vice President Sales & Marketing for Houston Texans)
*[[Ed Roski Jr]] ''USC 1968'' (Owner Los Angeles Kings Hockey Team/Realtor)
*[[Mike Brown]] ''Dartmouth 1957'' (President & GM, Cincinnati Bengals)
*[[Donald D. Coryell]] ''Washington 1947'' (Retired San Diego Chargers Coach)
 
===Military===
*[[John Coburn]] ''Wabash 1846'' (Civil War General and founder of the Wabash College Chapter)
*[[Omar Bundy]] ''Depauw 1881'' (World War I General)
 
===Business===
*[[Sam Walton]] ''Missouri 1940'' (Founder of [[Wal-Mart]])
*[[Justin Dart]] ''Northwestern'' (Founder of Dart Industries)
*[[Frank Hugh Sparks]] ''DePauw 1936'' (President of Arvin Industries)
*[[Bruce Nordstrom]] ''Washington 1955'' ([[Nordstrom]] Department Stores)
*[[Blake Nordstrom]] ''Washington 1982'' ([[Nordstrom]] Department Stores)
*[[J. C. Nichols]] ''Kansas 1902'' (Real Estate)
*[[Bill Bowerman]] (William J. Bowerman) ''Oregon 1933'' (Founder of [[Nike]])
*[[Eugene Beesley]] ''Wabash 1929'' (Former Chairman of the Board, Eli Lilly & Co.)
*[[Joel Hyatt]] ''Dartmouth 1972'' (Founder Hyatt Legal Services)
 
===Criminals===
*[[Kenneth Lee Lay]] ''University of Missouri 1967'' (former CEO of [[Enron]], convicted felon, notorious fraudster, sold shares while urging employees to buy them, swindler, conman, conspiracy, awaiting sentencing for role in massive [[Enron]] fraud; trivia - Lay recruited fellow Beta [[Jeffrey Skilling]] to [[Enron]], where Skilling would join in criminal conduct)
*[[Jeffrey Skilling]] ''Southern Methodist University 1973'' (former CEO of [[Enron]], convicted felon, notorious fraudster, sold shares while urging employees to buy them, swindler, conman, insider trader, conspiracy, awaiting sentencing for role in massive [[Enron]] fraud; trivia - Skilling was recruited to [[Enron]] by fellow Beta Ken Lay, where they engaged in criminal conduct together)
 
===Other Prominent Betas===
*[[Joseph P. Allen]] ''DePauw 1959'' (Astronaut/Space Flight Executive)
*[[Kenneth D. Cameron]] ''MIT ’71'' (Space Shuttle Flight Commander)
*[[Paul J. Weitz]] ''Penn State 1954'' (Former astronaut/Space Center Director)
 
==External links==
*[{{Official website|http://www.betathetapi.org/ Beta Theta Pi homepage]}}
*[http://www.gobetatoday.com/ GO BETA Today!]
*[http://www.betathetapi.org/about/beta-quick-facts.doc Beta fact sheet]
*[http://www.alphaofbetathetapi.com/alumni/founders.shtml Founders information]
*[http://www3.telus.net/greek/nic.html Fraternity info]
 
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{{North-American Interfraternity Conference}}
{{North American Interfraternity Conference}}
{{Beta Theta Pi Chapters}}
 
[[Category:UnitedBeta StatesTheta studentPi| societies]]
[[Category:North-American1839 Interfraternityestablishments Conferencein Ohio]]
[[Category:Miami University]]
[[Category:North American Interfraternity Conference]]
[[Category:Student organizations established in 1839]]
[[Category:Student societies in the United States]]
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