Virginia Delta: The Early History

The Delta chapter of Alpha Tau Omega was founded at the University of Virginia on November 25, 1868 by William George Bennett and Frederick A. Berlin. George Bennett was born in 1847 in Weston, West Virginia. He belonged to the class of 1866 at VMI. During the Civil War, he fought alongside the three Founders as a Private in Company B during the Battle of New Market and was one of the first ATΩ initiates. After the war, he attended the UVa Law school. He is also responsible for founding the Gamma community chapter. Bennet is credited with devising the first ceremonial initiation. The overtones of medieval chivalry found in the current ceremony can be traced to him. This beloved son of ATΩ died in 1916. Unfortunately, not as much is known about the second founder, Frederick A. Berlin. It is known that he was a graduate from Washington and Lee University and was the third man initiated by Founder Alfred Marshall in the Beta chapter. Berlin was also a student at the Law School.

Delta chapter members were also responsible for establishing the Duke Chapter. J. Randolph Anderson, VMI, and Moses L. Wicks, Virginia, students at UVa founded the Xi chapter at Trinity College which later became Duke University. This chapter is the longest continually active chapter of ATΩ.

During the 1870s as the Fraternity faced a crisis, the Delta chapter proved integral in the survival of ATΩ. During the Congress of 1876, only Virginia Delta and North Carolina Xi, the Duke chapter, showed up. It was at this congress that those present decided that they could allow the Fraternity to die, or they could take action. The congress chose Joseph Reid Anderson as the new Grand President and sent the Fraternity on the road to rebirth.

As is well known, N. Wiley Thomas was the first initiate in the North thus realizing the Founders vision of bringing men of the North and South together in brotherhood. What is not as well known is that it was Sylvanus Stokes, a Delta brother, who performed the initiation in Philadelphia on April 7, 1881. In this way, the Delta chapter was integral in fulfilling ATΩ's mission to extend into the North.

In the fall of 1883, Founder Glazebrook became the Chaplain of the University. He was so well liked that, contrary to custom, he was appointed a second term in 1884. It was also around this time that Glazebrook became a Mason. While at the University, Glazebrook met and became friends with future President Woodrow Wilson, a Phi Kappa Psi at the time, who later appointed Dr. Glazebrook U.S. Consul to Jerusalem in 1914. Glazebrook was also responsible for the construction of the UVa Chapel. For decades, there was an effort to build a place of worship for University students. Many plans were developed to build a chapel in front of the Rotunda, where the current Madison Hall stands. But fund-raising efforts were put on hold when the Civil War began, and were not started again until Glazebrook spearheaded a campaign and raised the necessary funds for construction of the Chapel. A Stained glass window in the chapel bears the following dedication to Glazebrook's infant son:

To the glory of God, and to Truxtun Richardson Glazebrook
March 14, 1881 - December 4, 1885

The Delta chapter had several different locations during its early history, including the current Alpha Chi Omega sorority house, which the fraternity occupied around 1913, before building and settling into the house on 502 Rugby Road across the street from Pi Kappa Alpha. Perhaps, given the proximity of the two houses, ATΩ chose this site in anticipation of a new fraternity community to grow here, across the C & O railway tracks, similar to the ones on Madison Lane and Carr's Hill. A House Corporation was chartered to collect funds from alumni and eventually enough money was raised for construction to begin. Since the University had stopped lending money for the construction of fraternity houses, the house was built on non-University land and therefore, did not need to conform to the rules and regulations of the University. Contemplating the construction in the spring of 1915, the fraternity began work on June 15 and the house was finished by November. Its cost was around $25,000. The ATΩ house was the last fraternity house constructed prior to World War I. The house has a richly decorated exterior with the only other use of English bond brick, blind arches, and diamond stone motif over double doors on either side of the front door. The fraternity occupied this house for the next 68 years, from 1915 until 1983.

Virginia Delta: The Recent History

During the 1970s and early 1980s, the Delta chapter had a strong presence at the University. Frank Hereford, a Delta brother, was President of the University and would frequently visit the house for cocktail parties. The house maintained high numbers, and was financially viable. Around 1983, a fire at a Texas fraternity resulted in the safety of fraternity housing to be scrutinized across the nation. According to BOT President Michael Burkoff, this led to the unfortunate events surrounding the surrender of the charter. During a fire inspection of the house, the Delta chapter was told that they needed to install a new boiler, a fire escape, and outside lighting. The brothers scrambled to get the money together, and were able to raise the $7,000 for a new boiler and built the fire escape themselves.

On the subsequent inspection, the brothers were told that they needed to also install a sprinkler system and new electrical wiring that would total about $20,000. They were informed that they had 30 days to meet requirements. According to legend, alumni donated the needed money for the renovations, but the brothers decided to have one of the largest parties in UVa history with celebrity James Brown providing the music. Unable to make the necessary repairs to the house, they consulted with the University to see what was going to happen. They learned that the University would withdrawal recognition of the house and then Nationals would revoke the charter. The brothers voted to voluntarily hand over their charter in the hopes that the fraternity would be reorganized at a later date and could keep the Delta recognition. In 1984, the Delta chapter was forced to close and forever left 502 Rugby Road. The house was sold to the Alpha Delta Pi sorority for approximately $200,000 and the funds from the sale were put into a trust fund in the hopes that the fraternity would be rechartered at the University at some future date.

According to former historian Andrew Chernack ('94), Zeta Beta Tau formed an interest group to recolonize its chapter at the University in 1987, and this group was known provisionally as Zeta Beta. The University, though, at some point told the ZBs that they needed to consider at least two nationals. One of the ones that they invited in was Tau Epsilon Phi. ZBT Nationals, perhaps understandably, was angered by this move because it had invested money in rush and other activities based on the understanding that its new chapter would be summarily approved by the University. Its final presentation to the ZBs was lackluster, and the ZBs chose TEP instead by a unanimous vote. (The current chapter of ZBT at the University was formed after Operation Equinox shut down the local Phi Epsilon Pi house in the early 1990s.)

In 1991, the TEP fraternity moved to 510 17th Street (now occupied by Gamma Phi Beta) which was owned by a Ms. Francis Walton. The fraternity rented the 17th St. house from Ms. Walton, and the TEP National fraternity promised to purchase the house from Ms. Walton in 1993. Ms. Walton charged $50,000 a year rent, a $5,000 security deposit and $200 per new initiate. In the spring of 1993, TEP Nationals announced that it would not be able to purchase the 17th St. house. In the fall of 1993, the fraternity de-affiliated with TEP and became an independent fraternity, Chi Delta Sigma.

At this point, Alpha Tau Omega alumnus and current FAC President Phil Gates (‘70) approached Chi Delta Sigma president John Giles about re-chartering ATΩ at the University. The first step was to gain formal Interest Group designation from both ATΩ Nationals and the University's Greek Coordinating Committee. After this was accomplished, the group became an Alpha Tau Omega Colony in a ceremony on December 4, 1994. Present at the ceremony were all the current members, many alumni, ATΩ Nationals representatives, Dean Dexter Whitehead, and Assistant Dean of Students Shamin Sisson.

After the colonization, the undergraduate brothers met with the ATΩ Delta alumni and discussed purchasing a house for the new fraternity. Their broker's first inquiry was to see if the old 502 Rugby house could be purchased. They then approached Ms. Walton to purchase the 17th Street house, but she demanded an exorbitantly high purchase price, so the fraternity looked elsewhere. The house was also far from Grounds and rather secluded, making it undesirable from a rush standpoint.

After negotiating with the owners, the Board of Trustees of the Delta chapter decided in 1996 to purchase the current house at 125 Chancellor Street using the funds from the original sale of the 502 Rugby Road house, as well as numerous contributions from our generous alumni. The Chancellor Street house was built in 1915 as a single family home. It was owned by Professor Demayo, who taught in the history department. The house had been used as apartments during the 10 years prior to our purchase. Brother Jack Horn of Martin-Horn provided all of the construction improvements at cost. He converted two old kitchens to study areas, totally removed another kitchen, constructed the parking lot, installed a handicap ramp, built closets, and converted a bath to a powder room, painted the first floor - all at a very reasonable cost of about $29,000. Brother Bob Moorefield, president of the local Crestar Banks managed to arrange a $50,000 loan for the house. Alumni donations in the form of leather couches, carpets, a foosball table, and a big screen projection TV made the new Tau house one of the most nicely furnished of all the UVa fraternities.

On March 30, 1996, the Delta chapter was officially re-chartered in a ceremony at the Albemarle County Courthouse. The new Tau house was dedicated during the October 19-20 Homecoming weekend. More than 100 alumni representing five decades of membership were present. Alumni who had "liberated" various composites and documents from the original house returned them for display in the new house. Today, the Delta chapter takes pride in being recognized as the oldest active chapter of Alpha Tau Omega in existence.

To the glory of God, and to Truxtun Richardson GlazebrookMarch 14, 1881 - December 4, 1885

James W. Banta [] Sam Roth Connelly Jr. [] William W. WilliamsonDavid T. Brown [] Robert E. Henly, Jr.

To the glory of God, and to Truxtun Richardson Glazebrook
March 14, 1881 - December 4, 1885

James W. Banta [] Sam Roth Connelly Jr. [] William W. Williamson
David T. Brown [] Robert E. Henly, Jr.