LSU sorority history question
 

Just curious.....

I saw on Irishpipe's threat that this is the history at LSU:

Louisiana State University
Baton Rouge, LA

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Kappa Delta Epsilon 1909
Alpha Delta Pi Omega 1914-1985
Delta Zeta Sigma 1917
Sigma Delta Tau Zeta 1924-1969
Chi Omega Phi Gamma 1924
Alpha Chi Omega Beta Gamma 1926-1970
Phi Sigma Sigma Omicron 1927-1933
Beta Sigma Omicron 1929-1964 National absorbed by ZTA, LSU chapter released to Alpha Phi
Delta Delta Delta Delta Omega 1934
Phi Mu Alpha Eta 1934
Kappa Kappa Gamma Delta Iota 1935
Pi Beta Phi Louisiana Beta 1936
Alpha Epsilon Phi Alpha Theta 1938-1984
Alpha Xi Delta Beta Iota 1938-1988
Alpha Omicron Pi Alpha Omicron 1938-1980
Delta Gamma Gamma Zeta 1948
Zeta Tau Alpha- Delta Kappa 1959
Kappa Alpha Theta Delta Kappa 1963
Gamma Phi Beta Gamma Lambda 1964-1977
Alpha Phi- Delta Tau 1965-1980/Recolonization Fall 2013
Alpha Gamma Delta Theta Alpha 1979-1985
Sigma Kappa Zeta Omega 1984-1993

My aunt was a BSO at LSU in the 50's and I saw that this group was absorbed by ZTA . I'm assuming that this happened in 1959 because it looks like that is when ZTA started according to this list.

My aunt's daughter was a ZTA at LSU in the 80's and I had just assumed that she was a legacy.

The part I'm confused about is where it says the LSU chapter of ZTA (?) was released to Alpha Phi.

Does anyone know anymore detailed history about the order of how this all happened?

I'm guessing it means that nationally Beta Sigma Omicron was absorbed by ZTA, but the LSU chapter of Beta Sigma Omicron decided to affiliate with Alpha Phi, who was colonizing (perhaps at the request of the LSU BSO chapter?).

I'm reading it that BSO was absorbed by ZTA in 1964. ZTA already had a chapter at LSU. Maybe it would have been awkward for an existing chapter to absorb a local. It sounds like Alpha Phi colonized in 1965. I'm reading it that Alpha Phi absorbed the local BSO on this campus only, and that this happened in 1964/65.

This is not uncommon. When chapters of the absorber and aborbee already existed on one campus, the chapter to be absorbed (ie. BSO) would be offered to another group rather than merge with the already existing rival chapter on their campus. AOII at Auburn formed this way by accepting a chapter of Phi Omega Pi from Delta Zeta when they merged but both were already at Auburn.

Per the Alpha Phi Quarterly - Spring 1972:

"Beta Sigma Omicron, a member of NPC, became inactive in 1964, and Alpha Phi pledged three of her chapters. One of these was at Louisiana State University at Baton Rouge. There were sixteen NPC groups on campus. Twenty-three collegians and forty alumnae of the Beta Sigma Omicron chapter were initiated in May 1965 by Omega chapter and became the Delta Tau chapter of Alpha Phi. The group had been on campus since 1929 and had many loyal alumnae."

Zeta Tau Alpha absorbed all BSO's collegiate chapters except for 3 (LSU, Baldwin-Wallace, and Indiana University of Pennsylvania) because ZTA already had collegiate chapters at those colleges when BSO was absorbed. Baldwin-Wallace's chapter of BSO became Alpha Phi's Delta Upsilon chapter (still active) and the Indiana University of Pennysylvania's BSO chapter became the Delta Phi chapter of Alpha Phi (inactive). When we recolonize at LSU this fall, this will be Delta Tau chapter's return to LSU.

She would have been a legacy to Alpha Phi only since Zeta Tau Alpha did not absorb those chapters.

^^^ Thanks for providing the definitive answer!

No problem! I am a huge Alpha Phi history buff ::face palm::

Thank you! I knew someone would know the answer. Kind of interesting that my cousin ended up becoming a ZTA--just a coincidence. This also explains why my other aunt (a DG at LSU in the 50's) told me that her sister was in the group that became ZTA (because on a national level, they did, just not her chapter). No more confusion...case closed!