[DeltAlum]

I suppose it depends on the era and what you consider "famous."

William R. Cunningham, was 25 and only a freshman at the time Delta Tau Delta was formed. Because he was older and had become a Mason he exerted much influence in the group. Cunningham was probably responsible for much of the early language in both the Constitution and Ritual. He served as President of the Karnea in 1883. He was also a minister and held public office in the state of Washington.

John L.N. Hunt was the scholar of the group. After graduating from Bethany, he became the valedictorian of his class at New York University’s School of Law. He then served for several years as New York’s Commissioner of Education.


Jacob Lowe hosted the first meetings of the group in his quarters in a rooming house that has now become a shrine for the Fraternity. Lowe, who became a professor and later a college president, helped facilitate the initial bonds of brotherhood.


Eugene Tarr, a "local boy" whose home was only six miles from Bethany, stayed in West Virginia after college. A strong proponent of strengthening his community, he became a noted speaker, lawyer and editor of a newspaper.


John C. Johnson was a native West Virginian (although at that time the area was still a part of Virginia). He became a lawyer and politician and was the political advisor to John W. Davis, the Democratic nominee for President in 1924. He outlived the other founders by eight years.