Some Theta Delta Chi fun facts:
(this is our seven firsts)
1. Theta Delta Chi is the first fraternity to publish a fraternity magazine - The Shield, 1869 (ceased after couple editions, then started again in 1884)
2. Theta Delta Chi is the first fraternity to adopt colors: black (secrecy), white (purity), blue (loyalty)
3. Theta Delta Chi is the first fraternity to design and fly a characteristic flags, 1870
4. Theta Delta Chi is the first fraternity to adopt a precious stone - Ruby
5. Theta Delta Chi is the first fraternity to adopt a patron saint - the Roman Goddess Minerva
6. Theta Delta Chi is the first fraternity to adopt the use of pledge pin
7. Theta Delta Chi is the first fraternity to adopt a flower - the red carnation
Our Kappa Charge (Tufts University, Mass.) is the longest continous existance, founded 1856 and operating smoothly since.
Theta Delta Chi is amongst the few that have "Charges" instead of "Chapters" due to our believe for each individual brotheren to control their own operation (charge)
Theta Delta Chi is one of the four fraternities/sororities that uses the Greek nomenclature of hierarchy for our Charges, using word of "Deuteron" (second) and "Triton" (third) after all first letters used. For example, Iowa State University is Beta Deuteron Charge, Michigan State University is Gamma Triton Charge.
We honor Alpha Charge as the first Charge, therefore, there is no other Charges using any "Alpha"s.
We use Omega Charge for brothers who passed away, and they are united in Omega Charge. No other Charges using the name "Omega"
We are small fraternities by choice, in any given historical moments, we never have active Charges more than 35 in numbers. Petition to join the bond of Theta Delta Chi is prestigious, and in the past, we turned down so many petitions and we only accepted petitions from prestiguos schools: all 8 Ivy League Schools (Penn, Harvard, Cornell, Columbia, Dartmouth, Yale, Princeton, Brown), MIT, Stanford, William and Mary, Berkeley, Wisconsin to name a few.
Theta Delta Chi is founded in Union College in 1847, and besides Theta Delta Chi, there is five other fraternities founded in the same college: Kappa Alpha Society, Sigma Phi, Delta Phi, Psi Upsilon, and Chi Psi.
Theta Delta Chi went International with our Charge installment in McGill University in Montreal, in 1901.
My favorite alums:
Robert Frost, poet
Gonzalo de Quesada, founder of the Cuban Republic
Raymond Hood, architect of Chicago Tribune and Rockefeller Center
Walter O'Malley, owner of Dodgers, who moved the whole team from Brooklyn to LA. NY people really hated him
Frank Thomas, creator of the Disney's Thumpers (Bambi) and the romantic scene of Lady and the Trump, with the spaghetti
Myford Irvine, the city of Irvine, CA is named after him