Interesting FACTS That Some May Not Know About Your Organization

[TSteven]

Originally Posted by AlphaFrog

http://www.zbt.org/ZBT/About.asp

The About tab is at the bottom, not very conspicuous...

Originally Posted by adrie435

It's hard to find.. you have to look at the bottom and click in 'About' to get to the history.

"Zeta Beta Tau Fraternity was inspired by Richard J. H. Gottheil, a professor of languages at Columbia University and a leader in the early American Zionist movement. On December 29, 1898, Professor Gottheil gathered together a group of Jewish students from several New York City universities to form a Zionist youth society. The society was called Z.B.T."

http://www.zbt.org/ZBT/About.asp

I guess it could go either way since he taught at Columbia but the members were from New York City Universities...

ETA: Looks like AlphaFrog and I found this about the same time..

D'oh!

And thanks.

[tld221]

Originally Posted by xo_kathy

I think I shared this once before...

Our letters were chosen randomly. The ladies cut out all the greek letters, spread them on the floor, and found something they thought looked good together.

Also, before our colors were chosen, the ladies pinned ribbons of plum and olive green over their hearts to show they were part of the group. They chose these two colros because they thought it was the ugliest color combo!!

My founders were pretty funny gals!

oh wow! makes you think how every single girl's rush could ended up had Chi Omega been named something else... (im just recalling from the abundance of rush threads how PNMs often get confused by which house is which and worse, choose letters on how "greek" the letters look/sound)

[DEVODUDE]

Originally Posted by TSteven

D'oh!

And thanks.

I know it is confusing when it comes to our history, however, every Alumni and Undergraduate publications, especially our 100yrs, Anniversary Book, it states that ZBT was founded at Columbia University by 15 men from several NYC Colleges and Universities to organize the first secret society for Jewish men. Between 1898 and 1903 the society operation as a universal organization under a city charter with members from the following schools....Columbia, NYU, Yeshiva, CCNY, Baruch, Queens Coll., Brooklyn Coll., Long Island Univ., Hunter, etc. There was no Alpha chapter during that time, until 1903 when the society was changed to a Greek-Letter Fraternity and established the Grand Alpha Chapter at City College of NY. I hope this information helps clear up some of the confusion.