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Baker History
History of Gamma Theta Chapter of
Delta Tau Delta Fraternity
 The Gamma Theta
Chapter of Delta Tau Delta was founded on the Baker
University campus in 1903. The seed for the chapter
was planted in 1889 with the formation of the first
fraternity at Baker -- a "local" fraternity named
Alpha Omega.
The men of Alpha Omega soon sought
affiliation with a "reputable, national fraternity."
With a pledge to build its own fraternity house,
Alpha Omega's petition to become aligned with Delta
Tau Delta was granted. In August of 1903, two Alpha
Omega men -- William C. "Dad" Markham and Claire H.
Harpster -- were initiated into Delta Tau Delta at
the fraternity's international convention (Karnea)
in Cleveland, Ohio. On November 24, 1903, Dad
Markham and Claire Harpster led the ceremony in
Baldwin City to initiate into Delta Tau Delta 13
Alpha Omega men & 22 alumnus members. They are the
13 "Charter" members of Gamma Theta Chapter of Delta
Tau Delta. During the next several years, nearly all
of the remaining Alpha Omega fraternity members were
initiated into Delta Tau Delta.
The first "Delt House" (or
"Shelter") was built by the alumni and undergraduate
men of Delta Tau Delta (Alpha Omega) in 1903. The
building, located on the southeast corner of Ninth
and Indiana streets (directly west of the Zeta Chi
house, still stands today and the Greek letters DTD
can still be found in the sidewalk.
Soon having outgrown its first
Shelter, the Delts, again with the financial support
of its alumni, purchased a house on the northwest
corner of Ninth and Grove in 1911. The "new" house
was formerly home to the Delta Delta Delta sorority
which had moved to its new home directly east of the
current Zeta Tau Alpha house. The second Delt
Shelter with its famous turret served Gamma Theta
for the next 49 years. The building remains today
and is still thought of with fond memories as "home"
by many Gamma Theta alumni.
In November 1960, 57 years after
being founded, Gamma Theta chapter moved to its
current Shelter. Built with funds contributed by
alumni, the structure was, and still is, the finest
men's fraternity house on the Baker campus.
Gamma Theta's history is filled
with accomplishments as well as times preferably
forgotten. Throughout the years the men of Gamma
Theta have left their legacy at Baker and around the
world. A quick tour around Baker's campus will
enable you to cross paths with the memories of many
great Delt brothers -- the Hartley Plaza, Fleming
Pavilion, Case Hall, Parmenter Hall, Rice
Auditorium, the Quayle Bible Collection, Hill String
Quartet, the Irick Tennis Courts, Metzger Track and
so on. Four Gamma Theta Delts have served as
president of Baker University and many others have
been and are today on Baker's faculty. Nine Delts
are honored in Baker's Athletic Hall Of Fame.
One of the most
significant events in Gamma Theta's history occurred
during World War II in the 1940s. All but one Delt
at Baker went off to war. Brother Jay Ellis, with
assistance from several alumni, kept the fraternity
alive and the Delt Shelter open by pledging 13 men
in 1943. Brother Ellis and his pledges were there
when the men returned following the war. |
