To bind men together in a brotherhood based upon eternal and immutable principles, with a bond as strong as right itself and as lasting as humanity; to know no North, no South, no East, no West, but to know man as man, to teach that true men the world over should stand together and contend for supremacy of good over evil; to teach, not politics, but morals; to foster, not partisanship, but the recognition of true merit wherever found; to have no narrower limits within which to work together for the elevation of man than the outlines of the world: these were the thoughts and hopes uppermost in the minds of the founders of the Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity.
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Otis Allen Glazebrook
1880
The History of the Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity
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This famous Civil War painting portrays the daring charge of the VMI cadets at the Battle of New Market. Sixteen of the cadets depicted would go on to become ATO's, including Cadet Corporal Glazebrook, Cadet Corporal Marshall, and Cadet Sergeant Ross.
The Alpha Tau Omega fraternity began as an idea in the mind of a young Civil War veteran, Otis Allen Glazebrook. His goal was to find a way to bind together the people of the North and South. Glazebrook, motivated to reunite the nation, needed only to find the right channel for his ideas.
During the Civil War, the South lost all 142 of its fraternity chapters. Glazebrook's knowledge of this, provided him with the means to fulfill his dreams. Glazebrook, with the help of two close friends, Alfred Marshall and Erskine Mayo Ross, created the Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity, which sought peace and brotherhood for the whole nation, and placed at its center, the teachings of Jesus Christ.
Over the years, the Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity has grown into over 180 chapters nationwide. Though today there are well over 200,000 brothers, the original ideas and objectives of the three founders continue to motivate our fraternity's pursuit of excellence.
"Alpha Tau Omega holds before the young of the country an ideal and something greater than a mere intellectual ideal. Alpha Tau Omega stands for heart as well as head. It has given men a true ideal of life."
The Success of the Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity The members of the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity use the principles outlined in the creed to maintain a successful fraternity. The creed has provided a high standard of excellence which each individual chapter strives to maintain. Some accomplishments of the national fraternity are:
- The first fraternity founded on Christian principles,
not Greek philosophies.
- The first to create a national government by its alumni.
- The first to adopt a democratic form of government.
- The first fraternity west of the Rockies.
- The first fraternity to replace traditional "hell"
week with "help" week.
- The first to join with a national women's organization
to co-sponsor leadership and ethics programming on a national basis.
- The first fraternity to start a chapter that prohibited alcohol and tobacco on fraternity property.
The History of Indiana Gamma Gamma On November 15, 1893 seven men were initiated into the newly formed Indiana Gamma Gamma chapter. The first initiate was William O. Mundy. The founder of the chapter was Ferdinand Elbert Smith, Jr who was initiated in 1890 into the Alabama Beta Beta Chapter at Southern University. Our official charter was signed on January 4, 1894 by E.J. Shives, Worthy Grand Chief, and Otis Allen Glazebrook, Chairman of the High Council. Since those first seven almost 1600 men have been initiated into Indiana Gamma Gamma. Our current house was designed by Scott Wallace, an ATO from Purdue. The house was completed in 1968 and brothers immediately moved into it. On March 8, 1969, State Day at Rose, the house was dedicated. At Homecoming during ATO's 100 year anniversary, the house was officially named the Ronald Glenn Reeves Chapter House.
The Success of Indiana Gamma Gamma Indiana Gamma Gamma has had many successful brothers come and go. Here are some interesting facts about us:
- There are 9 buildings (2 in progress of being built)
and 2 rooms on Rose-Hulman campus that carry the names of Gamma Gamma initiates,
they are:
- Rotz Mechanical Engineering Lab Building - John M. Rotz, initiated 1939
- Crapo Classroom Building - Frederick M. Crapo, initiated 1915
- Logan Library - John A. Logan, initiated 1965
- Hadley Administration Hall - George D. Hadley, initiated 1928
- Skinner Residence Hall - James C. Skinner, initiated 1930
- Speed Residence Hall - William S. Speed, initiated 1893
- Kahn Rooms - Bob Kahn and wife, initiated 1936
- Vonderschmitt Food Service Facilities (including kitchen, faculty dining room, main dining room and cafeteria) - Bernie Vonderschmitt, initiated 1943
- White Chapel - John White, initiated 1942
- Hatfield Auditorium/Alumni Center (under construction) - Mike Hatfield, initiated 1981
- The name Hulman in Rose-Hulman comes from Tony Hulman, initiated in 1946
- Our alumni donate the largest percentage of money to Rose-Hulman
- Gamma Gamma has won the annual ATO National True Merit 20 times since its inception in 1968
- 11 of the 35 members of Rose-Hulman's Board of Trustees are ATO alumni