ATO National History:

(Ohio State ATO history below)

Alpha Tau Omega began as an idea in the mind of a young Civil War veteran who wanted peace and reconciliation among Americans after the war. His name was Otis Allan Glazebrook. Glazebrook helped bury the dead of both armies, and he believed in a better future. He saw the bitterness and hatred that followed the end of the war and knew that a true peace would come not from force of law, but rather from within the hearts of men who were willing to work to rekindle a spirit of brotherly love. Glazebrook, who was only 19 years old, believed that younger men like himself might be more willing to accept, forgive, and reunite with the Northern counterparts if motivated by Christian, brotherly love. But he needed an organization to gather and coordinate like-minded people. In Richmond, Virginia, Glazebrook consulted with University of Virginia alumni who gave him information concerning the formation of fraternities.

Reared in a devout Christian home, Glazebrook could contemplate fraternity only in terms of Christian love. Out of his prolonged meditation emerged the concept of a fraternity Greek in name only; the Greek name, the visible symbol of passionate conviction that peace and brotherhood could be achieved under the protection of Jesus Christ. The name came spontaneously. As a boy, Glazebrook had seen the ancient insignia of the Church, the Tau Cross subjoined by Alpha and Omega. “Alpha” and “Omega” signify to the Biblical quote, “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.” Joined with the Cross the whole signifies that Christ is all in all, the beginning and end of salvation.

Having created a Christian fraternity and appropriated a distinctively Christian symbol for its name, the Cross naturally was its logical emblem. In the center he inscribed a crescent, three stars, the Tau Cross and clasped hands. Upon the upper and lower vertical arms he placed the Greek letters for Alpha and Omega and upon the horizontal arms, the Omega and Alpha letters respectively. Reading from top to bottom the fraternity’s name appears. Alpha Tau Omega, reading left to right it becomes Omega Tau Alpha. This reverse arrangement still indicates that Christ the beginning and end are joined.

On September 11, 1865, Alpha Tau Omega was born. It was the first fraternity founded after the Civil War, and the first sign of Greek life in the old Confederacy. It was the first fraternity founded on Christian principles, and still strives to embody these principles in every aspect of its existence. Today, Alpha Tau Omega annually ranks among the top ten national fraternities for number of chapters and total number of members.

The goal of Alpha Tau Omega, as expressed in its creed, is “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.”

ATO Ohio State History:

The Beta Omega chapter of ATO was established on the campus of the Ohio State University in May of 1892 with less than 10 men initiated into the fraternity. From that humble beginning Beta Omega would grow into the one of the largest chapters on campus. As the fraternity grew it changed locations of its chapter house several times, settling at the intersection of Iuka and Waldeck for years to come. The wall in front of the chapter House still stands and bears a Maltese cross in its design. By the 1960 it became apparent that the old house on Waldeck was not meeting the needs of the fraternity. A new house was designed by ATO Alumnus, Charles Nichtski. This house was opened in 1965 and would serve as the home of Beta Omega for the next 27 years.

Dark Day:

Due to lack of commitment by members of the chapter to national guidelines and policies the chapter was closed in 1992. Unfortunately, destruction of chapter property by individuals and the selling of the house by alumni brought a sad closing to the first 100 years of Beta Omega.

A New Beginning:

In the winter of 2002 a new era of Beta Omega would begin. Interest from both ATO Nationals and of legacy and Ohio State student Jim Whistler saw the establishment of a colony at Ohio State. This colony would become the longest ever existing colony in ATO history. Numbers would go up and down over the next two years and many men who were not worthy to be ATO’s would drop out. However in the fall of 2004 a fire was lit under the 15 remaining members of the colony and these strong men shepherd the colony towards chartering. 25 new men came together that fall and winter, bringing new vitality to the colony. Together with the remaining colony members, 40 men were able to re-establish the Beta Omega Chapter officially on May 14, 2005.

Exciting Future:

In a few short years Beta Omega has grown to one of the largest organizations on campus and has solidified itself as a leader in the Greek community. The chapter has also been successful at the national level winning back to back True Merit Bowls in 2007 and 2008. Additionally, we have been the the recipient of the Silver Communication award, placing second, amongst all ATO chapters in the nation.

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.