Theta Upsilon Omega


Theta Upsilon Omega, was a national collegiate fraternity in the United States. It was formed by the merger of nine local fraternities in 1924. On April 23, 1938, Theta Upsilon Omega merged with Sigma Phi Epsilon.

History

Representatives of several local fraternities at a December 1, 1923 meeting of locals, organized by the National Interfraternity Conference, determined to form a new national through amalgamation. The following nine local fraternities were part of the NIC meeting and formed Theta Upsilon Omega:
They were joined by Pi Rho Phi of Westminster College at the Charter Arch Convocation meeting, held at Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania from February 21 to 23, 1924. The result was the creation of Theta Upsilon, later called Theta Upsilon Omega. All then chapters received their charter and inducted members on May 2, 1924. With the merger of the ten fraternities, Theta Upsilon's formed with 544 members. Merle C. Cowden, of Worcester, was chosen first national president of Theta Upsilon Omega.
The fraternity established its first alumni club in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1925. The fraternity had twelve chapters and 988 active members on June 1, 1926.
Additional chapters were chartered, but growth stalled during the Great Depression. Following negotiations on April 23, 1938, Theta Upsilon Omega merged with Sigma Phi Epsilon. Of its thirteen active chapters, four merged with existing Sigma Phi Epsilon chapters, and seven others were granted new charters in Sigma Phi Epsilon. One chapter reverted to local status under its original name and another merged with Theta Chi on its campus.

Symbols

Theta Upsilon Omega's official seal was a voided fusil bearing inscriptions regarding the fraternity and having in the center, the Squire's helmet facing to the left. Its crest was a dragon sitting on a mural crown, above an esquire's helmet. Its coat of arms was designed by Emily Helen Butterfield.
The fraternity's badge was a small pin of blue enamel with a circular contour in the center of which was a ten-pointed gold star enclosing a jewel. The badge had three short triangular arms which were equidistant around the pin, and on them, in gold, the Greek letters ΘΥΩ. In the spaces between the arms will be six pearls, two between each pair of arms. Charter members could wear the pin with a diamond center, and initiated members could substitute a ruby for the diamond or wear a plain pin.
The fraternity's pledge button was a cross fitchy of midnight blue with a border of gold. Its recognition pin was its crest in old gold, consisting of a mural crown from the top of which issues a dragon's head.
The fraternity's flag was equally sized vertical bands of blue, gold, and blue with a blue cross fitchy in the center of the gold band. Its colors were midnight blue and gold. Its flower was a dark red rose. Its publication was The Omegan.

Chapters

Following is a list of Theta Upsilon Omega chapters.
ChapterCharter date and rangeInstitutionLocationStatus
Beta Alpha – Worcester Polytechnic InstituteWorcester, MassachusettsMerged
Gamma Alpha – Stevens Institute of TechnologyHoboken, New JerseyMerged
Delta Alpha – University of IllinoisIllinoisMerged
Epsilon Alpha – Temple UniversityPhiladelphia, PennsylvaniaMerged
Zeta Alpha – Bucknell UniversityLewisburg, PennsylvaniaMerged
Eta Alpha – George Washington UniversityWashington, D.C.Merged
Theta Alpha – University of New HampshireDurham, New HampshireInactive
Iota Alpha – Pennsylvania State UniversityState College, PennsylvaniaMerged
Kappa Alpha – Davidson CollegeDavidson, North CarolinaInactive
Lambda Alpha – Westminster CollegeNew Wilmington, PennsylvaniaMerged
Beta Beta–Miami UniversityOxford, OhioInactive - later became OH Eta chapter of ΣΦΕ
Gamma Beta – University of California, BerkeleyBerkeley, CaliforniaMerged
Delta Beta – Muhlenberg CollegeAllentown, PennsylvaniaMerged
Epsilon Beta – University of AlabamaTuscaloosa, AlabamaInactive
Zeta Beta – Monmouth CollegeMonmouth, IllinoisInactive
Eta Beta – Alabama Polytechnic InstituteAuburn, AlabamaMerged
Theta Beta – Rensselaer Polytechnic InstituteTroy, New YorkMerged

Notable members