County of marker: Callaway County
Location of marker: Westminster Ave. & W. 6th St., Westminster College, Fulton
Marker erected: April 25, 2015
Marker erected by: Alpha Delta Chapter of Beta Theta Pi
Building built: late 1927
Marker Text:
ALPHA DELTA OF BETA THETA PI
HISTORIC GREEK CHAPTER
The Alpha Delta Chapter of Beta Theta Pi was chartered by its general fraternity on March 5, 1868.
Alpha Delta Chapter of Beta Theta Pi is the oldest chapter of any collegiate fraternity or sorority in continuous existence west of the Mississippi River.
Charles Henry Hardin, "of ever honored memory," one of the eight founders of Beta Theta Pi in 1839 at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, lived in Fulton from 1843-1860. In 1858, he sponsored the petition for the charter of the Beta Theta Pi Chapter at Westminster College. Brother Hardin secured the approval of the general fraternity for a chapter at Westminster College in 1860, but the actual installation of the chapter was delayed until 1868 because of the local conditions surrounding the college during the Civil War and its aftermath.
Brother Hardin served as Governor of Missouri from 1875-1877. His gravesite is located in Jewell Cemetery in Columbia, Missouri.
"The Founding of Beta Theta Pi
At nine o’clock on the evening of the eighth day of the eighth month of the year 1839, eight earnest young men, all students at Miami University, held the first meeting of Beta Theta Pi in the Hall of the Union Literary Society, an upper room in the old college building (known as “Old Main”). The eight founders in the order in which their names appear in the minutes were:
John Reily Knox, 1839 Charles Henry Hardin, 1841
Samuel Taylor Marshall, 1840 John Holt Duncan, 1840
David Linton, 1839 &emsp: Michael Clarkson Ryan, 1839
James George Smith, 1840 Thomas Boston Gordon, 1840
“of ever honored memory”
~
Beta Theta Pi, About
"The Beta Theta Pi house is situated in a row of fraternity houses, across the street from and facing the academic campus.
"English Tudor, high gable with 3 cross gables. One of the cross gables has been covered over by the main roof. Presently, only two are visible from the exterior.
In the fall of 1946, most of the house was destroyed by fire. The house was restored to its original condition the following fall. The exterior brick structure, interior metal beams, parts of the roof and fireplace were not destroyed. The house has four additions, all on the east and north sides. (a) a kitchen was added to the south end of the east wall, (b) a room and bath was added on top of the kitchen, (c) a room was added to the west side of the north wall, (d) another addition was made on the east side of the north wall (see as noted on the site plan).
Baker Terry Construction Company of St. Louis was responsible for rebuilding the house after the 1946 fire.
"The house has three dormers on the front and three on the back, with no overhang. The stucco areas of the exterior are crossed and decorated with wood.
"For a better understanding of the history of Phi Delta Theta and its chapter house on the Westminster College campus, this surrey includes a history of all three fraternities
combined into an overall view of the system's history.
"The first fraternity arrived on campus on March 5, 1868, with the installation
of Beta Theta Pi. In 1830, a second fraternity was established at Westminster,
Phi Delta Theta. Throughout the next ten yews, the fraternities
"came more into the open in their activities and began to fill a larger place
in campus life."
On February 5, 1890, a local organization, Chi Beta Delta, was initiated
into Kappa Alpha Order, and became the third. fraternity on campus.
"With the three national fraternities firmly established, the 'system' had
definitely arrived at Westminster. A friendly rivalry naturally sprang up
among these groups; and increasingly overshadowed the literary societies
as tie focal point of social interest for their members. . . . each rented
a hall in town where it might put up its paraphernalia and hold its meetings." At this time, the chapter members had their own housing, on a singular basis.
"The fraternities had become an increasingly important part of Westminster life, and their parties were a regular part of the Fulton social scene reported
in the local press. Each group continued to rent chapter rooms in some downtown hall where they could hold meetings and an occasional social gathering."
"Phi Delta Theta was the first fraternity to have an official chapter house. In the fall of 1901, they obtained a house on Main Street (northwest comer of Court and Ninth streets) from J.E. Watson. In the winter of 1907-08, Beta
Theta Pi bought permanent living quarters at 915 Court Street.
In the 1920s, "the literary societies went into serious decline attracting
largely underclassmen, but the social fraternities were in their heyday. All of then had their om houses in the main part of town by this tine, and in
1926 Phi Delta Theta led the way to Westminster Avenue. Back in 1920, E.M.
Tuttle had offered the college a generous bargain on six lots facing the campus
at the bottom of the hill between Fifth and Seventh streets." Phi Delta Theta bought two of the lots in 1923 began construction of a house. They first occupied their new residence in January 1927. Beta Theta PI built its
house on the adjoining north lot a year later. Kappa Alpha erected a house adjacent (north) of the Beta Theta Pi house in 1928-29."
~ Historic Inventory Fulton, MO - Missouri Department of Natural Resources, PDF page 1256