Theta Chi chapter Alpha Tau to host centennial celebration at 窪蹋勛圖
The fraternity, founded by E.W. Scripps School of Journalism founder and director George Starr Lasher, is among the oldest continuous fraternal organizations on campus.
Julia Weber, BSJ 25 | March 17, 2025
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窪蹋勛圖s Alpha Tau chapter of the national fraternity Theta Chi is hosting a centennial celebration of its founding this May.
Scheduled to take place Thursday, May 22, through Monday, May 26, the celebration will include a golf outing, a tour and hike at The Ridges, local brewery visits and more. Anchoring it all is a Saturday cocktail reception, theater program and banquet at Baker Center, which will be attended by the international president of the fraternity and other dignitaries. Individuals may .
Alpha Tau was founded in 1925 by George Starr Lasher, who also founded whats now known as the E.W. Scripps School of Journalism. The group is among the oldest continuous fraternal organizations on campus.
Famed musician Louis Armstrong (left) with Theta Chi alumnus Sammy Kaye (BSCE '32, center) and an unidentified musician.
Theta Chi alumnus Kermit Blosser (B.S.Ed. '32)
The centennial is a big deal, and I feel a lot of pride being a part of it, said Jacob Dorony (B.S.Ed. 27), current president of Alpha Tau.
Not every fraternity or every chapter gets to this point, he added. To be able to make it to 100 years just shows the kind of people we have and continue to bring in. Its going to be a great experience not only for the current members, but for all the alumni as well, to see what they have built and see where it is going.
Christianne Medrano Graham, director of Sorority and Fraternity Life at OHIO, said fraternities and sororities foster shared values through the practice of their rituals, the memories they share and traditions that can positively contribute to the Universitys cultural fabric.
A celebration like this is like going to a family reunion, because theyre fraternal brothers across the years, decades even, so they share in the same ritual experience, which is the glue that brings them together, she explained. What a group of new members did as part of their initiation ritual 100 years agobecause it is written in their ritualthey are still doing the same things right now. They recite the same oath to God, Country, and Alma Mater, recite the same passages, and have the same shared experience, which creates that connection through time.
OHIO's Alpha Tau chapter of the Theta Chi fraternity celebrates its 100th birthday this year. Photo courtesy Theta Chi.
For Centennial Committee member George Vanderbilt (BGS 89), the celebration is an exciting and rare opportunity to celebrate the fraternitys continuous presence and legacy on campus. He sees his time in the chapter as a transformative experience that taught him leadership skills and allowed him to meet and befriend people with different backgrounds, experiences and perspectives.
Theta Chis motto is, Extend an assisting hand, and its nice to know that there are people out there that can extend that assisting hand, Vanderbilt said. Its a common purpose.
Dorony echoed the sentiment, adding that the fraternitys assistance isnt limited to its members.
No matter who you are or where youre from were always looking to help everyone out, he said. We want to see our community grow in positive ways.
Community service is a central tenet of the fraternity, which participates in the Ohio Department of Transportation Adopt-A-Highway program. Photo courtesy Theta Chi.